Portable Voice Changer Device

If you’re not able to use the Sonic Vox voice manipulation app for iPhone, this device will make it possible for you to garble your voice with just about any phone out there.

Features:

• Portable Voice Changer
• Adjustable volumn
• Adjustable Pitch (8 selections: 3 High, 3 Low, One Original and One Robot-like)
• Dimension: 6.0 x 9.0 x 2.5 cm
• Light weight: 55 gram

The Portable Voice Changer is yours for $19 over at the Gadget Brando website.

Leyio Sharing Device – Now Available

You might have heard about the Leyio “personal sharing device” earlier this year. Now, about 6 months later, this wireless portable flash drive is available in the stores.

Leyio’s PSD is a high speed module that transmits information between devices via Ultra-Wideband* (UWB) technology rather than wi-fi. With 16GB Flash memory, you can send digital content (photos, mp3s, movies, business cards, business files and web links) to other Leyio’s at a literal flick of a wrist – no, really! The device will be one of the first to utilise UWB in the commercial market. And since the information you store on the Leyio PSD is likely to be both personal and private – forgetful civil servants take note – a fingerprint scanner (ensuring you are the only person who can access the content) makes this far more secure than any other portable storage device.
With a single, sweeping movement, you can exchange digital information with another Leyio – whether you’re out at the shops, walking down the street or in a business meeting – at remarkable speeds of up to 10MB/s*. A photo of around 3MB can be exchanged in just 0.3 seconds and a personal movie in around 20 seconds, while business cards and web links can be received by another Leyio device almost instantaneously.

There’s no problem if you want to exchange information with a friend who doesn’t own a Leyio device –the Leyio features a USB port, allowing you to share files between your PSD and a regular USB stick. The Leyio also features a detachable “Shuttle”, which can be used in the same way as a USB stick, allowing you to transfer files directly from your Leyio to a friend’s computer, quickly and securely.
The Leiyo is available in three colors: Mirror Black, Ice Grey and Bubblegum Pink. The product is yours for £129.95 (about $212 USD) from the Firebox.com website.
Reader Information:
*Ultra-wideband (UWB) is a radio technology with which short or medium-range communications can be made with low power consumption. UWB has notably been utilised in radar, tracking and precision locating. Since UWB operates at a very low energy, it causes less interference than other radio-network solutions and is a strong contender for becoming the preferred technology for the wireless home and office.
**Based on Leyio/Leyio transfers at 3-5 meters

SpyCobra – USB Covert Computer Logging Device

The brand new SpyCobra USB device is described as “the next generation of computer surveillance” – like a new and improved version of last year’s KeyShark USB Keylogger.

Extremely useful and highly covert, the SpyCobra is perfect for parents that want to keep an eye on their kids’ internet activities, employers who suspect their staff are up to something or private investigators gathering information, the SpyCobra is a covert computer logging device that’s a giant leap forward in spy technology.
What makes this device different is that it doesn’t have to be left plugged into a PC. You plug it into a USB port and within 15 seconds you can install a small piece of software that will log keys, remember websites visited and take screen shots at regular intervals.

There’s no hardware to detect and when you want to retrieve the information gathered, you just plug the SpyCobra unit into the PC again and everything will be uploaded onto it, so you can take it away and examine it later.

The SpyCobra computer surveillance USB device will soon be available from the Thumbs Up (UK) Ltd website. The suggested retail price is £89.99 (about $126).

Spy Bolt Covert Secret Container

Got some prized jewels to stash covertly when you’re traveling? If you’re a bit paranoid when it comes to carrying small, valuable items while you’re on the go, then it might be a good idea to get the Spy Bolt Covert Secret Container so you can afford yourself some added protection.
Just make sure, though, that the valuables you’re carrying fit into the tiny and smartly disguised container. If a thief happens to chance upon you, then no worries. Chances are, he or she won’t probably pay too much attention to a rusty and worn looking bolt at the bottom of your bag, as opposed to if you had chosen to carry along a portable safety deposit box instead, right?
Spy Bolt Covert Secret Container

The Spy Bolt is an updated and improved version of the old Soviet KGB “dead drop” hollow bolt used during the Cold War. It features an O-ring seal for weather-proof storage of small valuables, communications, etc. It has reverse threading on the bolt head for additional security.
This new version utilizes a 3/4″ diameter bolt providing a larger storage area than the original. Its secret storage compartment has a diameter of .49″ and a maximum depth of 2.7″. Overall length is 3.43″.

