U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood wants a federal law banning talking or texting on a cell phone while driving. Yesterday at an event in San Antonio, Texas, he called for tough federal legislation that would deal with what he called a “national epidemic” of distracted driving, according to a Reuters report. LaHood told a group …

As we patiently wait for Joss Whedon’s “The Avengers” to open Stateside some of have turned to another of his projects playing at the moment, “Cabin in the Woods.” The trailer hints that something isn’t quite right in this “teenagers stalked by ruthless killers at a remote cabin” and it’s a funny, scary homage to horror movies. But my enjoyment …

In just a week’s time — that’s seven long days if you’re an Android fan — Samsung will take the stage in London to unveil the next Galaxy smartphone. If you ask me, the May 3 event isn’t a moment too soon. Over the last few months, we’ve seen a constant stream of purported specs, rumored details, and conjecture. In …

iMore’s Rene Ritchie snapped a picture of iPads at the kid’s table in an Apple Store. iMore The move to the smaller, app-centric iPads makes sense for kids as much as it makes for Apple. While the applications that were available on the iMacs were educational and kid-friendly, there is just something about Apple’s iPad that kids simply “get.” Since …

Verizon Wireless could be home to a host of new, prominent smartphones in the coming months, according to a new report. Boy Genius Report is claiming today that it has the skinny on Verizon’s summer and fall smartphone roadmap. And although details in the report are extremely slim, and it doesn’t offer proof that BGR has viewed an actual document …

My vision for the best iOS game ever created: a platform-jumper in the spirit of Doodle Jump, but with a flying pig who bounces ever-skyward on a series of pickle slices. Genius, right? Unfortunately, I don’t know the first thing about programming, so it’s not likely my vision will ever become reality. Or so I thought, until I got my …

I know what you’re thinking: how hard is it to mess up a simple flip phone? Stop your smirking! It’s easier than you think! Just look to the original Gusto with its cheap body and bad call quality. With the Samsung Gusto 2 for Verizon, Samsung has turned around most of the original’s wrongs. This update feels sturdy and strong, …

Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee introduced a bill today that would put a valuable sliver of government-owned wireless spectrum on the auction block for commercial wireless carriers within five years. Reps. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) introduced the bill, which will require the government to auction off spectrum in the 1755 MHz to 1780 MHz …

Sony’s Tablet S has a new flavor. The company announced today that the tablet, which boasts a 9.4-inch screen and support for a host of Sony services like Music Unlimited, is now upgradeable to Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). The next time Tablet S owners connect to a Wi-Fi network, they’ll be prompted to update the software, Sony says. With …

Put your money away love, O2 has introduced an app that pays for stuff. O2 Wallet is a new app for iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry and Android phones and tablets. You can use O2 Wallet to transfer up to £500 to any UK mobile number from either a bank account or from a Visa pre-paid credit card that you’ve topped up …

How do you get your ultrarugged phone some buzz? If you’re Sonim and the phone in question is the Sonim XP5520 Bolt for Bell, the answer is as easy as hiring Muay Thai mixed martial arts champion (and fellow Canadian) Simon Marcus to throw some punches and kicks on video (below). In it, Marcus and pals tape the heavy-duty Bolt …

Jonathan Schwartz (Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET) Last Updated: 4:29 PM PT  SAN FRANCISCO — Former Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz took the stand here today as a witness for the defense, and disputed Oracle’s claim that Java APIs were proprietary code from Sun.  Google’s lawyer, Robert van Nest, asked Schwartz whether, during his tenure at Sun, Java APIs were considered proprietary or …

Jetpack Joyride (Free), from Halfbrick Studios, makers of hit iOS games Fruit Ninja and Monster Dash, has now added Gadgets — tools you can purchase with earned coins that help you get further into the game. Now, when you go into the Stash (the store where you can buy new jetpacks, outfits, and more), there is a new Gadgets category. …

Samsung’s ‘next Galaxy’ phone — sure to be the fabled Galaxy S3 — will be powered by a quad-core processor, the South Korean tech monster has confirmed. The Exynos 4 Quad chip boasts a mind-expanding four cores, and according to Samsung will be clocked at speed over 1.4GHz, CNET reports. “Already in production”, Samsung boasts, “the Exynos 4 Quad is …

Privacy concerns have been at the top of many tech industry reports lately. Between Apple’s Flashback Trojan issues, Google’s faux pas with Safari privacy settings, and a myriad of other privacy-related stories, consumers, lawmakers, and the media have been pressing for greater privacy restrictions. Partly in response to a Congressional inquiry, Apple has begun restricting access to consumers’ UDID numbers, …