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Cell Phones

'Death by Cell Phone' Ad Campaign Launches in Florida


Everyday, people drive with their ears stuck to cell phones or their eyes glancing between text messages and the road. Most never even give their DWT (driving while texting/talking) a second thought. The team behind a new ad campaign hopes to change that.

The not-for-profit National Safety Council just launched a Florida billboard campaign called 'Death by Cell Phone.' According to Fort Myers-based News-Press.com, the billboards (pictured above) feature images of a 61-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy, both of whom died in accidents caused by drivers on cell phones. Eventually, the campaign will span 67 markets in 37 states. The NSC says that people who are chatting on cell phones are four times more likely to crash than those who aren't. According to the organization, such DWTs cause 636,000 accidents and 2,600 deaths every year. The NSC hopes the billboards, which will be seen by about 56,000 folks each day in Florida alone, will encourage drivers to put down the phones and focus on the road.

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Web

Has E-mail Made the Thank You Note Obsolete?

In the age of texting, Twittering, e-mailing, and Simul-Tubing, the art of the hand-written message has suffered. Jen Burke Anderson of the San Francisco Chronicle finds herself wondering, is sending handwritten thank you notes passe in the digital age?

It's been common practice for a long, long time to send handwritten thank you notes to your wedding guests, to friends who let you crash on their couches, and to potential employers after job interviews. But in a time when most communication is done via electronic means, can you skate by with a quick e-mail? Lisa Mirza Grotts, founder of the etiquette consultancy AML Group, told Anderson that while an e-mail or even a quick phone call could suffice, a handwritten thank-you still reigns supreme. Thanks to our increasingly digital, and impersonal, communications, handwritten notes are potentially more important than ever, she says.

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Cell Phones, Editor's Picks

SMS SOS: Text-Messaging's All-Time Most Stupid Moments



SMS communiqués are limited to a mere 160 characters, yet their destructive power is limitless. Elected officials, bad drivers, clueless criminals, and hapless celebrities all illustrate the havoc that a few fumbling thumbstrokes can wreak. To celebrate the sad sacks whose lives have been altered forever by such technological mishaps, Switched proudly presents our first inductees into the text-messaging Hall of Shame.

Cell Phones

Cell Phones Aimed at Four-Year-Olds Hit The Streets

Cell phones on the playground? Toddlers text messaging? These could become much more common sites sight. Despite warnings about potential health risks, an Irish cell phone company has developed a cell phone line marketed towards children as young as four-years-old, according to The Daily Mail.

The Firefly comes in bright colors and features just five buttons -- including one to call Mom and one to call Dad. Parents choose the numbers stored on the phone and can block unknown numbers. Making the phone still more secure, some models don't allow text messaging. The Daily Mail reports that more than 7,000 units of the phone, which costs between $49 and $99, have been sold in Ireland, and the company is planning a British launch soon. As you might guess, this product has some folks real worked up. Margaret Morrissey, a lobbyist for Parents Outloud, told the Mail that the product makes children "miniature adults."

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Cell Phones

Unsolicited Text Messages as Bad as Phone Calls, Court Says

Court Says Texts Same as Voice Calls Under Law

Let's hope that the Simon & Schuster or marketing firm ipsh! employee who, six years ago, decided to send out thousands of unsolicited text messages reading, "the next call you take may be your last," has lost their job. If they haven't yet, then they probably will soon (assuming Simon & Schuster is forced to cough up the roughly $90 million in fines and payouts associated with the class action lawsuit it's facing for the ill-advised Stephen King promo).

In 2003, to promote the then new Stephen King novel, 'Cell,' the publisher used a list of 100,000 phone numbers collected by a third party, not involved in the case, to send the offending text message. One of the text's recipients, Laci Satterfield, filed suit on behalf of herself and 60,000 others, claiming the company violated the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The act prohibits automatic telephone dialing systems from making calls to non-consensual cell phone owners.

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Cell Phones

Teens Text Daily in Class, Study Reveals


We've seen endless studies on teens and their cell phone habits, and one conclusion can be drawn from all of the surveys. The iGeneration kids aren't going to stop texting. The most recent investigation into teen texting, conducted by Joel Benenson of Common Sense Media, revealed that teens send 25-percent of their total text messages while killing time in class. (Whatever happened to doodling and daydreaming?)

The pollsters broke the numbers down and found that students send 110 texts a week during class time, which equates to over three texts per class. The study also determined that half of all students have used their phones to either store notes they can consult during a test, or to text a friend for a test answer. Only half of all the students polled believe this phone cheating to be a "serious offense."

