China Tech Roundup: Social network addicts, iPhones and Androids

• Jeremy Wagstaff comments in the Jakarta Post how two generations of one-child policy has led to a generation of lonely Chinese kids who are using online social networks like Friendster as a replacement for real life relationships rather than to supplement them. The article also quote Harry Hui of Pepsico who quotes a unnamed China Mobile survey that states "the mobile phone is more important than boyfriends or girlfriends for 90 percent of the younger generation".
• We can almost believe this given the affection Apple devotees like blogger David Feng gives to his gadgets, however in his latest blog post, David suggestively rationalizes that the billion dollar arms deal with Taiwan may somehow delay the iPhone reaching the shores of mainland China.
• Luckily for those of us suffering from phone envy, rumour also has it that China Mobile will be cooperating with HTC to launch an Android device (the phone, not a robot that looks like a person) by the end of 2008. Apparently this will not be identical to the G1 launched in the US and will support TC-SCDMA.
• The Alibaba Group have announced that they plan to fill 3000 technology posts across the world. Of these posts, 2000 of them are being offered from it's Hong Kong listed company. Jobs also on offer include 300 jobs at Taobao, 100 at Alipay and 20 at Alisoft.

Photo from theshanghaieye