Meanwhile, new and improved Web2.0 applications such as podcasting, vodcasting and social network systems have been introduced but most are not popular in China, except for blogs. Instead, surfers focus more on how to make the Internet, and certain applications, safer to use, referring to online banking security issues.

Shanghai Daily has chosen 10 highlights of the year that will most likely influence, and be remembered by, the Chinese IT industry in the years to come. We will publish five today and the remainder in next Friday's issue.

Rogue software

China's 123 million netizens have often to deal with rogue software as they surf. Rogue software in this case generally means pop-up advertisements or installing spy programs without notice.

An Anti Rogue Software Coalition was set up to protest the spread of such rogue software. The coalition has taken steps to sue companies which they alleged are spreading the rogue software including Yahoo China and ebay China.

It's a highlight because it was the first time Chinese netizens got together to organize a coalition to protect their rights. That has encouraged software firms to launch products which will help users to uninstall the rogue software.

Failure of BenQ- Siemens deal

BenQ recently decided to stop mobile phone manufacturing at its Germany-based facility it acquired through a merger with Siemens' handset division last year. BenQ has applied for bankruptcy in Germany and it will move most its production capacity to a new Shanghai plant. But BenQ will continue to use the BenQ-Siemens brand. BenQ Corp posted a net loss in the third quarter of NT$2.51 billion (US$76.45 million) because of the handset division's losses.

It's a highlight because BenQ's deal with Siemens announced last June marked another landmark for local firms' global expansion after Lenovo.

The world's No. 1 blog comes from China

Chinese actress-turned-director Xu Jinglei's blog became the world's most popular with over 50 million daily clicks, according to a billboard of US-based Website "Technorati."

Film stars, economists and even presidents of real estate companies write online diaries to attract people to visit the blog spaces every day.

It's a highlight because the number of blogs keeps rising as the country's vast pool of Web users clamor to make their mark online.

Venture capital firms invest heavily in the sector and blog operators hope to cash in through advertising links on the popular blog spaces.

A Murder Sparked by a Chinese Bun

"A Murder Sparked by a Chinese Bun," edited from filmmaker Chen Kaige's "The Promise" (Wu Ji), is the hottest Web clip on the Internet in 2006. It has won a lot of support and applause from netizens but also almost brought lawsuits against Hu Ge, the author. Chen was reported to have asked his lawyer to look into the matter.

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