“Senior Taiwanese officials have been under scrutiny for the smartphones they use — specifically whether they support Taiwan’s HTC Corp., which plays a big role the island’s high-tech economy,” The Associated Press reports.
“Hu Yu-wei, the information minister and government spokesman, stirred up controversy Sunday for posting a picture of an iPhone 5 on his Facebook page,” AP reports. “‘Help the economy and bolster consumption,’ Hu wrote under the picture showing the Apple handset’s black case with its telltale icon.”
“He was immediately blasted by the media and on the Internet,” AP reports. “‘Can you imagine the South Korean government spokesman speaking out for iPhone 5 on his Facebook page?’ asked the mass circulation United Daily News. It noted that President Ma Ying-jeou is a big HTC fan and gives out HTC handsets as gifts for foreign dignitaries.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: U.S. President Barack Obama is stil sporting an antiquated Canadian-made RIM BlackBerry, rather than supporting homegrown Apple Inc. and using a vastly superior iPhone 5.
As we wrote years ago: Should the U.S. President be using an inferior foreign-made* device… when a superior device has been created by a U.S. company?** It seems logical that the U.S. President should be supporting U.S. companies…
*However benign that soil may be. We love Canucks. We’re just sayin…
**Yes, iPhones are assembled in China like nearly everything else on the planet. However, the bulk of the profits stays in the U.S., in the hands of a unique and valuable U.S. company with 32,000 employees, not sent off to another country.”
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “David E.” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
RIM posts higher 4Q profit, sales; Obama’s BlackBerry endorsement helped claims analyst – April 3, 2009
Steve, buy that man an iPhone: Obama vows to keep his Blackberry despite security, legal concerns – January 8, 2009
Think that Barak Hussein supporting RIM is a problem. Check this out…
“When the ill winds blow, I will always stand with the Muslims.” Barak Obama (in his book, The Audacity of Hope.”)
Ah, more paraphrasing. How about the actual quote from the book? I realize that you probably don’t even know what it actually is, since you likely haven’t read it and are instead parroting what others tell you.
He was referring to Arab and Pakistani AMERICANS. Here is the actual full quote without the spin and distortion.
“In the wake of 9/11, my meetings with Arab and Pakistani Americans, for example, have a more urgent quality, for the stories of detentions and FBI questioning and hard stares from neighbors have shaken their sense of security and belonging. They have been reminded that the history of immigration in this country has a dark underbelly; they need specific reassurances that their citizenship really means something, that America has learned the right lessons from the Japanese internments during World War II, and that I will stand with them should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.”
A bit different huh? You guys REALLY should stop listening to the radio and TV idiots and start reading and forming your own opinions.
Sadly, HTML5, people like Ubermac, BLN and numerous others on this forum have already formed their own opinions. And their mission is to take out of context, spin, spread FUD and tell downright lies in blatant attempts to denigrate Obama and anything Democrat. These people are not uninformed or naive; they’re just doing Republican work.
Don’t make some ignorant assumption that republicans spin and lie and distort and democrats tell the truth and are straight and honest.
Both sides spin and lie and distort and corruption does not have a unique political party.
As far as radio spinning, all news media outlets can spin and distort. Radio has the unique ability to expand on issues far beyond print or short Internet articles, also it allows for feedback, debate, counterpoints and you can hear a variety of different opinions.
Most of the news media in the US is monolithically democrat and left of center when the country is center right.
The popularity of alternate media outlets stems from this gap.
Also most Americans, even those that vote can’t identify the Vice President, the speaker of the house, or senate or minority speakers, nor any of the Supreme Court justices, nor any recent government policies. They can easily identify Justin Beiber or Tom Cruise or Beyonce.
The sad fact is that regardless of your political views or party affiliation this election will largely be decided by a herd of ill informed and ignorant people.
Ummm. I think you made that assumption, not me. My post was just commenting on the number of ridiculously politically biased posts on here by certain members – the ones by Ubermac (above) and BLN (below) being just the latest examples. Surely you’re not going to defend Ubermac’s post as being anything but a politically motivated lie (a deliberate misquote designed to suggest that Obama has Muslim sympathies which if times got tough would be stronger than his Christian/Jewish/US sympathies)? Or BLN’s as anything but politically motivated FUD (both Republican and Democrat’s political agendas contain some socialist concepts, yet BLN’s use of the word along side the word “Commies” is designed to paint Obama as, at a minimum, a communist sympathizer)?
Neither of those two posts have anything to do with the original story but were provoked by MDN’s “take” – which in turn ignores the reality that Obama is known to be an Apple fan and user (he has been photographed many times with a MacBook Pro and an iPad) and probably uses a Blackberry because of security restrictions (as suggested by divinaustin (below)).
You are right there. There is spin and distortion from both sides, as well as from the government no matter who is in office.
So that makes what Ubermac said okay and thus truthful. Got it.
So Obama didn’t say this on a TV interview?
“SEN. OBAMA: What I was suggesting — you’re absolutely right that John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith, and you’re absolutely right that that has not come …”
Ok, let’s pretend for a second that Barack Obama is a Muslim (he isn’t, but let’s pretend) – does that automatically mean that he shouldn’t be president?
There are a lot of reasons why I don’t want to see Mitt Romney become president, but him being a Mormon is not one of them.
Are all Muslims bad people in your world?
Freedom of religion is constitutionally guaranteed right. So I’m not sure why people harp on religion.
I’d personally prefer that we had an atheist candidate that had some good ideas about what to do to help the country – at least that way I’d feel fairly sure that some headless external voice won’t be guiding their decisions and that they are using rational thought to guide them.
Besides the fact that Islam being a murdering, raping, death cult… It’s more about Obama pretending to be a Christian, while actually being a Muslim.
Yeah but silly me, lets not talk about Obama being a liar, lets talk about the other guys taxes and his dog and all his evil work of getting rich.
“Besides the fact that Islam being a murdering, raping, death cult…”
Ah of course. We all know that Christianity has never killed anyone in the name of religion, right?
I personally don’t get involved in all the unimportant things about Romney either – I don’t care about his dog, and I personally managed to get my effective tax rate down to a little over 17%, so I’m with him on that one. Change the tax code. And there definitely isn’t anything wrong with getting rich in this country.
Look, I’m not one of these crazed “99 percenters”. I’m a capitalist. I am a fiscal conservative, but socially liberal when it comes to letting people live their own lives.
I just don’t like seeing lies spread to try to influence people. It actually makes the case for your side look weak and desperate, and as if you can’t bring up any valid points to support your argument. It is a shame, but this now seems to be the primary tactic of the Republican party.
I WAS a Republican before it went from being moderately conservative and turned into a party only for religious extremists, bigots, and multimillionaires (who only really tolerate those other two groups because they will vote for them – they tend to be rather intelligent people).
The party as it is today is running off many people such as myself and forcing us to become independents. Maybe sanity will once again have its day in the party, but at the rate it is destroying itself, I’m not so sure.
Ubrmac has an absolute distorted view of the world and no grip on reality.
Read up a little on history of Islam, how it spread thru violence only.
In India, Muslims tried to force some Hindu saints to convert to Islam by cooking their children alive in front of them.
And again, Christianity has never killed people while “spreading the Word”? Have they never done forced conversions?
@Ubermac. Read up on a little religion. Islam is a faith of peace, that is being distorted by religious fanatics. The same way that Christianity and Judaism has, at times, been distorted by religious fanatics. I had you pegged as an intelligent person, even if I disagreed with your political views and your way of making them. The post you make above proves I was wrong.
Oh, and I see a trend with your tactics. Usual neo-con BS. You ignored me calling you out on your “quote” and respond with yet another BS out of context edited clip – here is part of the transcript to show the context of the discussion. They were talking about people accusing him of being Muslim (again, not sure why that would be a crime, but hey) and he was stating that John McCain and his campaign had not directly questioned him about being a Muslim. You guys are pathetic with these tactics.
——–
STEPHANOPOULOS: You mention your Christian faith. Yesterday you took off after the Republicans for suggesting you have Muslim connections.
Just a few minutes ago, Rick Davis, John McCain’s campaign manager, said they’ve never done that. This is a false and cynical attempt to play victim.
OBAMA: You know what? I mean, these guys love to throw a rock and hide their hand. The…
STEPHANOPOULOS: The McCain campaign has never suggested you have Muslim connections.
OBAMA: No, no, no. But the — I don’t think that when you look at what is being promulgated on Fox News, let’s say, and Republican commentators who are closely allied to these folks…
STEPHANOPOULOS: But John McCain said that’s wrong.
OBAMA: Now, well, look. Listen. You and I both know that the minute that Governor Palin was forced to talk about her daughter, I immediately said that’s off limits. And…
STEPHANOPOULOS: But John McCain said the same thing about questioning your faith.
OBAMA: And what was the first thing the McCain’s campaign went out and did? They said, look, these liberal blogs that support Obama are out there attacking Governor Palin.
Let’s not play games. What I was suggesting — you’re absolutely right that John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith. And you’re absolutely right that that has not come…
STEPHANOPOULOS: Christian faith.
OBAMA: … my Christian faith. Well, what I’m saying is that he hasn’t suggested…
STEPHANOPOULOS: Has connections, right.
OBAMA: … that I’m a Muslim. And I think that his campaign’s upper echelons have not, either.
———
It really is shameful that so many people parrot this stuff, and that so many people are taken advantage of.
HTML5 Gordon,
Again, BRAVO for you well considered and extraordinary efforts to set the true record straight!
And to Ubermac: FUCK YOU and the Neo-Con bought Ass you rode in on. Your ilk make me sick and very worried at times for the future of our country and democracy.
@ubermac: The mistake was Stephanopolous’s, not Obama’s. Stephanapolous interrupted Obama and in doing so misconstrued Obama’s point. Another typical Republican attempt at FUD at a minimum, or perhaps blatant lie. When repub’s have to resort to this sort of tactic, they are their own worst enemies. Worse, they insult the intelligence of the average American, who can see through this BS. And maybe, just maybe, that’s why Obama is ahead in the polls.
BRAVO, good sir!
Wow. Not only was that not what wrote, the passage it was mutated from was wildly taken out of context and twisted to mean something his enemies want people to think. Can’t we keep such hateful political junk out of this forum?
Obama admits he is not born in America:
Pathetic.
So true … And this is the president of the United States!
Yes, at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Making fun of people like you and their crazed conspiracy theories.
I HATE being manipulated. I would NEVER vote for someone who tries to manipulate me with outright lies and falsehoods, and can only shake my head in disbelief. Are US voters THAT stupid? If someone lies like that, they will lie to you – just to get what they want. So how can you possibly trust them? Simple – You can’t.
You should try thinking for yourself instead of regurgitating Hannity and Limbaugh. Your inaccurate quote is no doubt one of their fabrications. Don’t you feel the slightest bit of remorse at taking a man’s reasonable words and twisting them into a damaging, hateful speech?
Do you have any knowledge of classified federal communications security standards? Have you read the phonebook sized protocols? If Obama uses a Blackberry it is undoubtedly because RIM is the only manufacturer who has jumped through all of the flaming hoops necessary to become a “qualified” device, and/or it is the only device that can be modified, or have custom apps installed to meet the government’s esoteric requirements. The government runs far behind current technology on many areas because it’s not profitable for companies with more modern technologies to build a one-off device or system for the feds.
Taiwan benefits vastly from iPhone sourcing, so what’s the big deal with that? Whatever Obama’s handset choice, it benefits people in the US, in Canada and in Taiwan. They are called shareholders, stakeholders. That argument is similar to Obama’s desire of Apple’s manufacturing jobs back in the US. The truth is you have very little control over where money goes after you make a purchase, so enough of that ignorant economic nationalism. Your local economies might be better off purchasing a foreign product than an “American” one.