You can score one of these Spy Bolt Covert Secret Containers from Amazon for $19 each.

Win a Smartfish Whirl Mini Laser Mouse

Did that anti-gravity Whirl Mini Mouse in our recent post sound cool? Well, now is your chance to win one! Simply Like GeekAlerts on Facebook before the end of June 6, 2011 EDT for your chance to win. If you’re already a Facebook Fan, you’re already entered. After June 6, we’ll randomly select one of our facebook fans to win a Smartfish Whirl Mini Laser Mouse. (Only residents of the United States and Canada are eligible to win.)
So if you haven’t liked us on Facebook yet, now is the time. It is a great way to keep up with the latest cool gadgets and geeky gizmos.
The Whirl Mini is a really cool mouse. It is designed to be super smooth and comfortable to use, with a patented ErgoMotion pivot system that allows for effortless, fluid motion. Us geeks tend to spend a lot of time at the computer, but with this ergonomic mouse to can help protect against repetitive stress injury.

Contest Details and Rules
Please note that there will be only one prize will be awarded and it has an approximate cash value of $50. Only legal residents of the United States or Canada are eligible to win.
Participants agree to hold harmless and indemnify GeekAlerts.com and its owners, officers, employees, agents, representatives, promotional and advertising agencies, and counsel against, any injuries, damages, losses or causes or action resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of prize or contest participation.
GeekAlerts is not responsible if you are unable to participate in the contest for any reason, including technical problems, computer failures, fraud, or any other problems. Any disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or connected to the contest or prizes shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action.

USB Jewel Butterfly Flash Drive

USB Jewel Butterfly Flash Drive

Here comes another USB gadget, from the guys over at HKColordigital, the USB Jewel Butterfly Flash Drive.
The USB Jewel Butterfly Flash Drive com,es with 8GB of storage, and measures 20 x 30 x 8mm and weighs just 8g.

Here are the specifications.

• USB 2.0
• Portable and easy operation
• Stylish and useful
• Plug and play
• Support Windows XP/Vista, Linux 2.4, MAC OSX or latest version
• Dimension: 20 x 30 x 8mm (approx.)
• Weight: 6g

The USB Jewel Butterfly Flash Drive is available for $32 from HKColordigital

Star Wars R2-D2 Ice Cube Tray

While admittedly not as cool as the Han Solo Carbonite Ice Cube Tray, the Star Wars R2-D2 Ice Cube Tray is still something that every Star Wars fan will want in their freezer. These silicone trays mold the shape of one large R2-D2 and 4 smaller R2-D2′s. They aren’t just for ice cubes, as this set of R2-D2 silicone trays can be used to mold chocolate, jello, and more.
Star Wars R2-D2 Ice Cube Tray

• Perfect for those Star Wars-themed parties!
• Impress the friends with everyone’s favorite Astromech Droid jello or ice cube!
• Great nifty gift for any kitchen!

Pre-order the Star Wars R2-D2 Silicon Tray for $9.99 at Entertainment Earth. It is scheduled to be delivered in July 2011.

Stealth LPC-670: Powerful i7/i5/i3 Mini PC

Today, April 7, 2011, Stealth Computer announced the new Stealth LPC-670 Mini PC, their most powerful and advanced mini pc yet. It comes in a tiny package that measures just 6.5 inches by 6 inches and less than 2 inches tall, yet it is loaded with tremendous computing power due to inclusion of the new Intel Core i7/i5/i3 mobile processors and up to 8GB of DDR3 memory.
Sometimes there isn’t much space, but massive computer power is still needed. The Stealth LPC-670 Mini PC is just the solution to that problem.

The Stealth LPC-670 mini PC features a multitude of I/O connectivity built into its impressively small design such as; Wi-Fi 802.11g, Gigabit LAN, 4-USB 2.0, Serial, RS232, DVI-I, Audio and HDMI ports. The LPC-670 can support up to 8GB of DDR3 memory and has a built-in 2.5″ mobile hard drive with up to 750GB’s of storage space. For applications that require extra high shock, vibration and wide temperature ranges optional SSD’s (Solid State Drives) are available. A slim DVD/CD-RW optical drive comes standard with an optional Blu-ray burner available.

