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Don’t neglect tech on the road

Summer is time for that well-deserved vacation. To get ready for your trip, make sure to get your tech life in order alongside other tasks like packing and making sure you’ve got passports and tickets. Modern life is dominated by devices and online services, and tech management is important even when we’re supposed to be taking a break from the daily grind. To help with your tech questions as you prepare to get away, here are some pointers, starting with the things you’re leaving at home: Should you unplug while away? It depends Our homes are filled with electronic devices ...

SKorea disputes US congressional report

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s government on Thursday disputed a U.S. congressional report accusing Seoul of discriminating against Coupang, a U.S.-listed electronic commerce giant that was hit with a record $403 million fine in June over a massive data breach affecting millions of South Korean customers. South Korea Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Il expressed regret over Wednesday’s report by the House Judiciary Committee, saying it reflected “only Coupang’s unilateral claims” and failed to include Seoul’s position. South Korean authorities’ investigation ...

Let’s be frank: How German sausages became America’s iconic hot dog

Nineteenth-century Indiana passed some of the country’s toughest “blue laws” to protect Sunday’s rest and worship from alcohol and ... hot dogs? But Indiana’s push was noteworthy for another reason: It produced the country’s earliest known use in print of the culinary term that ...

Briefcase: Blair Chamber announces tour

The Blair County Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Epic Journeys, has added a Canadian Maritimes and Coastal Wonders tour to its 2027 travel options. The tour, scheduled for Aug. 29 through Sept. 8, will include stops in Prince Edward Island, Peggy’s Cove, Cape Breton Island, Mahone Bay, Hopewell Rocks and much more. The itinerary will immerse travelers in ancient cultures while providing opportunities to explore rugged landscapes, quaint fishing villages and bustling waterfronts. An informational meeting will be held at 1 p.m. July 27 at the Devorris Center for Business ...

Heat adds to strains on areas with data centers

LOWELL, Mass. — Eileen Castle’s swimming pool, one of the only ones for blocks around, was once a refuge for neighborhood children on hot summer days. But even as temperatures soared this week, Castle, 82, said she won’t be filling the pool — not with the data center behind her house buzzing with the sound of its industrial air conditioners and its backup diesel generators belching fumes at unexpected times. “I think about the air quality, the water, what effects it has on the kids in the area,” she said on her front stoop as children whirred past on bicycles. Hot weather ...

Employers still reluctant to add jobs

U.S. employers slowed hiring last month and added only 57,000 jobs, less than half the previous month’s total and a sign companies still have a cautious economic outlook. The Labor Department said Thursday that the unemployment rate declined to a low 4.2% from 4.3% in May, though the drop mostly occurred because many people out of work gave up looking and were no longer counted as unemployed. The figures suggest businesses remain wary of the economy’s health, with inflation at a three-year high and consumer confidence near post-pandemic lows. The job market has been stuck in a ...