Welcome to the globalized economy, MDN.
(That being said, Obama does use an inferior product and that’s a fact)
BlackBerry is not inferior to iPhone. On elements of the device being a toy yes iPhone does score higher but on the elements of rapid fire communications and security, BlackBerry wins all day long and that is just a fact. Oh BTW, blackberry traffic ( lack of 3D animations aside) rocks as does BlackBerry protect.
Love my iPhone as a weekend toy but Monday AM the Bold 9900 is in my pocket.
shut up gary.
Truth hurts… Set iSheeps “wants’ aside for 21345 versions of a Task Manager app and you quickly realize that RIM loads its devices with all of the applications that are required for a business communication device.
I own iPhones (4S and 5) and 2 BlackBerries 9900 and 9860 and 2 recently released Droids so I speak from a position of knowledge.
Gary, you’re so fullofshit! The only position of knowledge you obviously have is sitting on the toilet texting yourself with your gaggle of mobile phones. Go away weirdo.
hmmm yes… that would be bent over double talking out the orifice you use to store your dingleberry knowledge. Because you really NEED 6 phones.
douchetard.
Truth hurts doesn’t it! iSheeps usually respond the way you do. Childish rubbish. You guys just make me laugh to no end. You know nothing about anything yet you challenge intelligent perspectives by way of comments like these.
Get out of you dark basement, stop chocking your little winnie and try to get some fresh air.
Only thing that hurts is your meagre brain cells bouncing into each other. Nobody cares about faux knowledge. Mommy called , says you need a daipy change. Childish indeed.
“Little Winnie”?
Is that what your call yours, Garrrrry? (With an emphasis on LITTLE, I’m sure).
Gary, is English your first language, or did you skip the remedial classes?
Just wondering…
LOL! – apparently Gary has been playing “drop the soap” with Neo-con owned Ass-fucking Ubermac above…
Gary the Blackberry Fairy. One of the last of a dying breed, but still he tenaciously (and stupidly) holds on! (The “fact” is iPhone 5 is blazingly fast – how much faster can you possibly need than near instantaneous? God knows I won’t be using anything else, don’t need to. iP5 is truly fantastic.)
I may be a Canuck but I’ll take my iPhone over a Blackberry any day.
Amen, brother!
You are the poster child for why Canada will always be America’s poor northern cousin! You are nuts but then again maybe all you need is a toy and RIM does not build toys it builds tools.
uhhhhh, once again, shut up dork vomit.
Is this the best you have after spending 7 years in High School? Wow your parents must be proud!
iSheep!
Your parents must be equally proud knowing you cheaply succumb to every Fandroid tech cliche in the book when you’ve lost the argument. iSheep? It’s an insulting term that means we merely go with Apple just because it’s Apple and give us no credit for opening our eyes, analyzing the difference between phones and picking Apple. Don’t elevate yourself above your shoe tops because you’re no superior, moral or otherwise.
Listen the next big brand coming out of Apple is iSlaves! Stay tuned as you have no clue what is about to be disclosed about Apple Inc. Too many enemies out to tar and feather you is never a good thing and Apple now has to deal with the wrath of every other tech co including Chinese companies who will draw further attention to how Apple treat people in China.
Trolltard. Go home please. Your constant regurgitation of your cheap imitation of somebody else’s hypocritical opinion is boring , without wit , devoid of any insight and umm…oh yeah..boring. Geez I miss ZT sometimes…
You’re a tool.
Is this the reincarnation of Zunetang? I find it hard to believe anyone is honestly this silly. Wait, I take that back, there are people who take Sarah Palin’s advice…
I think that the major reason that Canada and the USA haven’t become a single country* is that the Canadians realize that they’d lose out on the deal.
*Except for Quebec. Quebec doesn’t even want to be part of Canada, much less the USA.
Now now… The great American way is to borrow $ from China like drunken sailors and offer Canada 1 million dollars per resident. You have a deal and we will even throw in Celine Dion!
The USA Republic of China by 2020!
blah blah blah …yawn…
So I guess that must mean that RIM- job “built” you then, right Gaaaaary?
