We've seen countries institute some pretty weird regulations when it comes to wireless handsets, but this one is apt to seem patently absurd to anyone outside of (and possibly within) Sri Lanka. Government officials are reportedly gearing up to implement legislation that would require handset owners to "to carry a certificate of ownership at all times when carrying their phone around." The new law will hopefully cut down on some terrorist activities that have apparently been going on, but it will also inconvenience quite a few innocent citizens as well. Ah well, at least locals can legitimately ask their mooching friends to get their own without sounding all snobbish.

[Via textually]

Ruh roh kiddos, looks like you'll still be asked to hand over your cellie before checking into first period in New York. Based on a recent decision handed down by a NY court, the controversial ban on cellphones on school property will continue to remain in effect, much to the chagrin of paranoid parents and text-happy students. The report made mention that the complaints over taking away kids' "lifelines" in school were not justifiable, and it restated just how many incidents had been reported where mobiles were used for harassment on school grounds. As expected, livid parents aren't likely to accept the results and get on with things, with the NY Daily News reporting that said folks may take the issue "to the state's highest court."

[Via CNET, image courtesy of MSNBC]

So, you've got an outstanding ticket from talking while behind the wheel in Chicago, do you? Meet attorney Blake Horwitz, who is now likely to be the best friend you don't even know. Reportedly, Mr. Horwitz is suing the city and claiming that arrests of citizens caught driving and talking were in fact illegal, and furthermore, he's demanding that Chicago "dismiss any outstanding tickets and refund almost $2 million in fines collected since 2005." Apparently, the actual law that prevents users from yapping and motoring requires that the city erect signs that instruct drivers not to converse while driving, yet such signs have purportedly not been posted across Chi-town. The devil's in the details, we suppose.

[Image courtesy of ImportTuner]

Arnold Schwarzenegger isn't as much fun as a Governor as he was in The Terminator... just ask California's teen drivers. The former action movie star has signed a new bill -- which we told you about in August -- into law, making it illegal for anyone aged 16 or 17 to use a mobile phone, pager, laptop, or handheld computer while driving a vehicle. Effective July 1, 2008 (the same day that California's ban on non-hands-free mobile-use while driving takes effect), the state will begin to fine offenders $20 for their first incident, and $50 for each recurrent violation. The law is targeting teen drivers due to the wealth of statistics that demonstrate young motorists are more likely to end up in car accidents which result in death. According to reports, 13.6-percent of all fatal accidents are caused by teenagers, and studies show that car crashes are the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 16-19. "The simple fact is that teenage drivers are more easily distracted," said Schwarzenegger in a statement, adding, "We want to eliminate any extra distractions so they can focus on paying attention to the road and being good drivers." He then paused and remarked, "We just don't want to say 'Hasta la vista, baby' to young drivers anymore."

We can't even imagine what would happen here in the US of A if our government suddenly stopped everyone under the age of 16 from chatting it up on a mobile, but it looks like we just may find out how it goes down overseas when Karnataka, India does just that. Reportedly, its government is going to "ban cellphone use by children less than 16 years on the basis of advice of medical experts," and while specifics weren't divulged, apparently someone up high believes that "prolonged use of [handsets] by teenagers does affect their health" in an adverse way. Additionally, mobile dealers will no longer be allowed to sell handsets to youngsters under 16, and while a hard date for the ban hasn't been announced just yet, notification should be "issued soon."

[Via OnlyGizmos, image courtesy of BBC]

What a system we live in. After having multiple requests denied, Qualcomm (or at least those third-parties using its 3G chipsets) was just granted a stay which again opens the door for the US import of Qualcomm-based handsets. Right, those same handsets banned by the ITC at the request of Broadcom on June 7th. In essence, the ruling means that Qualcomm can not import phones but others -- namely, Motorola, Samsung, T-Mobile, LG, AT&T -- can. Note, this isn't a reversal of the original decision and only remains in effect pending appeal. In other words, this is nowhere near to being over.

[Via Phonemag]

Well, in true dangerous / not dangerous fashion, the bit we did on cells being safe to use in hospitals has been rolled over and proven false by yet another study. The BBC is reporting that in a study performed by Dutch researchers, the case for mobile phones interfering with hospital equipment has been stregthened. The group tested 61 devices, and the majority could be affected by mobiles -- though no word on what was considered as "affected". Of all of the equipment poked at, six intensive care ventilator systems behavior was classified as hazardous as they are plugged directly into patients. As a side note, 3G handsets are less likely to cause problems, but don't appear to be completely guilt free.

