Results tagged “cellphone”

After news leaked this week about California First Lady Maria Shriver amounting to nothing more than a hoodlum -- that is to say, she doesn't use a hands-free device on her cell when she drives -- she apologized for her reckless cellphone usage today. According to CBS, "Shriver says she will donate her favorite old cell phone to a program that helps domestic violence shelters." She went on to add, "That's my version of swift action with a higher purpose."

Like a tightly-scrunched walnut, the fine folks at TMZ have cracked the case of California First Lady Maria Shriver's wanton disregard for public safety and that of her own. It seems Shriver was caught in the act of talking on her cellphone while driving, sans "hands-free" device. As most of you know, the hands-free law went into effect last year.

Remember, you can no longer prattle away on your phones while driving after the mandatory hands-free cell phone law goes into effect tomorrow. And while the new law will not be as enforced as, say, the Click It or Ticket seatbelt rule, which became a car-ride standard over two decades ago, you can land yourself $100 ticket for talking on your pretty little iPhone while heading down Highway 280. But it's still legal to text-message until Jan. 1, 2009. Which? Makes no sense whatsoever. Anyway, hands-free devices are leaping off store shelves, so be sure to get yours today to perfect that look while avoiding a costly ticket from the fuzz.

KTVU has some choice footage of last Saturday's Muni crash over on King Street near AT&T Park. Since major news networks inexplicably don't believe in the religion of Embedded Code, we are forced to link to it here. (Oh, and then you have to click on "RAW VIDEO: Watch Muni Surveillance Footage Shot On Trains Involved In Collision.") If some kind soul wants to upload or find us the same footage, YouTube- or Flickr Video-style, we'd be most appreciative. Forget KTVU and their pre-commercialed footage. Here it is uninterrupted!

Last Saturday's T-Third meets N-Judah collision might be, according to to investigators, might have been the result of a speeding Muni driver and/or someone chatting on their cell phone. KCBS reports:

Since your Editor's cell fell down the toilet while chatting and evacuating a pressing stream of urine at the same time, we cannot try out this allegedly nifty feature. But according to Amit Gupta, who snapped up the above image, "MUNI does a pretty good job of telling you how long you need to wait for the next bus or train."

Gangsta rap aficionado and geography major Stefanie Gray has conveniently mapped out all of Ludcris' hos from his ditty "Area Codes." Awesome. Here's just a taste of some of his ho-based area code shout outs:

Hi readers! Scavenger hunt time. Can you send us a photo of a Muni driver on a cell phone? We'll be your best friend if you do. Y'see, a friend of SFist is working on a super-cool Muni-related video project and asked us for some help; and so we're dutifully passing the buck along to you.

Can you feel it? The Macworld Expo 2008 approaches. Shhh, you might scare it.

Free range, organic, hormone-free, but not self-sustaining.

Photo of a bunch of old cell phone chargers along with news of a new universal standard.

Someone in Vallejo (or San Francisco?) thinks he's freakin’ hilarious flooding 911 with crank calls. The crank caller has been using a donated cell phone, perhaps one that was donated to the homeless (why do the homeless need cell phones?), to call in fake emergencies.

Just when we started feeling like the disconnect between today's urban youth and, well, people from our generation couldn't get any bigger, we ran into this gem outside the Metreon on Wednesday. We were on our way for a little well-deserved retail therapy at Bloomingdales during our lunch hour, when we saw this stache-adorned MUNI bus stop ad of Selma Blair on Mission at 4th. It's nice to know that mustaches are still as hilarious today as they were to us in, well, the decade between the 70s and 90s.

Okay, there's a very troubling article in today's New York Times about a road trip with Laura Albert (reg. req'd.).

We had been a proud, satisfied owner of an Apple PowerBook for a little over two years (and a blue-and-white G3 for five years before that) when it all went quickly downhill last November. Our computer started making these frightening, crackling, static, grinding noises, accompanied by nonsensical beeps, and then it crashed hard. We did an "erase and reinstall," which bought us about two weeks. Then, we had to pay our first somewhat quick...

You might want to wait before buying an iPhone.

You have questions, we have answers.

The SFPD arrested the guy who murdered the anti-crime activist in the Haight, Joe Konopka, in an S&M session gone wrong. They believe Konopka, who was found handcuffed, choked to death on plastic covering his face. After Konopka died, the murderer took his laptop, jewelry, and cell phone before fleeing the scene.

We're all for technology that simplifies and informs, but sometimes we see a new service that sounds a little silly to us. eWine Match allows you to text message an ingredient or cuisine type to a very easy-to-remember number (411511); the service will respond with a few options that'd fit.

The City Attorney's gone through all the residency documents that beleaguered Burlingame boy and erstwhile supposed San Francisco Supervisor Ed Jew provided last week, and ---- baaaaaaaaahmp -- (that's supposed to be a buzzer sound like when you guess something that's not on the board on Family Feud): the City Attorney has concluded that the documents currently on file are insufficient to demonstrate that Ed Jew lives in San Francisco. Oh no, Ed Jew!

The CHP is recommending to the Solano County DA's office that they press reckless driving charges against State Senator Carole Migden, for her wild, lane-changing, simultaneous cell-phone-talking and paperwork-reading 30-mile drive in Fairfield, culminating in a fender-bender. Reckless driving is a misdemeanor and has a max penalty of $1000 and/or 6 months in jail.

We had just opened our laptop this evening on our ride back across the Bay when a dialog popped up: "None of your usual wireless networks could be found. Do you want to join wifi_rail?"

Guess who's back talking about MUNI for the ABC 7 I-Team?????? (4:33 on the video). Since Gavin hasn't done anything outrageous lately, Dan Noyes turns his attention to the perennial favorite of complaining about MUNI -- this time discovering the name of the driver who's gotten the most citizen complaints (for ignoring a beating at the back of the bus, refusing to call the police on pickpockets, and swearing at passengers, to name a few.) SFist MattyMatt is, awesomely, playing the role of expert MUNI rider activist in this clip. "It's up to the people who actually use Muni .... to come in and say, 'All right, well we expect more. We want Muni to be better than it is.'" Hear, hear!! (And we love your shirt, SFist MattyMatt!)

This week we'd like to congratulate the -ist network's Mother Hen, Gothamist's Jen Chung, who found herself a recipient of Wired Magazine's Wired Rave Award. If that doesn't sound terribly exciting, keep in mind another recipient was J.K. Rowling. Yep, that's right, the -ist network and Harry Potter now have something in common. Go us.

Photos from San Francisco's Critical Mass, April 2007

In an effort to crack down on people riding in the carpool lane without being in an actual carpool, State Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria) is asking you, the commuter, to pitch in and help. Mainly by snitching on people who are breaking the law, breaking the law.

Spring is when we get busy here in the Ist-A-Verse. Very busy. But, after staying bundled-up indoors all winter, it's nice for us to be out, about, and collecting things to write about for you. Here's a glimpse at what's been keeping your favorite citybloggers busily away from home and out of bed.

We couldn't help but notice this letter to the editor in Sunday's Sporting Green: