Notel Media Player Helps North Koreans Skirt Censorship

An anonymous reader writes A small portable media device, costing roughly $50, is allowing North Koreans to access and view foreign media despite tight government censorship, according to a Reuters report. The 'Notel', a mashup of notebook and television, is being described as a symbol of change in the repressed society. Used to watch DVDs and shared content from USB sticks and SD cards, the media player can be easily concealed and transported among families and friends. According to correspondents in the region, as many as half of all urban North Korean households have a notel and are swapping a broad range of banned media such as soaps and TV dramas from South Korea and China, Hollywood blockbusters, and news clips — all of which is strictly forbidden by Pyongyang law.

Comments

I read that as "Nortel"

[SeaFox]

And was like "Man, everyone is getting into the media streaming game, even defunct Canadian companies."

Re:This too shall pass

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't you realise that these Notels are illegal? Don't you realise that these people are breaking the law!?

Since when did Slashdot become a place to defend wrongdoing and the subversion of authority? I hope the government clamps down hard on these criminals and swiftly restores order.