ban

Texting while walking? In N.J. town, it'll cost you

Texting while walking could land you a ticket in Fort Lee, N.J.

As with most other states, texting while driving is already banned in the state. But now, Fort Lee Police Chief Thomas Ripoli is also holding pedestrians accountable for their "dangerous walking," including texting-while-trekking -- if it leads to them ignoring crosswalks and lights.

There have been 23 pedestrian accidents since January, Ripoli told CBS New York. While most were minor, three fatalities were reported.

"They're not alert and they're not watching what they're doing," Ripoli told CBS New York's Derricke Dennis. "As of now, [officers are] to give summonses to pedestrians who do not adhere to crosswalks and the lights."

Ripoli, however, told MSNBC that his town is not specifically banning texting while walking.

Folks who are texting while walking in Fort Lee are issued a jaywalking ticket, but only if they also happen to be jaywalking at the same time, the article says. … Read more

Nothing permanent about Apple's ban on Motorola

Will Motorola Mobility's smartphones get shut out of the German market? Probably not.

But that is the latest breathless headline flying around the Interwebs. A German court ruled that Motorola's smartphones infringed on Apple's slide-to-unlock technology, or the swipe that your finger makes on your phone to get it out of its lock screen. As a result, the court has placed in injunction, or ban, on Motorola smartphones.

Only the ban may not stick. Motorola will certainly appeal the ruling, which could hold up the ultimate decision for another few months. Or it could work on a … Read more

Doomsday Clock moves 1 minute closer to catastrophe

Tick, tock. The infamous Doomsday Clock, which represents how close mankind supposedly is to its annihilation, has been moved one minute closer to midnight.

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists (BAS), which created and maintains the symbolic clock, announced its decision yesterday.

"It is five minutes to midnight. Two years ago, it appeared that world leaders might address the truly global threats that we face. In many cases, that trend has not continued or been reversed. For that reason, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is moving the clock hand one minute closer to midnight, back to its time in … Read more

Transportation secretary won't back ban on hands-free calls

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said today he does not support a proposal to prohibit drivers from making hands-free cell phone calls.

"The problem is not hands-free," LaHood told reporters at the department's headquarters, according to a Detroit News report. "That is not the big problem in America."

The pronouncement came a week after the National Transportation Safety Board urged states to ban the use of cell phones and other portable electronic devices while driving. The NTSB doesn't have the authority to actually impose restrictions, but its recommendations often influence federal regulators as well as … Read more

HTC loses key patent battle: How does it affect you?

Apple scored a legal victory yesterday over HTC, albeit a limited one.

The International Trade Commission, a federal agency with the power to enforce bans on products shipping to the U.S., ruled that HTC infringed upon one of Apple's patents. While clearly a win for the company, it could have gone a lot better; Apple originally accused HTC of violating 10 patents.

In a statement to CNET, HTC general counsel Grace Lei said: "We are gratified that the commission affirmed the judge's initial determination on the '721 and '983 patents, and reversed its decision on the '… Read more

Could HTC phones be banned from the U.S.? (FAQ)

The long-standing legal battle between Apple and HTC could make some real headway with the U.S. International Trade Commission set to issue a key ruling next week that could potentially ban HTC products from coming to the U.S.

For more than a year, the two companies have been tussling over the illegal use of each other's technology. The battle represents a microcosm of Apple's larger complaint against Google's Android operating system. As such, the ITC ruling could have serious ramifications on all of Google's Android partners, many of which are engaged with Apple in … Read more

T-Mobile backs Samsung in Apple case

T-Mobile USA filed a brief today opposing Apple's efforts to ban several Samsung Electronics products from the U.S., the second carrier to make such a move in the past week.

"While T-Mobile respects intellectual property rights and believes that owners of intellectual property deserve the right to present their arguments and evidence of infringement in court, a preliminary injunction is a drastic and extraordinary measure, and the courts should pay particular attention to its public consequences," T-Mobile said in a statement.

The filing was made with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of … Read more

Sony PlayStation Vita delayed in U.S.

Skype for Android expands two-way video calling to more phones, Apple's Find My Mac makes its debut on the developer testing version of iCloud.com, and Sony delays the launch of the PlayStation Vita handheld console in the U.S. and Europe.

Links from Thursday's episode of Loaded:

PlayStation Vita to miss U.S. and Europe holiday launch New device tests for HIV Gmail offering lower international rates Two-way Skype video chat arrives on more Android phones Find My Mac and iTunes Replay Missouri stops teachers from friend students Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3) |  iTunes (320x180) |  iTunes (HD) |&… Read more

France bans Facebook and Twitter (the words)

I refuse to berate the French.

They have brought so much good into the world--cheese, wine, the nose of Gerard Depardieu, the tucked right arm of Napoleon--that their independence of word and deed should be respected. Even if occasionally it seems a little on the recalcitrant, or even drippy, side.

So please rise up with me and sing a little Charles Aznavour for the French broadcasting regulator who has banned on-air personnel from uttering some wretched anglicisms--specifically, "Facebook" and "Twitter."

An expat blogger, Matthew Fraser, explained that this ban has interesting and, naturally, intellectual roots.

There … Read more