drivers licenses

Big shift in who's driving and what

For the first time more women in the U.S. have a driver's license than men. Its just one of the major shifts in modern driving.

According to the same University of Michigan study, the proportion of teens and young adults with license is down, especially for males. Men 25-29 showed a big 10.6% drop in license holdership in the 15 years up to 2010.

That leaves a greater share of women out there driving, and they tend to buy smaller cars that use less gas and they tend to have lower fatality rates on the road.

Another … Read more

Apple yanks fake driver's license app

Despite the existence of apps that pour digital beers, make e-fart noises, and load and fire virtual guns, Apple has decided that creating a fake driver's license is over the line and has thus pulled it from the App Store.

The decision, though, was not entirely unprovoked. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., requested the app be removed via a letter to Apple's newly appointed CEO, Tim Cook. Cook, and Apple, have obliged and the app is no longer available.

The concept of the app is a simple one. Using templates of driver's licenses from all 50 states, users … Read more

Four states' DMVs frown on smiling

Do I detect the faintest hint of a smile in your driver's license photo? The smile that says, "Gee, I've been here for three days, it's amazing what popping a little E can do to help you through."

Well, perhaps you might rejoice that you don't live in Arkansas, Indiana, Virginia, or Nevada.

Those states--and perhaps more to come--have decided to enact a no-smiling policy on driver's license photos.

Their intentions are noble. You see, these states have invested in very fine software that compares photos on licenses to other photos already taken. … Read more

The 404 244: Where we're knee deep in Heavy & Flo

Today's show features a new recurring guest segment featuring our two favorite ladies, codenamed Heavy and Flo! They'll join us once a month to bring a very refreshing female presence to this bromance. We're testing their ability to keep up with the dudes, and they pass with flying colors, discussing stories like Bill Murray's spot-on Bruce Wayne impression, Indiana's strict driver's license rules, Heavy's visit to the Playboy mansion, and Rock Band's foray into the Country music scene.

Last week, the dudes and I realized one glaring downfall to our show: all … Read more

New York offers RFID-embedded driver's licenses

File this one under "driver tech" instead of "car tech." The State of New York has started offering driver's licenses embedded with RFID chips, or enhanced driver's licenses (EDLs). The news comes on the heels of New York becoming the second state to offer identification that can be shown at the border in lieu of a U.S. passport (which is also RFID-embedded).

The radio frequency identification chip in the EDL will be able to be scanned by authorities to identify citizens entering the state from Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean. Intercontinental travelers will … Read more