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iYo Yo-Yo powered charger for iPhone
Talk about a GreenerGadget! Swedish designer Peter Thuvander has designed an induction-powered yo-yo charger for iPhones and other Apple handheld devices. Housing a lithium ion cell, and based on the OLPC crank and this dandy wind-up remote, Peter is betting that the physics are close to there. "The remote control needs only 30 cranks--which is nothing when you yo-yo," argues Peter. He's also thinking about what road warriors call "opportunitic charging": "I think I'd at least use it as an emergency device for all the dead iPhone moments I have."
Or at least to change the channel when you've seen one too many "HI, I'm a Mac..." commercials. Talk about a GreenerGadget! Swedish designer Peter Thuvander has designed an induction-powered yo-yo charger for iPhones and other App... more -
California seeks train operator cell phone ban
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Amid a federal investigation into whether a commuter train engineer was texting before a deadly collision with another train, the state's top rail safety regulator is seeking an emergency order banning train operators from using cell phones.
"Some railroad operators may have policies prohibiting the personal use of such devices, but they're widely ignored," Michael Peevey, president of the California Public Utilities Commission, said Monday. "Our order would make it the law and we'll go after violators. We owe it to the public."
The commission has scheduled a vote on the order Thursday.
The collision between the Metrolink train and a Union Pacific freight train killed 25 people and injured 138 people - the deadliest rail disaster in the U.S. in 15 years.
Metrolink has blamed its engineer for not heeding a red light signal designed to prevent such wrecks, and the National Transportation Safety Board is reviewing whether the engineer was text messaging.
Investigators did not find a cell phone belonging to Robert Sanchez in the wreckage, but two teenage train buffs who befriended him told KCBS-TV that they received a text message from him a minute before the crash.
Kitty Higgins, an NTSB board member, said her agency issued a subpoena Monday to get the engineer's cell phone records. She said Verizon Wireless has five days to respond to the subpoena request.
Higgins also said tests at the crash site showed the signals are working properly and there were no obstructions that may have prevented the engineer from seeing the red light.
"The question is, did he see it as red?" Higgins said. "Did he see it as something else? Did he see it at all?"
On Monday some commuters - many wary and emotional - returned to the rail line on the first day of service since the accident. Regular commuters said the train load was much lighter than usual.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa tried to reassure them the trains are safe.
"I want to dispel any fears about taking the train," he said. "Safety has to be our No. 1 concern, and while accidents can and do happen, taking the train is still one of the safest and fastest options for commuters."
The NTSB said the commuter train, which carried 220 people, rolled past stop signals at 42 mph and forced its way onto a track where a Union Pacific freight was barreling toward it.
The collision occurred at a curve in the track just short of where a 500-foot-long tunnel separates the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Chatsworth from Simi Valley in Ventura County.
About a dozen bouquets were strung the length of the loading platform at the Simi Valley station as passengers Monday boarded buses and were shuttled to the Chatsworth station, bypassing the tracks still being cleared of wreckage.
Commuters will use the buses again Tuesday morning.
Jerry Romero, who normally takes a Metrolink train home but skipped it Friday to pick up a bicycle, said he was disturbed by reports that the engineer may have been texting.
"That would be pretty disturbing in respect to what we're going through as a society, this fascination we have with gizmos," he said.
In 2003, the NTSB recommended that the Federal Railroad Administration regulate the use of cell phones by railroad employees on duty after finding that a coal train engineer's phone use contributed to a May 2002 accident in which two freight trains collided head-on near Clarendon, Texas. The coal train engineer was killed and the conductor and engineer of the other train were critically injured.
Metrolink prohibits rail workers from using cell phones on the job, but there is no existing federal regulation regarding the use of cell phones by railroad employees on the job, FRA spokesman Steven Kulm said. LOS ANGELES (AP) - Amid a federal investigation into whether a commuter train engineer was texting before a deadly collision with anot... more -
iPhone Expert Reviews
I have already read the reviews of iphone at AlaTest ( http://alatest.com/apple_iphone_3g/cellular_phones/over... ) and have to say that it is really awesome cell phone! Very cool that I'm not the owner of iphone (lol, I use Nokia N-Gage QD). So now I have the reason to buy iPhone! :) I have already read the reviews of iphone at AlaTest ( http://alatest.com/apple_iphone_3g/cellular_phones/overview/po-58976944,8/ ) an... more
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"can you here me now?"
