San Francisco approved the ordinance in July, which passed in a 10-1 vote, and asked retailers to post “general warnings” about risks. However, the CTIA says the city may actually be causing users to rethink using their cell phones during an emergency. “The City’s warning materials create the false impression that the FCC’s standards are insufficient, suggest that phones are dangerous, and urge consumers to limit their use and turn them off when not in use,” the CTIA said. “If the millions of wireless subscribers in the Bay Area heed the City’s misguided warning to avoid cell phones, use them less, and turn them off when not in use, it will limit the value and convenience cell phones provide and impact public safety by limiting access to 911 and emergency alerts that can save lives in emergencies.”

The World Health Organization recently said cell phones are “possibly carcinogenic,” but The Economist quickly shot the report down and said devices do not cause cancer. Researchers who studied the WHO report also said there is evidence “increasingly against the hypothesis that mobile phone use can cause brain tumors in adults.” The CTIA’s full press release follows below.

CTIA-The Wireless Association® Files Challenge to San Francisco’s “Cell Phone Right-to-Know” Ordinance

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2011 – Today, CTIA-The Wireless Association® asked a federal court to block the enforcement of San Francisco’s “Cell Phone Right-to-Know” ordinance. CTIA’s challenge argues that the Ordinance is barred under the First Amendment and conflicts with federal law governing the safety of wireless devices.

As CTIA explains in its motion, the Ordinance requires retailers to distribute misleading statements and graphics that send the false message that cell phones approved by the FCC are not safe.   In fact, the FCC limits radiofrequency emissions from cell phones to ensure that phones sold in the U.S. emit RF energy far below levels shown in scientific testing to have any adverse health effects.  The FCC’s standard includes a wide margin of safety for all users.  Last year the FDA categorically concluded that there is “No Evidence Linking Cell Phone Use to Risk of Brain Tumors,” and earlier this year the Chairman of the FCC, Julius Genachowski, said that he was “confident that [the FCC's] standards are protecting the health of people.”

CTIA-The Wireless Association Vice President of Public Affairs John Walls released the following statement:

“The materials the City would require be posted and handed out at retail stores are both alarmist and false.  The FCC and FDA have repeatedly found that cell phone use does not pose a danger to human health.  The Ordinance recommends such things as turning the phone off when not in use, a suggestion that would render critical emergency communications unavailable to San Francisco residents.”

BACKGROUND

In July 2010, CTIA filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California challenging an earlier version of the Ordinance that would have required retailers to post misleading information about the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) values for each cell phone they sold.  In response to the lawsuit, the City amended the Ordinance to eliminate the SAR disclosure requirement.  But the City’s second version of the law is even worse than its first.  The new Ordinance directly challenges the FCC’s determination that wireless handsets are safe by mandating that retailers tell consumers that there are “potential health effects” from FCC-compliant cell phones and that they should use their phones less and keep them turned off.  It also requires that retailers post and distribute alarmist graphics and misleading statements that send a clear message that the RF energy emitted from these phones is dangerous and should be avoided.

CTIA seeks a preliminary injunction from the Court because the City has set the compliance date for later this month.  The City’s warning materials create the false impression that the FCC’s standards are insufficient, suggest that phones are dangerous, and urge consumers to limit their use and turn them off when not in use.  The materials also suggest, without any credible scientific basis, that children are at special risk.  If the millions of wireless subscribers in the Bay Area heed the City’s misguided warning to avoid cell phones, use them less, and turn them off when not in use, it will limit the value and convenience cell phones provide and impact public safety by limiting access to 911 and emergency alerts that can save lives in emergencies.

Apple employees must love a good drink. An Apple employee has, yet again, lost an unreleased iPhone prototype in a bar, according to CNET. The iPhone was lost in Cava22, a bar in San Francisco’s Mission District, late last month and Apple quickly tried to recover the lost device. The Cupertino-based company tracked the phone to a house in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights where investigators spoke to “a man in his twenties” who had been at Cava22 the day the iPhone was lost. The man denied knowing about the phone, despite a cash and “no questions asked” offer from Apple, and nothing was found when the man gave police permission to search his home. The phone was reportedly later sold on Craigslist for $200 to an unknown buyer according to CNET’s source, though it is unclear how the source gained knowledge of the sale. Last year, Gizmodo purchased a lost iPhone 4 prototype and published photos of the handset before it was unveiled. Apple is expected to announce its next-generation iPhone in October.Read

