Gadget Blog for the Mobile World

According the Regional News, Toronto is considering a ban on cell phones while driving and if so will join Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.  The law would still allow the use of hand-free devices such as Bluetooth or a wired headset.  However some, like Sgt. Brad Bulmer of York Regional Police, think that letting any use of a mobile device, even hands-free, is not acceptable.

He is quoted in the Regional News article: “The fact you’re holding (the phone) in your hand is not the issue,” he said. “It doesn’t address the conversation. That person is so engaged in the conversation that the entire stream of traffic has to pull into the curb lane to get around them – and that doesn’t necessarily have to be a hand-held phone.”

With that sort of logic, wouldn’t a conversation with passenger be the same as talking to a person with a hands-free device?  Of course if a person sees the damage and carnage of traffic accidents as a police staff sergeant sure has, they too may be inclined to ban cell phone use while driving all together.

A Ban for cell phone use while driving seems to be getting popular.  Facebook has numerous groups that are advocating such a band.  However, there are disagreements between banning total use and allowing for the use of hands-free devices.

If you’re a fan of the LG Rumor but aren’t a Sprint fan and don’t mind Alltel then you should take a gander at the LG Scoop AX260.  The features of this phone are magnified when the price is considered- $9.99 with a mail-in rebate and an Alltel plan.  For the modest cell phone carrier, this phone will make the most frugal buyer be without regret. (…Read Some More…)

Okay, this is why you should probably pick the cell phone with the better camera; you may never know when you’ll be a witness to something substantial – like a bank robbery – and asked to prove your claim.  A San Diego man turned crime buster by going mobile, having his trusty camera phone.

The man had decided to be a concerned citizen and take a picture of the license plate of an unusually and illegally parked care with his cell phone camera.  (Before you go yelling snitch; perhaps he had his share of parking tickets and decided to share the burden.)  Well, the owner of the car apparently was robbing a bank while the car was parked.  Just goes to show you how important it is to park legally when robbing a bank. 

Police were then called and arrived on scene but after the bank robber had already left.  While the F.B.I. and police were investigating this San Diego man was still hanging around and asked an officer if the picture taken by his cell phone may be useful to the investigation.  They took the lead and the owner of the illegally parked car was arrested on suspicion of bank robbery.

There is a lesson here.  With cameras on phones now being the standard, be careful what you do because there just may be somebody clicking their camera phone on you.

Question of the day:  Is this guy a snitch or a ‘concerned’ citizen? 

Source:  San Diego News

Picture from blog.fayobserver.com

If deciding between Verizon and Alltel was hard for you there will be no more ripping your hair out over the matter.  The Department of Justice recently Okayed the acquisition of Alltel by Verizon Wireless.  This joining would put Verizon’s shadow over AT&T, making Verizon the biggest wireless service provider in North America.  The Dept of Justice will then require Verizon to give up about 100 local markets in 22 states in order to keep the wireless market competitively fair.  With the Department of Justice’s blessing, they deal must get the FCC’s blessing in order for it to go through.  The FCC votes on it November 4^th.

Source and picture from:  evdoinfo.com

With the similarities between smartphones and Personal Computers, the sorts of security vulnerabilities that infect PCs are sure to create issues with handheld devices as well.  ‘Open source’ projects are especially vulnerable, using ‘free software’ to spread viruses and other malicious software.  T-Mobile’s Google G1 is nothing special to escape what threatens all computer systems, both stationary and mobile.

Charles A. Miller comes out to alert consumers of malicious software threats to smartphones after being one of the researchers to discover vulnerabilities to the Google G1 just days after the debut of Google’s G1 phone.  Mr. Miller is an expert researcher, being a former National Security Agency computer security specialist.

According to Miller, attackers could trick the G1 users into visiting a website that acts as a trap, exploiting the vulnerabilities of the G1.

The Web browser is the item to attack by making it possible, according to Miller, for software to be downloaded by G1 that would take snap shots of browsing habits and keys punched in.  This would allow secure data like passwords and account numbers to be copied and used.

Google execs pretty much shrugged off the threat by mentioning a key difference between the Google G1 and other smartphones.  The G1 creates compartments that make applications separate, thus limited the invasion to one application.

The folks at Google weren’t too happy with Miller, who had won $10,000 from a contest at a security conference by exploiting Apple’s Safari by directing a Mac laptop to a booby-trapped website, and mentioned that researchers should give companies time to fix vulnerability before going public.  Mr. Miller sided with consumers and decided to make it public before but withheld details of how the vulnerability can be exploited…sorry hackers.