Verizon Wireless Surprises Customer "can you here me now?"
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Apple acknowledges reception issues with iPhone 3G
Apple Inc. has acknowledged that users are experiencing issues getting reception on their iPhone 3G handsets. It was revealed that the OS 2.0.2 software update was designed to fix problems with the iPhone 3G that have been reported from users around the world. A company representative confirmed to the Associated Press that the update "improved communication with 3G networks." Apple Inc. has acknowledged that users are experiencing issues getting reception on their iPhone 3G handsets. It was revealed that the... more
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Thumbs up to hilarious new Metal Gear commercial - Joystiq
Oh, Japanese television, how we love thee so. If you need a reason to share in our affection, look no further than this spot for Konami's forthcoming cell phone title, Metal Gear Ac!d Mobile. It's four minutes of sheer digital – as in fingers – brilliance, with action from MGS4 re-created using ... thumbs. Thumbs with mustaches and bandanas. Thumbs with OctoCamo. Thumbs. Oh, Japanese television, how we love thee so. If you need a reason to share in our affection, look no further than this spot for Konam... more
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Warning: Texting May Be Harmful to your (Physical) Health!
Doctors are concerned with the number of injuries associated with "text messaging" while doing other activities, such as walking, biking, and driving, etc. Doctors are concerned with the number of injuries associated with "text messaging" while doing other activities, such as wal... more
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Kenyan kid can control your car with a phone
This kid certainly has skills but don't trust him with your mobile phone.
He's learnt how to control some aspects of your car just from reading books, his experience of his past experiments and a a bit of hard work. That's right kids, no internet!
"The flagship function seems to be the real-time lockout, which can call you as the car is being started; only if you confirm that it's not some baddie trying to jack your ride will the ignition request be granted. That's not all, though -- it'll also let you dial into the car and listen in on any conversations going on within."
According to Engadget, he's now looking for some more cash to get his project 'into gear.' This kid certainly has skills but don't trust him with your mobile phone. ... more -
I H8 TXT MSGS
Txt msgs are just a disaster waiting to happen!
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Can You Find Me Now?
Today the ACLU sued the Justice Department to force it to reveal its policies for tracking the location of cell phones. As anyone who watches Law & Order: SVU knows, all cell phones double as tracking devices.They send cell phone networks information that provides a pretty accurate idea of where they are physically located. This means that if you go for a walk around town with a cell phone in your pocket, it is possible for your cell phone provider to trace your route.
At least today, your cell phone provider does not have a business reason to keep such close track of you. But the government has plenty of reasons to want to do so. The question is under what circumstances the government is going to be able to access such information.
The ACLU’s position is that people have a reasonable expectation that their movements will not be tracked, especially when they are in private places such as homes, and that the government should have to get a warrant from a court to obtain cell phone location information. The government disagrees. News reports and court decisions (PDF) indicate that the Justice Department has been asking courts to authorize it to get this information without producing evidence sufficient to get a warrant, and sometimes without any court involvement at all.
Sometimes the government wins, sometimes it does not. But the few cases that garner press attention or result in court opinions are likely to be a small subset of the number of times the government engages in such tracking.
The purpose of the lawsuit the ACLU filed today is to get the Justice Department to reveal its policies for when it tracks the location of people’s cell phones. The public has the right to know how widespread such monitoring is, so that they can fairly evaluate the privacy risks of carrying a cell phone. Today the ACLU sued the Justice Department to force it to reveal its policies for tracking the location of cell phones. As anyone who ... more -
How the Internet Has Changed the World
The Internet has dramatically changed politics, business, how we socialize and our very culture.
