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North Korea releases Android tablet

If you're expecting Wi-Fi capabilities, you'll be disappointed. Propaganda? Oh yes.
Written by Charlie Osborne, Contributing Writer

North Korea may have a tough time maintaining a constant flow of electricity and providing for the basic needs of its population, but that hasn't stopped it from creating a national tablet: The Samjiyon.

Unlike other Android-powered devices which can access the Internet, movies, books and music, the Samjiyon is not Wi-Fi connected, and instead is simply a mobile device which delivers government propaganda and a few basic military games and the necessary Angry Birdsrip-off.

In the same way the state-sponsored operating system Red Star, found on computers in the capital, prevents anything but access to approved web pages and is only available to a select few citizens, it is unlikely that the Samjiyon will enter the general marketplace.

However, North Koreans given access to this mobile device will never forget their state responsibilities. Red Star includes a piece of code on every page that automatically increases the font size of "Kim Jong-un" and former leaders to make them stand out on web pages. The Samjiyon also includes apps that teach users how to line up properly, how to draw the national flag, and the best ways to support and stay loyal to the North Korean leader.

Read More: Geekosystem

Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube

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This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com

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