Court Backs Cell-Tower Haters

Ruling likely to shut down most storefronts

(NEWSER) - California cities can't simply ban medical marijuana shops—but the dispensaries must grow their own pot, an appeals court in the state has unanimously ruled. The city of Lake Forest had been trying to implement, in the appeals court's words, "a total bar contradicting state law" on dispensaries via a zoning law. It's the first time a court has blocked cities from instituting such pot-related zoning restrictions, but the growing requirement would put most dispensaries out of business, the Los Angeles Times notes. "I don't see how you can grow in a tiny, rented space enough pot for over 1,000 customers," said a lawyer involved in the case. The state Supreme Court has already agreed to consider a number of lower-court rulings. More»

The consensus: 'Ma Bell is back'

(NEWSER) - Reactions to the surprise AT&T-T-mobile merger are pouring in, and, not surprisingly, most conclude this isn't a good thing for consumers:

• The Bell telephone system—"aka AT&T"—was broken up in 1984 to increase competition, and the US telecommunications market was deregulated in 1996, again to increase competition. But this merger "effectively restores Ma Bell to her former girth yet allows the company to operate in a looser regulatory environment," writes David Lazarus in the Los Angeles Times . "Consumers might wonder if they've been played. ... Ma Bell is back," and the only thing left for federal regulators to do is instill "new rules that address the shortcomings of our failed experiment in deregulation."

Australian company revives 3-year-old plan

(NEWSER) - A plan to bring cellphone and wireless Internet service to New York's subway is set to start after years of delay. The $200 million project was hobbled by the recession but has been made viable again by a large financial commitment from Broadcast Australia, Bloomberg reports. The firm bought a majority stake in Transit Wireless, the group of phone and construction companies that took on the contract. More»

Verizon has reach, but is way behind on sexy smartphones

(NEWSER) - Verizon’s network may be the envy of its peers, but its smart phones definitely aren’t, writes Priya Ganapati. Caught off guard by the iPhone phenomenon, the carrier has taken a very cautious approach to new devices, subjecting them to a long testing process. As a result, while its competitors have carved out niches, Verizon is stuck in place. More»

iPhones et al might have more than you need; here are some cheaper alternatives

(NEWSER) - Smartphones may be the future, but you may not need one just now, writes Marguerite Reardon of CNET. The iPhone and its pricey brethren probably have more features than the average user needs. Here are some cheaper feature phones that might meet your needs. Prices are for a 2-year contract:

• AT&T—Motorola Karma QA1—$79: This little 3G wonder features a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and home screen access to Facebook and MySpace.