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$30 Plan for Iphone
Rogers said on Wednesday the price of the six-gigabyte service plan will be reduce to $30. Earlier, it said iPhone plans for voice and data would range from $60 to $115. Rogers said on Wednesday the price of the six-gigabyte service plan will be reduce to $30. Earlier, it said iPhone plans for voice and... more
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Paparrazo Offers Cash for Mobile Phone Pics of Celebrities
Flamboyant paparrazo and head of Big Pictures photo agency Darren Lyons has declared war on the privacy of celebrities everywhere by offering money to regular joes who send in photos of celebrities snapped on their mobile phones. Flamboyant paparrazo and head of Big Pictures photo agency Darren Lyons has declared war on the privacy of celebrities everywhere by o... more
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Dance moves can power phone batteries
It's the end of a long night. The hottie you've been dancing with wants to give you their number, but wait, your phone's dead. DRATS!
But wait, there is a new device that can convert your dance steps into power for your cell phone.
A British mobile provider has teamed up with a renewable energy group, to create a prototype that uses kinetic energy to recharge personal electronics.
They are giving them a test-run at this weekend's Glastonbury Festival. It's the end of a long night. The hottie you've been dancing with wants to give you their number, but wait, your phone'... more -
2 billion may suffer from cell phone cancer by 2020
The studies and survey conducted by Australian Health Research Institute indicates that due to billions of times more in volume electromagnetic radiation emitted by billions of mobile phones, internet, intranet and wireless communication data transmission will make almost one-third of world population (about two billions) patient of ear, eye and brain cancer beside other major body disorders like heart ailments, impotency, migraine, epilepsy. The studies and survey conducted by Australian Health Research Institute indicates that due to billions of times more in volume electr... more
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How much radiation does your phone emit?
"The technology news site CNET has compiled two interesting lists showing which cellphones give off the most and the least radiation.
In publishing the information, CNET editors note the data aren’t meant to imply that cellphone radiation poses a risk, nor is it meant to say that the phones are safe. As I recently reported in my Well column last week, the data on cellphone safety is mixed, although a few recent international studies have suggested a link with three types of brain tumors. The Food and Drug Administration also says there’s not enough information to determine conclusively whether cellphones are safe or unsafe."
links:
ten highest-radiation cell phones: http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6602_7-5020357-1.html?tag=...
Ten lowest-radiation cell phones: http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6602_7-5020356-1.html?tag=... "The technology news site CNET has compiled two interesting lists showing which cellphones give off the most and the least radiat... more -
Your cell phone can pop corn?
Is this real or not? Much debate is on the internet ever since this video surfaced.
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Teens take nude photos of themselves via cell phones
Passing notes in study hall or getting your best friend to ask a boy if he likes you or, you know, LIKES you, is so last century. Nowadays, teenagers are snapping naked pictures of themselves on their cell phones and sending them to their boyfriends and girlfriends. Passing notes in study hall or getting your best friend to ask a boy if he likes you or, you know, LIKES you, is so last century. Nowa... more
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Your mobile phone can pop popcorn?
So, this is hardly the most scientific of sources, but it seems there are plenty of videos on youtube to suggest that if you point four phones towards some corn kernels then call them simultaneously, the kernels pop to popcorn.
If you can replicate this then make sure you post the video at current, but if you think this is a viral marketing ploy, do tell of your theories! So, this is hardly the most scientific of sources, but it seems there are plenty of videos on youtube to suggest that if you point fou... more -
Mobile phones expose human habits
"The whereabouts of more than 100,000 mobile phone users have been tracked in an attempt to build a comprehensive picture of human movements.
The study concludes that humans are creatures of habit, mostly visiting the same few spots time and time again.
Most people also move less than 10km on a regular basis, according to the study published in the journal Nature.
The results could be used to help prevent outbreaks of disease or forecast traffic, the scientists said.
"It would be wonderful if every [mobile] carrier could give universities access to their data because it's so rich," said Dr Marta Gonzalez of Northeastern University, Boston, US, and one of the authors of the paper.
Dr William Webb, head of research and development at the UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, agreed that mobile phone data was still underexploited.
"This is just the tip of the iceberg," he told BBC News." "The whereabouts of more than 100,000 mobile phone users have been tracked in an attempt to build a comprehensive picture of huma... more
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