Source:  New York Times

One of the luxuries of not having a land-line is not having telemarketers hassle you about whatever it is that they hassle land-line-lubbers about – it’s been so long since I’ve had a land-line that I forgot what telemarketers babble about.  However, some folks want to change that through text messaging.

There is a scam that sends stock tips to your cell phone that tries to get folks to buy stock, which inflates the price of the stock as more and more people quickly buy up the stock.  These scam messengers then dump the stock once the price has reached a peak, making the left over stock worth much less than most had bought it for.

Know that any messaging you get on your cell phone that’s unsolicited will be some sort of scam, 99 times out of 100.  Put that sender on your block list.

Source:  Modbee.com

Picture from:  housefrontblog.com

We’ve all heard of cell phone bans.  There are cell phone bans while driving, cell phone bans in schools, and cell phone bans in church.  Violation of the aforementioned bans may result in confiscation of the phones and a ticket, at worst.  However, in Austin Texas prisons, if you’re caught with a cell phone, another felony will be added to your rap sheet. 

“What are you in for fish?” 

“I smuggled a cell phone into prison.”

“Oh you must have some crappy ringtones.”

It’s true.  The ‘world against mobile gadgets’ is using the law to enforce their anti-mobile views.  According to Houston Chronicle, it was against the law to smuggle cellular devices into prisons, making it a felony crime.  The Houston Chronicle also reported that 91 such cases have been brought to court since January of 2007.  In case you’re wondering where your tax dollars go, too much go to charging folks who are already a ward of the state with such ‘crimes’ as possession of a device us free persons have grown to love – and, in some cases, depend on.  Not only are inmates subject to this prosecution; prison guards and visitors can fall victim to this witch trial.

Cell phones are a hot commodity in prisons.  The price tag for these mobile devices can cost inmates anywhere from $200 to $400.  You’re on death row?  Expect to pay $2000 to nab a cell phone.  Some tricks for smuggling cell phones into prisons have been traditional – in the rectum.  I’m sure these smugglers prefer to set the ring to ‘vibrate’.  Can you imaging a fart sounding like some jazzy ringtone?

I’m not an advocate for giving inmates more luxuries at the expense of taxpayers but if someone is on death row, let them call home.  Of course, they didn’t have that sort of compassion when committing the act that had got them there.  Okay, so regular inmates should be allowed to use cell phones, right? No?

Air travel can be hectic.  Not only do you have to fight the crowds and pass through security without being volunteered for a more thorough search, but you have to check in and keep track of the that darn airline ticket, that if you lose, would mean more hurdles just to get on the plane.  Among all the commotions of getting on board, what is easier to keep track of; your cell phone or your airline ticket?  For me, my cell phone is easier since it is considered just another limb. (…Read Some More…)

LG Invision promises television-on-the-go with an LCD display that gives mobility to the boob tube. Fully broadcasted movies and television shows can be viewed on the front display. Try using your living room television as a phone. I still have an old bulky thing from 8 years ago. Imagine having that thing on your shoulder, talking into it. No need for silliness as the Invision provides access to your favorite shows, news, sports, or whatever you like while being mobile.  Bluetooth is available for music and watching shows to keep the sound from other ears. (…Read Some More…)

Now the BlackBerry Curves are typically business class type of phones.  The Curve 8300, however, has some general consumer friendly features.  Besides, there are different types of business requirements for phones and some are just too suped up.  Then you have some regular phones that just feel like playing the original Atari.  Do you really need to work for Donald Trump or be a doctor to use a good quality smartphone?  No.  The BlackBerry Curve 8300 is the bridge between the business folks and the rest of us.  Here’s a review: (…Read Some More…)

BlackBerry Pearl 8120 Design

The Pearl 8120 is sized up the same as the 8130, at a slim 4.2 x 2.0 x 0.6 inches.  It’s a bit lighter at 3.2 ounces vs. 3.4 ounces.   The Pearl 8120 includes a microSD/SDHC Card slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The 8120 also parades the same sharp and bright 2.3-inch, 240 x 260-pixel display.  The 8120 has a cleaner e-mail and calendar interface than older BlackBerry phones with friendlier font and improved graphic layout. (…Read Some More…)