The city of San Francisco has approved an ordinance that will require cell phone retailers to warn customers about the dangers of cell phone radiation, the Los Angeles Times reported on Thursday. The ordinance, which was passed in a 10-1 vote, asks that phone retailers “post general warnings” about risks. It’s unclear what exactly will be required of the retailers, and researchers have flip-flopped on whether or not there are any real risks associated with mobile wireless devices. On May 31st, the World Health Organization published a report that said cell phones are “possibly carcinogenic,” but The Economist fired back shortly after and said there’s no way the devices cause cancer. A second group wrote published a separate report in an issue of Environmental Health Perspectives and argued there is evidence “increasingly against the hypothesis that mobile phone use can cause brain tumors in adults.” A similar law was passed last year that required cell phone makers to publish specific absorption rate (SAR) figures on boxes of cell phones, but the CTIA sued before the law took effect. 

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In a blog post that announced PayPal now has 100 million active accounts, PayPal president Scott Thompson also discussed the future of the mobile payment space. “We believe that by 2015 digital currency will be accepted everywhere in the U.S. – from your local corner store to Walmart,” Thompson said. “We will no longer need to carry a wallet.” As part of that goal, the company has asked five residents in the San Francisco Bay area to use digital currency for all of their purchases and, presumably, PayPal will pick up the tab. While we love Thompson’s optimism, that sounds like a tough task. Google recently announced its Google Wallet application, which will allow customers to use a Nexus S smartphone to purchase goods at a number of retailers, but you’d still be hard pressed to find anywhere that accepts it as payment for the time being. We suppose they could use a PayPal debit card — but that would still require a wallet. Oh well, there’s always Starbucks.

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It’s a beautiful day in San Francisco, California today — the perfect setting for the Google’s 2011 global developer conference, better known as Google I/O. The battalion of Google staffers is currently putting the finishing touches on the Moscone Center before it’s swarmed by Android enthusiasts, developers and the press, and we’re here to bring you the action live. What does Google have up its sleeves for this year? We’ll find out soon enough. The Day 1 keynote kicks off at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time, 12:00 p.m. Eastern, and we’ll be live blogging it right here in this post. Be sure to check back then for the live coverage, and don’t forget to refresh the page for all the details as they break!

11:43AM:We've found out seats! There is a great buzz in the room. Google VP Andy Rubin is a few rows in front of us, and we're ready to rock. T-minus 17 minutes!

11:50AM:Here's what we see on stage: a Life Fitness exercise bike, a main speaking podium, a podium left of center with a video-based projector and a few Apple laptops, and a right of center podium with two Android devices hooked up to speakers.

11:54AM:Five minute warning. Get your popcorn ready!

11:58AM:Voice over PA: "We should begin in 2 minutes."

12:01PM:Now taking the stage, senior Vice President Vic Gondtra

12:02PM:"We want to thank you for making Android the global phenomenon it has become. This year, for the first time we did something new. We allowed developers to set up their own viewing parties."

12:03PM:"We are humbled by your enthusiasm and thank you for sharing your most precious resource: your time."

12:04PM:

12:04PM:

12:04PM:"Today we are going to focus on three things: mobile, momentum, and 'more'"

12:05PM:"Remember this device?" *holds up a G1* "We were on one carrier in one country, and now, we're everywhere."

12:06PM:"We've activated over 100 million ANdroid devices worldwide."

12:06PM:"There are over 312 devices in over 120 countries."

12:07PM:"Today we're activating over 400,000 Android devices every day."

12:07PM:"Today, we've announced that we've hit over 200,000 apps in the ANdroid Market."

12:08PM:"It took the Android ecosystem to see 1B application installs. 5 months to get to 2B. And today, we have 4.5B application installs."

12:09PM:"This wraps up the momentum section. Now we're going to cover Mobile and show you 2 exciting new services that we're announcing today."

12:09PM:We're about to see some demos!

12:10PM:"Today, we're announcing Android 3.1 for Verizon XOOM owners."

12:12PM:New features include: a new multitasking functionality, resizable widgets, Android 3.1 devices can act like USB hosts (allows you to download images directly from digital camera to tablet; supports game controllers, keyboards, mice, etc.)