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Cell Phones

Text Message Helps Police Nab Fancy Bank Bandit

Technology just keeps making it harder and harder for stupid criminals to make a dishonest living these days -- even if they're wearing disguises and driving fancy getaway cars. According to an AP report appearing on Cellular-News.com, Delroy George Henry, a 34-year-old Boston resident dressed in a suit and driving a BMW, acted as if he were making a withdrawal at a Boston-area bank Tuesday morning.

As employees opened the branch, he forced his way in, drew a pellet gun, and demanded that someone open the vault. Amid the chaos, one brave employee with textual fortitude sent a message to the manager of a nearby branch who in turn notified the authorities. Police, who were serendipitously working near road construction a mere 100 yards away, arrived within moments and arrested the well-dressed Henry as he walked out of the bank.

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Cell Phones, iPhone

Text No More: New App Brings Air-Writing to Cell Phones



Cell phone developers are constantly trying to address the problem of text input on mobile devices. Over the years, we've seen input systems ranging from full QWERTY keyboards and nine key predictive text systems (like T9) to virtual keyboards. New research suggests the answer may not be in the keys at all. According to LiveScience, researchers at Duke University have developed a prototype for the PhonePoint Pen, a cell phone app that allows users to "air-write" short notes.

The app functions as if the cell phone is a pen (though it will probably feel more like writing with a piece of sidewalk chalk); tracing letters or shapes in the air transfers inputs them into the phone's text field. How does it work? The air-writing app works by using the accelerometers (which track the phone's orientation) already inside smartphones like the iPhone. If you prefer texting on the move (hardly the safest practice, especially if you're driving or crossing a street) this could wind up being the app for you.

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Cell Phones

AT&T and Verizon Deny Text Message Price-Fixing


The Senate investigation into anti-competitive practices among the major cellular carriers is moving forward, and AT&T and Verizon have vehemently denied any accusations of price-fixing, Reuters reported earlier this week.

A few years ago, every major carrier decided that individual text messages should cost $0.20, instead of the $0.10 that had been the standard for years. But, as Democratic Michigan Senator Herb Kohl noted, and Ars Technica points out, companies usually drive each other to lower prices, not raise them. But Verizon and AT&T argued before the Senate Judiciary Committee that prices for text messaging have actually fallen over the past several years, despite the increase to $0.20.

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Computers

12 Tips to Fight Spam on Your Computer and Cell Phone



In November 2008, the McColo Corporation, a Web site hosting service favored by spammers, was shut down. Spam levels worldwide plummeted by nearly 70-percent.

But, only a few short months later, the amount of spam skyrocketed back to its normal level -- comprising an estimated 94-percent of all e-mail. Spam now plagues cell phone owners and, if your carrier charges for receiving texts, you'll be expected to pay for the unsolicited messages. As if it couldn't get worse, spam sometimes harbors viruses, trojan horses, worms, and spyware. Scary stuff. Fortunately, we've got you covered.

If you're having trouble keeping the junk out of your e-mail and texts, or if you're just sick of skimming through dozens of ads to find actual messages, check out our smorgasbord of spam fighting-tips.

Cell Phones

15-Year-Old Texting Champ Wins $50,000

Each year, LG holds its National Texting Championships in New York City, and SMS fiends gather from around the country to battle for thumb-dexterity supremacy. This year's champ, 15-year-old Kate Moore of Des Moines, Iowa, took the title, but her path to victory was not without some serious obstacles. Literally.

LG, in a nod to texters' dangerous tendency to multi-task, forced contestants to run an obstacle course while sending difficult-to-type messages, and compose tongue twisters while being taunted by a giant emoticon. We can't make this stuff up.

The event climaxed in a tie-breaker, with Moore and runner up Dynda Morgan, a 14-year-old from Savannah, Georgia, furiously texting this behemoth SMS:
"Zippity Dooo Dahh Zippity Ayy...MY oh MY, what a wonderful day! Plenty of sunshine Comin' my way....Zippitty Do Dah Zippity Aay! WondeRful Feeling Wonderful day!"

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Cell Phones

Juvenile Thief Nabbed Thanks to Poorly Timed Text Message


Police tracked down a burglar in Boca Raton, Florida this week thanks to some ill advised text messaging. According to PalmBeachPost.com, police responded to reports of a break-in when witnesses said they'd watched a young man enter an apartment window and exit carrying electronic devices. Another not-so-secretive boy had been seen using a cell phone as a flashlight to illuminate the window. Police have not revealed whether or not the robbers were wearing striped shirts, or carrying a bag with a huge '$' on it.

