A few weeks ago we posted about yet another Groupon China (a.k.a. Gaopeng) scandal involving a bogus McDonald’s meal deal and pointed out how the company’s problems reflect the deteriorating condition of China’s flailing group buying (tuangou) industry as a whole.

Read more about the fate of group buying on Agendabeijing.com.

Apple’s iPhone 4S arrives in China next week. Before you head down to join the feverish masses, think about whether this latest smartphone version is worth the inevitable pain and suffering. Given the chaos and catastrophes that have befallen previous Apple releases, I’d stay clear of Sanlitun on Friday the 13th. (But Apple has a special shopping deal of some sort available today only, both in-store and online. Wonder what that's all about?)

Chai Dongxin (柴东新) only takes photos of things that relate to rock. All the images hanging on the walls of Jiang Hu Liveshow Bar and Gulou 121 were captured by his camera. In June, when he held a solo exhibition at 798, nearly all the influential figures in the current rock scene showed up on opening night. It’s hard to imagine that Chai first picked up a camera only six years ago.

How did you get a solo exhibition?
A British magazine approached me. I was actually under a lot of pressure. Actually, we should not see it as a photo exhibition. It’s more like a document of a period of time. I think photos covering five to six years is enough to tell the story of an adolescent period.

If China is going to become a serious space contender, referring to incredibly advanced space maneuvers in affectionate terms needs to stop. This isn’t China’s only remarkable technical feat of late – they’re also marking microchip milestones, Internet profits and swipe card successes. Meanwhile, Chinese real estate developers and a prominent American are both facing scrutiny over some not-so-subtle language fibs.

Hey, you. Tired of using your mid-range smartphone as a camera? Wish that awesome shot of the chuan'r guy picking his teeth with an empty skewer was just a little less grainy? Or maybe you're an aspiring artiste who dreams of getting that perfect shot of your Beijing life, but you're held back by your utilitarian point-and-shoot's crappy aperture and slow sensor? Or are you prepping for that awesome trek through Xinjiang but afraid your bulky DSLR and five different lenses will break your back?

Well, whoever you are, this photo contest is for you. The Opposite House has teamed up with the supremo lens crafters at Leica to organize a photo competition that straddles Beijing and Hong Kong, with our city's theme being "Beijing Opposites." Prizes up for grabs include two different Leica cameras (the highest end of the compact camera market – and we hear their trademark "red dot" makes hipsters shake with envy) or one night's stay at The Opposite House (a little more fleeting, but still pretty sweet). Read on for more details.