Though some newer firmware revs for affected HTC devices have touted video performance tweaks, the company's still not terribly interested in coming out with outright hardware-accelerated binaries to fully support the dormant ATI Imageon circuitry on board, citing a host of technical issues. That's been an ongoing source of ire for some in the user community who've complained of lackluster video playback performance, and after giving up on an official solution, there's been a grassroots effort for homebrew drivers that's finally starting to yield some paydirt. 2D (read: video playback, among other things) acceleration still isn't in the cards, but HTCClassAction.org has released binaries and sample vids showing improved 3D performance thanks to newfound Direct3D and OpenGL ES acceleration. On the issue of whether 2D efforts have been abandoned, the organizers say "we have not [abandoned it], it may still come. The simple fact is, that in this particular case, it was easier to work with the 3D drivers first." Anyone want to test these out and see if your hair's getting blown back by the blistering performance? Follow the break for the full video.

[Thanks, Bernard]

TyTN II owners, put your cash back in your wallet -- for a minute, anyway. CEO Peter Chou himself along with HTC's European VP have allegedly both gone on record saying that accelerated video drivers are in the works for an unspecified number of devices afflicted by the now-legendary performance issues. Independently, though, we've received word from HTC that that's not quite true. While the company is definitely banging through some improvements in the way video is handled on some of its recent touchscreen models, it turns out that there's technically no driver involved for the dormant Imageon circuitry; rather, the company's crack team of engineers has discovered performance enhancements to the existing software stack that they hope to roll out in the not-too-distant future (March is the tentative plan), and if all goes well, it won't even involve anything more painful than a .cab install. It's a marked improvement over the last official statement, isn't it?

Sure, it seemed like we'd heard the end of the story on HTC phones and the case of the missing drivers, but the cats over at the xda-developers forum have something else in mind. There is currently a $5199.51 bounty on offer from various members of the group for a hacker (or hackers) who can come up with drivers to get their Kaisers' Direct 3D up to par, thus increasing the video capabilities of the phone. If you've followed the case, you'll know that HTC has essentially stonewalled users looking for an upgrade to their poorly performing handsets, and has intimated that if customers want improved video performance, they should look to future hardware as opposed to upgrades on their current models. Clearly owners are looking to take matters into their own hands -- and they're willing to pay for it. We can't wait to see what they come up with, and if anyone out there has the ability and the time, here's a stack of cash that could be yours.

[Thanks, Jaime]

It may not be legal in most civilized nations to ride a Segway on the sidewalk, but for those still risking their lives on a two-wheeled machine, things are about to get a lot safer. SoundofMotion has developed a clever new warning system that turns your phone into what sounds like a roaring motorcycle, and not content with just playing a pre-recorded loop over and over, it's actually designed to rev up and down based on the speed and acceleration of your bicycle. The application will run on "any Bluetooth- and Java-capable phone," and it interacts with a "wireless BT sensor" that gets mounted on one of your wheels. Unsurprisingly, the device responds to the motion sensor and lets the carefree motorists around know you mean business when crossing an intersection. The app is currently sitting in beta, but the creators hope to have a final rendition ready to go before you make too many summer treks, but you better be willing to face total embarrassment (and have one loud speakerphone) to save your skin before picking this up. Click on through for a demonstration.

[Via Slashphone]

While we know there are fanatics out there claiming that cellphones are a tumor's best friend, we're still skeptical of just how dangerous they really are -- but only in that sense. Operating a motor vehicle while keying in an old pal's number certainly isn't a recipe for safe driving, and these acts would probably make protective parents irate if, say, their kid's bus driver was chatting it up while make the rounds. Although we find it quite astounding that cellphone use while operating a school / motor bus isn't already outlawed, it's even more amazing to find that the National Transportation Safety Board is simply "urging" federal and state governments to ban motor coach and school bus drivers from using cell phones except in emergencies. So just as a heads-up, you may want to check with your local school board to make sure John and / or Jane Doe aren't discussing the news while wheeling your offspring around town, as apparently it's still not entirely illegal.

[Via TheWirelessReport]