People attending the China's Digital Future conference also are invited to a series of panel discussions on Thursday night and Friday morning before the conference on the impact the Internet and technology are having on the United States.

These events are at or near the conference site and also are free. No separate registration or RSVP is needed. Here's the schedule with links for more details:

Living With The Genie:
On Technology and the Quest for Human Mastery
Thursday, April 29, 7 pm
Pimentel Hall
- with Howard Rheingold, Denise Caruso, Ray Kurzweil, Richard Rhodes, Mark Schapiro and Christina Desser
See event details for more information

Revisiting Virtual Communities:
The Internet’s Impact on Society and Politics
Friday, April 30, 9 am
North Gate Hall Library
- with Craig Newmark, Susan Mernit, Markos Moulitsas Zúniga and Mark Pincus
See event details for more information

Disrupting the News Industry:
Media Concentration and Participatory Journalism
North Gate Hall Library
Friday, April 30, 10:30 am
- with Dan Gillmor, Vin Crosbie, Neil Chase, Ken Sands and Bob Magnuson
See event details for more information

Sponsored by the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and the Western Knight Center for Specialized Journalism