Stealth LPC-670 Mini PC

• Powerful Intel Core i7/i5/i3 Mobile Processors
• 3D Graphics with 16×9 Capability and HDMI
• Rugged Aluminum Chassis with Mounting Bracket options
• Small Size; 6.54″ (W) x 6.18″ (D) x 1.89″ (H)
• Up to 750GB Internal Storage
• Built-in Gigabit LAN, RS232, USB 2.0, Video, Serial, Audio, HDMI, Wireless
• Low Noise, Low Power Consumption
• WatchDog Timer supported
• Slim Slot Loading Optical Drives
• Solid State Hard Drive (SSD) optional
• Windows 7 & XP Pro Compatible, other O/S Options Available

You can configure and order your own Stealth LPC-670 Mini PC starting at $1650 from Stealth.com.

Celtic Dragon Throne

Your home is your castle but it can be kind of hard to give off that regal vibe while kicking back in your La-Z-Boy. Become the lord of all you survey while sitting upon the Celtic Dragon Throne.
Dragon artist Gary Chang has created a butt-rest fit for a king. This 87-pound throne has 3-toed claw legs leading up to a sturdy seat that’s decked out with sculpted dragon heads on the armrests, as well as on the front and back of the backrest. Cast in designer resin and hand-painted, it will easily stand out as the most powerful seat in the house.

Features:

• Floor to top of seat measures 18.5″

• Seat size is 20.5″W x 17″D

• Gargoyle side table and Excalibur not included.

If you’ve got the royal sum of $695 (reg. $750) to spare, you can feel like medieval royalty with the Celtic Dragon Throne from Design Toscano… until the cat ignores you and your wife tells you to take out the trash.

World’s Largest Jigsaw Puzzle

Do you like puzzles? I mean really, really like puzzles? Well, I have the perfect puzzle for you… but only if you have plenty of time, lots of dedication, and room to spare because they don’t call this the World’s Largest Jigsaw Puzzle for nothing.
If you feel that puzzles are no longer challenging because you are just so darn good at them, this is the perfect puzzle to knock your ego down a few pegs. Once the puzzle is assembled, you’ll have a retrospective of artwork by Keith Haring that shows off various vibrant, cartoon-inspired illustrations, but before that magic moment of completion is obtained you’ll simply have 32, 256 puzzle pieces. That’s right, you read that number correctly. Go ahead and take a few deep breaths until the dizziness fades.
Master this Guinness record holder and you will have the pleasure of smugly sneering at anyone else that considers themselves to be puzzle masters. You’ll even have the right to laugh out loud at them.

Features:

• Official Guinness World Record puzzle (World’s largest commercially available puzzle)

• Suitable for ages 12+

• Supplied with transportation trolley

• Massive 32,256 piece puzzle with sturdy pieces

• Bright and colourful retrospect of Keith Haring’s artwork

• Made from strong premium grade cardboard, with linen finish print to minimise glare on puzzle image

Dimensions:

• Measures approximately 5.4m(W) x 1.92m(W)

• Weighs approximately 17kg

Go ahead and use all that vacation time because you deserve it, and get to work on the World’s Largest Jigsaw Puzzle for £199.99 (approx. $397) from Firebox.com

Inflatable water slide

by Paz

C’mon! Your kids will adore you forever if you buy them one of these!
It’s an inflatable water slide, ideal for those summer afternoons when the children get bored too easily. And of course their friends are always welcome too.

The slide comes with an electric air blower and it apparently only takes a few minutes to set it up in the back garden and inflate it. The overpressure from the blower is claimed to be enough to maintain rigidity, even if it gets damaged by small pinholes.
Water’s fed to the top via a garden hose. You can almost hear the screams of delight as the children wait impatiently in the back garden for the thing to inflate.
When the summer’s over, the thing can roll up and squeeze somewhere in the garage or loft.
It’s priced at $350, we think including the air pump; but you can’t put any price on the fun this’ll be for your kids.
This water slide is currently discontinued but there is a whole range of inflatable water slides available from Amazon starting at $24.95.

