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NEWS ABOUT: cell phones

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States to Motorists: Hang Up

Number of tickets issued soars since states make talking a primary offense

(Newser) - It might be time to get that hands-free cell: Tickets for phone use while driving are skyrocketing, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. States are increasingly making yakking behind the wheel a primary offense, meaning police can pull motorists over just for that. California and Washington next week join New York, Connecticut,... More »

Forget Batteries —Get Ready for Fuel Cells

They could soon be a better choice to power laptops, phones

(Newser) - Think fuel cells are just for cars? Think again. Their real value may be to power portable electronics such as laptops and cell phones. Fuel cells that use methanol, rather than gasoline, could replace batteries in electronics. They last much longer and take just a moment to refuel—and they're... More »

Physicist: No, Cell Phones Can't Pop Corn

Far-fetched YouTube videos smell like viral marketing campaign

(Newser) - YouTube videos showing three people popping corn with their cell phones have taken the Internet by storm, but apparently aren’t for real, Wired reports: A physics professor says the feat just isn’t possible. Instead, the videos look like a viral marketing campaign. The phones seem to be the... More »

iPhone May Be Too Low-Tech for Japan

Consumers love their gizmos, and Apple has relatively few

(Newser) - The new iPhone will be in Japan at the end of the year, but it may not be souped up enough for consumers there, Wired reports. Japanese phones tend to have an endless array of cool features such as live TV and Wii-style games. Even though most people hardly ever... More »

Verizon Seeks Alltel Deal, Challenge to Top Dog AT&T

Wireless companies are in negotiations to cover 80 million customers

(Newser) - Verizon Communications is in negotiations to buy wireless carrier Alltel, a merger that would cover 80 million US subscribers and create the nation's biggest cell-phone company, the Wall Street Journal reports—though the potential $27 billion deal could easily fall through. But if it's consummated, and the feds see no... More »

Phone Data Used to Map Human Activity

Study, outside US, finds ingrained habits, raises privacy issues

(Newser) - Researchers using mobile-phone data to study patterns of human movement find that we're quite creatures of habit, the BBC reports. The 100,000 randomly selected subjects—outside the US, where such tracking would be illegal, the AP notes—remained mostly in the same small area, traveling less than 6½ miles... More »

If Brain Surgeons Only Use Their Cells on Speaker ...

... perhaps we all should worry about brain cancer—though studies unclear on link

(Newser) - Experts, including the American Cancer Society, say cell-phone use doesn’t increase the risk of cancer. So why do three prominent neurosurgeons avoid holding phones up to their ears? The debate has been reopened, the New York Times reports, by the surgeons’ recent comments on CNN and by Ted Kennedy’... More »

Cell Phone Market Nears Saturation

Which means services for customers should get better

(Newser) - The number of Americans signing up for cell phone service is slowing down after more than a decade of explosive growth, reports USA Today. Within a couple of years, experts say, just about everybody who wants a cell phone will have one, meaning good news for consumers as companies focus... More »

Apple Eyes Solar-Powered Gadgets

iPods and iPhones could soon harness sun's power with new patent

(Newser) - Apple is seeking a different kind of moment in the sun, reports Forbes, as the behemoth has filed a patent that would integrate solar cells with its iPods and iPhones. The technology would boost the amount of area available for cells, paving the way for truly mobile gadgets free totally... More »

Yes On Phones, No On Talking: Poll

Passengers would use cell's silent features, don't want neighbor yammering in their ear

(Newser) - Americans want wireless service on airplanes, but not voice calls, PC World reports. A survey finds 60% would use silent features like texting and email, but 74% think that no matter what, conversations shouldn’t be allowed. Americans "don't want to be forced to listen to the conversation of... More »

Cellphone Sales Drop

Recession driving down sales

(Newser) - The cellphone market is experiencing a significant sales slide, with the most serious decline so far among lower-income users, reports the Wall Street Journal. Studies reveal first quarter sales dips ranging from 5% to  22%. Analysts expect growth to slow even further. The market may be reaching saturation with 83%... More »

Bluetooth Gets a Makeover

Walter Mossberg reviews Aliph and Plantronics new offerings

(Newser) - As more states push “hands-free” rules on drivers, ridiculous-looking wireless headsets only get more common. But two firms, Aliph and Plantronics, are attempting to address that. While the Wall Street Journal’s Walter Mossberg finds the “jewelry-esque” makeover of both models pleasing, it’s the functionality of Aliph’... More »

Consumers Giving Up Landlines

One-sixth of US households are now wireless

(Newser) - Mobile and Internet-based phones are replacing landline phones in US households as younger Americans lead a movement to newer technologies, reports USA Today. The number of homes depending on wireless phones jumped 159% between 2004 and 2007. Nearly 35% of people 25-29 years old lived in wireless-only households in the... More »

Air Passenger Charged After Not Ending Call

Businessman wouldn't hang up cell phone during Texas flight

(Newser) - An air passenger was charged yesterday with disorderly conduct after refusing to stop talking on his cell phone on a flight from Austin to Dallas. A spokesman for Joe David Jones' company told the Dallas Morning News the businessman was trying to reach the hospital where his father was being... More »

High-Tech Pope to World Youth: Bless U

Church looks to reach young Catholics with text messages

(Newser) - The Catholic Church is going digital. During July’s World Youth Day in Sydney, Pope Benedict will reach out to the 225,000 young Catholics in attendance by text message, "using new ways to connect with today's tech-savvy youth," a spokesman tells Reuters. More »

Calif. Bill Would Drive Pets Off Laps

Drivers would have to steer clear of distracting pals

(Newser) - California legislators are pushing a bill banning pets from drivers' laps after a national study ranked pets, along with cell phones, among the leading causes of road distractions and a cause of thousands of accidents. A bill before the state legislature will impose a fine for driving while holding dogs,... More »

ATT to Offer Half-Priced iPhone

Rumor has it that AT&T will underwrite $200 of the handset's cost

(Newser) - The new iPhone will have not only a GPS chip and a slimmer silhouette, but a much lower price tag than its predecessor, Fortune reports. AT&T will subsidize as much as half the cost of each phone bought along with a 2-year contract, a source tells Fortune, bringing the... More »

Slumping Razr Sales Slash Moto Earnings

Motorola posts larger-than-expected $194M loss

(Newser) - Apple and Nokia chewed away at Motorola’s cellphone market share, pushing the troubled handset maker to a larger first-quarter loss than expected, Bloomberg reports. Moto lost $194 million, or 9 cents a share, and revenues fell 21% to $7.45 billion. The company also  issued a bleak forecast for... More »

Local TV Is Ready to Go Mobile

Station owners push for open standard

(Newser) - Local TV stations that have been hemorrhaging ad dollars are banding together to pursue mobile television. A group of more than 800 local outlets is pushing for an open standard that would permit broadcasting to devices including cellphones and laptops, bypassing cellphone providers. The group projects that mobile advertising will... More »

Parents Get the Text Message

(Newser) - Moms are leading the charge in taking text messaging beyond the teen set. Adolescents and adults in their forties and fifties are the two most active groups sending texts, the Washington Post reports. In the past two years, texting increased 130% among people 45 to 54, while text-saturated teens saw... More »

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