YOUR IPOD MAY HAVE driven a Chinese worker to suicide. “During his 28 days of investigation, Liu Zhi Yi was shocked to discover how the factory workers live in a sort of indentured servitude. They work all day long, stopping only to quickly eat or to sleep. They repeat the same routine again and again except on public holidays. Liu surmised that for many workers, the only escape from this cycle was to end their life. . . . Most of the workers had nothing to say about the popular Apple products they assemble. Most can’t afford to own an Apple product.”

UPDATE: “Tom Friedman Was Not Available For Comment.”

ANOTHER UPDATE: FoxConn suicide rate lower than Chinese average? Ouch. That undercuts the story, but doesn’t make Tom Friedman look any better. . . .