12:13PM:"Android 3.1 is not just for tablets, it's coming to Android 3.1 this summer. Google TV will also be getting the Android Market."

12:14PM:"Let's look a little further down the road. Our next mobile release: Ice Cream Sandwich. We're targeting a Q4 launch and it will be our most ambitious launch to date."

12:15PM:"We're taking our Honeycomb holographic UI and mutitaking UI to Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS from now on)."

12:18PM:We're seeing a demo of head tracking and OpenGL. Running on the GPU, the device's camera can track your movements and orient the screen and applications to your point of view.

12:19PM:"Now we're going to shift topics and talk about media. We're going to announce a new service."

12:20PM:"Starting today, users can rent movies from the Android Market and stream them directly to their devices using the cloud."

12:22PM:"Movies have a 30-day rental period. Once you being watching you'll have 24-hours to complete viewing. You can also stream the movie over your browser and watch on your computer."

12:22PM:"We enable offline viewing with a feature called 'pinning'. What this means is that these movies will be automatically downloaded to the device and viewable offline; like when you're on an airplane."

12:23PM:"In addition to playing back movies we can rent movies directly from a smartphone or tablet. There is a new section in the Market with categories and featured content; similar to the applications and books sections."

12:25PM:"Verizon XOOM 3G users will begin getting Android 3.1 today and it will include the movies rental feature. It will be available on smartphones running Android 2.2 and higher in the next few weeks."

12:25PM:"We just talked about movies, what's the other content we love?" MUSIC!

12:26PM:Paul Joyce is on stage: "Today we're introducing Music Beta by Google. No wires, no syncing. You music is stored in the cloud so you can stop worrying about storage and starting enjoying your music."

12:27PM:"Applications will be available for both PC and Mac. It will help you get the content you already own into the cloud."

12:28PM:"We have a new feature called 'Instant mix'. Select a song and Instant Mix picks 25 songs that are similar. Unlike other services, Mix actually listens to your track and finds similar sounds tracks... it's truly ingenius." ZING!

12:29PM:"My phone connects to the cloud. I'll never have to use a cable to get songs on my device again!"

12:30PM:"We cache music that is recently played. So you instantly have access to songs when offline. You can also pin songs to your device, making them available offline at all times."

12:31PM:"The best part? If I get a brand new phone all I have to do is sign in, my music is now right there right away."

12:32PM:"We're really excited about this service. We're rolling it out in beta today, you can add up to 20,000 songs to your library and... at least while it's in beta... the service is free."

12:32PM:"It will roll out in stages, to the U.S. only at first. All those attending Google IO that are based in the United States will get an invite (eat your heart out), others interested can visit music.google.com/about to apply for the beta."

12:34PM:"We're creating a new team that will determine how quickly devices will get updates when we push out new Android platforms and for how long they will get those updates."

12:34PM:"We're jointly announcing today, that devices from our partners will receive updates for 18 months as long as the hardware allows."

12:35PM:"Now we want to talk about 'more'. ABout our vision for the future."

12:36PM:"

12:37PM:"Today we're announcing Android Open Accesory" which will provide hardware makers the ability to create hardware that will work with any mobile device."

12:38PM:We're seeing a demo of the Life Fitness bike controlling gameplay on an Android devices that encourages and tracks progress.

12:39PM:Open Accessory supports USB now and will support Bluetooth in the future. They are also releasing a hardware development boards."

12:40PM:We're seeing a demo of someone moving a XOOM tablet that is controlling a physical labyrinth board.

12:41PM:More information is at accessories.android.com

12:42PM:"This program is completely open. No NDAs, no feeds, no restrictions."

12:43PM:"So we're going to go one step further and talk about what the ultimate accessory is: your home. We call this vision ANdroid@Home."

12:44PM:"We want to think of every device in your home as a potential Android IO device."

12:44PM:We're seeing a demo "Hello World" type application that is controlling the stage lights.

12:46PM:"To bring this vision to reality we're partnering with Lighting Science. You can buy Android@Home light bulbs beginning later this year."

12:48PM:Next, we're working on something called Project Tungsten. You can enjoy your music throughout your house, syncronized, via this Tungsten boxes. And these protocols will be completely open to developers."

12:51PM:We're getting a recap of what we've covered.

12:53PM:We're seeing the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1... and we're all getting one.