Dreamate Sleep Inducer

by Al

If you’re one of those people that suffers from unusual sleep patterns and you want to get your body back in to check you might be able to do it with this acupuncture sleeping gadget, the Dreamate Sleep Inducer.

Dreamate uses accupressure techniques to gently massage the “sleeping golden triangle” on your left wrist. Used 30 minutes before bedtime, you can retune and reset your biological clock and train your body to relax and sleep. See results in as little as a week’s worth of use, with best results after eight weeks. These precise pressure points, when gently massaged, calm the body, lower stress levels, and induce sleep. Unlike addictive sleeping pills that knock you senseless, but offer little improvement in your sleep quality.

I’ve no idea how effective this is but it sounds kind of cool. The Dreamate is available from TG for $79.99.

Flea 2.0 USB Rechargeable Bike Lights

If you are looking for a lightweight lights for your bike and would rather not go through huge amounts of batteries riding back and fore to work each day. These tiny Flea 2.0 USB bike lights might well be worth a look.
Designed and created by Blackburn Designs these tiny cycle lights will provide 40 lumens of light from the front set of 4 super-bright white LEDs, that will run for 3 hours on steady or up to 5 hours flashing on a single charge. With the rear red lights will provide 6 hours steady and up to 12 hours flashing on a single charge.

Once flat the lights can simply be plugged into any USB port to fully charge again and usb comes with a solar charger if required. The Flea 2.0 lights weigh 17 grams and are available to buy for $30 directly from Blackburn Designs.

Apple Launching New Free MobileMe In April

We have been hearing for some time that Apple has been working on a new version of MobileMe, the last thing we heard was that Apple would be holding a special event in April to launch this new version of MobileMe.
Now iLounge are reporting that Apple will launch a free version of MobileMe next month, and it looks like it will be significantly different to the existing version of MobileMe.

The report says that Apple will support the existing version of MobileMe for up to 12 months from the date when the new one is available, this leads us to believe that the new one will have some major changes.usb
Recent reports have suggested that the revamped service will position it as a free online, cloud-based “locker” for content such as photos, videos, and music.
It will be interesting to see what Apple comes up with in the new version of MobileMe, the existing version does come with a lot of good features, although some areas could do with some work.

WiFi only Dell Streak 7 Gets WiFi Certified

I am a big tablet fan and have an iPad that I use. I am typically using the device at home so I can check out things like Facebook and surf the web while sitting on the couch with the kids watching some cartoon I care nothing about. I also use it to read more than anything and with my usage, getting the 3G version didn’t make sense.


If you are the same way and like the idea of the Dell Streak 7 MID, but you didn’t want or need the 3G that was inside enough to buy one, a new version is coming. A WiFi only Streak 7 with model number M02M002 surfaced today. The device surfaced thanks to Wi-fi.org when it was granted its WiFi certification.
We don’t have any pics of the device, but it would be a safe bet that it is exactly like the other Streak 7 sans the 3G radio inside. There is no official launch date or pricing to be had right now.
Via StreakSmart

Opinion: Why Dragon Age 2 Should Be RPG Enough For Any Old Guard Bioware Fan

By Catalin Alexandru on Saturday 19th March 2011 4:04 am in Gaming, Technology News

Having grown up suckling at the teat of Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale and Planescape Torment, booting up Dragon Age 2 for the first time doesn’t feel like coming full circle as much as missing the end of the circle and going off into a spiral. And while you sometimes miss the deceptive simplicity of a circle, spirals are pretty awesome because they have the potential to go on forever.

Taking a whiff and a sip reveals all the familiar flavors – darkspawn, templar, apostates and dragons are all quickly ticked off the checklist before you even have time to wonder what episode of Naruto you just dropped into when Hawke’s ninja animations start kicking in.
Bioware has also taken the top off their difficulty curve and pressed it further into the sand to the point where you’d get more challenge out of your average movie trailer than the Normal variety of this game. At this point, it’s easy enough to just dismiss the whole endeavor as the final nail in the coffin of the once-mighty western RPG tradition and just pronounce it well and truly consolified.
It took me about four hours of playing, or rather watching my Hawke et al annihilate several screens’ worth of opposition with one click before the thought of changing the difficulty level struck me. One step up the ladder and there’s our missing Normal difficulty level. They mislabeled it Hard for some reason.

