March 29, 2024

Minister says cell phones are a fact of life for users

BC's Attorney-General says the current laws aren't working but she will not allow police to seize cell phones to crack down on distracted driving. The BC Chiefs of Police Association is kicking around a few ideas to reduce distracted driving including the seizure of cell phones from repeat offenders.  Shirley Bond however, says that won't … [Read more...]

New report details cell phone horror stories

Advocacy group OpenMedia.ca has released a report that’s collected horror stories from people about mistreatment from their cell phone companies. The studies details nearly 3,000 stories that describe poor service, restrictive contracts and disrespect – mostly when it comes to the big three, Telus, Bell and Rogers. Some B.C. stories: a … [Read more...]

Former cop punished over jail cell scuffle

A former Vancouver Police officer has been handed a five-day suspension for how he treated a man in jail. An internal investigation found that Special Constable Thomas Driscoll abused his authority. A man who has been arrested drunk at a bar wasn't obeying instructions while in a jail cell one night in 2010. He and driscoll got into a scuffle, and … [Read more...]

Tod Williams To Helm “Cell” Adaptation

Tod 'Kip' Williams ("Paranormal Activity 2") is attached to direct the film adaptation of Stephen King's novel "Cell" at Cargo Entertainment. The story centers on a graphic artist (John Cusack) who struggles to reach his wife and son in the aftermath of a devastating pulse transmitted through a mobile phone network. King and Adam Alleca ("The … [Read more...]

Cusack Joins “Cell” Film Adaptation

John Cusack is attached to star in the film adaptation of Stephen King's psychological thriller novel "Cell" at Cargo Entertainment. The story follows a father who sets out to find his wife and son in the wake of a catastrophic pulse transmitted via mobile phones. Adam Alleca ("The Last House On The Left") co-wrote the script with King. The … [Read more...]

Top cop has a plan to reduce cell phone robberies

It's working well in Britain, so why not try it here? That's what Vancouver's Police chief is saying about plans to curb the number of cell phone robberies -- not thefts -- in this city. "When you're holding your cell phone in your hand, that's like waving 500 dollars cash in front of people that may come up to you and grab it out of your hand and … [Read more...]

Cell phone doesn’t replace old-fashioned tools in backcountry

If you're heading to the backcountry -- bring some old-fashioned tools. That's the message from North Shore Rescue, with several recent cases of people stranded in the bush -- with only a cellphone for navigation. Search Leader Tim Jones says some smartphone apps can be useful on the trails, but ultimately -- the battery will die. "Just solely … [Read more...]

VPD want stolen cell phones disabled

With a spike in cell phone robberies right across Canada, police organizations want to see government force cell phone companies to disable stolen phones. Vancouver Police Constable Lindsey Houghton says each cell phone comes with a unique identification number, which can be flagged if stolen, and not reactivated. "We've seen it succesfully … [Read more...]

Researcher calls platinum wrong for fuel cell development, looks elsewhere for efficiency

Hearing that fuel cells aren't the most efficient thing in the world shouldn't take you by surprise, but a determination by one Alfred Anderson just might. The chemistry professor from Case Western Reserve University is now making a case for using something other than platinum as the "catalyst most commonly used to convert chemical energy to … [Read more...]

Clancy’s “Splinter Cell” Becomes A Film

First it was Warner Bros. Pictures a few weeks ago, now Paramount Pictures has begun talks for a film version of Ubisoft's best-selling video game series "Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell" says Deadline. The six games in the series thus far follow a covert operative and have sold twenty-two million units over the years. Ubisoft is expected to be very … [Read more...]