Don't Text At The Movies

Newt Gingrich, Dancing Queen

SRSLY. That's his ringtone.

Put Down The Phone

There are people trying to conversatiate with you!

ITALY: Cell Phone Ad Riles Catholics

Some Italians Catholics are incensed over the below 10-second cell phone ad in which a man resembling Jesus asks "Dad" for help in escaping a dominatrix.

"It's a sordid concept and incredibly insulting to those who believe in Jesus Christ," said an editorial in Avvenire, a daily newspaper owned by the Catholic Bishops Conference. The newspaper's editor, Marco Tarquinio, said the commercial should never have been made. He suggested that Catholics offended by the ad should stop watching the channel and boycott the company's products. An association of Catholic television viewers, Aiart, made a formal protest over the commercial. "The reference to Christ is explicit and deeply offensive to religious sentiment," it said in a statement.

Gum Poll

(Source)

NEW YORK: Lawmaker Wants To Ban Electronic Devices While Walking

New York state Sen. Carl Kruger wants to make it illegal to use any electronic device while crossing the street.

Violators would be required to appear in court, and revenue from the $100 fines would go to a fund to educate people on the dangers of device distractions, the senator said. “This is not a nuisance offense,” Kruger said. “People are dying.” Kruger re-introduced the bill after a Manhattan man, who reportedly was using an iPod, was killed by a truck as it backed into an Upper East Side crosswalk last month. “If we were acting responsibly, then government would not have to interfere,” he said.

UNRELATED: Gay activists last year picketed a Kruger fundraiser, claiming that the Brooklyn Democrat was a closet case who voted against same-sex marriage in order to hide his sexuality.

Today In Frivolous Lawsuits

That woman who fell into a mall fountain because she was texting and not watching where she was going? She's suing the mall for not rushing to help her.

Unicorns Are Real

The release of long-believed to be mythical Verizon iPhone was announced today.

Smartphone Market Shares

Smartphone market shares stand at about a three-way tie, with third-place Android predicted by some to take first place in the next few months. Lots of wonky demographics at the link.

Today In Auto-Correct

(Source)

Which Grills Fastest?

Stupidly fascinating. (And totally a viral ad for the grill, of course.) Where's the firewall?

The Clap App

British scientists are working on a cell phone app that will let you pee on your phone to get an instant STD test. Sort of!

People who suspect they have been infected will be able to put urine or saliva on to a computer chip about the size of a USB chip, plug it into their phone or computer and receive a diagnosis within minutes, telling them which, if any, sexually transmitted infection (STI) they have. Seven funders, including the Medical Research Council, have put £4m into developing the technology via a forum called the UK Clinical Research Collaboration.

And then your phone texts all your contacts with the result. Kidding! Although I can see this technology throwing a new wrinkle into hook-ups. "Pee on my phone, please."

Smartphone Wars

(Source)

Phone Finder

Can't find your cell and nobody's around to call it for you? There's a website that does that. Bookmarked!

Set Your Phones For Prop 8 Decision Alert

The American Foundation for Equal Rights will text you the moment Judge Vaughn Walker issues his decision on Perry Vs. Schwarzenegger. Just text the word "Equal" to 69866. You can also get an email alert by "liking" their Facebook page. And you can follow them on Twitter. Judge Walker's online calendar is completely blank for the month of July, perhaps indicating that the ruling could come any day now.

iPhone 4 Vs. HTC Evo

It gets funnier and funnier.

(Tipped by JMG reader Peter)

The Cult Of Apple, Part 87

Folks stood in the hot summer NYC sun for a long as six hours to get their iPhone 4 today, its second day of release. It kills me how almost everybody in the line is staring into the perfectly good iPhones they already own. Children of the corrrrrrrrn.

HP Buys Palm For $1B

Hewlett-Packard has bought struggling smart phone supplier Palm for $1 billion.

The companies announced Wednesday that the deal will see HP pay $5.70 for every Palm common share. Palm had closed trading Wednesday at $4.63 but traded as high as $18.09 in the past 52 weeks. When debt is included, the deal values Palm at $1.2 billion. The transaction is expected to close by the end of July. Last year Palm unveiled a stylish touch-screen phone, the Pre, that was well reviewed but didn't ring up many sales. Palm struggled to stand out in a market dominated by Apple and BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd.