Tag: CELL PHONES

The good news? Scientists think they have finally pinpointed the effect that cell phones have on brain function. The bad news? They're not sure whether this is good or bad news. The Swedish Research Council announced findings out of Sweden's Örebro University that claim to have uncovered a specific effect that cell phones can have on the brain -- namely, a correlation between usage and an ...

People are constantly incriminating themselves with poorly timed or damaging text messages, but one Iowa county is finally allowing people to get themselves out of trouble with their texting thumbs. According to the AP, the emergency call center located in the county jail in Waterloo, Iowa is the first in the nation to accept texts directed to 911. The responders can even reply to the emergency ...

Often, when a woman accuses a man of rape, there's little proof beyond he-said-she-said, and, in many cases, that's enough to put the man away, whether he's guilty or not. The onus definitely falls upon the accused to prove his innocence in most of these cases. In the recent case of Gary Taylor, a 41-year-old businessman, the defendant was able to prove his innocence, according to a report in the ...

We've seen our fair share of teen cell phone mishaps. From highly publicized 'sexting' trials to our favorite story of a girl arrested for hiding a cell phone in her butt, there seems to be no limit to our kids' cellular shenanigans. It seems that all teens have cell phones now, and that, apparently, they just can't stay out of trouble with them. Back in 2007, Steve Gray, principal of Port ...

Remember last year's tale of the unfortunate (and unidentified) public servant who managed to rack up a $200,000 phone bill by downloading numerous movies over a non-unlimited cellular data plan? His wasn't the first such outrageous bill we've seen, nor even the second, but at least he can take solace in knowing he won't be the last, with news coming of a Spanish city councilwoman receiving a ...

Remember when we indicated that half of women would rather spend time online than being intimate with their partners? Many of you reacted with disbelief and many of you agreed wholeheartedly. Regardless of your opinions on the subject, it seems that the sentiment is shared in Europe as well, with a survey of 20-something-year-old couples finding that 84-percent of them would rather break up ...

Sure, we're still anticipating -- but not necessarily merrily -- the release of Windows Mobile 6.5, but for those who wish to look even farther into the future, Microsoft head honcho Steve Ballmer said in a conference call this week that WinMo 7 will be out sometime next year. That jibes pretty well with what we've heard from Motorola and ZDNet before, although there's probably a dozen or so ...

The FAA has released a safety advisory recommending pilots turn off cell phones in the cockpit. Passengers are well-versed in powering off before takeoff, but during a recent en-route inspection, the first officer's cellphone began ringing as the aircraft sped down the runway for takeoff. The advisory states: During the takeoff phase, just prior to reaching V1, a rather loud "warbling" sound ...

We reported just a few weeks ago about the NFL's new "Electronic Lifeline" system that allows fans who aren't having a family-friendly and fun time at games to get help from security without having to leave their seats. Now, the NFL is confirming that the service will be making an appearance at this year's Super Bowl XLIII, set to kick off on February 1, 2009 in Tampa Bay, Florida. Visitors of the ...

It's quite common for someone's family to include a treasured memento with a loved one when they're buried, whether it be a piece of jewelry, a note, or some other trinket that was important to them. So, it should probably come as no surprise that this day and age, when everyone seems to spend all day either talking or texting, that trinket is increasingly some sort of cell phone. Yes, we love ...

We have plenty of distractions these days, not the least of which being our cell phones. The things can do just about anything your home computer can, and so they can be rather engrossing. We've seen how they've caused car accidents, and even resulted in multiple people walking into the paths of oncoming trains. But, according to a University of Virginia professor, the practice is certainly ...

Pervasive cell phone use is on the rise, and it's not just a concern with bad manners. We've reported on people walking in front of trains and crashing cars while focusing more on their phones than what they're doing. And don't forget that this summer's awful train crash in Los Angeles was blamed on a texting. Now, new survey by software company Neverfail, Inc is showing just how pervasive these ...

Whether you're impressed by Sarah Palin's folksiness or disturbed by her evasiveness, there's a good chance you might want to ask her a question. Now is your chance. The California Democratic Party has rented a digital billboard across from an upcoming rally for the Veep candidate in Los Angeles. Anyone can send a text message to 69866 containing a question (160 characters or less) and the ...

While society is in general a lovely thing, sometimes social duties can be painful to say the least. Inviting your inbred cousins from the sticks to your wedding? A necessary evil. Lying and saying your newborn nephew with the big ears is cute as a button? Challenging. Calling to send condolences when a distant relative has passed on? Difficult for even the most stoic -- so why not let ...

Naturally, we've been following the discussion on health risks posed by gadget usage quite closely. Cell phones, in particular, are a hotbed of debate, with some experts stepping forward and indicating they are horrible for your health, while other studies are showing no verifiable proof of an increased risk of cancer. Now, a study out of Sweden is showing that, among children at least, cell ...