Fighting has killed almost 20,000 Somalis since 2007, and though some semblance of order has been restored, the imposed Sharia law has banned even regular moderate muslims from dancing at weddings, or even playing and watching soccer. If you're having a bad day today, take a moment and remember just how good you actually do have it. [Reuters]

The drone, which will fly from the Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, will begin its patrols in January. Ostensibly, it's on the lookout for terrorists who are trying to sneak into the States, but we all know who the real criminals are: Canadians who are sick of free healthcare and are looking to pay for hospital care in the US. We're on to you, you slimy Canucks! And we won't stand for it! [Breitbart]

It's somewhat striking that the terrorists' use of BlackBerrys "caught the anti-terrorist forces by surprise." While perhaps another step forward in the sophistication of their organization, in that it it makes communication more instant than ever, it's long been reported that terrorist networks use the internet and cellphones for communication. Why wouldn't they use the same tools that millions around the world use? They don't all live in caves, you know.

That said, it doesn't make it any less scary, either. [Courier Mail via Business Sheet]

The first is the most direct, and obvious: Terrorist Asshole sends reports, pictures and other info in real-time to the other terrorists in his group. Scenario three is also fairly standard, following a soldier on Twitter and gleaning info for identity hacks and other nastiness, like on Facebook or MySpace.

But scenario two is more like terrorism enters the web 2.0 era—Terrorist Asshole is strapped with an explosive vest and uses his cellphone for tweets and taking pictures, which are constantly monitored Terrorist Bastard, who has the remote detonator for the vest. Based on the feed, Terrorist Bastard pops the vest when Terrorist Asshole reaches the target.

There's no evidence terrorists are using Twitter for this kind of ghoulishness yet—though the Army has picked up several pro-Hezbollah tweets (so they are watching you)—but this is always going to be one of the downsides of highly effective social networking tools. Terrorist cells, after all, are just another social network. [Danger Room, Image: Danger Room]

Like the Batman system, the more phones on the ground, the better, since it would be able to triangulate the source of radiation more accurately. Phones closest to the deadly stuff as they pass by would give off stronger signals, pinpointing where it's at, or how it's moving in real time. Also, the larger the scale of the project, the less the system would cost per phone—right now it's around $50-$100 a phone. Blown up to a hundred million phones, the price would plummet.

Obviously, there are some major civil rights issues here, especially if you're legally required to be a constantly lo-jacked, walking bomb detector for the Man. Newsweek suggests a more diplomatic and less creepy solution, where government agencies would pay you to opt-in. I think that's one paycheck I'd have to pass on. [Newsweek]

Even though, as Phil Torrone points out, a seasoned bomb expert could deduce in two seconds the battery pack—which is pretty much like a commercial one, except it's hand-crafted with 28 rechargeables connected by resistors and held together by a silicon-based adhesive—was not a bomb and totally safe, the engineer ultimately gave it up anyway to pass through "after recognizing that the item could be seen by other passengers as a threat." That photo that makes it seem vaguely ghetto bomberrific is probably staged too. (Why is the wire positioned to look like it's connected to the water bottle?)

Uplifting moral of the story: If something even looks vaguely bomblike to the wandering, untrained eye of the sweaty guy munching Ambien in the seat next to you, the TSA will bust it, regardless of its actual potential to cause harm (it is causing terror, after all). BTW, Phil says he hasn't had any problems flying with homemade electronics, but make sure anything you carry that has wires and batteries couldn't be mistaken as bomblike by the lowest common denominator of airline passengers. [TSA via Schneir on Security via MAKE]

[Subivor, Thanks Dave!]

This technology could go beyond protecting us from terrorists; it might be helpful for people who are allergic to certain chemicals or substances, who could train their phones to warn them of the presence of such things. Pictured here is a phone equipped with the company's less-useful UV wave sensor, helpfully letting you know whether it's sunny outside or not.

For those less worried about doomsday and just looking for a free WiFi connection, the company is also working on including sensors that can sniff them out, too. There's no word on when we'll be seeing these all-encompassing sensors in the real world. – Charlie White

Cell Phones to monitor the air [Gizmag]

As of the time of this post, the US is still allowing these items onto flights. But check both the news and Gizmodo frequently if you've got a flight coming up. We'll post updates if the situation regarding gadgets changes. – Jason Chen

'Mass murder terror plot' uncovered [Guardian]
Local Travelers React To Terrorist Plot [WKTR]