Mexico
Latest
'Guacamelee! 2' blends a Mexican fairytale with wild, flashy action
Good sequels are hard to make, especially if your first product was considered a hit by gamers and critics alike. That's a predicament that developer DrinkBox Studios is about to face with Guacamelee! 2, the follow-up to its beat-em-up, Mexican wrestler-themed game from 2014. But, I'm happy to report that the sequel may be even better than the original, thanks to an improved graphics engine and characters who are more robust (and powerful) than before. I played it at GDC 2018 and it didn't leave anything to be desired, at least based on the 30 minutes or so I spent with all the new features.
Amazon's first debit card arrives in Mexico
Amazon has taken a number of steps to help you shop online without a bank card, and now it's taking those efforts to their logical conclusion: the internet retailer has launched its first debit card, Amazon Rechargeable, in Mexico. Unlike a conventional debit or credit card, you can top it up using cash -- you can load it with the equivalent of $967 US every month. You get a virtual card the moment you sign up (you only need to supply basic name, gender and date of birth info), and anyone who loads Rechargeable with the equivalent of $27 or more will get a physical card.
Google's public WiFi hotspots come to Mexico
Google's Station WiFi is no longer reserved for the eastern hemisphere. As of today, the public hotspots are available in over 60 "high-traffic" locations in 44 Mexican cities, including airports, malls and mass transit stations. Coverage should expand to more than 100 locations before 2018 is over. As you might guess, Google has a little help -- it's partnering with local internet provider Sitwifi to convert its existing hotspots to the Station format.
Ancient city's LiDAR scans reveal as many buildings as Manhattan
When researchers surveyed the ruins of a Purépecha Empire city in Mexico the old-fashioned way a decade ago, it took them two seasons to explore two square kilometres. Good thing they decided to use LiDAR, because the city called Angamuco turned out bigger than they previously thought. LiDAR gave the researchers the power to see underneath the lava that covers Angamuco. Thanks to the laser technology, they now know that the city occupied 26 square kilometers of land instead of 13 square kilometers. Colorado State University archaeologist Chris Fisher is presenting that finding and all the latest info on his team's study at the ongoing American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Austin.
A state-run wireless network isn't a crazy idea, just ask Mexico
America's mobile infrastructure isn't good enough, at least according to former National Security Council officer Brigadier General Robert Spalding. Spalding's briefing document said the US was lagging behind China in wireless, and the solution was to build its own federal 5G network. The memo cost Spalding his job and sent parts of Washington DC into fits of apoplexy over the proposals. But this idea, deemed too radical to even discuss in the US, has actually been implemented in countries like Mexico, Rwanda and Australia.
Verizon's lower-cost unlimited plan now works in Canada and Mexico
Verizon's latest unlimited plans may have some undesirable... limits, but at least you won't have to pay for the more expensive plan the next time you're on a North American vacation. As of January 25th, the $75 Go Unlimited plan will include calling, data and text while you're in Canada or Mexico. This applies to both new and existing customers, so you won't have to touch a thing to surf the web in Vancouver. As with the Beyond Unlimited plan, though, there are some gotchas to watch out for.
Mexico's CES 2018 presence is the start of something big
For many technology entrepreneurs and startups, CES is where dreams are born. It's the place where their concepts and products are showcased to the masses for the first time ever, all with the hope of making a dent in one of the most thriving industries at the moment. Over the past 12 years, that's been the case for Manuel Gutiérrez-Novelo, a 47-year-old Mexican entrepreneur and inventor who has been attending the show since the 2000s. Gutierrez has launched a number of products throughout the years at CES, including what he calls the world's "first" virtual reality viewer connected to a computer, in 2006.
Uber will soon have to compete with China's Didi Chuxing in Mexico
China's major ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing is expanding its services to Mexico, Reuters reports. This will be Didi's first international expansion and sources told Reuters that the company is planning to launch in Mexico during the first quarter of 2018, though exactly where in the country wasn't made clear.
Postmates' first food deliveries outside the US start in Mexico City
Lyft isn't the only major American online service dipping its toes in foreign waters this week: Postmates is starting its first food deliveries outside of the US with a launch in Mexico City. Hungry people in several districts of Mexico's capital can order from 1,000-plus restaurants with a 35-peso ($1.80) delivery fee and typical delivery times around 35 minutes. To make itself part of the community, it's both donating 10 percent of sales to earthquake recovery through the rest of 2017 and is giving customers 1,000 pesos (about $52) in delivery credit until December 15th.
T-Mobile puts 5GB cap on high-speed data in Canada and Mexico
T-Mobile has been a tempting option for travelers, and for good reason: if you've traveled to Canada or Mexico, you've had as much LTE data as you wanted without fear of returning to a giant phone bill. Unfortunately, the party's over. T-Mobile has revealed that, as of November 12th, it will cap the no-extra-charge LTE data to a maximum of 5GB per month while you're visiting the US' neighbors. You won't run into overages (this is T-Mobile), but you'll have to make do with speeds as low as 128Kbps if you go over your high-speed allotment. One subscribers can tack on unlimited LTE by adding One Plus International, but that's another $25 per month on top of the base plan.
