Extra! Extra! Robots, SPAM and China's Silicon Valley

• When it comes to building "fire-fighting" robots, Shanghai kicks ass.
• China's internet portals unite! "We absolutely oppose to indecent on-line messages that are against social virtues and Chinese people's good culture and traditions."
• IKEA to open seven more China stores before 2010 (and Shanghaiist's brother is still IKEA-less in Honolulu).
• Beijing's first SPAM court case involves a company called Shanghai Yiteng Enterprise Management Consulting Company, the alleged spammer. A Beijing woman says the company's bulk emails have cost her time and money. How much is she suing for? RMB 1,100. That'll teach 'em!
• What should you do if you live in Beijing and your PC shows you the "blue screen of death"? Well, first thing you should do is buy a Mac. If that's not possible, head to "China's Silicon Valley."
• The Economist arrives quite a bit late to the Back Dorm Boys phenomenon.
• Eight Chinese officials lose jobs over polluted lakes.
• Want to be a pop singer in Shanghai? Make sure you get certified.
• Virtual China takes a look at cool maps.
• If someone offers you sex for 30 kuai, there's a good chance you will end up broke ... or dead.
• The Hangzhou-Shanghai high speed train is looking at "many ways" to raise US$4.37 billion (sorry Terence). Meanwhile, the even more pricey Beijing-Shanghai line should begin construction this year.
• More than 40 percent of Chinese internet users think internet shops are "absolutely not trustworthy."
• The Shanghai World Financial Center is getting taller.

Photo by CAI Yan taken from the Shanghaiist photos page. To see your photos on our photos page, use Flickr and tag your photos "shanghaiist". Or you can email your photos to photos@shanghaiist.com and they will automatically appear on our site.