Qualcomm -- a company that's arguably more used to suing than being sued -- isn't finding much luck in its protracted quest to avoid a Broadcom-led ban of its 3G hardware from coming into the States. Following a recent denial of its motion to stay the ban in the court system, the President of The United States himself (or his administration, anyway) has swooped in to render an executive judgment, and it ain't looking any better for Qualcomm. Saying that the importance of protecting IP rights outweighs the inconvenience of the ban, the Bush folks have stood by the ITC's decision to impose the ban in the first place, making it seem all that much smarter now for Verizon to have sidestepped the whole ordeal and paid Broadcom itself. Barring any last minute antics, the ban gets enforced starting tomorrow.

Talk about tough luck. For the second time in as many month's, Qualcomm has been flat out denied by the courts as it has attempted to stall a ban on its chips over the Broadcom patent disputes. This time around, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit "dismissed Qualcomm's request for a stay of the ban, saying that it can't consider a stay until a presidential review period is over." Furthermore, this harsh news (for Qualcomm, at least) comes just days after being evaded by Verizon, and if that wasn't enough, the EU's stamp of approval on DVB-H could put MediaFlo in a world of hurt. Hang in there Qualcomm, all's not lost... yet.

Sprint and Qualcomm have something else in mind, but we guess this is one way to get around the issue: Verizon has apparently lost patience with the ongoing tiff between Broadcom and Qualcomm that ultimately led to a ban on the import of some of the latter's 3G chipsets, opting instead to just pay Broadcom to license the affected patents itself. The agreement gives Verizon free reign to import all the 3G silicon it needs in exchange for $6 per handset, capping out at $40 million per quarter with a lifetime max of $200 million (oh, and Verizon promises to stop supporting Qualcomm's efforts to overturn the chip ban, too). Not a bad deal, we'd say, considering the totally critical nature of the chips to Verizon Wireless' core business -- kinda makes Verizon look like the parent and the two chip vendors like irrational, inconsolable toddlers, does it not?

[Via Phone Scoop]

The battle between Qualcomm and Broadcom over the former company's status in the states has taken a turn for the worse from Qualcomm's perspective, as a judge here denies a stay on the import ban of Qualcomm chips. The ban is related to a patent dispute with Broadcom, which won a case against Qualcomm a year ago, resulting in an import ban on chips that help conserve power in cellphones. It seems as if the ban will remain in place thanks to this ruling, which reaffirms the earlier enforcement of a ban on top of a nearly $20 million settlement between the two companies. So far it's hard to judge the effects of the ruling -- there certainly hasn't been a shortage of 3G handsets in the country (or has there?) -- since the ban went into effect, but since we're sitting behind a sheen of consumerism, it's not like we're in the best position to notice.

It seems the feds agree with us that a broad, sweeping ban on little morsels of 3G goodness is just flat-out uncool. The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has turned the proverbial hourglass upside down, giving the US International Trade Commission two weeks to justify its partial halt on the import of devices equipped with 3G chipsets manufactured by Qualcomm. The spat originates over a Broadcom claim that Qualcomm's silicon infringes on its patents, and the court system is interested in hearing why the USITC thinks the ban should remain in place while Qualcomm appeals. Intellectual property issues aside, the ITC's cold-turkey ban stands to have a significant impact on carriers, handset manufacturers, and customers (that's us, by the way) as the selection suddenly dries up -- so at the very least, we're hoping everyone affected has a little more time to get their ducks in a row while the patent suit navigates the legal system (please?).

Stock up on those 3G handsets, folks -- they could become very valuable commodities here in the next few weeks. As part of an ongoing series of spats between wireless giants Qualcomm and Broadcom, the US International Trade Commission has ruled that handsets containing Qualcomm 3G chipsets (and that's a whole heck of a lot of handsets) that are manufactured starting today may not be imported into the US. By all accounts, this appears to be much more than legal posturing on Broadcomm's part -- a ban is a ban -- and we've gotta believe this'll resolve itself right quick. But if for whatever reason it doesn't, get ready for an eBay free-for-all in a gloomy, scorched-earth future where the only high speed handsets are pawned for thousands of New Dollars on the black market. [Warning: subscription required]

Ahh, another day, another ban -- David Hill, Director of Championships for The R & A, has recently announced that for this year's British Open cellphones will not be permitted. After numerous complaints by the players regarding last year's event, no spectator will be allowed to have a phone on the course and to make sure that happens, security checks will be done at the pay gates. We're glad to see that the British Open is now in line with all the other major golf championships, as we were tired of listening to people chatting it up with their friends at home wondering if they could be seen on TV or not. So, can we get a round of golf claps for the ban -- anyone?

[Via Tech Digest]

It sounds like riding the buses in Honolulu has just been silenced from those who like sharing their fave Billboard's Top 10 ringtone. Yesterday, Mayor Mufi Hannemann signed a ban disallowing cellphone rings, and requires the use of headphones on any noise making device. Oddly enough, the new law still allows people to have conversations on their phones, since this obviously does not distract bus drivers, who adamantly pushed for the ban. At the rate all these anti-cellphone laws are being made, our homes might become the only safe place to use them.

[Via Textually]