Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile  Much research has been conducted in order to find out whether or not cell phones pose a serious risk to a person’s health. While no reports have concluded with a definitive answers, many believe cell phones do cause some sort of health problem, whether it be cancer or brain damage. In any event, San Francisco officials, especially Mayor Gavin Newsom, are trying to lobby a bill that would require all manufacturers to display how much electromagnetic radiation the mobile device emits as well as the possibility of brain cancer from cell phone usage. The ordinance would require only the stores to display such information, but a similar proposed Maine bill is looking to require pertinent information to be displayed on the actual phone itself.
Some see the idea of San Francisco attempting to pass such a bill as necessary and a positive step for the government. However, there are many skeptics who believe the government is inserting their influence in places that do not need it. CTIA, a trade group ran by several major cell phone industries, is against the San Francisco bill on the basis that concrete scientific evidence needs to surface first, before any government action should be taken. Unfortunately for cell phone manufacturers in San Francisco, if such a bill does pass, there is a strong possibility that cell phone sales would decrease significantly because of parents worrying about their children using cell phones too much. It will be interesting to see if any other cities or states try to pass similar bills in the future. Via [LATimes] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Web Thanks to a recent survey, which was done by Harris Interactive we are able to confirm some details that most of us already knew—adults spend lots of time online. Of course, that is not to poke fun at the survey, in reality it shows some interesting statistics. Just to begin with, the survey pooled 2,029 adults and was figured as time online, but not including time spent using email. As for what it is telling us, well just to start, the average adult now spends roughly 13 hours per week in cyberspace. And of those surveyed, 14% admit to spending 24 hours or more online. Personally, I would estimate my use at more than 30. That said, its likely much higher, but that comes with my job. On the flip side, 20% of those surveyed claim to be spending less than two hours per week online. I could not imagine that, myself, I most likely have them beaten before they even wake up on a Monday morning, and sadly that would just be the start of my day and week. Furthermore, those that are between 30 and 39 are said to be the current highest at around 18 hours per week. Of course, that is closely followed by 25-29 and also 40-49 which are both averaging 17 hours per week. So what about you, are you in that category (like myself) where you are online more than offline. Read [Harris Interactive] Via [TechCrunch] Image credit: Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Web, Web 2.0 / Social Networking Most people believe that we are putting ourselves out in the open and making it very easy to be found with the use of social networks like Facebook and Twitter. That may be true for some, if not a lot, but that statement does not seem to be holding true for everyone, or at least for one prison escapee from the UK. That man is Craig ‘Lazie’ Lynch, who right from the start of his Facebook profile is showing you that he may not be all there. Coming with a bold profile picture in which he is well, flipping the bird and his little blurb about himself which reads “life is what you make it, live fast, die young” he seems to be making a big effort to taunt those who are chasing and looking for him. You see, Craig escaped from Hollesley Bay Prison in Suffolk, England back in September and has since been on the run. Of course, that does not seem to be stopping him from living. At current Craig Lynch has nearly 1200 Facebook friends and is showing off where he is and where he has been. Even showing off the parties he attends and the dinners that he eats. You know, just like most other people that frequent Facebook. Unfortunately, at least in this instance, his updates do not seem to be helping the police find him. Read [Mirror] Via [Gizmodo] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Gadgets / Other, Green  The main reason the I am not really interested in the Barnes & Noble nook is due to the fact that I have locked myself into the Amazon world in terms of ebook purchases. Of course, that is due to the DRM that comes with the Kindle ebook purchases. Honestly, its something that I have come to accept, but at the same time it would be nice to have the option to take my paid for, and legal content to a competing device.
That said, it looks like that may be one step closer to happening, but like many early hacks this one sounds better than in may actually be in real world settings. Anyway, just recently, some Israeli hackers cracked the DRM that comes with those Kindle ebooks. And before anyone gets super excited, this is not yet available for anyone and everyone to use and enjoy. That and, in reality you are not really removing the DRM from the ebook, but more specifically you are removing the text from the ebook and converting that text into a PDF file that you can read on other devices. So, while its not yet the perfect hack, it does seem to be off to a nice start. I wonder when we will see the next software update for the Kindle that will patch this exploit. Read [Hacking.org.il] Via [BGR] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Mobile  Verizon told the FCC that it had to charge higher than normal Early Termination Fees because it spends so much money promoting new phones and strengthening its network. Nice try, Big Red, but there’s one FCC Commissioner who is definitely not buying that line of thought. Mignon Clyburn, one of five FCC commissioners looking into Verizon’s $350 ETF and accusations that it bills people for accidentally launching Internet service has released a statement that calls Verizon’s response “unsatisfying and, in some cases, troubling.”
Clyburn rejects Verizon’s defense of its ETF that still charges customers $120 to break a contract with only one remaining month. The commissioner wasn’t too happy about the explanation for those fees, saying, “No longer is the claim that ETF’s are tied solely to the true cost of the wireless device; rather, they are now also used [to] foot the bill for ‘advertising costs, commissions for sales personnel, and store costs.’” She notes that carriers already charge “high monthly fees,” so it’s difficult to believe the public is served by large ETF’s like Verizon’s hefty penalty. Clyburn also didn’t accept Verizon’s denial that it charges customers who accidentally launch their Internet service. Though Verizon responded that it only charges people who navigates beyond the homepage of their browsers, Clyburn claims that recent stories in the press tell a very different story. The statement reflects only the opinion of Clyburn and not the FCC, but it spells bad news for Verizon. The carrier enters this FCC review process with at least one guaranteed adversary who has trouble accepting its defense to high fees. Clyburn’s comments show that she is against excessive ETF’s, and signaled that she “looks forward to exploring this issue in greater depth with my colleagues in the New Year.” I wonder if Verizon is asking Santa for a friendlier response from the other 4 members of the FCC commission. Read [FCC] Via [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Andrew Kameka for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
More Recent Articles | 
No comments:
Post a Comment