The hold of Mexican narcotraffickers has overflowed the country’s southern border, as the Mexican Zeta cartel has seized control of parts of northern Guatemala, leading the government there to suspend local civil liberties and declare a state of siege in the area. —JCL The Guardian: Narco gangs have opened a new front in South America’s expanding drug war by seizing control of parts of northern Guatemala, prompting the government to suspend civil liberties and declare a state of siege in the area. Hundreds of soldiers have reinforced police units in an offensive against a Mexican cartel known as the Zetas which is said to have overrun Alta Verapaz province. The mayhem has deepened alarm that Mexico’s drug war has spilled across southern neighbours and corrupted state institutions that are proving no match for well-funded, ruthless crime syndicates. Read more Related Entries December 30, 2010 New Year’s Call for a Border Reboot December 24, 2010 Happy Holidays
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Police patrolled transport hubs across London on Friday amid continuing fears of a terrorist attack. (Jan. 7)
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Idapt has its new i4 and i1 Eco universal chargers on the CES show floor, and if you’re not a fan of iGo products but hate the need for multiple chargers you should maybe give these a look. The i2+ simultaneously charges three different devices (plus one via USB), and comes bundled with six tips for charging pretty much any gadget you can throw at it. The tips can be interchanged quickly by clicking on either side, and it even puts your devices on display. The i1 Eco utilizes the same interchangeable tip system, but only has room for one in addition to a USB port. This one has hot swappable end tips for charging in the car or on the go, and costs around $25. Check out both of them in the gallery below. Gallery: Idapt 2011 charging systems hands-on Idapt 2011 charging systems hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 13:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Bad news on the U.S. job front: While the country’s unemployment rate took its biggest drop since April 1998, the decrease was due not so much to a recovering economy, but to the fact that 260,000 people have given up looking for work. A problem with existing job figures is that those who are employed part-time, and those who have given up looking for work, are not counted in the overall unemployment figure. For a more appropriate gauge of unemployment, try the “underemployment” measure. —JCL The BBC: The US unemployment rate dropped to 9.4% in December from 9.8% in November, the biggest one-month drop since April 1998, official figures show. Some 103,000 jobs were created last month, the Labor Department said, although this was fewer than the 145,000 to 175,000 forecast. The lower rate came not only because more people found jobs, but also because 260,000 had given up looking. Read more Related Entries December 30, 2010 New Year’s Call for a Border Reboot December 24, 2010 Happy Holidays
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A team of divers say they’ve discovered the remains of the USS Revenge, a ship commanded by US Navy hero Oliver Hazard Perry and wrecked off Rhode Island in 1811. (Jan. 7)
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I was 14 years old and it was just after dinner on the last day of summer vacation in the Alabama portion of Southern Jersey, where the only black people I ever saw were sunburned Italians. Related Entries December 30, 2010 New Year’s Call for a Border Reboot December 24, 2010 Happy Holidays
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President Barack Obama appointed Gene Sperling as his director of the National Economic Council Friday, placing a Washington veteran with a bipartisan track record in the White House as the administration contends with a divided Congress. (Jan. 7)
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Photo Credit: Eric Ryan Anderson When Jeremy Lyman and Paul Schlader wanted to open a café in New York City called Birch Coffee, they felt it needed to be more than just another place that served a warm cup of Joe. Their desire was to create a community around sustainable food and beverages and be a “simple yet special spot to get away from life’s grueling demands and regain a little peace of mind”. The new eatery needed to feel like it had been there for a lon… Read the full story on TreeHugger
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Cricket offered us a chance at a deeper look and demo of its Muve music service this week at CES, and of course we just couldn’t pass it up. First off, the Samsung Suede — while only a feature phone — seems to be a fairly capable device, wandering between the many sub menus within the app was slick, smooth, without major hiccups, and general usability was snappy. The Muve service rings in at $55 and brings all kinds of unlimited together: nationwide calling, text — including unlimited global text — picture / video messaging, 3G mobile web, unlimited full track downloads, ringtones, and ringback tones. The service will launch in Las Vegas this month — so we’ll expect some of you’ll need to polish your patience skills — and roll out to other markets during Q1 and early Q2. The intro music lineup includes some one million tracks with a major bump to two and a half million in a month or two. The show was about as loud as a jet taking off. So, as to sonic fidelity, that remains a question, but a trip to your local brick and mortal can definitely satisfy your curiosity — that is if you’re pondering taking the plunge. Gallery: Cricket Muve music service and Samsung Suede hands-on Continue reading Cricket Muve music service and Samsung Suede hands-on Filed under: Cellphones Cricket Muve music service and Samsung Suede hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 13:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Lady Gaga can now shield her famous poker face with new high-tech camera sunglasses. The pop diva and Polaroid creative director unveiled the new specs at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. (Jan. 7)
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