12:54PM:Thank you and have a great Google IO. That's it folks. Thanks for tuning in!

A Pennsylvania man has filed a class action lawsuit against Apple in a U.S. District Court in San Francisco alleging that the firm deliberately targets children with free applications that have appealing in-app purchases. Garen Maguerian believes that kids are purchasing in-app content and unknowingly costing their parents bundles of cash. In-app purchases are a great way to purchase extra content, such as levels or characters, in games. However, games such as Smurf’s Village or FarmVille can charge up to $99.99 for extra content that can be used to advance further in the game. “These games are highly addictive, designed deliberately so, and tend to compel children playing them to purchase large quantities of Game Currency, amounting to as much as $100 per purchase or more,” the suit says. Maguerian believes Apple is fostering these actions by allowing children to buy currency with the same iTunes App Store password they use to download free games. Since minors are entering the agreement with Apple to pay-up, Maguerian thinks that the contracts are not valid. “Apple has not offered to return to its account holders any of the millions of dollars it received from their minor children’s purchases,” Maguerian said in the lawsuit, which he is seeks refunds (including interest), damages, and legal fees.

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Earlier today, Apple announced that it will be holding its annual Worldwide Developers Conference from June 6th to June 10th in San Francisco where it said that it will “unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS.” That suggests that Apple may stray from its usual schedule of announcing an updated iPhone during the show each year. “You get caught up in patterns, and it holds true, until it doesn’t,” Michael Gartenberg, an analyst with Gartner, told The Loop. “There is no reason for Apple to follow a predictable yearly pattern, and it keeps their competition off guard a little bit.” We’ll be honest, it would be pretty disappointing to many Apple fans if this deviation was true, but we’re skeptical. It makes perfect sense for Apple to announce the new hardware alongside an updated iOS platform with developers in the room. Why stray from what works?

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In a post on its official news site today, Apple announced that this year’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) will be held from June 6th through the 10th at San Francisco’s Moscone West conference center. The software-centric, annual event provides developers and enthusiasts a glimpse at what the Cupertino company’s software roadmap looks like. “At this year’s conference we are going to unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS,” said Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, Phil Schiller. “If you are an iOS or Mac OS X software developer, this is the event that you do not want to miss.” Interested parties can purchase tickets from Apple’s developer website.

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[Via Engadget]

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There has been a lot of talk (and even some leaked video) but that didn’t stop Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, who is currently on a medical leave, from appearing just seconds ago on stage at Apple’s iPad event in San Francisco. Steve Jobs introduced the new iPad 2 and even, in typical Jobs fashion, through out some digs at competitors in the space.

Apple will announce its next-generation iPad tablet at a special media event on March 2nd, The Wall Street Journal reports. The report, found on The Journal’s BoomTown blog, cites multiple sources with its claim and further supports an earlier report that the iPad 2 release will not be delayed. Apple will hold the event in San Francisco to announce its new tablet, as usual, and it is unclear whether or not Apple CEO Steve Jobs will be on hand to unveil the device. Jobs is currently on medical leave, so it stands to reason that he will not be in attendance. In that case, Tim Cook will likely run the show as he did during Jobs’ last medical leave. Press has not begun receiving invitations for the event yet, though they should begin arriving soon if The Journal’s report is accurate.

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What’s better than a hotspot? A hotzone of course. Yesterday, the nation’s second largest cellular provider, AT&T, announced a new initiative that will bring free Wi-Fi to large, populous areas. The move will, according to the announcement, “supplement” mobile broadband coverage in certain areas. “Following a successful pilot program, AT&T today announced plans to expand its deployment of AT&T Wi-Fi hotzones to additional locations in major markets, starting with the expansion of its existing Times Square Wi-Fi hotzone and new hotzones near Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick’s Cathedral,” reads the press release. “In addition, AT&T plans to launch its next Wi-Fi hotzone in San Francisco’s popular Embarcadero Center.” AT&T says hotzones will “enhance the broadband experience for AT&T customers” who live in these urban areas.

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Honoring a verbal commitment it reiterated last week, U.S. wireless provider Sprint has officially launched its 4G, WiMAX network in San Francisco, California. “The Bay Area is responsible for creating so much new technology and today we are bringing the power of 4G to our customers in that region who are hungry for fast mobile broadband,” said Sprint’s president of 4G, Matt Carter. “The introduction of Sprint 4G will be a great asset for this area, and we encourage customers to try it by using one of our well-regarded 4G mobile devices.” SF becomes Sprint’s 71st market to be officially anointed with the 4G signal. If you’re in the Bay Area, let us know what kind of speeds you’re seeing.