Make no mistake, this is a precision engineered piece of software with a purpose as clear as daylight –take the western RPG to the console masses while keeping at least the slightest pinky hold on the old and grizzled fanbase. And I know full well what they meant to do here. The only thing is, RPG players don’t think of themselves as hardcore gamers, or at least not the kind who think finishing a game on a certain difficulty level is any kind of achievement.
Once you start pouring tens of millions of dollars in a game you can’t afford to alienate potential market of five million by catering exclusively to the few vocal thousand, even if they were the ones supporting your early efforts. I’ve heard it from Lead Designer Mike Laidlaw himself, if Bioware could profitably split the franchise in hardcore and action, they would, but the truth there are a lot less of us faithful than we think and the genre needs to adapt to survive.
If that means putting up with some streamlining and having to fiddle a bit with difficulty settings, so be it, as long as the bones of the gameplay and the sharp dialogue if not the rousing narrative are intact. To my mind, Dragon Age 2 is just a bit of medicine that us old coots need to swallow down if we’d like to see the genre prosper. And it’s a very rare medicine that can more often than not be mistaken for cake.

Technology

Main articles: Flash memory and USB

Flash memory combines a number of older technologies, with lower cost, lower power consumption and small size made possible by advances in microprocessor technology. The memory storage was based on earlier EPROM and EEPROM technologies. These had very limited capacity, were very slow for both reading and writing, required complex high-voltage drive circuitry, and could only be re-written after erasing the entire contents of the chip.
Hardware designers later developed EEPROMs with the erasure region broken up into smaller "fields" that could be erased individually without affecting the others. Altering the contents of a particular memory location involved copying the entire field into an off-chip buffer memory, erasing the field, modifying the data as required in the buffer, and re-writing it into the same field. This required considerable computer support, and PC-based EEPROM flash memory systems often carried their own dedicated microprocessor system. Flash drives are more or less a miniaturized version of this.
The development of high-speed serial data interfaces such as USB made semiconductor memory systems with serially accessed storage viable, and the simultaneous development of small, high-speed, low-power microprocessor systems allowed this to be incorporated into extremely compact systems. Serial access requires far fewer electrical connections for the memory chips than does parallel access, which has simplified the manufacture of multi-gigabyte drives.
Computers access modern^[update] flash memory systems very much like hard disk drives, where the controller system has full control over where information is actually stored. The actual EEPROM writing and erasure processes are, however, still very similar to the earlier systems described above.
Many low-cost MP3 players simply add extra software and a battery to a standard flash memory control microprocessor so it can also serve as a music playback decoder. Most of these players can also be used as a conventional flash drive, for storing files of any type.

A USB flash drive consists of a flash memory data storage device integrated with a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface. USB flash drives are typically removable and rewritable, and physically much smaller than a floppy disk. Most weigh less than 30 g (1 oz).^[1] Storage capacities in 2010 can be as large as 256 GB^[2] with steady improvements in size and price per capacity expected. Some allow 1 million write or erase cycles^{[citation needed]} and have a 10-year data retention cycle.^[3][4]
USB flash drives are often used for the same purposes for which floppy disks or CD-ROMs were used. They are smaller, faster, have thousands of times more capacity, and are more durable and reliable because of their lack of moving parts. Until approximately 2005, most desktop and laptop computers were supplied with floppy disk drives, but most recent equipment has abandoned floppy disk drives in favor of USB ports.
USB Flash drives use the USB mass storage standard, supported natively by modern operating systems such as Linux, Mac OS X, Windows, and other Unix-like systems. USB drives with USB 2.0 support can store more data and transfer faster than a much larger optical disc drives like CD-RW or DVD-RW drives and can be read by many other systems such as the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, DVD players and in some upcoming mobile smartphones.
Nothing moves mechanically in a flash drive; the term drive persists because computers read and write flash-drive data using the same system commands as for a mechanical disk drive, with the storage appearing to the computer operating system and user interface as just another drive. Flash drives are very robust mechanically.
A flash drive consists of a small printed circuit board carrying the circuit elements and a USB connector, insulated electrically and protected inside a plastic, metal, or rubberized case which can be carried in a pocket or on a key chain, for example. The USB connector may be protected by a removable cap or by retracting into the body of the drive, although it is not likely to be damaged if unprotected. Most flash drives use a standard type-A USB connection allowing plugging into a port on a personal computer, but drives for other interfaces also exist.
USB flash drives draw power from the computer via external USB connection. Some devices combine the functionality of a digital audio player with USB flash storage; they require a battery only when used to play music.

