Cellular Phone News Archives brings you links to news stories from around the world to heighten your awareness of how their use is getting out of control; authorities and non-authorities are getting more and more concerned, and looking for solutions.

7 November 2007 Pennsylvania Next To Ban Cell Phones While Driving?
WBNG-12 ACTION NEWS: It's been illegal in New York since 2001.  Now Pennsylvania may catch up to its neighbor when it comes to banning the use of hand held cell phones while driving. 

5 November 2007 The Debate Over Cellphone Jamming
NY TIMES: In October, Bruce Schneier, a prominent computer security expert, made note on his blog about the growing use of jammers. He received nearly a hundred comments on the debate, many encouraging jamming.   For his part, Mr. Schneier himself said he doesn’t understand why people shouldn’t be allowed to start drawing some lines against cellphone noise pollution. “The most obvious one is that you get to block phone signals in your private space,” he said, referring to individual homes and businesses. 

5 November 2007 Mobile phone courtesy campaign launched in Finland
HELSINKI:  A recent opinion poll conducted in Finland found that more than one in five users of public transport say that they have been disturbed by the use of mobile phones by fellow passengers. The most disturbing types of behavior are speaking in a loud voice, discussing personal or confidential matters and the use of offensive language. 

5 November 2007 Backpack Jammer Muzzles Cell Phones, Drones
WIRED.COM: The Naval Surface Warfare Center has looking for suppliers for a "Man-Packable Electronic Attack System," a portable set-up which will allow you to jam any radio-based communication for a kilometer around. 

5 November 2007 Decoding Cell Phone Etiquette
PCWORLD.COM: Ask almost anyone, and they'll tell you that cell phone etiquette -- or lack thereof -- is a problem. For that matter, telephone etiquette hasn't been entirely sorted out yet, as encounters with sales clerks and receptionists constantly remind me. It's just that it's harder to escape cell phone users. 

5 November 2007 Sales of mobile phone jam devices soar
NEW YORK: Fed up with having to hear other people's mobile phones, Americans are increasingly turning to handheld jamming devices that can cut off a call at the click of a button.

5 November 2007 Illegal Jamming of Noisy Cell Phone Talkers On the Rise
SWITCHED.COM: Illegal Jamming of Noisy Cell Phone Talkers On the Rise 

4 November 2007 Cellular technology forces phone etiquette
SAN FRANCISCO: Illegal signals turn off service 

4 November 2007 Bill hangs up on cell phones for teens
KITTERY, Maine — Cell phones offer an ease of communication that makes the ringing, beeping devices nearly ubiquitous. Young drivers in Maine will now have to be the exception, though some say they feel the ban that went into effect on Sept. 20 should apply to a wider group. 

4 November 2007 Quit Yakking and Order Your Food
NEW YORK TIMES: “When a customer is ready to order and then gets a cell phone call and begins to carry on with his conversations, the clerk taking orders immediately activates his jammer and cuts off the cell phone call. They find it works well and helps the customers standing in line ready to order their food,” 

3 November 2007 NJ 4th State to Toughen Cell Phone & Driving Law
NEW JERSEY USA: Beginning March 1, drivers who talk on handheld phones or who tap and send text messages while driving may end up paying a $100 fine 

3 November 2007 Bloomberg proposes a "pollution pricing" plan
SEATTLE: New York Mayor Bloomberg said he would like to take his cell phone ban in New York City schools a step further by jamming the signal for the kids who still bring them.  Problem is, it's against the law to do so. 

3 November 2007 UK MP admits using handheld mobile phone while driving
LANCASHIRE UK: The East Lancashire MP behind the ban on handheld mobile phones while driving has spoken out after a colleague was fined for the offence. 

3 November 2007 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Bans Cell Phones
LAWFUEL.COM: Los Angeles personal injury attorneys are seeing more and more accidents involving use of cell phones while operating motor vehicles. This problem is compounded when women especially, are trying to do their make up, drive and talk on their phones. 

2 November 2007 Young driver urges others to hang up the cell phone
SALEM OR: There's a woman driving a blue and silver Suzuki Vitara around town who is trying to get a message out to the community. I'm hoping I might be able to help. 

1 November 2007 Highland Park Texas May Ban Cell Phones For Drivers
CBS 11 News: You could soon be placed on hold if you're using a cell phone while driving through the town of Highland Park. Elected leaders are now considering a town ordinance that would disconnect callers using cell phones in designated areas. 