HA HA HA!!! THIS THREAD IS HILARIOUS!!!
Gary is like that moron kid from the weird house at the end of the street that no one wants to play with. His parents only let him out every once in a while when they run out of aerosol cans to huff and realize there is sun outside.
Obama loving Canadian bacon….and RIMjobs….
Not surprising given his socialist credentials. Commies talk the talk but don’t walk the walk.
@ Ubermac
Really?
Next you’ll tell me that someone who wears magic underpants is fit to be anything.
Well according to democrats, a serial rapist is fit to be president.
Where do I vote for you?
Really? The smartphone wars are taking on a nationalistic tone now? What’s next, smartphone genocide?
The downside of Apple’s closed system…
For the most part Apple’s closed system for the iPhone makes a far, far superior product.
However, this leaves one issue that RIM can support far better than Apple. It is possible — with RIM’s full blessing — to modify the software of a Blackberry to increase it’s information security levels (TRANSEC, COMSEC and Data at Rest at a minimum) to that far beyond what Apple allows with the iPhone. It’s just a fact of life. Anyone who thinks the U.S. President is using an “off the shelf” Blackberry is either naive or a fool.
Is Apple losing significant sales because of this? No.
Is Apple going to break into the U.S. Government security and DoD markets because of this? No.
People either need to get Apple to change its rules for the U.S. Government, or people need to get over being upset when certain U.S. Government personnel use something other than an iPhone or iPad.
Obama uses/still uses a Blackberry because that is what the government can securely provide him that meets all the requirements for National Security and the laws regarding communication retention policy, he also uses what has been rumored to be a custom version of the BB device and software specifically for his use, since he is the first president to have a personal device. Just saying there are more things to consider than just what we would like him to use.
No. The profits do not stay in the US.
The profits stay overseas where they should until the fuckup Hussein changes the double taxation law and allows those funds to be repatriated for zero tax. The tax was already paid in the country of sales, you dumb asses.
Those repatriated funds could be used for more job creation in the US, but no company is going to throw it away by paying taxes a second time, especially to an assdumb fuckup like the Obama administration.
We lose that moron idiot in a month or so.
Repatriated funds COULD be used for more job creation, but history tells us that they wouldn’t.
Do you remember what happened the last time we allowed companies to repatriate their funds back when Congress approved it in 2004?
Here’s a hint – the companies took advantage of the opportunity to bring the funds back, and then promptly laid people off.
Pfizer brought back $37 billion, and then laid off 10,000 people.
Merck brought back $15.9 billion, and then laid off over 7,000 people.
HP brought back $14.5 billion, and then laid off over 14,000 people.
And on and on…
And, almost none of that money brought back spurred on any additional domestic investment.
Go and take a look at the Congressional Research Study on this – it is public information. It states that very little evidence existed that new investment was spurred.
Don’t believe the hype.
What?- for an even bigger mormon, I mean moron, idiot?
Hey eh It’s OK to mealymouth Blackberry but leave Canada out of it
If it wasn’t for us the lights would be out and the cars would be pulled by horses down below
From the Great White North Strong and Free eh
Oh ya and did we mention Hockey eh
The funny thing is, I’m sure an economist can calculate it, that the iPhone 5 probably has a greater positive economic impact on Taiwan than HTC, as a whole, does.
Being Canadian, I’m deeply embarrassed by RIM’s POS.
As far as MDN’s apology for calling Canada Foreign, well, it wouldn’t be foreign if you hadn’t had your asses thrown out of our country during The War of 1812.
I still can’t understand why we gave back present day Michigan to you. We should have kept those spoils of war.
Tru Dat eh
At least they got a new White House after we burned down the old one .Dolly Madison did save the silver tho . Not a bad ending considering they set out to invade us (Canada eh)
For your information, Foxconn who made the iPhones is owned by a Taiwanese company who happens to establish manufacturing in mainland China.
Actually, the bulk of the profits stay OUTSIDE THE US 🙂