The police arrived, searched the area and then found a sweaty youth who could not explain his presence. As they questioned the boy, he received a text message, saying something to the effect of: "Cops are looking for me. I'm hiding over by the pool." The officers noticed the text, and the captured stoolie ratted out his partner's name and location. Both boys confessed to the burglary, and one was also charged with marijuana possession, proving yet again that stupid criminals are no match for technology. [From: PalmBeachPost.com]

Web

If God Texted the Ten Commandments...



Since history is fair play to Twitter revisionists, why not take on the Bible, that most sacred of texts? The funny guys over at McSweeney's (the humor site that features clever user-created lists) redid the Ten Commandments in 140 characters or less, making even the most devout LOL.

It's pretty accurate, and definitely better than the LOLcat version of the Bible. Or at least more coherent. We would say that church-goers will soon be Twittering to their pastors, but that's already happened. [From: McSweeney's]

Other outlandishly funny tech-inspired McSweeney's lists:

Cell Phones

Lost Cell Phone Leads to Dumb Suspected Killer's Arrest

Some folks just can't do without their cell phones. You know them -- the ones whose phones are practically surgically attached to their bodies. In the case of Anthony Ramirez, maybe he should have left well enough alone.

On May 22nd, Ramirez, 23, left his phone while fleeing the scene of an attempted home burglary in Pinole, California. Instead of cutting his losses, Ramirez called the phone, which was discovered by officer Uri Nieves, according to The San Francisco Chronicle. The officer told Ramirez he was an average citizen who found the phone on the street and arranged an exchange at a local Boys and Girls club. To top it all off, Ramirez drove to the exchange in a stolen Nissan 350Z with a sawed-off .30-30. Ramirez wrecked the car and escaped after officers tried to block the car's path.

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Cell Phones

'Sexting' Is the New 'Spin the Bottle,' Argues Canadian Professor

Sexting Likened to Spin the BottleThe practice of sexting is all over the news right now as more and more teens are getting caught sending provocative images to each other via cell phone messages. In a few cases, some of these teens are even being punished as child pornographers and being forced to register as sex offenders. One professor thinks that the scandal is being blown out of proportion, and frankly, we agree with him.

According to the National Post, Professor Peter Cumming from York University in Toronto stated in a recent paper that, while sexting itself may be a relatively new phenomenon, the ideas behind it are really no different than those behind playing 'doctor' or 'spin the bottle.' In thepaper, he writes:
"Technology does change things, and there can be very serious consequences. But that obscures the fact that children and young people are sexual beings who have explored their sexuality in all times, and all cultures and all places. A distinction has to be made between nudity and child porn."
The problem, of course, arises when someone forwards those explicit images and, intentionally or not, spreads them around the Internet. Clearly, this is a problem that must be addressed. But how to do so without unfairly punishing kids remains to be determined. [From: National Post]

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Weirdest Techie Heists and Scams

    Elderly Amish Man Caught on Film With Prostitute, Blackmailed
    When a 75-year-old Amish widower slept with a prostitute, he -- we feel certain -- felt pretty bad about it the next morning. As if that guilt weren't enough for the old man, the prostitute and her boyfriend demanded $67,000 from him, claiming that they had filmed the scene with wall-mounted cameras and would upload the recording to the Internet. The pair was later arrested and, we can only imagine, the Amish man abhorred technology more than ever.

     

    Bank Robber Gets Away With the Help of Craiglist
    In October, a bank robber -- wearing a safety vest, blue shirt, face mask and goggles -- eluded police with the help of Craiglist. Just outside the bank, while the robbery was in progress, stood a group of men who were responding to a Craiglist day labor opportunity. As the advertisement required, they were all wearing safety vests, blue shirts, face masks and goggles.

     

    Nude New Zealander Arrested After Responding to Fake Sexy Text Message
    Late in 2007, a Wellington, New Zealand man received a racy text message from two anonymous "ladies," giving him only an address and a request that he show up naked. Well, he indeed showed up naked... at the home of one appalled, unsuspecting New Zealander. Both the nude Romeo and the sadistic texter were arrested, though neither were prosecuted.

     

    Fake Craiglist Ad Costs Man Most of What He Owns
    Last Spring, a post appeared on an Oregon Craigslist board stating that the owner of a specific house was leaving all of his worldly possessions (still in said house) to whoever wanted them. When homeowner Robert Salisbury rushed home -- on a tip from a woman suspicious about the offer of a free horse -- he found his house being ransacked by 30 strangers. We suggest he take that horse and collect some vengeance Clint Eastwood-style.

