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.

Still Texting While Driving?

“This number is huge,” says David Teater, senior director of transportation strategic initiatives at the National Safety Council, whose 12-year-old son was killed in a crash caused by a driver on a cell phone. “One out of every four car crashes in the United States is caused by cell phone distraction.”

Only 6 states and the District of Columbia have banned hand-held cell phone calls while driving. However, 19 states have banned texting while driving. Interestingly enough, texting laws are much harder to enforce than using a hand-held cell phone because it is harder for law enforcement officers to actually see someone texting. According to an article by Kevin Ransom, AOL Autos, is that the laws are ineffective. Ransom reports that a study by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) found that that laws banning texting while driving did not result in fewer car crashes. In fact, there was a slight increase in insurance claims after the bans went into effect. These statistics were based on the number of such claims filed in four states (California, Minnesota, Washington and Louisiana) before and after their texting bans. AAA of Southern California reported similar statistics.

FocusDriven is a new advocacy group just created by the US Department of Transportation. It is styled after MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) and will be working to fight distracted driving. The group will be headed by Jennifer Smith, whose mother was killed by a driver on his cell phone. US Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said, “Just as groups like MADD changed attitudes about drunk driving, I believe FocusDriven can help raise awareness and change the way people think about distracted driving. Together, I hope we can put an end to this dangerous practice.”

If the laws aren’t helping, what will help? Will advocacy groups help? How about software apps? There are some apps that virtually lock your phone from sending and receiving text messages while in motion. The apps usually respond to an incoming text message that the owner is driving and will get back to them at a more convenient (and hopefully safer) time. I have written about some text-blocking apps before. See my blog, 3 New Mobile Apps Can Block Texting and Calling While Driving. Humans are usually motivated by fear or greed. If the fear of crashing their car, or actually killing someone doesn’t stop the texting, and if the high price of tickets for being caught doesn’t deter them, what will? Perhaps the text-blocking apps will at least be a way for parents to stop their driving teens from texting. Obviously an adult would have to install one of these programs on their own phone. I doubt that will happen since they are already breaking the law and common sense. But then as one of my favorite sayings goes, “Common sense is not so very common.”

Do you still text while driving? Shame on you. Do you have a Bluetooth or other hands-free device so you can talk while driving? If not, why not? You can get a great NoiseHush Bluetooth that has noise canceling, is comfortable and light weight, and very inexpensive at batteries4less.com. Click on the link and check it out.

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.

Free Cell Phones and Minutes for Low Income Users

The Federal Communication Commission approved cell phones under this program in 2008. Instead of a reduction in monthly costs, TracFone Wireless, under its service called SafeLink Wireless, provides a free cell phone and between 68 and 250 free minutes each month (depending on which state you live in). It is important to note that SafeLink phones are not paid by taxpayers or the federal government. TracFone Wireless pays for the phones and also the cost of promoting its SafeLink program to make sure that eligible consumers know about the program. Telephone companies are also required to include a billing insert about the program once each year, to help get the word out about the program. According to Safelink’s website, as of October 2009, SafeLink has over 2 million customers and is available in 31 states. Today, there are over 1,700 companies in the United States currently providing discounted telephone service. But, thanks to its extensive outreach program promoting SafeLink, TracFone Wireless is the 2nd largest provider of Lifeline services in the US, second only to AT&T.

Who qualifies for these free phones? If you are receiving help from any low-income programs, you will probably qualify. You may also qualify just on a low income based formula. Each state has its own criteria, but the best place to check is  visiting SafeLink’s website or by calling 1-800-SAFELINK.

Who needs this service? Many disabled people have no way to call for help or to call a taxi if needed in an emergency. People out of work have an especially hard time getting a job if there is no contact number. The elderly also need a way to call for help, but many still opt for having assistance in helping pay land line phone installation and monthly phone charges also provided by this program. Regardless of their choice, it’s nice to know there is a program providing help.

Kudos to those of us who pay for phone service. We are actually the ones providing the funding for this federal program. Bet you weren’t aware of that. Personally I am pleased to be able to donate painlessly every month to this cause. When I say painlessly, I mean that since it is included in my cell phone bill, I never see it. For most of us, this is the ideal way to contribute, if that was your intention in the first place. It’s kind of like the taxes on cigarettes in California. Part of those taxes actually goes toward funding cancer treatments. Of course buying cigarettes or paying for a cell phone is voluntary, but the fees and their designations are not. How do you feel about this? Would you like to be able to vote on it, kind of like when we have the choice on our federal tax forms to check the box to pay $1 towards campaign funding? Is this more taxation without representation? Let me know what you think.

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.

Nokia Rumored to be Releasing Windows 7 Smartphone

Nokia emphatically denies rumors. Nokia denies that it is even considering adding the Android or Windows OS to their bevy of devices. But according to Eldar Murtazin, a highly respected Russian tech blogger who reports on such rumors, since Steven Elop (former head of Microsoft Business), has taken over Nokia from ex-CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, there are open talks between Microsoft and Nokia. Murtazin claims that the first Nokia WP7 devices will reach Europe in Q2 2011. He bases his claim on the delay of the forthcoming Nokia E7 into 2011, reliability problems with the N8, and the recent cutting of hundreds of staff,  many of whom were associated with the development of Symbian 3. Nokia has also faced criticism over its Symbian 3 operating system, which runs on the Nokia N8, for its lack of features and difficult usability. In denial, Nokia gave the following statement (and there’s no big surprise since they rarely release information): “We have nothing to announce and have a long-standing policy to not comment on rumor or speculation.”