1 November 2007 Senator Klobuchar tackles cell phone woes
MINEAPOLIS-ST PAUL MN: Everyone has a cell phone story, according to Sen. Amy Klobuchar.   The Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday held a hearing on her proposed Cell Phone Consumer Empowerment Act, cosponsored by Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W. Va. 

30 October 2007 Driver on mobile jailed for two years
TIMESONLINE.CO.UK:  A single mother of four, one of whom is disabled, has been jailed for two years for killing an 80-year-old pedestrian while using her mobile phone at the wheel of her 4x4. 

29 October 2007 How a bugged mobile phone led to Mokbel
AUSTRALIA:  An informer was given the job of providing Mokbel with a new passport and fresh mobile phones so the drug syndicate head could continue to control his Australian operation from Athens.  But the informer  passed on a phone that was bugged by police. Believing the phone to be clean, Mokbel used it to give instructions that implicated him in a pattern of drug production and distribution. 

28 October 2007 Voter breaches law using mobile phone in polling booth
SOFIA BULGARIA: Razgrad. In a polling station in the town of Razgrad a statement of administrative violation has been drawn up against a person who took a snap of his vote using a mobile phone, spokesman of the municipal election commission Stoyan Donchev told Focus News Agency. 

28 October 2007 City drops plan to ban cell phones for drivers
COLOMBIA MO USA: "I see cell phones as a potential distraction for drivers, and any distraction while driving is dangerous," 

28 October 2007  Cell phones unwelcome on Frenchtown High campus
MISSOULA,MT,USA: Cell phones are now banned at Frenchtown High School following an incident of cheating that involved texting answers to a student's cell phone. 

28 October 2007 Are cell phones in cars worth risk?
LIVINGSTON MI USA: It was only a light tap of my horn, done as politely as such an act can be completed. Still, I immediately felt a little guilty after I honked at the driver of a light-green Taurus who cut me off Thursday afternoon. Not that I didn't have cause. The Taurus driver was so intent on his cell phone conversation that he likely wasn't aware that we nearly collided as he drifted into my lane from the turning lane on Grand River Avenue just east of Howell. 

28 October 2007 N.H. lawmaker wants to ban texting while driving
CONCORD NH USA: Nashua Democrat David Campbell has filed the paperwork for a bill to ban two-handed texting or typing on any electronic or telecommunications device while driving. He said a police officer told him cell phone texting isn't the only problem. Some drivers are typing on laptop computers while behind the wheel 

26 October 2007 Drivers caught flouting phone law 
BBC NEWS: Central Scotland Police have said that 40 drivers were caught using hand-held mobile phones in just three days during a police crackdown. 

25 October 2007 I want to rant about cell phone use...
CHICAGO IL USA: …while driving. I feel that they should have a test for people who want to drive and use cell phones at the same time. If they don't pass the test, they should not be allowed to drive and talk on the phone at the same time. It's most annoying to get behind someone who cannot drive and talk at the same time. I feel people on cell phones are sometimes more dangerous than drunken drivers. 

24 October 2007 Cheating via mobile phone nullifies matriculation exam
HELSINKI FINLAND: An exceptional attempt at cheating on one of this autumn matriculation examinations has led to the nullification of the results of all of the exams taken by the pupil in question. 

22 October 2007 Cell phones disrupt meals
DETROIT MI USA: I can't for the life of me understand people who come to a nice restaurant and spend half the time talking on their cell phones. Instead of having a conversation with their friends, these people talk loudly and hold other guests hostage with their small talk. 

21 October 2007 Honk if You Want to Stamp out Cell Phone Driving
AMERICAN THINKER.COM: I hope that you're as irritated as I have been about people driving through the streets with one hand on the wheel and the other clutching a cell phone, obviously more preoccupied with their conversations than their driving.

21 October 2007 Schools enforce policies to keep cell phones out of class
UTICA NY USA: At the start of the 2007-2008 school year, the New Hartford Central School district began to enforce its new cell phone policy.  The policy requires that students only use phones before and after school and during lunch  

20 October 2007 Teachers no exception to cell phone ban
MADURAI INDIA: The State Government’s ban on use of mobile phones in schools is applicable not just to students but teachers also. Teachers of both Government and private schools had been asked to switch off their cell phones during class hours. 

19 October 2007 Mobile phones banned in Puducherry schools
PUDUCHERRY INDIA: Close on the heels of the Tamil Nadu Government prohibiting the use of mobile phones in schools, the territorial administration on Thursday introduced a similar ban in schools in the Union Territory. It also prohibited use of cell phones by teachers in classrooms. 