Three times’s a charm, or so hopes LG when they came out with the LG Chocolate 3 – VX8560.  There are some pleasant – and not so pleasant – similarities and drastic differences that are welcomed.  The Chocolate 3 is an improvement to the series but doesn’t come out with the hype of the 2^nd chocolate.  Over all, the phone is worth its price and will please the LG Chocolate fans.  Here is the review: (…Read Some More…)

LG has found an answer to the problem drivers face as they insist on talking on the phone while driving…most of us do it.  They have gone a little James Bond on us and come out with the Decoy, a phone that has a detachable Bluetooth headset on the back.  This is the first phone to do this and we can plan on the competition to come out with better versions but for now, the LG Decoy VX8610 will be the only one.  Does having a detachable headset make it worthy? (…Read Some More…)

The Nokia N96 was apparently expected to be $799 but as Best Buy makes the unlocked Nokia N96 available, the cost went to $899.  Is this the stock market?  No, prices would go down rather than up.  So what justifies this hefty price?  How about 16GB of memory internally with more available with a card?  It also has Live TV, 5.0 megapixel camera, A-GPS and Nokia Maps, and DVB-H technology.  According to 2DayBlog.com I-Pmart is selling an unlocked version for $699.

What about the N95?  That Nokia phone is selling at $400, give or take, for those who don’t mind earlier versions.

For those folks who covet the iPhone but have dedication to Verizon, the LG Dare will be something of interest.  The Dare isn’t a smartphone, by definition, but it is one of LG’s version of a touch phone.  It has plenty of goodies, making it a pocket stereo as well as a pocket camera whenever you need one.   (…Read Some More…)

LG has an iPhone competitor that is smaller than Apple’s prima donna as well as cheaper.  The LG Vu is a phone made for the multi-media junkies as the high resolution display is great for watching TV, watching videos, or playing video games.  This is LG’s answer to the iPhone and stands up, about to Apple’s nose.  This is the phone for the iPhone gawking folks who are loyal to LG. (…Read Some More…)

Have you ever tried sneaking a cell phone into a court building? Don’t. They just may let lose the canine unit to rip it from your person. Ever text your friends while sitting in class while your teacher mentions something about something somewhere nobody really cares about? Don’t. Well, just don’t get caught. You may get it confiscated, that is, if you attend Kearny High School in Kearny, Nebraska. If you don’t, be not surprised if your school, or your kid’s school, establishes the same kind of ban soon, if it hasn’t already.

Rules prohibiting cell phone use are in place in many college class rooms but the specifics of those rules vary by professor or instructor and violations range from a grimacing look to a deduction in points or the extreme case of being kicked out of class. Colleges can’t be as authoritarian as high schools and can’t confiscate them as Kearny’s henchmen and henchwomen will but you can bet plenty of professors would like to. Kearny’s cell phone prohibition is another example of how cell phones and their use are affecting the established order of things. Officials at Kearny call it a distraction. Perhaps it is. The relatively new culture of cell phone use is clashing with how things use to be. The product of this collision is still in the making and is yet to be seen.

Source:  Kearney Hub

This choice may just be about preference, like choosing white gold over yellow gold, but you just may find yourself standing on the mobile phone store for hours with the Touch Pro in one hand while the Touch Diamond is in the other. Darn it, why don’t these guys let us test these things on a trial basis?

The Touch Diamond feels nicer to hold as all diamonds do, but the keyboard of the Touch Pro is something to hoot about. The Touch Pro weighs in at 165g while the Touch Diamond makes you bare 110g. They have the same dimensions; both sleek as a cheetah.

They are practically head to head technologically except for talk time. The Touch Pro offers more talk time – up to 419 minutes – while the Touch Diamond only allows you a 330 minute conversation.

Perhaps the decider will be keyboard preference. The Touch Pro has that sliding out QWERTY keyboard and HTC usually has awesome keyboards. The Touch Diamond requires less dexterity and your finger tips.

No, the only option may just be for you to put both behind your back, one in each hand, and ask the teller to pick a side.

If you’re ever stranded on a deserted island, you just may be able to get internet service, that is, if you remembered to bring your mobile phone. Start up company, O3B, which stands for the “other three billion people in the world without internet service,” plans to put up 16 low flying satellites. These satellites will provide internet service to remote parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America who no fiber hookup. Customers will receive the signal from service providers by their mobile phones.

Google, HSBC, and Liberty Global are the big names involved in this project which may help developing parts of the world grow economically. You may soon be able to play chess online with Gilligan after all.

Source:  NPR