     

    17-Year-Old Jailed for Stealing Virtual 'Furniture'
    When a 17-year-old Dutch boy hacked into several accounts on the Second Life-style site 'Habbo' in 2007, the the law got involved. The boy was discovered to have stolen $5,800 worth of virtual furniture and knick-knacks. Apparently, crime -- whether actual or virtual -- does not pay.

     

    Phishers Going After Your Phones in New 'Vishing' Trend
    Over the past year, sneaky spammers have begun to forsake the worn-out territory of e-mail in favor of cell phones' fertile frontier. The result? "Vishing." Get it? Voice mail phishing. It might be more ominous if it didn't sound like a James Bond villain saying, "Wishing."

     

    Burglars Break Into Restaurant, Steal HDTV, Leave Money / Food Behind
    Around Halloween of last year, a truckload of thieves drove into -- that's right, into -- a Pennsylvania Mexican restaurant, where they -- apparently uninterested in the cash register -- stole a mid-grade 47-inch HDTV and fled the scene. We've all heard about how this generation is lacking in ambition, but this generation's thieves, too?

     

Latest Reviews from CNET.com

CNET provides the latest tech news, unbiased reviews, videos, podcasts, software, and downloads, making tech products easy to find, understand and use.

Top Product Reviews

  • Home Audio Reviews

    9.0 out of 10

    Denon AVR-4306 (black)
    Incredibly well-featured 7.1-channel receiver; excellent sound quality; three HDMI inputs; converts analog video to HDMI output; upconverts analog video to 720p/1080i HD resolution; iPod and USB MP3 player connectivity; Internet radio and MP3/WMA streaming audio via built-in Ethernet port; XM Satellite Radio compatible; touch-screen remote; multizone, multisource operation; browser-based control via home network; accurate autocalibration routine. Full Review

    8.8 out of 10

    KEF KHT3005 (black)
    The KEF KHT-3005 is one compact, beautifully designed speaker package with solid aluminum satellites that feature unique driver technology to produce incredible clarity. Meanwhile, the equally astounding dual 10-inch, 250-watt powered subwoofer delivers ultradeep bass. Full Review

    8.8 out of 10

    KEF KHT3005 (silver)
    The KEF KHT-3005 is one compact, beautifully designed speaker package with solid aluminum satellites that feature unique driver technology to produce incredible clarity. Meanwhile, the equally astounding dual 10-inch, 250-watt powered subwoofer delivers ultradeep bass. Full Review

  • Cell Phone Reviews

    8.6 out of 10

    Wi-Ex zBoost YX510-PCS-CEL cell phone signal extender
    The Wi-Ex zBoost YX510-PCS-CEL significantly boosts your cell phone reception and is easy to operate. Also, it uses a wireless connection to your phone. Full Review

    8.6 out of 10

    Turbo Charge Tc2 portable cell phone charger
    The Turbo Charge Tc2 portable cell phone charger successfully delivers emergency power to your cell phone. It's easy to use and comes with a couple of surprising features. Full Review

    8.3 out of 10

    LG VX6000 (Verizon Wireless)
    Compact and stylish; impressive battery life; solid audio quality; sharp color screen; built-in camera; USB ready; affordable. Full Review

  • Digital Camera Reviews

    9.3 out of 10

    Canon EOS 1D Mark III
    Extremely fast, 10-megapixel continuous shooting; very low noise; highly customizable; well-designed body with weather sealing; 3-inch LCD; abundant optional accessories. Full Review

    9.3 out of 10

    Nikon D3 (body only)
    Full-frame sensor; well designed, pro-level weather-sealed body; very low noise, even at extremely high ISOs; fast. Full Review

    9.0 out of 10

    Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III
    Very low noise, high quality images; 21.1 megapixels; live view shooting; pro-level build-quality and performance. Full Review

  • Desktop Reviews

    8.5 out of 10

    Apple iMac (24-inch, 2.8GHz)
    A minor specification update results in some significant performance gains; graphics upgrade an option on this 24-inch model; sleek, polished design didn't receive an update, but we won't start clamoring for a new design until the current one is at least 12 months old. Full Review

    8.4 out of 10

    Velocity Raptor Signature Edition Gaming PC
    One of the fastest PCs we've tested; a PCI Express RAID card helps media encoding performance; typically immaculate Velocity Micro assembly; strong, three-year warranty. Full Review

    8.3 out of 10

    Dell Studio Desktop Computer (Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200, 750GB HDD, 6GB)
    Best performance in its class; dedicated graphics card; large hard drive. Full Review

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