Lady Gaga Suing Baby Gaga

No milk today

Who’s Baby Gaga, you ask? Try: What’s Baby Gaga?
 
The Guardian reports that Baby Gaga is the name of a frozen treat made from breast milk. Yes, breast milk.

The controversial ice cream is being sold at Icecreamists in Covent Garden, London and as expected a certain pop icon is not happy that the parlour is riding on her coattails by using her name.

Icecreamists owner however explained his stand to the Guardian.

Said Matt O’Connor: “A global superstar has taken umbrage at what she describes as a ‘nausea-inducing’ product.”

“How can she possibly claim ownership of the word ‘gaga’, which since the dawn of time has been one of the first discernible phrases to come from a baby’s mouth?

“This from a woman with a penchant for wearing rotting cows’ flesh. At least our customers are still alive when they contribute to our ‘art’.”

Sick though the thought of breast milk ice cream is, O’Connor has a point. After all, Lady Gaga is said to have taken her moniker from Queen’s 1984 hit Radio Ga Ga.

Libya forces fight rebels advancing toward capital

AP – Pro-Gadhafi soldiers and supporters gather in Green Square in Tripoli, Libya Sunday, March 6, 2011. Thousands …

• Slideshow:Anti-government protests in Libya
• Play Video Barack Obama Video:Obama Open to Military Intervention? FOX News
• Play Video Barack Obama Video:Obama raises money for democrats Reuters

By PAUL SCHEMM and MAGGIE MICHAEL, Associated Press Paul Schemm And Maggie Michael, Associated Press – 1 hr 18 mins ago

