PortaBush Wildly Popular in China

Last week, Eruptor Entertainment released PortaBush, a satyrical app in which the U.S. President is a sort of virtual pet. Users can make Dubya pass or veto bills, blow stuff up, eat BBQ, get drunk, and more while trying to keep the weight off and his popularity high. It is available for $5.

What is possibly more interesting than the game itself is how popular it is in China. During a huge traffic spike last Thursday, "about 80% of the downloads were coming from China," Eruptor Entertainment President Brad Foxhoven said.

The U.S. is currently very unpopular in that Communist country after a Chinese fighter was downed in a confrontation with a U.S. spy plane. Apparently, the Chinese are enjoying ridiculing the U.S. President. Mr. Foxhoven estimates that a quarter of the PortaBush downloads to date have come from China.

Eruptor Entertainment makes a line of off-color virtual pets, including PortaPam, PortaHo, PortaPimp, and several others.

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But do they PAY for it?

mikecane @ 4/17/2001 8:53:55 AM #
Naturally, it is all a plot by the Chinese to bankrupt the Palm Computing market by downloading a billion copies of software and NOT paying for it.

Seriously, great work, Ed. I hadn't seen this elsewhere and have sent it around via email.

RE: But do they PAY for it?
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/17/2001 8:50:34 PM #
Reminder for those of you that actually were taught civics in school, as well as a lesson for the idiots out there who were never taught civics (and probably aren't even aware of what the Constitution is) and who obviously value feelings more than life: The United States Constitution does NOT provide for not having your feelings hurt by somnething someone says; if you don't like it, don't listen. Personally, I don't give a damn about the pilot (and he, obviously, didn't care about our servicepeople), and I have every right to say what I want about the commie bastard chinese pilot who almost killed American servicemen and servicewomen, and it is ludicrous to think that I am the perpetrator by exercising my constitutional rights. This is what makes America great, and all you liberal leftist wackos that are more worried about peoples' feelings than peoples' lives should give up your U.S. citizenship and move to China; then see how your feelings are respected!

RE: But do they PAY for it?
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/18/2001 5:02:31 AM #
Dear Sir,

The very fact that the pilots were on an espionage mission violates the privacy rights of China. If China is do to the same to America, would you be happy? It is because that we are concerned about lives that we advised you not post such radical comments that the Chinese pilot got what he deserves.

Let America be known as a country that values lives and not be a country that bullies.

RE: But do they PAY for it?
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/18/2001 8:28:51 AM #
Violates the privacy rights? If you will recall, China 'stole' (through spying) many of our nuclear secrets and weapons technology. This kind of stuff goes on all the time. Spying is a way of life. You are an idiot to think that we violated any rights, since we were in international airspace, and obviously anyone can pick up those radio signals. I definately agree with the guy on the top post.

Re: But do they PAY for it?

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/17/2001 2:27:53 PM #
Of course they don't pay for it. Take personal responsibility? You're kidding, right? Everyone knows that it's government's responslbility to take care of every citizen's wants. (Already coming to a country near you!)

BTW, that commie pilot, "Wrong Wei," ran into the U.S. plane - and got what he deserved!

RE: Re: But do they PAY for it?
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/17/2001 2:38:43 PM #
Kindly refrain yourself from assuming that it was the Chinese pilot that ran into the US plane. Do not falsely practice freedom and human rights by making such comments. Please be more humane ...

Human rights and freedom of speech should not be practiced at the expense of others.

RE: Re: But do they PAY for it?
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/17/2001 3:45:13 PM #
Waaah Waaah Waaaaaaaah!

RE: Re: But do they PAY for it?
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/17/2001 4:20:04 PM #
Rules of the sea and air. Smaller crafts must yield to larger crafts. That's what happens when you are careless and reckless. Fishfood.

RE: Re: But do they PAY for it?
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/17/2001 4:38:14 PM #
Like the US servicemen (yes and women you PC freaks) he was doing his job.
Unlike them he did not have the freedom not to do it.
Communist countried have always forced people to do what they want,
whether the people involved wanted it or not. If he had not done to the best of
his abilities his "pals" would have reported it, and I can assure you that
his family would've been the ones to suffer. The ones at fault are the bigwigs running
China, not its people. You act as if one gets to choose what regime one is born into.
If you remember the people there tried to remove the ones in power before, and they
will try again, I assure you. But for the time being when the government controls or censors every
source of information, there isn't much that one can do.
I am not Chinese nor have I ever been to China, but I was born in the USSR, and
I know first hand how such governments work. Soldiers must do what they are ordered, or their families pay the price.
Let blame lie where its deserved.

RE: Let blame lie where its deserved
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/17/2001 5:11:50 PM #
You may have grown up in USSR, but it appears that you haven't figured out the difference between "doing your job" and "screwing around".


This "pilot" was obviously screwing around because we know these facts:












The "pilot" has flown close enough before to show
the US pilot his e-mail address
Rules of the sea and air. Smaller crafts must yield to larger crafts. (To help you understand this better, imagine a BUS and Motorcycle - which one is more
nimble and agile?)
Anyone with "common sense" knows that a
Motorcycle is able to accelerate faster than a BUS.  So you're trying
to argue that the slower BUS plowed into the faster, more nimble and agile
motorcycle?



Tell you what, the next time your out driving on the road at over two hundred miles per hour, try to get close enough to bus beside you on the road and show them your e-mail address on a piece of paper pressed up against your passenger-side window - WITHOUT WREAKING your car!


Clearly some people just don't have the faintest idea or concept of how stupid and moronic this Chinese pilot was. He was basically trying to intimidate the US pilot at the same time showing-off his inept flying abilities.


If you can't see this, then you are as blind as you are stupid.


RE: Re: But do they PAY for it?
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/17/2001 8:18:24 PM #
Can it be that the reason the pilot seemed to be so close was because of the zoom capabilty of the camera on board the plane ... knowing at it is a spy plane.

Don't believe totally what the papers tells you they are always biased to what they eant to bring across. The Chinese will always have their version and so will the papers in America.

However, we know that US will always win in the end as you have the money and the military power to bully any country and change any law. The UN, WTO, IMF, World Bank ... etc. are at your disposal.

RE: Re: But do they PAY for it?
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/17/2001 8:27:53 PM #
yep, Has anybody realised that it was the US plane that makes a sharp turn to taunt the Chinese plane. The pilot was just doing his job to protect the security of his country. Any american pilot would have done the same.

RE: Re: But do they PAY for it?
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/18/2001 7:35:02 AM #
"This "pilot" was obviously screwing around because we know these facts:"

facts given to you from where? the completely honest and unbiased american news anchors? don't make me laugh.
and his "screwing around" was his job, do you think these pilots can do *anything* at all without the direct approval of their higher ups? He wasn't "stupid and moronic" he was a good pilot, forced to risk his life because his commanders decided to block the innocent american spy planes for some reason. gee.. why would they want to do that?

good promotion

pp @ 4/17/2001 9:08:22 PM #
nothing
Bush has really bad press outside USA
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/18/2001 8:45:36 AM #
Not only in China, but also here in Europe, Bush jr. usually appears as a dangerously stupid man, saying dangerously stupid things at dangerously important occasions.

I'm talking about China, Kyoto, the Rocket Shield issue and the Palestine intifadah. Bush seems to handle these things like a scared person defending his car business, not like a world leader.

After all, the Lewinski scandal didn't make the USA loose a tenth of the prestige they've been loosing in a few months with Bush jr.

Oh well, good for us. Who needs the US anyway...

RE: who needs the USA
PalmZealot @ 4/18/2001 7:08:01 PM #
Hey there, maybe you don't know, but the USA has saved many countries, including CHINA, EUROPE and other countries in times of war.

Who do you think saved CHINA from JAPAN during WWII???

Who do you think saved all of the EUROPEAN countries from Nazi Germany during WWII???

Oh yeah, WHO needs the USA.

Just think, without the USA, you'd either be speaking JAPANESE or GERMAN!!!!!!

Gee, what JOY!!!!!!!!!!

RE: who needs the USA anyway
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/18/2001 7:37:41 PM #
PalmZealot,

I'm talking about the here and now. Not even the time before mr. Bush jr. arrived. I mean, the old world has been thriving for quite a few millenia before we even found out that the earth is not a pancake (just think, PalmZealot, without the Europeans, Americans would speak a language that these days can only be heard in the X-files).

Anyway, mr. Powell did prove me wrong today. By making Sharon move his armies out of Gaza, he showed us that we better be glad that Israel is still a US colony. Maybe Powell should have been the president instead of that blunt-witted stammerer most of you appear to have chosen.

After all, I hope you're kidding about the USA being *the* one saving "all" European countries from *the* German nazis. In that case, you'd be having the president you deserve.