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Coming in just a hair under its self-imposed deadline, Sprint is set to launch its WiMAX network in San Francisco and the surrounding area next week. Beginning December 28th, subscribers with WiMAX-enabled devices like the Sprint Overdrive and HTC EVO 4G will have access to Sprint’s 4G network in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Silicon Valley and other Bay Area cities. Sprint currently offers a $60 monthly plan for unlimited WiMAX service alongside its 4G laptop dongles or its Overdrive portable hotspot. Sprint’s 4G service is also available as part of a $10 enhanced data add-on with compatible smartphones.

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Despite being slightly overshadowed by a certain announcement from Verizon Wireless, MetroPCS announced Wednesday the launch of its “4G” LTE network in San Francisco and the surrounding areas. San Francisco joins Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Detroit and Dallas-Forth Worth in the growing list of markets now covered by MetroPCS’ LTE network. MetroPCS plans to expand its 4G services to cover Atlanta, Boston, Jacksonville, Miami, New York, Orlando, Sacramento and Tampa between during the course of December and early 2011. Currently, MetroPCS only has one LTE-compatible cell phone available — the Samsung Craft, which is available for $299 with no contract. The carrier also has two available 4G service plans: a $55 “4G” plan, which includes unlimited nationwide calling, text messaging, picture messaging and 4G data; and a $60 “4G Premium” plan, which adds unlimited on demand video.

MetroPCS Launches 4G LTE Network in San Francisco Metropolitan Area

Experience Unlimited 4G LTE Mobile Broadband with the Entertainment-Rich Samsung Craft^TM

DALLAS – (Dec. 1, 2010) – MetroPCS Communications Inc. (NYSE: PCS) today launched unlimited, no annual contract 4G LTE services in the San Francisco metropolitan area starting at $55 per month including taxes and regulatory fees. Accessible on the world’s first commercially available 4G LTE handset, the Samsung Craft^TM, MetroPCS’ 4G LTE network allows consumers to do more with unlimited talk, text and enhanced entertainment and web browsing features.

“We can’t add hours to the day, but we can help consumers do more in the hours they have. With easy access to social networks and enhanced web browsing capabilities, our customers can stay on top of the latest news, access their favorite content through MetroSTUDIO^SM, and keep up with friends, family and colleagues,” said Roger D. Linquist, president, CEO and chairman of MetroPCS. “As the only no annual contract, pay-in-advance service provider offering 4G LTE services, MetroPCS continues to deliver the innovative, flexible and affordable services our customers rely on.”

The Samsung Craft is available in-store in all MetroPCS markets or online for $299 plus tax after the $50 instant rebate, while supplies last. Customers can take advantage of all MetroPCS 4G LTE has to offer with the Samsung Craft, including:

•MetroSTUDIO, powered by RealNetworks, available on the $60 service plan, delivers full-track downloads, ringtones and ring-back tones, as well as premium video content from NBC Universal, Black Entertainment Television (BET) and Univision, available on-demand from one easy-to-use application.
•A social networking and instant messaging application which harnesses notifications, friends and content from Facebook, MySpace and Twitter and AIM, MSN and Yahoo! IM clients into a single interface that’s accessible with one click.
•Upgraded MetroNavigator^® feature includes new voice-activated GPS and turn-by-turn directions.

The Samsung Craft features a brilliant 3.3 inch AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) screen for a better video experience, and comes with a 2GB MicroSD card pre-loaded with Paramount Pictures’ hit movie “Star Trek – The Future Begins.” The Samsung Craft also contains a combination touch screen, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, Samsung’s TouchWiz^TM user interface to surf and text message, 3.2 megapixel camera with flash, camcorder and is Wi-Fi capable.

With today’s launch in the San Francisco metropolitan area, MetroPCS now provides 4G LTE services in six metropolitan areas, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. MetroPCS has plans to expand its 4G services into more major metropolitan areas later this year and into early 2011, including Atlanta, Boston, Jacksonville, Miami, New York, Orlando, Sacramento and Tampa.

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