18 October 2007 Tamil Nadu Bans Mobile Phone Usage in Schools
TAMIL NADU INDIA: Mobile Phone usage has been the issue of concern for most Indian States. Karnataka was the first to take a concrete step against the mobile usage. Now, Tamil Nadu has joined the gang of ban. 

18 October 2007 Cell phone ban talk on hold
KANSAS CITY KS: Shawnee city staff wants to put to rest rumors that the City Council will discuss at its next meeting a cell phone ban.  City Manager Carol Gonzales said staff and legal counsel plan to look into a possible ordinance, suggested to the council by a citizen, but not this year. 

17 October 2007 Do cell phones call for an unfriendly campus?
QUINIPPIAC UNIVERSITY, CONNECTICUT: It can be argued that cell phone usage is excessive and can make for an unfriendly atmosphere around campus. The simple gesture of placing the cell phone in the middle of the table while eating with friends can be controversial.

16 October 2007 Lassen High School adopts cell phone policy
SUSANVILLE CA USA: Parents and the school board now agree on the cell phone use policy at Lassen High School.  The cell phone committee agreed with the district’s compromise of allowing students to use cell phones on campus before the bell rings at 8:07 a.m. during lunchtime and when school is dismissed at 3 p.m. 

17 October 2007 Ban on cell phone in schools in force
CHENNAI INDIA: School student? Leave the mobile phone at home when you go to school. The State government has announced a ban on mobile phones in schools that come under its purview, irrespective of the age of the student. 

15 October 2007 Columbia Police Department advises against cell phone ordinance
COLUMBIA MO USA:  The Columbia Police Department is suggesting that the City Council not proceed with developing an ordinance to make using cell phones while driving illegal in a report submitted at Monday’s council meeting. 

15 October 2007 Cell Phones in Subways: Not For 911
NY CITY: MTA officials have indicated that during an emergency, all travelers should give their undivided attention to MTA employees -- not to their handsets. Additionally, the MTA fears that hundreds of panicked travelers simultaneously calling 911 to report the same emergency could flood phone lines unnecessarily if the emergency has already been reported. We saw similar outages occur during Hurricane Katrina and the Minneapolis bridge collapse, so this concern isn't completely without merit.

15 October 2007 Cell phone ban hoax caused some wireless sales to soar
PITTSBURGH PA USA: An inaccurate report sent out to local businesses last week that stated a ban on handheld cellular phone use in cars would take effect Nov. 10 has lead to a spike in local wireless headset sales for at least one cellular phone company. 

15 October 2007 College life impacted by cell phones
U-NEBRASKA USA: Campuses all across the country are experiencing the impact cell phones have had on college life. 

15 October 2007 More than 300 Beach students suspended for using cell phones
VIRGINIA BEACH VA USA: Several hundred high school students have been disciplined for violating the cell phone policy.  

12 October 2007 Brief Cell-Phone Use Can Cause Cancer-Related Brain Changes, Scientists Say
INFORMATIONWEEK.COM: what a pair of Israeli scientists, Joseph Friedman and Rony Seger, found was that radiation emitted from cell phones can trigger cellular changes that could interfere with the process of cell division, which in turn could lead to the growth of tumors. 

11 October 2007 Mobile phone found at blast site in Ajmer Dargah
NEW DELHI: A damaged mobile phone was found at the site of the explosion in the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer on Thursday, triggering suspicion among security agencies that the device could have been used to set off the blast. 

10 October 2007 Cell phones, gadgets banned inside jails
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO PHILIPPINES: Mobile phones, pagers, two-way radios, laptop computers and other devices are all now banned inside detention cells of police stations. 

9 October 2007 Make sure children mind manners with cell phones
DAILY NEWS JOURNAL, TENNESSEE: Having a phone — especially if you are a child — should be considered a privilege and be treated as such. 

8 October 2007 Text Messaging and Driving are not a Good Mix
MOTHERPROOF.COM: Out of five women, two admitted to text messaging while driving (though they say they only do so while stopped), one said she doesn’t text at all, and the other two said they didn’t text, but felt fine talking on the phone without a hands-free device while 

9 October 2007 Spying on cell phones
PHILLIPINES: A story from the Textually.org blog lead me to the publisher of a particularly sneaky piece of mobile software. Neo-Call is a software company that focuses on spying on and using cell phones.  Mobile-Secuware according to its publishers anyway, is very hard to detect. It can be installed remotely, even via Bluetooth. When it is installed, the software then keeps a copy of all text messages and logs of phone calls and sends these via SMS or GPRS or Bluetooth connection to the phone of the person spying. 