RAS LANOUF, Libya – Libyan helicopter gunships fired on a rebel force advancing west toward the capital Tripoli along the country's Mediterranean coastline Sunday and forces loyal to leader Moammar Gadhafi fought intense ground battles with the rival fighters.
The opposition force pushed out of the rebel-held eastern half of Libya late last week for the first time and have been cutting a path west toward Tripoli. On the way, they secured control of two important oil ports at Brega and Ras Lanouf and by Sunday, the rebels were advancing farther west when they were hit by the helicopter fire and confrontations with ground forces.
Fierce ground battles were raging around the front line between two towns about 30 miles (50 kilometers) apart, Ras Lanouf and Bin Jawad to the west. Associated Press reporters at the scene said Gadhafi loyalists retook Bin Jawad, about 110 miles (160 kilometers) east of Gadhafi's hometown and stronghold of Sirte, which could prove to be a decisive battleground.
The reporters witnessed air attacks by helicopters on the rebel forces and heavy fighting on the ground. A warplane also attacked a small military base at Ras Lanouf and destroyed three hangars and a small building. Regime forces shelled rebel positions at Ras Lanouf with rockets and artillery. Ambulances sped toward the town and rebels moved trucks carrying multi-rocket launchers toward the front lines.
In Tripoli, the city of 2 million that is most firmly in Gadhafi's grip, residents awoke before dawn to the crackle of unusually heavy and sustained gunfire that lasted for at least two hours. Some of the gunfire was heard around the sprawling Bab al-Aziziya military camp where Gadhafi lives, giving rise to speculation that there may have been some sort of internal fighting within the forces defending the Libyan leader inside his fortress-like barracks. Gadhafi's whereabouts were unknown.
In rebel-held Misrata, residents said pro-Gadhafi forces attacked the city 120 miles (200 kilometers) east of Tripoli late morning on Sunday, shelling the downtown area with mortars and tank artillery.
They said the shelling began at 11:30 and that the rebels were fighting back with rocket propelled grenades and anti-aircraft guns.
A doctor reached by The Associated Press in the city's main hospital said the facility's stores caught fire from the shelling and that fire fighters were now trying to put out the blaze.
The residents said the shelling was almost over by early afternoon but they had no reports on casualties or damage.
The residents and the doctor spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared reprisals.
The Libyan uprising that began on Feb. 15, inspired by rebellions in neighboring Tunisia and Egypt, has been sliding toward a civil war that could be prolonged, with rebels backed by mutinous army units and arms seized from storehouses going on the offensive to try to topple Gadhafi's 41-year-old regime. At the same time, pro-Gadhafi forces have tried to conduct counteroffensives to retake the oil port of Brega and in the rebel-held city of Zawiya west of Tripoli — where bloody street battles were reported over the weekend.
The U.S. has moved military forces closer to Libya's shores to put military muscle behind its demand for Gadhafi to step down immediately. But Washington has expressed wariness about talk of imposing a "no fly" zone over the North African nation to prevent the Libyan leader from using his warplanes to attack the population.
At the same time, the U.N. has imposed sanctions, and Libya's oil production has been seriously crippled by the unrest. The turmoil has caused oil prices to spike on international markets.
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, have died in the violence with tight restrictions on media making it near impossible to get an accurate tally.
The rebels headquartered in the main eastern city of Benghazi have set up an interim governing council that is urging international airstrikes on Gadhafi's strongholds and forces.
British Defense Secretary Liam Fox said Sunday that a "small British diplomatic team" is in eastern Libya to try to talk to rebels. But he would not comment on a report that special forces soldiers were captured by Gadhafi opponents when a secret mission to put British diplomats in touch with leading rebels went awry.
British Foreign Minister William Hague urged Gadhafi to hand over power and put an "immediate stop" to the use of armed force against Libyans.
In Tripoli, Libyan authorities tried to explain the unusually heavy gunfire that erupted before dawn by saying it was a celebration of the regime taking back Ras Lanouf near the rebel-held east and the city of Misrata close to Tripoli.
Despite those claims, AP reporters saw ongoing battles still in progress in Ras Lanouf hours after the claim of victory and residents of Misrata said the city remained in opposition hands.
After the gunfire eased in the early morning, thousands of Gadhafi's supporters poured into Tripoli's central square for a rally, waving green flags, firing guns in the air, and holding up banners in support of the regime. Hundreds drove past Gadhafi's residence, waving flags and cheering. Armed men in plainclothes were standing at the gates, also shooting in the air.
Over the weekend, residents of Zawiya, a city of some 200,000 people just 30 miles (50 kilometers) west of Tripoli, said pro-Gadhafi forces stormed in to try to break the control of rebels over the area. Zawiya was the city closest to the capital held by the opposition.
Members of the elite Khamis Brigade, named for one of Gadhafi's sons who commands it, had been massed outside Zawiya for days. Residents said Saturday that a large number of tanks rolled into the city and many were killed and wounded in the counteroffensive.
Libya's Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Qaid claimed on Saturday that "99 percent" of Zawiya is under government control. The AP made repeated attempts to reach Zawiya residents by phone on Sunday, but the phones were turned off.
Britain's Sunday Times newspaper reported that up to eight British special forces soldiers, armed but in plain clothes, were captured while escorting a junior British diplomat through rebel-held territory in eastern Libya. It said the special forces intervention angered Libyan opposition figures who ordered the soldiers to be locked up on a military base.
The British Defense Secretary Fox said his government was in touch with the team in Benghazi but told BBC radio it would be "inappropriate" to comment further. When pressed on whether the U.K. diplomatic team was in danger, Fox reiterated that the government is in contact with the diplomatic team.
"It is a very difficult situation to be able to understand in detail," he said. "There are a number of different opposition groups to Colonel Gadhafi in Libya who do seem relatively disparate."
British Foreign Minister Hague repeated the international community's demand for Gadhafi to step down.
"Given the continued levels of illegitimate violence within Libya we call upon Colonel Gaddafi to put an immediate stop to the use of armed force against the Libyan people," Hague said in a statement. "He must hand over power without delay to a government which fully recognizes the legitimate aspirations of the Libyan people," he added.
"The U.K. reiterates its support for the transition to a government that will deliver greater democracy, justice, transparency, human rights and accountability in Libya. We understand the desire of Libyans to enjoy the freedoms which have been denied to them for many years and support them in this endeavor," he said.
> ___
Michael reported from Tripoli.

