photo credit: Texting While Driving

Cell phone distraction is still a major contributor to auto accidents. According to the National Safety Council, 1.6 million accidents a year are caused by cell phone use. The Christian Science Monitor reports that 1.4 million crashes are caused by people talking on their cell phones, while conservatively estimated, there are another 200,000 caused by people texting while driving. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Free SafeLink Cell Phones

Phone booths on every street corner are a thing of the past. With so many cell phones out in the market, phone booths have become almost extinct. So if you can’t afford a cell phone or home phone, what do you do? Rely on neighbors? One solution is a decades old federal program, started in the 1980’s, commonly known as Lifeline and Link Up, which provides low income people with telephone service. This federal program is funded by the little Universal Service Fee on phone bills (both land line and cell phone bills) and this year payments into the fund were expected to reach $1.4 billion. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Nokia Windows 7 Rumor

Rumors are flying at the close of this year. There is of course the ever-present rumor that Verizon will have the iPhone. Also in the rumor mill is that Finnish cell phone manufacturer, Nokia, will be releasing a Smartphone based on the Windows 7 Phone platform. Nokia is reportedly in negotiations with Microsoft about producing a Nokia branded Windows 7 Smartphone. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: iPhones Unlocked

Nikkei Business Daily’s announcement shook up Japan’s cell phone industry. Rumor has it that NTT DOCOMO, Japan’s premier provider of leading-edge mobile voice, data and multimedia services, will finally start allowing unlocked devices on its network. NTT is reported to be considering the possibility of both allowing unlocked phones on the network and offering software to unlock phones so customers can switch. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Palm in trouble?

Media reports suggest that Palm is seeking buy-out proposals. The shares were already up 35% last week on the rumor that HTC and PC maker Lenovo are considering bidding on the company. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Rat with cell phone

Gary Arendash, University of South Florida in Tampa, reports that exposure to cell phone radiation has decreased the plaque causing Alzheimer’s Disease in mice. In the Alzheimer’s-like strain, it even seemed to reverse the deposits of destructive amyloid protein that is the defining characteristic of the illness. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Twirl and Charge

New spinning kinetic cell phone battery is the newest “green” technology! Ever needed just a few more minutes of talk time before being able to charge your batter? This new battery can be charged by twirling it on your finger a few times (well really 130 times), giving you a couple of more minutes to talk or text. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: New WiFi TV Phone

The new cell phones made in China are hitting the market faster and faster every day. The novelty phones are especially hot sellers, while still offering the full features we are used to. The prices seem to very cheap, but then add in $35 to ship it from China and it’s not so cheap. Then there is the scary thought of dealing with a foreign company for a warranty, if they even ship it. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Safe for OCD Users?

Seal Shield now has a dishwasher safe cell phone. The new “Seal Cell” is waterproof and can be washed in the sink or dishwasher. Guess that means you can swim with it. You also don’t have to worry if it does the toilet dive…. LOL Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: ET Panhandling to call home

Ever wonder what the “universal service fee” on your phone bill is for? The federal government uses some of that money to provide the Lifeline service to the poor. The program has been providing a phone line to the poor since the 1980’s, but now is expanding Lifeline to include cell phone service. Read the rest of this entry »