6 October 2007 Cell Phone Technology a Serious Classroom Distraction, Says Professor
ST JOSEPH UNIV PA USA: Addressing Classroom Distraction of Cell Phones Has Become Frequent Necessity for Teachers 

4 October 2007 TOLLWAY TRAGEDY - 'Somebody has to do something'
HOUSTON TX USA: The driver of a sport utility vehicle that hit and killed Harris County Precinct 5 Deputy Constable Jason Norling on the busy Westpark Tollway on Monday morning may have been distracted by a phone call, prosecutors say. 

4 October 2007 A call for cell phone etiquette: More businesses and government offices adding policies limiting customer cell phone use
AUGUSTA GA USA:  Thanks to modern technology, people have found a way to escape the real world while being immersed in it. Now, local businesses have found a way to bring them back to earth by posting signs restricting the use of cell phones by patrons.  

4 October 2007 Principal wants law to ban cell phones in schools
KINGSTON JAMAICA: Principal of Albion Primary and Junior High School, Lenoval Morle, will be petitioning the government to ban cell phones in schools. 

3 October 2007 China's mobile phone users top 515m by August
CHINADAILY.COM: China's mobile phone users exceeded 515 million by the end of August this year, with a monthly rise of 6.8 million on average, according to statistics from the Ministry of Information Industry (MII). 

3 October 2007 Cell phone use can affect hearing
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE: Mobile phone allows us to talk anytime, anywhere and it has become indispensable to a majority of people. However, this essential technology can affect a person’s hearing when abused, reports Sade Oguntola. 

2 October 2007 Drivers With Cell Phones Tend To Ignore Hands-Free Laws
INFORMATION WEEK.COM: In a study of 902 cell phone user-drivers in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, states that outlaw the use of cell phones
while driving, Harris Interactive found that 72% of them have a hands-free product, but 38% of the time they use their hand-held phones. Just 14% use hands-free gear while driving. 

2 October 2007 Local Hospitals Allowing Cell Phones Inside
WSAW WISCONSIN USA: St. Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield says they reversed their complete restriction on cell phones in the building after studies showed the devices no longer interfered with medical equipment.  But other factors also contributed to their revised cell phone policy.  

2 October 2007 Deputy's Death May Spark Law To Limit Cell Phone Use
HOUSTON TX USA: Investigators said Tuesday that they were not surprised that a driver on a cell phone was likely responsible for a crash that killed Harris County Precinct 5 Deputy Constable Jason Norling and they support legislation to change that, KPRC Local 2 reported.   "We see that every day out here on the roads. Just about everybody's on the cell phone," said Capt. Terry Thurman, with Harris County Precinct 5 Constable's Office. 

1 October 2007 Schools Crack Down On Cell Phones Use In Class
SIOUX CITY IA USA: You may think you can't live without it, your cell phone.  Lots of kids have them, too.  And, they’re bringing them to school, opening up the chance for cheating.

10 September 2007 US lawmakers target teen texters
SAN FRANCISCO: "There's no way a cop could see if you're SMS-ing under the steering wheel," said Leininger, a student at San Francisco's Lowell High School. 

9 September 2007 No cell phones in hospitals
PRESS TV: The signals given off from the second and third generation cellular phones were reported to impede with medical devices. Scientists have evaluated the signals' effect on 61 medical devices and found that 26 were disrupted.  

9 September 2007 Cell Phones Should Be Kept Away From Hospital Beds, Dutch Experts Say
SCIENCE DAILY: Cell phones should come no closer than one meter to hospital beds and equipment, according Dutch research published in the online open access journal, Critical Care. Scientists demonstrated that incidents of electromagnetic interference (EMI) from second and third generation mobile phones occurred even at distance of three meters. 

9 September 2007 Drivers flout mobile phone laws 
THAMES VALLEY UK: More than 3,100 drivers have been caught using mobiles in the Thames Valley since tougher penalties were introduced in February this year. 

9 September 2007 Mobile phone study to establish long-term risks
LONDON UK: Ministers will launch a multi-million pound, large-scale study next week into long-term health risks of mobile phone use.  The decision indicates that mobile phone use has not yet been given a clean bill of health. 

8 September 2007 Mobile phone laws are being ignored
CAMBRIDGESHIRE UK: More than 1,200 people in the county have been caught using a mobile phone while driving since the change in law in February.  So far police have issued 1,234 tickets to drivers and a number of offences are currently going through the system.