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Lady Gaga eyes legal action over breast milk ice cream

AFP/File – A notice informing customers that 'Baby Gaga breast milk ice cream' has sold out is seen in the …

– Sat Mar 5, 5:51 pm ET

LONDON (AFP) – Lawyers for US pop icon Lady Gaga have threatened legal proceedings against the makers of breast milk ice cream named "Baby Gaga", according to papers seen by AFP on Saturday.
The New York singer's lawyers have given the manufacturers until 1600 GMT Wednesday to change the name "if you wish to avoid proceedings for trade mark infringement and passing off", according to a letter addressed to London restaurant The Icecreamists Limited.
The cafe in the trendy Covent Garden district must also "cease and desist from in any other way associating with Lady Gaga any ice cream you are offering," said the letter from law firm Mishcon de Reya.
The letter accuses The Icecreamists of "taking unfair advantage of, and riding on the coattails of" Lady Gaga's trademarks in a manner that is "deliberately provocative and, to many people, nausea-inducing".
The ice cream has proved a big hit, with the first batch sold out within days of going on sale. It is made with milk expressed by 15 women who replied to an advertisement posted on an online mothers' forum.
Each serving costs £14 and is brought out by waitresses wearing flamboyant costumes, something Lady Gaga is well-known for.
But it is now off the menu after Westminster City Council, the local authority, seized the ice cream for health and safety checks.
"We are taking the ice cream away for samples," a spokeswoman told AFP, adding that they expected the results on Monday.
"It's not a ban. The owner has voluntarily agreed not to make any more or sell any more until we've got all the results."
Breast milk could carry viral infections, including hepatitis, she explained.
The manufacturers have said they use the same screening procedures as blood donation centres or milk banks in London.

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Prep star hits game-winning shot for perfect season, falls and dies

By Cameron Smith

Tragedy struck Western Michigan on Thursday night when Fennville (Mich.) High basketball star Wes Leonard hit a game-winning shot in a 57-55, overtime victory over Bridgman (Mich.) High, then collapsed on the court while celebrating the victory and was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly thereafter.
According to the Associated Press, Leonard, who you can see making the game-winning shot above, was celebrating his game-winning layup with the rest of his teammates when he collapsed to the ground. Paramedics tried CPR on the star at the site and in the ambulance, but he was pronounced dead upon reaching nearby Holland Hospital.
On Friday, Ottawa County medical examiner David Start's autopsy determined that Leonard died of cardiac arrest due to an enlarged heart. While Start said that athletics could have played a role in causing that heart attack, he also said it would be difficult to prove that was the case.
"Thirty seconds earlier, he was laying in the winning bucket," Fennville coach Ryan Klingler told the Associated Press. "And then 10 seconds later … everything’s pulled out from under you, from out of nowhere."
Making matters even more disorienting for Fennville fans were the events that transpired just before Leonard's death. The junior -- who was also the quarterback of the school's football team last fall -- not only hit the winning shot in the team's final regular-season game, but by doing so he also ensured that the Blackhawks would finish with a perfect, 20-0 record.
"It's tough to take in," Leonard's teammate Shane Bale told The Sentinel. "It's like somebody from your family, you know?"
The team was scheduled to open the district playoffs on Monday, but remained undecided on whether to play the game at all as of Friday evening, with coach Ryan Klingler saying Monday was, "Way, way down the road."
Opposing coaches and their teams were also still trying to come to grips with the teen's passing. Bangor (Mich.) coach Rocky Johnson told MLive.com that he was completely stunned by the death.
“He had a personality that, when people were around him, they played better,” longtime Fennville football coach Tim Schipper told the AP. “Everybody around him played better, because he was a leader and the best athlete.”Meanwhile, comments in a Tuesday article in The Sentinel made clear just how much Leonard felt like his team was an extended family. When asked about Klingler's decision to make his wife, Becky, the team's assistant coach, Leonard was unequivocal in his support.
"It makes it feel like you're right at home," the junior told The Sentinel.

Now, that family will have to enter the district playoffs without one of its most significant members, if they decide to take part at all. If they bypass the postseason, none would be able to begrudge them a perfect finish to their season.

“He was just an amazing kid,” Klingler said. “What made him special is he had a passion about everything he did. That’s what separated him -- his passion. He had a passion to compete. He had a passion to be his best.”

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