It's Okay to Text While Driving In California

Starting July 1, California will finally fine motorists who talk on cell phones while driving without using a handsfree device. But, there's an interesting loop-hole in the law that opens itself up to abuse. While it will be illegal to talk on a cell phone, using the phone for anything else, including  texting, surfing the web, and listening or watching media. Granted, most people aren't, well, stupid enough do most of these things while they should be keeping their eyes on the road, I personally have heard some interesting stories secondhand.

One could argue that something such as this that is obviously dangerous to both you and the people around you should be avoided, however, it could leave the those caught breaking the law a gateway for them to argue their guilt. For example, a circumstance where someone is caught holding their cellphone in one hand while driving may argue that they weren't calling anyone, even though they were still a danger to the people around them.

The good news is that, as a result of the measure, discounts can be found for headsets. One site, headsets.com, will even offer free headsets for people who have proof of a traffic citation for calling while driving. Also, California, as well as other states ban cell phone usage entirely for young drivers.

Currently, only Minnesota, New Jersey, and Washington ban text-messaging while driving.

Beginning July 1, adult California drivers talking on their mobile phones without a hands-free device are subject to a $20 fine and a run-in with the law. The Golden State's new traffic ordinance follows similar versions adopted in Connecticut, New Jersey, Washington state, the District of Columbia, New York and the Virgin Islands.

While the fines aren't wallet-busting, there's a hitch. Except in Washington state, an officer can pull you over solely for talking on the phone without a headset.

Source: Wired

Bill Gates' Last Day

It's been a cool 33 years since Bill and Paul Allen founded (then) Micro-soft, and today's the day Gates steps down from his job as chairman of the company. He will still have a part-time job at the company, but the days of his influence at Microsoft are over.

CNET has compiled a list of the most famous Bill Gates videos from throughout the year, exemplifying some of his best moments on video. A few of the best speeches, skits, and conferences are all here.

Well, it's finally here: Bill Gates' final, official day at Microsoft as a full-time employee.

To mark this historic moment--33 years in the making--we've been combing through our video archives to find some memorable stuff.

Source: CNET

Eee PC 901 and 1000 May Ship on July 8 in the US

Though customers in Taiwan have been able to play around with the newest model Eee PCs for a while now, the wait for the U.S. release might not be that far off. ASUS' pre-sales department is letting customers know that they can expect to be able to purchase an Eee on July 8th. Obviously this isn't an official release date, but  it's a better estimate than nothing.

The new versions offer many improvement's over the brand's predecessor, the 700 and 701, including a larger, higher resolution screen, faster performance, and better battery life. We will hopefully be able to get one in for review and provide our own input on how well the updated model competes.

Sure, you can already pick up an Eee PC 901, 1000 or 1000H in Taiwan. And the company's been projecting a July 1st launch date for the UK for a while now. But up until this evening I hadn't heard any word on a US release. But a reader contacted me today and let me know that he had called the Asus pre-sales department on a whim today and asked when the Eee PC 901 would be hitting the US. And without hesitating, the rep told him July 8th

Source: Liliputing, Via: Engadget

June 27th Tech Roundup

• Asus P5E3 Premium WiFi-AP @n Edition - Club Overclocker

• VisionTek HD4850 - Neoseeker
• Sapphire HD4850 - Overclockers Club
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 896MB - Digit-Life

• Crucial Ballistix DDR3-2000 2GB - Think Computers
• Corsair XMS3 DHX PC3-12800 4GB - Overclock3D

• SoundCast OutCast Wireless Speaker System - I4U

• Zerotherm Zen FZ120 CPU Cooler - Bjorn3D

• Zalman LQ1000 Z-Machine Hybrid Liquid - XSReviews
• In-Win B2 Stealth Bomber - Madshrimps

• HP TouchSmart IQ506 - ComputerShopper
• Garmin nüvi 680 GPS - Digital Trends
• XFX GTX 260 Giveaway - Bjorn3D