7 September 2007 Cell Phones = Bad News In Hospitals
NETHERLANDS: A new study from Amsterdam contradicts earlier findings and details how newer cell phones negatively interfere with bedside medical equipment. 

5 September 2007 Finnish watchdog says study finds no health risks
HELSINKI - A Finnish study has found no evidence that radiation emitted by mobile phones poses health risks, nuclear watchdog STUK said yesterday. 

5 September 2007 UN agency says world now has four billion phone subscriptions
The International Telecommunications Union counts 1.27 billion fixed lines and 2.68 billion mobile accounts. The total number of people represented by those figures is unclear because many people, particularly in industrial countries, have both kinds of service. 

5 September 2007 Cell Phones to Be Banned From Exam Rooms Soon
NAIROBI KENYA: Cell phones could be banned from exam rooms as one measure to curb cheating, the Kenya National Examinations Council has said.  Once the rule is effected no one, including invigilators and supervisors, would be allowed to carry cell phones into examination rooms.

3 September  2007  Plenty of road rage for all
CHICAGO TRIBUNE: "Women drivers use their cell phones more often than men"…I had to wonder if he was right. Especially as a woman talking on a cell phone had nearly clipped my car as she made a left turn while I was waiting at a stoplight. Jerk. So, I commenced my own informal survey, observing over the last few months the sex of drivers who were yakking on their cells. My survey concluded that women cell-phone users outnumbered men 2-1, and, during some weeks, 3-1.

3 September 2007 Bonham Rotary Club discusses cell phone safety
NORTH TEXAS: Are cell phones safe to use? What can I do to reduce my exposure to RF radiation from my cell phone? How close can I be to my television and not damage my eyes? 

3 September 2007 New Web site lets parents monitor teen cell-phone use
DETROIT: AT&T plans to unveil a new Web site that allows parents to limit how many minutes teens can put on their cell phones, how many text messages they can send and receive, how much can be spent on ringtones and games, and other key topics of family dispute.  Don’t want your teen texting during school? Shut that down. Don’t want him talking after 10 p.m.? Put the phone to bed. Don’t want her calling or receiving calls from a certain someone? Block that number. 

3 September 2007 Cell phone ban no joke to one Chicago cop
CHICAGO: Chicago is one of the only major U.S. cities to ban motorists from using cell phones while driving, and one police officer is making sure the ban is enforced. 

1 September 2007 Toptan bans cell phones in assembly
ANKARA TURKEY: The use of cell phones during parliamentary sessions has been officially banned following complaints that deputies constantly talk on the phone during the session. 

1 September 2007 Cell phone use linked to possible cancer development
FOODCONSUMER.COM: Researchers from Israel found just using mobile phone for five minutes could trigger cell growth or division through particular pathways that are often used by cancer only. 

1 September 2007 Cell phones must be banned in cars
Every day you see them - whipping along, dodging in and out of traffic, talking on a cell phone. Some are even eating or applying makeup at the same time.  Now a Quebec coroner is calling for a public safety campaign on the dangers of using cell phones while driving. 

1 September 2007 Teenagers' Use Of Cell Phones After Bedtime Contributes To Poor Sleep
SCIENCE DAILY: A new study finds that cell phone use after bedtime is very prevalent among adolescents, and its use is related to increased levels of tiredness after one year. 

1 September 2007 '10 min on cell a cancer risk'
TIMES OF INDIA: Just 10 minutes of chatting on cellular phones is enough to trigger such chemical changes in the brain that can increase the risk of cancer, warn scientists.

31 August 2007 Cell phone crackdown far from silly nuisance
THE RECORD, TROY NY: It's nuisance time again - have to hang up our cell phones while driving or risk a $100 fine. Doesn't the Albany County Sheriff's Department have something better to do with its time?  People do love to complain about the "silly" cell phone law that forbids the use of a hand-held phone when driving.  We've said it before, and we'll keep saying it until compliance is the norm rather than the exception: The cell phone law is not silly. 

31 August 2007 Schools battle cell phones
C-NET.COM: When you look at technological generation gaps, the ubiquity of cell phones is one of the dividing lines between youth and "elders." Today's teens can't imagine life without cell phones, and if you walk across a college campus you'll see students glued to their phones seemingly at every waking moment.

31 August 2007 Mobile phone use and cancer linked
TELEGRAPH.CO.UK: Fresh fears over the health hazards linked to using mobile phones have been raised after scientists found that handset radiation could trigger cell division. 