Nokia remains committed to the Symbian and MeeGo devices. But according to Softpedia, during the Microsoft TechEd Europe 2010 conference in Berlin, they had the chance to talk with Nokia officials, and Nokia stated loud and clear that they remain committed to Symbian and MeeGo. (MeeGo is scheduled for release in early 2011.) However, since the company continues to lose market share in the Smartphone market due to rival companies bringing devices that use Android, Windows Phone 7 and other mobile operating systems, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if Nokia shifted its focus.

Are you tired of the rumor mill yet? I sure am. There are always rumors flying around about Verizon iPhones, Nokia Windows 7 phones, etc. With all the lawsuits filed among the major manufacturers, I’m surprised anyone is considering collaboration. You need a score card just to see who is playing with whom. While it’s nice to be in “the know,” rumors aren’t facts.

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.

Japanese NTT DOCOMO may allow unlocked cell phones!

The change over could happen as soon as April 2011. Unlocking cell phones would mean Japanese customers could switch carriers without having to buy a completely new phone, no matter which network they use.

Is this mainly a play for the iPhone user market in Japan? Currently, Japanese iPhones still come locked to SoftBank, but the move would allow unlocked models to be sold in the country and could allow iPad owners to convert over by using a data-only micro SIM.

And what about here in the States? Will this growing trend to unlock cell phones, especially the iPhone, bring about much needed change in the States as well? We can only hope…

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.

Palm Stocks Rising on Rumor of Take-over

Palm became an acquisition target when their stocks fell to the lowest levels in a year with the market share reports showing the losing struggle to sell its Smartphones amid fierce competition from iPhone and BlackBerry. Palm reported that it sold less than 50% of the Smartphones it shipped in the 3rd quarter of last year. Palm said it expects fiscal 2010 revenues to be well below its prior guidance range of $1.6 billion to $1.8 billion owing to lukewarm response to its products.

With the rising value on the shares, it looks like it may be a good time to buy Palm stock. Are you willing to take the gamble that Palm will be bought out by a successful company and therefore make you money? Not me. The stock market is iffy at best, and this inflated stock price is all based upon rumors!

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.

Cell Phone Radiation improves Alzheimer’s Disease in Mice

Dr. Arendash exposed the mice to 2 hours of radiation over 9 months. The amount of radiation that was used would be equivalent to holding a cell phone to your ear for 2 hours a day. (Can’t you just see mice with little cell phones against their ears?) Dr. Arendash was understandably surprised by the test results. He was expecting the tests to show more damage to the mice brains.

More studies need to be done! So far all of the other research done regarding cell phone radiation and its effects on the human brain report DAMAGE to the brain. I am all for hoping for the best, but realistically, let’s wait and see. Of course, the study also didn’t report what other brain damage was done to the poor mice.

Are you willing to use your cell phone 2 hours a day to test out Dr. Arendash’s theory? Let’s face it, mice brains and human brains are very different. (At least I hope so…)

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.

Twirl your battery to life

Clean, green energy! While it doesn’t take care of all of your charging needs, it does report to give you 2 more minutes of talk time and 25 minutes of standby power. Unfortunately, this is still in the design stage and hasn’t been released to the market yet.

photo credit: Swinging Green

More green please!! What’s your take on it? Will we be seeing users walking around twirling soon?

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.

Made in China, released faster to market

An additional concern is whether the phone will work in the US. And if you want a replacement battery, forget it. Most US-based battery companies only stock batteries for phones sold in the US.

Will I be buying a foreign market phone? Absolutely not. What about you?

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

Seal-a-Meal Cell Phones?

This is the perfect solution for germ-phobic OCD cell phone users! The phone boasts that it has a ruggedized touch screen, GPS, dual SIM, Bluetooth, MMS and has a 2-megapixel camera. Sounds like it will be ideal for those construction workers who are so hard on their phones.

But will the dry cycle of the dishwasher fry it? Hmmm… better than Tupperware?

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.

Cell Phones Provide Lifeline for needy

Under this plan, people living below the poverty line can get 64 minutes of monthly talk time for up to a year. Obviously these phones will only be practical for emergencies and perhaps job searches, since 64 minutes per month won’t go far, but for those needing to be able to contact 911, or have messages left for job searches, this is a great idea. Of course the recipients can buy additional air time, but the basic time is free with no contract or bill.

The federal income rules are stringent, and the service is not available in all states yet. The states where the service is offered are: Alabama, Connecticut, DC, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Is this service really necessary? Of course there will be those people who take advantage of the program, but by and large, I think this program is important. Whenever there is a program to help people, there will always be those that take advantage or cheat the system. It’s a given! Does that mean we should stop the program?

Trac-Fone, one of the providers of the Lifeline service says that in Maryland alone there are 300,000 qualifying for the program. What does that say about the number of people living below the poverty level in the US? It boggles my mind! Since the program includes both home phones and cell phones, a greater number of people can be helped. Imagine the peace of mind an elderly person will have knowing they can call for help in an emergency. It will allow more elderly people to remain in their own homes and independent for longer.

I give this program a thumbs up! What do you think? Yay or nay?