Worried about your teen texting while driving? Texting while driving (cell phone distraction) is reported to cause a 23% increase in car accidents. So you nag and you nag, but do they listen? No worries. There are 3 new mobile apps that can prevent your teen from breaking the rules.

3 New Mobile Apps Can Block Texting and Calling While Driving

These new apps block text and calling when the user is shown to be moving, detected via their phone’s GPS function. All 3 apps let you keep “911” unblocked for emergencies. You can program your phone to send a text message back to the person texting you that might read, “I’m driving right now; and will get back with you as soon as I can.” So no excuses that you just HAD to answer that hot guy who texted you. You can also program a verbal alert that warns your teen, “Put down the phone or the car keys are mine!” Cute, eh?

The new apps work on the Android OS, BlackBerry and the Windows Mobile OS, but will soon be available for the iPhone as well. Each app has it pros and cons, so if you want to check them out, they are ZoomSafer ($2.99/month), iZup ($5/month), and CellSafety $10/month).

For a mere $3-$10 per month subscription rate, what parent in their right mind wouldn’t want this on their teen’s phone? It may also be a prudent thing for businesses to consider for their company owned cell phones. Passing laws doesn’t seem to prevent texting or calling while driving, so perhaps a built in program is the answer. What’s your take on it?

Microsoft’s Project Pink, (code name for their new phones) was noticeably absent from the Mobile World Congress in February. Last month Gizmodo leaked documents stating that the new Microsoft “Turtle” will be released late in April, with rumors hinting that the Microsoft “Pure” isn’t far behind.

Microsoft releasing new cell phones to Verizon this month

The new Turtle is square looking and is touted to be a social media Smartphone with the tag line “Make your network more social.” Not much information is being released on the Pure except that it is a horizontal slider and is headed for Verizon as well.

Neither of the new phones is running the new Microsoft Windows Mobile 7 OS. What is Microsoft thinking? Windows Mobile 6xx is not upgradeable to Windows Mobile 7, so why would anyone want the new phones? Or perhaps this is a statement about how buggy Windows Mobile 7 will be? Personally I will be taking a wait and see approach. I am ready for a new phone, but think I will wait until the dust settles.

Windows Mobile 7 takes off in a new direction with a whole new OS. Microsoft has confirmed that Windows Mobile 7 will be developing software for the Windows Phone 7 Series devices using either Silverlight or XNA, the toolset used to create Xbox games. The new OS is a complete break from the old Windows Mobile 6x, and Microsoft has no plans to make those phones using Mobile 6x upgradeable.

Microsoft announces Windows 7 Mobile is brand new!

The new Windows Mobile 7 phones will be shipping by the next holiday season. Microsoft will be offering these new super phones with strict requirements for screen resolution and size, specific buttons, and insisting that things like an FM radio and Wi-Fi are included. Manufacturers will only have choices in design about external features like external keyboards, etc. Actually the new phones sound kind of cool.

What does this mean for those of us with Mobile 6x? Is the OS going to be that much better? Should we rush out to upgrade our cell phones or wait for the next version of Mobile 7 to bypass the bugs?

Microsoft may need to buy a cell phone maker in order to compete in the highly volatile market. Although Microsoft has announced the new platform, Windows Phone Series 7 (WinPho 7), it may need to buy RIM BlackBerry or possibly Nokia to stay in the game. (Experts think it would be cheaper to buy HTC, however, with more marketability.)

Windows Phone Series 7 may not save Microsoft

Unless most of its competitors, Microsoft doesn’t make its own devices. RIM, Palm, Apple, Nokia and Google all make their own Smartphones, but Microsoft relies on others to market the Windows operating system on cell phones.

Microsoft doesn’t need to buy a cell phone manufacturing company. It doesn’t actually make the Zune or XBox 360 either. In addition, Microsoft is keeping the Mobile 6.5xx around for a while, possibly renaming it Windows Mobile Classic. The “Classic” may appeal to the Enterprise crowd more than WinPho 7, which uses more of an iPhone style form factor.

Is Microsoft in a sinking ship? Not likely. With their vast resources, they just need to refocus their attention. Perhaps a new partnership would be better than going into the cell phone manufacturing business.

Microsoft fulfills your Xbox dreams! Unfortunately this app will be available exclusively on Windows Mobile phones. That’s right… no iPhones, BlackBerry phones, or even the new Droid phones.

Xbox Live Games is coming to your mobile phone

Will the Xbox mobile phone app pump new life into the Windows Mobile phone market? Maybe it will, but with the growing number of iPhone, BlackBerry and Droid owners, I doubt the Xbox will catch on like Microsoft would like.

Are you an avid Xboxer? Would you use this on a cell phone? Let me know.

With the approval of Smart Phones, the Army is implementing the Go Mobile program to let their soldiers access the Army Knowledge Online/Defense Knowledge Online (AKO/DKO) portals. The conferencing devices are affordable as well as small enough to fit into the soldiers’ pockets.

The Army’s on the go with Go Mobile

The first two Smart Phones available are the Palm Treo Pro and HTC Touch Pro, using the Windows operating system. Additional approved phones are the HTC Ozone and the Samsung Epix, with the iPhone and Android being reviewed. The Go Mobile Smart Phone assembly package includes five devices contained in a solar-powered backpack. These cool devices include: the Myvu Solo Video goggles, the Optoma Pico pocket projector, the Celio Redfly companion (an 8 inch screen with full QWERTY keyboard), the Planon Printstik, and a mini solar charger. The total price for the package is only a little over $1,000 and gives the user the ability to view, modify, present and print their work from virtually anywhere they can get a wireless signal, even a mud hut.

Since the Army has banned the use of all removable storage devices like USB flash drives, the data center stores all documents and files. The phone uses the DOD’s Common Access Cards but because no data resides on the phone, if the phone is stolen or lost the AKO can wipe it clean. The protocols for accessing the AKO portal are stringently monitored of course, using a two-factor authentication and a series of questions as well as the usual user name and password. The NOC (network operation center) connects the data center and the mobile devices so there are no open inbound ports and no way for outside hackers to connect in. (Yet…)

The Army is actually seeking input from the soldiers and then implementing those requests. Some of these soldiers are 19 year olds who have been writing code for years. For once, the Army seems to be ahead of the curve ball in this competitive communication world.

It seems to me that the private sector will soon be clamoring to implement similar systems. Then we will be truly in the days of Big Brother Watching. The convenience of using Google documents, bookmarks, calendar, etc., will have eased us into this brave new world. Are you ready for yet another step towards this kind of control?