30 August 2007 Do gadget bans really solve problems?
COMPUTERWORLD.COM: Cell phones are increasingly banned, among other places, in theaters, restaurants, schools, hospitals, museums, doctor's offices and airplanes during flight. It's illegal for drivers to use cell phones in dozens of countries and several U.S. states. The California State Assembly passed a bill just this week that makes it illegal for teens under 18 to talk on cell phones (or text on a cell phone, or use a laptop) while driving. If a revised version is re-passed in the Senate and signed by the governor, it will become law next summer. 

30 August 2007 Bloc MP's death prompts call for cell phone driving awareness campaign
MONTREAL(CP) - A Quebec coroner is recommending a public safety campaign on the dangers of using cell phones while driving after a Bloc Quebecois MP died last year in his vehicle while on a portable phone.  The coroner ruled that the death was the result of a distraction caused by a 12-minute cell phone conversation he was having at the time of the accident.

30 August 2007 New doubts raised over mobile phone safety
TELEGRAPH.CO.UK: Just five minutes of exposure to mobile phone emissions can trigger changes that occur during cancer development, according to new research…

29 August 2007 Milford cracking down on drivers with cell phones
MILFORD CT: Police in Milford want drivers to hang up on the road. Officers have given about 60 tickets in the last 4 days to people seen talking on their cell phones without a hands-free device. 

29 August 2007 Harmful Effects of Cell Phone Radiations
SOFIA, BULGARIA: One of the observable harmful effects of mobile phones however has been the thermal effects. The microwave radiations cause dielectric heating.  

28 August 2007 Live From Studio 1a: Ban Cell Phones In School?
MSNBC: This morning covered the story of how some public school districts have banned students from having cell phones on their grounds. 

28 August 2007 Should Cell Phones Be Allowed In Classrooms?
BROOKE COUNTY, W.Va. -- With the beginning of a new school year comes the debate over cell phones in the classroom.  “If you have them (cell phones) with you they must be in a purse or pocket and off during class,” said one Brooke County teacher to his students on Tuesday. 

28 August 2007 Point-Counterpoint: Cell phones in schools?
NY DAILY NEWS: No one wants kids to use cell phones on school grounds. However, parents want children to have a cell phone going to and coming home from school as a matter of practical safety. 

28 August 2007 Cell phones, iPods off at schools
KINGSTON PA: The Wyoming Valley West School Board approved a new electronics device policy that allows cell phones and other items such as iPods and pagers in school, but requires they be turned off and stowed out of sight. 

28 August 2007 Driven to distraction: cell phones kill thousands
MALIBU CA: Teens claim text messaging is their top distraction while driving in a 2006 study conducted by Liberty Mutual Research Institute. The 2,600 traffic deaths and 330,000 injuries that occurred due to the use of cell phones while driving, according to livescience.com in 2005, clearly illustrates that a major problem exists and must be attended to immediately… 

27 August 2007 California Assembly OKs teen-driver cell phone ban
SACRAMENTO CA: The Assembly voted overwhelmingly today to make it illegal for drivers under the age of 18 to use their cell phones - even if they have a hands-free device - when they are behind the wheel.

27 August 2007 Cell phones' role in an educational setting
LACONIA NH: They can be equipped with cameras, calculators, calenders, digital music players, memory cards and even ringtones specifically designed to be audible only to young ears… 

27 August 2007 Driving? Let ringing cell phones lie
BINGHAMPTON NY: Sheriff's departments across the Southern Tier will join with law enforcement throughout New York state this week to crack down on driver distractions, especially those caused by illegal use of cell phones… 

27 August 2007 Cell phones not allowed in courthouse
CANTON OH: Common Pleas Judge Charles E. Brown Jr. has banned cell phones and other electronic devices from the courthouse until further notice… 

24 August 2004 School revises cell phone warning
BALTIMORE MD: Most school systems in the metropolitan area -- including Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Howard and Carroll counties -- permit students to possess cell phones as long as they are turned off and stored during the academic day, either in a locker or a backpack. In Harford County, only high school students may carry them. 

24 August 2007 No Cell Phones in School Zones
CHARLESTON WV: Kanawha County's ambulance authority wants motorists to turn off their cell phones when driving through school zones.  The No Cell Phones in School Zones campaign was started two years ago, but authority spokesman Mike Jarrett says officials want to place more emphasis on the program this year. 

24 August 2007 Research wanted into drivers using cell phones
NEW ZEALAND: An inquest into the deaths of two Levin teenagers in a car crash in January calls for more research into cell phone use amongst drivers. 

