photo credit: Verizon to Pay $93.5 M

Verizon Wireless has agreed to pay $93.5 Million to the US government. According to an article written by Brad Reed, ITWorldCanada, the original complaint was filed against Verizon in 2007. MCI (starting in 1999) began overcharging the government by “submitting invoices for payment to the United States for certain surcharges … that it is prohibited from charging the United States under Federal Acquisition Regulations … and the FTS 2001 contract.” Since Verizon and MCI merged in 2006, the courts found Verizon liable for MCI’s actions.

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photo credit: Touch Wood Cell Phone

A new wooden-cased cell phone is being advertised by NTT Docomo in Japan. What is unique about this commercial is not so much that the cell phone’s case is made from wood, but the commercial itself. In an age of high tech, neon-lighted, rock music, this commercial is refreshingly free of all that hype. The commercial is set in the woods of Japan and features a hand built giant wooden xylophone playing Bach’s Cantata 147, “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.”A little wooden ball drops down hitting each wooden key and actually plays the song, ending next to the new cell phone. It is simplistic and inspiring.

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photo credit: Solar Charging Screens

Solar powered cell phones are not new. UMEOX Mobile, a Chinese manufacturer, featured their solar charged “Apollo” Smartphone at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona earlier this year. Samsung has 3 models of solar-powered cell phones. There are a variety of solar-powered cell phone chargers on the market. But the newest innovation is the thin, transparent film that turns your phone’s screen into a solar charger.

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photo credit: Cloud Print from Cell Phones

Google launched Google Cloud Print for mobile phones on January 31st. It is a service that allows you to use your Gmail account on your cell phone to print to a cloud print enabled printer. Imagine how convenient that will be for commuters or business travelers.

“Let’s say you need to print an important email attachment on your way to work so that it’s waiting for you when you walk in the door. With Gmail for mobile and Google Cloud Print—a service that allows printing from any app on any device, OS or browser without the need to install drivers—you can,” Google wrote in its Official Gmail Blog. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Winter Storm Tips

This morning 49 of 50 states had snow on the ground. Sure, it’s winter, but that seems like a big deal to me. In any case, if you live in an area that experiences extreme cold or heavy snow storms, you may want to put a little time and effort into being “winter storm prepared.” Being caught without electricity during the winter can not only be inconvenient, it can be life threatening.

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photo credit: Universal Cell Phone Charger

Mobile phone users in the European Union will soon have universal chargers for many of their devices. According to an article by Don Reisinger, CNET.com, “DigitalEurope, the continent’s largest digital tech organization, has delivered a sample of a universal mobile phone charger to European Commission vice president Antonio Tajani. The EU said that the sample now paves the way for consumers to get their hands on devices that support the universal charger in the very near future.”

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photo credit: Beware Pedestrian Using Cell Phones

NY Senator Carl Kruger has introduced a bill to prevent New Yorkers from talking on their mobile phones while crossing the street. The bill aims at making it illegal for the New Yorkers to use their mobile handsets for calling, texting, scrolling through their emails, or playing with their iPod, while walking down the busy New York streets. Kruger said on his website: “You can’t be fully aware of your surroundings if you’re fiddling with a Blackberry, dialing a phone number, playing Super Mario Brothers on a Game Boy or listening to music on an iPod.”

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photo credit: Dry Out Your Wet Cell Phone

Have you ever accidentally dropped your cell phone into water? A firm out of Southern California has the solution to drying out your wet cell phone. Their product called, DryNow, is an eco-friendly way to absorb all the water from your wet cell phone. They tout it as affordable and reusable, as well as effective. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Thermal Imaging Cell Phones

The US Department of Defense is soliciting developers for thermal vision in cell phone cameras and PDAs. According to an article posted by Tuan Mai, Wired, Darpa, the research and development office for the U.S. Department of Defense, sent out the solicitation request on January 24th, with the intention of filling a shortfall for a cheap and efficient, individualized and mobile form of heat vision to detect enemies in low visibility environments. For those of us who are not savvy about these kinds of things, it’s based on infrared camera technology. Firms have until March 9 to respond to DARPA’s RFP for the LCTI-M program. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Pay-by-Smartphone

Rumor has it that Apple is planning to introduce pay-by-phone on the next generation of iPhones and iPads. The new technology would allow you to use your iPhone or iPad to pay for products or services just like using your credit card. This could effectively reduce the number of plastic credit cards you need to carry in your wallet. Read the rest of this entry »