RE: good promotion
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/19/2001 2:43:05 PM #
just to point out, most americans chose Gore, not Dubya

Gimme A Break

Legible @ 4/17/2001 9:27:21 PM #
To those of you arguing about the rights and wrongs of the spy plane vs. the fighter jet please take it elsewhere. This is a forum on Palm things, and lets keep it that way.

RE: Gimme A Break
MadMax @ 4/18/2001 12:46:21 AM #
go away. This is the best thread going right now.

DITTO!
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/18/2001 7:05:48 AM #
DITTO!

the fact is:

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/17/2001 9:29:02 PM #
it is not the china pilot who fly too close to the SPY aircraft, but the SPY aircraft fly too close to China!



RE: the fact is:
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/17/2001 10:21:43 PM #
The facts are:

China claims the spy plane was flying 60 nautical miles from China.

The U.S. claims the spy plane was flying 70 nautical miles from China.

International law defines international airspace as at least 12 nautical miles offshore from any country.


RE: the fact is:
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/17/2001 10:52:44 PM #
60 or 70 nautical miles, what's the difference for a SPY aircraft?
please have look at a the map at MSNBC.COM,look at the trial the SPY aircraft flied,what do you feel if a chinese SPY aircraft fly that way along the U.S coast?

what do you feel if some guy roaming around you house all the days, and try to listen to your private conversation over wireless phone using some hightech instrument(yeah, of course they are on the street, which is public area)?

I have to say sorry for all the piloteers here, I really don't want to post politics related messages here, but some of the posts above really so hard to ignore.
I am a palm user live in Beijing China,I come here everyday, I love my palm device just like you do,and I love my country.
(for people who blame chinese using crack warez,i want to say,sooner or later ,palm and other software develop co. will find china is a big revenue source,at least after we get a internation credit card, and,remember, very few chinese using palm device now,and the biggest warez website pilotwarez.com is NOT running by chinese! )

Handhelds as Diplomats
Ed @ 4/18/2001 12:12:08 AM #
Maybe the fact that people from both countries love their handhelds means we have more in common than we'd sometimes like to admit.

---
Plenipotentiary
Palm Infocenter
RE: the fact is:
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/18/2001 8:00:52 AM #
One fact needs to be clarified.
South China Sea aera doesn't totally belong to China. Taiwan, Vietnam and Philippine also own some islands there.

I am a Taiwanese and just hope this accident won't disrupt coming Taiwan-USA military purchase proposal no matter who's right or wrong.

More importantly, don't forget that China government still threatens Taiwan all the time, and we won't reunion with China except they break their Communist rule.

PS: I do love people in USA and China well, but I won't give my heart to a government which has treatened it's own people all the time.

RE: the fact is:
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/18/2001 8:29:22 AM #
One fact needs to be clarified.
South China Sea aera doesn't totally belong to China. Taiwan, Vietnam and Philippine also own some islands there.

I am a Taiwanese and just hope this accident won't disrupt coming Taiwan-USA military purchase proposal no matter who's right or wrong.

More importantly, don't forget that China government still threatens Taiwan, and we won't reunion with China except they break their Communist rule.

PS: I do love and cheer people in USA and China well, but I won't give my heart to a government which has treatened it's own people all the time.

RE: the fact is:
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/18/2001 9:36:47 AM #
"60 or 70 nautical miles, what's the difference for a SPY aircraft?
please have look at a the map at MSNBC.COM,look at the trial the SPY aircraft flied,"

The difference is, that is international airspace (12 miles offshore). I looked at the map on MSNBC.COM. China claims their territorial waters extend about 200 miles off shore because it is including the Paracel Islands. That is ridiculous!

Using that logic: The U.S. territorial waters should extend past the Near Islands (the western most Aleutian Islands of Alaska), dip down the Pacific Ocean to include Guam (a territory of the U.S.), south to include the Hawaiian Islands, and then back to California. So, the U.S. claims all of the North Pacific Ocean as U.S. territory. Is that right? Of course not!!! Territorial waters extends 12 miles offshore around each island.


"...what do you feel if a chinese SPY aircraft fly that way along the U.S coast?"

Chinese, and other countries SPY aircraft, do fly that way along the U.S. coast. Don't kid yourself if you think the U.S. is the only country that spies on other countries. What do we do about it? Nothing. If they are in international airspace.

"what do you feel if some guy roaming around you house all the days, and try to listen to your private conversation over wireless phone using some hightech instrument(yeah, of course they are on the street, which is public area)?"

Yes, people do do this. How do we handle this in the U.S.? We create even more high tech devices to stop them from listening.