The West Coast is finally getting an earthquake early warning system
On September 19th, 1985, Mexico City was devastated by an 8.0 magnitude earthquake that killed as many as 30,000 people and leveled buildings across the city, including the 12-story Hospital Juárez, one of the oldest hospital institutions in Mexico. In response, the government set about creating the world's first earthquake warning system. One that, when an 8.1 tremblor set in on the city September 7th of this year, and a second 7.1 less than two weeks later, saved potentially tens of thousands of lives by giving them more than a minute's notice to head to safety. So why doesn't America have one along its Pacific coast as well? Turns out we almost do.
USA Today takes you on a VR tour of Trump's proposed border wall
After a series of experiments with virtual reality, USA Today launched its full-fledged VR news show last year. "VRtually There" (as it's known) followed in the footsteps of similar segments from The New York Times and ABC News. Since then, the media outlet's immersive broadcasts have covered everything from extreme sports to marine life. It even hosted a VR livestream of Donald Trump's inauguration. The 45th President of the United States also happens to be the catalyst for its latest (and arguably most ambitious) experience. The Wall: Unknown Stories, Unintended Consequences uses Trump's campaign promise to build a border wall as its launchpad for an in-depth exploration of its possible ramifications.
Twitch Prime brings ad-free streaming to Mexico
Amazon Prime debuted in Mexico earlier this year, and now the subscription service for the retailer's $970 million livestreaming platform is available as well. In case you forgot, Twitch Prime doles out free games, in-game items and other goodies via the platform in addition to offering an ad-free watching experience. It's free for anyone who has an Amazon Prime subscription, and recently started giving away collectibles for Madden '18's Ultimate Team mode.
Mexican court halts sales of Roku devices due to hackability
Roku's legal battle in Mexico has taken a hit. Last week, a judge ordered importation and sales of Roku devices to cease in the country, but Roku later won a suspension of that ruling. This week, however, a Mexico City tribunal overturned that suspension, reinstating the stop to Roku sales and distribution.
'Aztez' let me live my fantasy of being an Aztec warrior
When I heard someone had made a beat-em-up game based on the Aztec civilization and that I would be getting the chance to play it at this year's E3, I couldn't have been more excited. As someone of Mexican descent who's passionate about his culture, I can immediately appreciate a strategy side-scrolling brawler that turns you into an Aztec warrior on a mission to take down Spanish conquerors. In a nutshell, this is the idea behind Aztez, an indie title from developer Team Colorblind that's been in the works for about six years. The PC game, which is finally set to hit Steam in mid-July for $20, features a black-and-white theme with hints of blood-red every time your Aztec warrior slashes opponents.
Arctic seed vault grows as defense against food crisis
In light of President Donald Trump's rise to power, some people are seriously worried about the planet's health. Count The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists among that group, since they recently pushed the Doomsday Clock to two and half minutes to midnight. Even if they think humanity is closer to extinction than it was just a couple months ago, we're now better prepared to respond to a food crisis.
Spyware targeted proponents of Mexico's soda tax
Surveillance-oriented spyware is dodgy in itself, but it's even worse when it's abused to intimidate political enemies -- just ask Mexican health advocates. The New York Times has learned that someone used commercial spyware from NSO Group to target proponents of Mexico's soda tax, including researchers and activists, right as they were rallying support for doubling the tax. The attackers sent personalized messages that warned of bogus news (say, a daughter's accident) and urged the victims to tap a link. If they did, the hostile would infect their devices and track everything from messages to location. It'd even quietly record camera footage.
Mexico City's new hybrid taxis have a 'panic' button
While President Trump continues to claim Mexico will pay for his big, beautiful wall, our neighbors south of the border are busy spending money on making their largest city safer and less polluted. The Mayor of Mexico City, Miguel Ángel Mancera, has revealed new hybrid-electric taxis that feature WiFi and a "panic" button for passengers. When activated, officials will be alerted of your location and help could be sent immediately in case of an emergency. It's similar to what Uber started offering a couple of years ago in India, with the main difference being that the ridesharing service's panic button is built into its app.
Hacker claims he helped swing Mexican election
A Bloomberg Businessweek report centered on a Colombian online campaign strategist alleges he hacked political rivals to engineer results in elections across nine Latin American countries. The man, Andrés Sepúlveda, is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for offences related to hacking during Colombia's 2014 presidential election. But talking to Bloomberg, he alleges that his involvement in politics in the region runs far deeper. The full article runs almost 5,000 words, exposing a vast array of hacking activity.
Uber adds one-way trips from San Diego to Mexico
If you find yourself in need of transportation to Tijuana while you're in San Diego, Uber now has an option with its Passport service. The ride-hailing app will arrange transportation for a one-way trip across the border, all you have to do is select the Passport MX option with the mobile software. Getting back is a little more complicated, though.
