Digital Home Thoughts - News & Reviews for the Digital Home

"Driving distractions, primarily by cellphones and other electronic devices, are associated with up to 25 percent of U.S. car crashes, according to a report released on Thursday. The study by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), a nonprofit group that works to improve traffic safety, assessed research from more than 350 scientific papers published since 2000."

This shouldn't come as a shock to anyone, but no matter how good of a driver you are, the second that anything - a cell phone, the radio, reaching for a cup of coffee, etc. - takes you eyes off the road, you're dramatically increasing the risk of having an accident. Texting and overall cell phone use is just the latest trend in a problem that has occurred since the invention of the automobile...though I'd guess that back in the Ford Model T days, with no radio to fiddle with, GPS to check, or phone to answer, there were a lot less accidents due to distracted driving. Topping out at 45 Mph also helped!

"The common rap against technology is that it leads to an accumulation of devices. But the nature of technology is changing. Fewer products are doing more tasks - all accomplished by countless lines of massless software code. And so we no longer need to accumulate products. If anything, we can cut down. The question is, Which can be replaced and which are fine, or even preferable, to keep?"

Image Credit: Harry Campbell

As I read through this article, I repeatedly said "What? No way - that's stupid!", but I admit I'm not the typical New York Times reader. Some people may very well feel that the phone on the camera is good enough and don't want to buy a digital camera - I'm not one of those people. I'd sooner swallow a bag of nails than be stuck capturing memories of my life with a camera phone. I can't help but think that the author of this article has never used HD video capture on a DSLR - if he had, he'd understand the severe limitations and the fact that it's just damn hard to use.

At least he thinks we should keep our alarm clocks. Check out the article and weigh in with your comments!

"A snowy Christmas in Chicago has given us time to dig through our parents' Newsweek archives, including some amazing Bill Gates covers -- see photos below. More topical: Gems like this year-end gadget shopping guide from the Nov. 24, 1997 issue. (Cover story: "Can we stop Saddam?") On the Newsweek editors' Christmas lists:"

It is amazing to see just how much a difference thirteen years makes. In some ways, technology has not changes that much and looking at the list that Newsweek editors made, a lot has stayed the same. Of course, gadgets are a lot more powerful these days but the biggest difference I can see between the lists of yesteryear and today would be that devices have become increasingly connected.

The Internet and network connectivity has become much more ubiquitous. The Newsweek list has only a single item that is a true communication device. Now, we have the iPad, Boxee Box, iPhones, Windows Phone 7, Android, netbooks, Google TV, eye-Fi, Twitter... all of these involve communication in some way or another.

A lot of gadgets now also feature much more social networking. Everything seems to be about sharing your interests, activities and hobbies where a lot of the gadgets of long ago either were about recording memories, or tended to be more utilitarian in nature.

Still, one thing about gadgets that has not changed is that we love to give or receive them! The best part of it all!

"We didn't notice nearly as much crap at CES 2009 as we did last year, but what we did see was pretty stunning in its mediocrity -- and then there was the amazing Dragon gamepad, which in our opinion was single best product of the show. Pick your favorite of the contenders below, then hit your local dollar store to see 'em in person."

Every year at CES, manufacturers come out of the woodwork to peddle their wares. While some gadgets are quite useful, or tempting; some raise the question what people were thinking when they designed that. Engadget has generously produced a list of their top ten most questionable products to grace the CES this year. Among them are a remotely controled cooler, a kinetic energy charger and an Elvis karaoke microphone! Of those that they list, my favourite has to be the furry phone pictured above. It's the perfect blend of kitchy and style. The faux rotary dialpad gives it a sense of nostalgia, while the handset looks so rich, covered with what I assume are fake swarovski crystals. If you're looking for that gift for someone who has everything, or just need a talking piece for your living room, this is the item to get! Anyone agree, or has something else caught your keen consumer sense?