RE: the fact is:
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/18/2001 12:44:08 PM #

I applaud you Mr Taiwan in supporting US. Afterall America have always provided you with the weapons to fight against China. Down with the Chinese pigs!!!

RE: the fact is:
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/18/2001 4:02:09 PM #
"Maybe the fact that people from both countries love their handhelds means we have more in common than we'd sometimes like to admit." - Ed

Between our mutual love of handhelds and our mutual hatred of Bush, the two countries are closer than ever!

RE: the fact is:
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/18/2001 10:40:33 PM #
i am not an international law expert, i hate politics, following things were copied from our goverment website,just want you my piloteer fellows in U.S know some voice from the other side of the story.

for the missing pilot, i look him as a hero, out top gun,I am proud of him.

btw, i perfer Core to be your president, because i learned from palmpower magazine, that he is a piloteer.

[copy from:http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/highlights/militaryjet/storydb/416article.html
]
1.the incident occurred in the airspace above the waters merely 104 kilometers to the southeast of the Hainan Island, which is above the exclusive economic zone of China.

2.Article 56 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea promulgated in 1982:
the coastal country concerned not only has the right to exploit, utilize, maintain and administer natural resources in its exclusive economic zone, but also enjoys other rights concerning exclusive economic zones laid down by the Convention, it says.

3.US has designated Air Defense Identification Zone in the airspace over its coastal waters, and the sphere of the zone is much wider than that of the exclusive economic zone of 200 sea miles.The US demands that any foreign planes in the Air Defense Identification Zone should fly according to the US stipulated course, and should obey the procedures the US has prescribed, and if any foreign plane violates these rules, the US will send its planes to intercept it.



RE: the fact is:
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/19/2001 3:27:26 PM #
You are not an expert on international law. If you were you would know that the economic zone is different than the actual airspace of a nation. Economic zone means that, for instance, US ships can't fish and oil companies can't drill for oil within 200 miles of China. But international boundaries limit the actual airspace and national waters of any country to 12 miles. That's the international standard, and out of more than 180 countries, only China doesn't respect it. Outside of that 12 miles, no country can stop ships from sailing or planes from flying. The US may see planes flying close as a threat and send out escorts - that's what the US Russia and China have been doing for years. They can't take agressive action, like shooting the plane down or knocking it out of the air though, so long as it is outside the 12 mile zone.

The point isn't the borders or the pilot or any of that. It was clearly an accident. What was a mistake was the holding of the pilots for 11 days, when the customary practice is to return them immediately. Trying to use them to bargain made them hostages, and Americans are probably going to be bitter about that for awhile. Of course, it won't stop the corporate machinery from cranking up, and soon we'll be happily buying everything from shirts to electronics from China again. We'll never really think about how China is one of the most oppressive governments with a terrible human rights record that they are so embarrassed about they won't even let the UN talk about it!

Yeesh

mikecane @ 4/19/2001 8:26:52 AM #
I posted the first comment in this thread. It was meant to be FUNNY.

Then all the John Wayne types jumped in.

Sheesh.

China VS U.S.A

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/22/2001 8:15:38 AM #
There will come a day when all the chinese will gather together and populate the earth and they will kick each and every 1 of you stupid americans. CHINESE RULES
RE: China VS U.S.A
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/22/2001 8:48:48 PM #
That may not be true. There are many chinese girls in may country who will rush into the arms of the Americans (especially the "whites") to be their wives or even mistress. They also clearly choose them over Chinese.

redBANG Beijing

I.M. Anonymous @ 6/17/2001 12:01:15 PM #
GOING TO BEIJING
If you are traveling to Beijin China, There is a NEW fantastic Palm city guide that will get you everywhere in the city, WITH OVER 1000 taxi cards in chinese characters GO TO www.redbang.com
Realease date June 22nd 2001

RE: redBANG Beijing
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/10/2001 9:20:02 PM #
that download for redbang crashed by palm!!!! redbang application is not good and i hope they come up with better ways to draw commie chinese maps so one day we can take our redbang and attack china! redbang redbang redbang! now i know what that means poeple! homies we shall overcome! let's redbang china!

downloading mp3 to sony clie

dpriemer @ 11/15/2002 5:14:50 PM #
Is it necessary to have the magic stick to download mp3 to your sony clie or can you use the standard memory stick

ass kickin'

jcocabo @ 12/14/2004 9:44:20 PM #
this is so nice kicking gore's ass

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