23 August 2007 Cell phones: so good or no good?
TUSCALOOSA ALABAMA: The Tuscaloosa Board of Education has put their foot down. They are staying true to their decision to ban cell phones in the area's schools. In fact, they want to "tighten up" the language that's already in the policy. 

22 August 2007 No typing, talking behind the wheel?
MICHIGAN:  House Bill No. 4982, introduced in June, would ban people from using cell phones "to initiate a call, answer a call, listen to or engage in verbal communication through the drive, or type, send or receive a text message or an instant message.'' No action has been taken on the bill 

22 August 2007 School board shuts off cell phones
HURLEY MI: When classes open for the fall, cell phones in the Hurley K-12 school will be turned off and kept in lockers from 8 a.m. to 3:15 under a policy adopted by the school Monday.

 21 August 2007 Cell phones banned at Israeli cabinet meetings to stop leaks
JERUSALEM -- Ministers in Israel -- where little news remains secret for long -- were notified on Tuesday that they would no longer be allowed to bring their cell phones to cabinet meetings, army radio reported. 

21 August 2007 No more cell phones in cabinet meetings
ISRAEL NEWS: Cell phones and other communication devices will no longer be allowed in cabinet meetings.  The new regulation is part of a government policy to combat leaks to the media regarding sensitive issues discussed by the cabinet…

20 August 2007 Schools have new rules dealing with cell phones
NEBRASKA USA: Grand Island High School officials say cell phones are so popular now, that they have done away with pay phones in the school.  But with so many cell phones, they have also had to add a few new rules to help stop them from ringing in the classroom…

 20 August 2007 New technology used to jam cell phones from prison
AUKLAND NZ: The government is about to announce plans to block criminals from using cell phones from behind prison walls.  Jamming technology is also being investigated for use in schools to help stop exam cheats…

20 August 2007 Mobile Phone Used to Pirate Cinema Movie
CELLULAR-NEWS.COM: An Australian man is facing legal action after he is alleged to have used a mobile phone to record a cinema showing of the new Simpons movie and upload the file to be distributed over the internet.  The speed and spread of illegal copies across the global internet as a result of this camcord copy being made from a mobile phone in a Sydney cinema is staggering."

19 August 2007 Femtocells Extend Cell Phones' Reach
PCWORLD.COM: For all the speed mobile operators are building into their networks, a lot of it doesn't reach subscribers trying to make calls or surf the Web indoors. While some carriers look to Wi-Fi and dual-mode phones to bridge the gap, another technology is coming along that could work with the handsets customers have today…

18 August 2007 Cell phones dangerous in hands of drivers
INDIANA USA: This letter is dedicated to all the cell phone users out on the road who think it's perfectly all right to drive and talk at the same time on that obnoxious thing…

18 August 2007 District policies vary on cell phones, pagers
TUCSON AZ USA: Students across the city are spicing up the ol' readin', 'ritin' and 'rithmetic routine with talking, texting and iTunes.  They'd be smart to KTR to avoid saying TTFG to their electronic-gadget assortment…

15 August 2007 Three jailed for a month for mobile phone use in prison
BELFAST NORTHERN IRELAND: Three men have each been handed down a one-month jail term for the unlawful use of a mobile phone while in prison…

15 August 2007 Legislation Would Ban Cell Phone Use By School Bus Drivers
OKLAHOMA CITY OK: Legislation proposed would prohibit school bus drivers from talking on their cell phone while driving the bus. The measure would also forbid teenagers with learner's permits from using a cell phone in their vehicles.  The proposer added the bus driver provision to legislation he already planned to file that increases the penalty for drivers who have accidents while talking or texting on cell phones…

14 August 2007 Cell phones in the Hospital
EAU CLAIRE WI: Cell phones have become so common that some places have taken out land line phones. That probably won't happen any time soon for hospitals since cell phones are banned in specific areas, but is that ban necessary?  Jim Bruett with Luther Midelfort Biomedical Services says the electromagnetic interferences produced by a cell phone can confuse medical devices like this ventilator or infusion pump. If it did interfere with the machine, it could be life threatening…

14 August 2007 High School principal tries compromise on cell phones, MP3 players in school
CROOKSTON MN: The School Board Monday approved student handbooks for the upcoming school year, and the Crookston High School handbook allows cell phones and MP3 players in the building and in the hallways, but not in the classrooms…

14 August 2007 Oldham board may change rule, return students' phones at year end
LOUISVILLE KY: Oldham County schools collect about 40 cell phones every year from students who fail to turn them off at school after a warning. At last month's meeting, Anne Coorsen, the board's attorney, advised members to change the policy to let parents retrieve cell phones from the central office at the end of the school year…

