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A High-Tech Way to Prevent Cell Phone Driving Distraction

GeekSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:05:12 -0800

A few months ago, I told you about a new program available for pre-order that turns off your cell phones once the key is in your car's ignition.

Now, there's another similar service to keep you safe and free from distraction while driving. ZoomSafer is a free service that uses your phone's GPS system to monitor your driving speed and prevent you from placing or receiving calls or texts when traveling over 10 miles per hour. The application is programmable to allow exceptions, like calls from certain important numbers. And an added bonus for parents or employers who want to monitor the driving habits of kids or employees on the job: if the system is overridden and a call is placed or text message sent, the account administrator receives an automatically-generated email alerting them to the phone's usage.

Right now, the service is only available for BlackBerrys, but will work with select Windows and Android phones early next year. I think this kind of service is a good idea to prevent distractions, especially for people without the willpower to simply ignore the phone while behind the wheel.

What's Worse: Texting or Using a Cell Phone While Driving?

GeekSugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 07:30:43 -0700

In California, we're all very aware of the newish Hands Free Law prohibiting driving while talking on a cell phone without a hands-free device, but did you know that texting isn't specifically forbidden by the law? That's surprising to me, especially in light of the report of an American teen that died in a car accident this week while she was driving and texting at the same time.

For the same primary reason that cell phone calls in cars aren't allowed - holding the phone inhibits your ability to use both hands - it seems that texting fits the same danger zone. Actually, since you have your eyes and hands on your phone to text, I think it's way worse to text while driving. And of course, they're both intellectual distractions, because your brain isn't fully focused on the road.

What do you guys think?

Source

Do You Text Message While Driving?

GeekSugar — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 07:00:37 -0700

I was recently reading an article in the The New York Times where a 17-year old girl and four of her friends were killed in a car crash which police say was caused by three factors: her inexperience at the wheel, driving at high speeds and the text messaging that occurred while she was driving. Two minutes before the accident was reported, the driver had sent a message to one of her friends.

We all know the risks of talking on your cell phone while driving, but is texting just as bad? I guess those few seconds you take to look at the message or write a reply can have fatal results. But then again, I often see people eating, doing their make-up and reading newspapers while driving - scary but true!

We know people can be pretty uninhibited when it comes to car behavior, but are you a chronic text messager while driving? If you are, why do you do it? Boredom? A cheap way to chat with friends? Do tell!

Texting While Driving Gets Banned in California

GeekSugar — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 02:00:33 -0700

This past July, a new law came into effect that now requires millions of Californians to use hands-free technology like headsets and bluetooth-enabled devices while driving. Well on Wednesday, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger began signing bills into law, one that includes banning text messaging while driving. According to SFGate, the bill SB28 will ban texting while driving and forces drivers to keep their "hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road," said Schwarzenegger in a written statement. Other states that have already adopted this law include Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, Connecticut and Washington.

Source

Unfriend: The New American Dictionary's Word of the Year

GeekSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:46:25 -0800

The New Oxford American Dictionary just released its annual Word of the Year and it's unsurprisingly tech-related. This year's honor goes to "unfriend," defined as by the dictionary as, "To remove someone as a 'friend' on a social networking site such as Facebook."

The Word of the Year is chosen from newly created words by researchers based on language trends, popularity, and cultural significance. Some popular geeky words that were up for the honor are no stranger to GeekSugar: "sexting" and "netbook" were also considered, along with "hashtag," referencing the popular Twitter "#" character and "intexticated," the state of distraction one experiences while driving and texting.

I think that "unfriend" is a pretty fitting addition to the dictionary. Plus, its inclusion makes it easy to decide between the terms "defriend" and the newly validated "unfriend."

Driving While Texting Is a Killer Combo

GeekSugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:00:46 -0700

We all know the dangers with using wireless communication devices like your cell phone or iPod while driving, yet most of us continue to do so. With car crashes being the number one killer of teens in the U.S, the Today Show decided to see just how distracted teens can get while using their phone while driving. Using a special simulator and wearing high-tech glasses, two teens were put to the test to see how much they looked away and for how long while taking calls, changing songs on their iPod, or sending a text message. All it takes is two seconds for someone to be distracted and cause an accident, as you'll see in this video. Lesson learned? Always exercise caution, don't look away from the road, and invest in a bluetooth headset.

Has a Gadget Ever Caused You Serious Distraction?

GeekSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:44:11 -0700

Reports last week of a commercial plane that missed its destination airport by 150 miles initially raised fears that the pilots had fallen asleep, or, worse, that the plane had been hijacked. But according to the Natural Transportation Safety Board, it turns out the pilots were working on their laptops in the cockpit, causing the error. Before you ask, no, working on a computer while in-flight is absolutely not allowed.

Talk about a scary situation! The pilots didn't realize their mistake until a flight attendant called into the cockpit asking for an estimated arrival time. If you ask me, that's far worse than texting while driving. They tried to contact the silent plane for over an hour with no response. What could the pilots have been doing on their laptops that distracted them from responding to calls for nearly an hour - not to mention flying 150 miles in the wrong direction?

Link Time!!!

PopSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:00:59 -0700

Mario Lopez gets wet for charity - PopEater
Get suspended while you travel like Mary J. Blige - FitSugar
More drama surrounding MJ's estate - D-Listed
Dita Von Teese sets sail - JustJared
David Beckham texts while driving - Pink Is the New Blog
Madonna and Stella grab dinner without Gwyneth - Lainey Gossip
Vintage Miranda Kerr - Egotastic
Suzanne Somers apologizes for Patrick Swayze remarks - The Superficial
Adrienne Curry's latest Halloween costume - Hollywood Tuna
Mel B goes shopping for some spice - Hollywood Rag
What would it look like if you crossed Gwen and Salma? - cityrag
Whitney Houston gets a standing ovation in Italy - popbytes

Is There a Right and Wrong Time For Texting?

GeekSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:25:42 -0700

Text messaging has become as much a form of communication as an old-fashioned phone call. What's different about texting, though, is that it's a (mostly) silent activity that can conceivably be done on the sly.

I've talked about texting while driving, texting and dating, and texting while dining.

The subject is all over the news, too: The New York Times just reported that there's a ban on federal workers texting while driving, and the Today show recently ran a segment about parents who set texting rules - specially during meals, vacations, parties, and other family time. I personally cannot stand talking with someone who's texting at the same time.

Texting at the wrong time can be rude, distracting, and in the case of driving, downright dangerous. Are there other texting situations that drive you crazy?

Daily Tech: New EcoATM Will Pay You For Your Old Gadgets

GeekSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:15:42 -0700

New EcoATM kiosks will take your old electronics to be recycled and then provide you with an in-store payment - CNET
Samsung's new Behold II with Android has just been announced on the T-Mobile network - MobileCrunch
Twitter's cofounder Biz Stone talked to Martha Stewart about how Twitter got its start - Mashable
Thousands of Hotmail accounts have been hacked and are being posted online - BBC News
Check out five of the most energy efficient LED desk lamps - Unplggd
President Obama has banned all federal employees from texting while driving - Ars Technica
It's giveaway and game time on GeekSugar! Be sure to log in and play our Best Video Game Ever bracket! - GeekSugar