7 Must-Read Tech Stories in China This Week

Here’s a quick round of of some of the more notable China tech stories we covered for the first week of 2012!

1. China Implements Real-Name Registration, Online Ticket Sales for Trains, Buses

China’s online real name requirements look to be spreading to many corners of the internet, and early in the week we saw that this included China’s online train system, and before long there will be real name requirements to online payment systems (like Alipay, for example) as well. As for microblogs, we also found out this week that the transition to a real name system will be anything but cheap.

2. Migrant Laborer Says China’s Online Ticket System Unfair

It wasn’t a big surprise that China’s online train ticket purchasing system buckled under the pressure of the Spring Festival rush. But another issue that might not have been considered was the fact that less computer savvy folks (namely migrant workers) found themselves at a disadvantage with this new online system in place. Beijing net cafes say they will help anyone who has trouble using computers, but the whole system still remains a troublesome issue.

3. Top 3 Startup Provinces in China: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong [CHART]

January 3, 2012 – Hats off to 17Startup.com for their examination of China’s startup scene broken down by province and type.

4. The Chinese Internet Takes an Arrow in the Knee

The well-known meme from Skyrim gets the China treatment as netizens put their own spin on the “but then I took an arrow in the knee” phrase. This. Is. Awesome.

5. It’s Official: iPhone 4S Finally Coming to China on January 13

After months of speculation about when China might get the iPhone 4S, it was finally officially announced this past week, along with the pricing. In addition to that, Chinese fans saw the Apple’s New Year Sales start on Friday as well, though discounts aren’t as much as we’d hoped.

6. Dangdang’s Upcoming E-Reader Shown in Leaked Photo, Coming to China in April

We got a sneak peek of Dangdang’s upcoming e-reader this week, as some leaked pictures show a device that is very Kindle-ish. But Dangdang’s e-book platform is still less-than-stellar, with 50,000 titles that are mostly outdated and boring.