14 August 2007 Fleming schools ban cell phones on school property
FLEMINGSBURG KY:  Monday marked the first day of school for Fleming County students and with the new school year came changes to the district's discipline code -- this year students are not allowed to bring cell phones to school…

13 August 2007 AMA Says Cell Ban Not Enough
ALBERTA CANADA: The Alberta Motor Association's Don Szarko says cell phone now come equipped with more distractions, including music, video, texting and Internet, and all of those should be off-limits to drivers.  Newfoundland and Labrador instituted a ban on driving while talking on cell phones in 2003 and Quebec's got new rules coming into effect this fall…

 13 August 2007 Have you put down the cell phone? Neither have we.
CHICAGO IL: Chicago's ban on the use of handheld cell phones while driving hasn't deterred people from ditching the Bluetooth and going back to breaking the law. The problem? According to drivers, police aren't enforcing it enough…

11 August 2007 New York mayor vetoes City Council's cell phone bill
NY CITY: A ban on cell phones in the nation's biggest school system is creating an uproar among parents and students alike, with teenagers sneaking their phones inside their lunches and under their clothes, and grown-ups insisting they need to stay in touch with their children in case of another crisis like Sept. 11…

 11 August 2007 Cell phones may not promote safety at local schools
LODI CA: Nick Calderon, 12, a sandy-haired seventh-grader from Millswood Middle School, reaches into his shorts pocket and pulls out a silver flip phone.  He said his parents gave it to him to use in case of an emergency, but more often than not he uses it to text his "girlfriends" in other classes.  "(You just) put it under the table and start texting," Calderon said with a nonchalant shrug…

 10 August 2007 Nine out of ten people agree; cell phones and texting while driving is a bad thing.
NEOSEEKER.COM: A new study commissioned by Pinger, a mobile messaging service, and conducted by Harris Interactive found that a full 91 percent of Americans agreeded that driving whilst occupied with the likes of cell calls, text messaging, and or e-mails, is as dangerous as driving drunk.

 9 August 2007 Use of cell phones by students prohibited during the school day
KANSAS CITY: Wherever one goes these days, cell phones seem to be in use, from stores and restaurants to ballparks and backyards.  One place cell phones are not welcome is in the Raytown School District, when they are being used by students…

9 August 2007 Fort Payne High School getting tough on cell phones
HUNTSVILLE AL: Fort Payne High School is welcoming students, but not their cell phones.  This year phones have to be left in the car, or in the locker and turned off. They cannot be touched except for on school trips and in athletic classes…

8 August 2007 Ban Cell Phones While Driving, Say Canadians
ANGUS REID GLOBAL MONITOR: Many adults in Canada believe people should not be allowed to use a cell phone while operating a vehicle, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. 76 per cent of respondents support a federal regulation to ban the use of cell phones while driving.  Several countries forbid drivers from using their cell phones, including Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Poland, and Russia. In Ireland, a third offence can lead to a three-month jail sentence. Four U.S. states—California, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York—and the District of Columbia have also enacted total bans…

8 August 2007 Schools struggle with cell phone rules
MURPHY NC:  Students in Cherokee County may have to turn off their mobile phones and digital audio players at the school door or risk losing them when they return to class this fall…

8 August 2007 School gets too tough on cell phones
DETROIT MI: Excessive punishment is a poor way to teach young people responsibility. It's more likely to produce resentment.  At Plymouth-Canton schools, violations of the district's former cell phone rule more than doubled from 563 in the 2005-06 school year to 1,374 last year. Cell phones are distracting, with cameras they can be invasive, and with text-messaging they can facilitate illicit activity…

8 August 2007 Cell phones may turn into boomboxes
JAPAN TIMES: A Panasonic feat of technology is a new approach to speakers. A best (worst?) case scenario could have the new technology empowering the tiny speakers of mobile phones to produce the kind of thumping notes reminiscent of boomboxes. There is a reason that God gave us headphones…

7 August 2007 Rise in mobile use sees hospital bedside call costs cut
EDINBURGH SCOTLAND: THE cost of using bedside telephones in the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary has been slashed because of a growing number of patients using their mobiles.   Patients and visitors are still warned not to use handsets around medical equipment, such as in the intensive care unit, but use is normally accepted in general wards…

5 August 2007 Criminals continue to hide behind cell phones
ZURICH: Police in Zurich say criminals can still make calls anonymously from prepaid mobile phones because the