We may have avoided default – for now. But there’s another political monster we’ve tried to postpone that’s fed up with our recalcitrance. By this, of course, we mean Mexico’s drug war. There’s not just an out-of-control conflict on our border. There’s also the very much related battle of gun lobbyists against the Obama administration, which [...] Source: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/08/new-player-in-mexicos-drug-war-the-nra/ Saira Mohan

The “Anonymous” attack on a bevy of local U.S. law enforcement systems was a hack on decidedly low-hanging fruit, unlikely to do much more than embarrass the hosting company which managed many of them, violate lots of privacy and complicate a prosecution or two. Far be it from us to judge whether hacktivists are serving a [...] Source: http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/08/cbs-anonymous-hack-attacks/ Missi Pyle

Not that we haven’t seen the long-overdue revamped Motorola Droid Bionic about 16 different ways now, but a handful of documents at the FCC unsealed today give us yet another look at the upcoming Verizon smartphone. In addition to more exterior shots, we get a look at the internals of the phone we’ve come to know by its Targa codename. And, surprise, surprise, it looks like a smartphone on the inside. And if you’re really looking for [...]

While this slick little HTML5 audio player might not pack all of the features of your favorite desktop media application, it’s still a very cool demonstration of what a Web app can do with access to local resources — like MP3 and OGG files. Just fire up http://antimatter15.github.com/player/player.html in your HTML5-compatible browser and browse to the topmost folder in your music library. The app will quickly build an index of all your tunes and let [...]

It’s an adventure, an open-world romp that feels like a blend of L.A. Noire and Cirque du Soleil. People can examine random objects throughout the grandiose scenes and sets, follow actors around the mansion and try to piece together parts of the story, which is based heavily on Shakespeare’s Macbeth. It’s a nonlinear narrative in which the order of events — and consequently, the plot — is determined by what you see. Source: http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/08/sleep-no-more/ Michelle [...]

Hello, kitty. Fans waiting to see how Anne Hathaway will embody the role of Catwoman in Christopher Nolan’s third Batman film get their first taste. Source: http://www.wired.com/underwire/2011/08/anne-hathaway-selina-kyle/ Yvonne Strzechowski

You’ve just woken up. It’s 3 in the afternoon after your all night bender, and you feel like death’s shit. There’s only one solution for the modern lush: hair of the dog. Luckily, the emergency cocktail case has you covered. More » Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/hABgti8agOs/ Michelle Behennah

Those benevolent armchair philanthropist Redditors are at it again! Four days ago a ‘self’ post extolling the potential virtues of a Backup Day exploded with 2500 upvotes and 1000 comments — and now World Backup Day 2011 is actually happening. On March 31, as part of the global data-saving initiative, you are encouraged to back up all of your cherished photos and videos, and important documents. If you’ve ever had a hard disk fail, and [...]

The AD900s are a well-designed pair of open-air cans that provide a clean, up-front and well-balanced sound. And, they’ve got wings. Source: http://www.wired.com/reviews/2011/08/ad900-headphones/ Trista Rehn

I’ve loved taking trips ever since I was a kid. My mom always made it fun for us, and we were fortunate to not get car sick. I loved seeing new places, and getting a change of scenery, literally and figuratively. I’ve always wanted my kids to see as many parts of the country as [...] Source: http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/08/summer-road-trip-21-states-6000-miles-and-lots-of-fun/ Minki van der Westhuizen