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Chinese parents stop school from using brain-monitoring headbands on their kids

Chinese parents stop school from using brain-monitoring headbands on their kids
BrainCo’s brain-monitoring headbands caused quite a shock in China when photos of them in use started appearing in April. (Picture: BrainCo)

Remember the creepy-looking headbands that measure the brain activity of primary school students during class? The trial program was meant to track students’ attention levels using electroencephalography (EEG), but it’s now been stopped at the request of the parents.

Parents at Xiaoshun central primary School in Jinhua City, Zhejiang province said that they were concerned about the kids’ privacy and well-being after reports about the trial started appearing in international media.

The devices were developed by US-Chinese company BrainCo. BrainCo says that the headbands were only used for half an hour, twice a week. The company denies violating data privacy, adding that its goal is to help students improve concentration and learning. Yang Zhangpeng, the company’s director of public relations, said that foreign reports on the brain-wave monitoring devices have been biased and inconsistent about the facts.

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China wants Twitter to shut down accounts that smear China
China wants Twitter to shut down accounts that smear China
Aside from Chinese-backed accounts, Twitter also removed Russian and Turkish state-backed accounts. (Picture: Monika Skolimowska/ZB/dpa)

After Twitter shut down what it calls a Beijing-backed disinformation operation by banning more than 170,000 accounts, China has responded with a piece of curious advice. 

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters during a briefing on Friday that Twitter should shut down accounts that smear China if it wants to fight disinformation, Reuters reported. Hua said that many platforms had falsehoods about China and that there was a need for Chinese voices with objective views. But China itself is blocking Chinese voices from reaching Twitter: The platform is blocked inside the country.

On Thursday, Twitter removed state-linked accounts from China, Russia and Turkey for violating their platform manipulation policies. The company said the accounts spread “narratives favorable to the Communist Party of China” and pushed “deceptive narratives about the political dynamics in Hong Kong” where tensions have once again flared up over the new National Security Law.

This is not the first time Twitter has moved against Chinese state-backed operations on its platform. Last year in August, the platform removed over 900 accounts, which were part of a larger 200,000-strong army involved in a “coordinated state-backed operation” to allegedly sow political discord in Hong Kong.

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This dock promises to turn your Switch into an arcade cabinet
This dock promises to turn your Switch into an arcade cabinet
The Switch Fighter is scheduled to ship in November. (Picture: Switch Fighter via Indiegogo)

The arcades aren't as big of a draw as they used to be. But if you miss the retro feel of joysticks and big round buttons, the Switch Fighter might help. 

The accessory, which transforms a regular Nintendo Switch into a mini arcade cabinet, is seeking funding on Indiegogo. For US$99, the Hong Kong-based campaign promises to ship backers the Bluetooth-connected gadget, allowing them to “properly play classics like Street Fighter or King of Fighters.” It also serves as a dock for charging and TV output, according to the project page

There’s a lot of caveats here: The project has a flexible goal, which means it’ll collect all contributions regardless of whether their funding target is reached. Also, Nintendo has previously warned users not to buy a third-party dock for their Switch. 

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