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Segways banned in the Netherlands due to a "lack of brakes"
It looks like those serious about motoring around on their Segway might have to start crossing international boundaries in order to do so legally, as the Netherlands have now joined Japan and Britain in the growing list of countries which have outlawed the oft ridiculed (and potentially dangerous) personal vehicles. Dutch police have officially enjoined Segways "on all public roads, sidewalks, and bike paths," claiming that the lack of an onboard braking system prevents it from being categorized as a "vehicle" by the Royal Traffic Agency, which bars it from receiving a license plate and becoming a street-legal ride. Although a spokesman from the RTA actually commented that the Segway was "a nice vehicle," using the machines on public property is no longer permissible, but it was said that it could take some time before regulations are actually passed down and "enforced." Segway Netherlands director Piet Kruijt was (unsurprisingly) upset by the ruling, and claimed that he was "working on all fronts to get things resolved," and for nothing more than our sincere concern for the Amsterdam Segway Tours (saywha?) employees that are hoping to have work come March, we hope he's successful.[Via The Raw Feed]
Clarion's N.I.C.E. P200 in-car navigation batteries recalled
No, the word "recall" isn't entirely synonymous with "battery," but in this case, we're afraid the dreaded overheating Li-ion curse has struck again. This time the recall is hitting Clarion's N.I.C.E. P200 in-car navigation / entertainment unit, and the problem seems to be the same as nearly every other recall currently out -- it's too hot for comfort. Reportedly, about 2,500 units are potentially problematic, and with "four reports of the unit melting or overheating" due to a faulty Li-ion cell, the company isn't taking any chances. So if you've got the 4-inch flavor of Clarion's do-it-all with a serial number ended in "UE" or "UF," you should power that bad boy down immediately (and call for a free replacement) before that "NAVBATTERY" gets a little hot under the collar.
Aussies disregard the law, continue yapping while driving
While it should probably be a foregone conclusion that using your cellphone whilst driving isn't the safest approach to get from point A to point B, there's no denying that some folks are still passing the miles by yapping it up. While Americans have passed some legislation (or at least tried to) to quell the use of cellphones / handsfree devices while in the vehicle, the Aussies apparently aren't upholding their own laws. A George Institute road safety study has recently found that "60-percent" of drivers are using their handset in some form or fashion while cruising, while over "12-percent" admitted to actually constructing text messages while switching lanes and dodging traffic. Despite the hazardous nature of their actions, it appears that motorists are continuing to talk due to the lack of enforcement, as "70-percent" of those surveyed felt that they wouldn't be caught. While we're not exactly sure if driving talkers should go to prison (like in Malaysia), the cops from Down Under seemingly need to step it up a notch, but who says they aren't burning through the minutes with sirens blazing too, eh?
NTSB to bus drivers: don't talk and drive, pretty please
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]
Electricity may cause cancer, leukaemia, depression, etc.
Ok everyone, get your alarmist hats on tight over your already firmly planted tin-foil ones. We've heard the argument made before -- and believe us, it's a tough sell to us gadget dorks, but two official Department of Health reports, a Health Protection Agency (HPA) meeting, and the UN's World Health Organisation (WHO) have all convened on today's scary gadget-related disease du jour sure to make the hypochondriacs and "electric allergics" cringe with self-justification. The bend is to convince everyone that electromagnetic "smog" -- excessive electrical, radio, and microwave pollution -- could "interfere with the tiny natural electrical currents" of our nervous systems, as concluded by a National Radiological Protection Board survey that found children living close to power lines were developing leukaemia. Sure, that study might be getting a little post hoc ergo propter hoc on us, but the WHO and other health specialists are now beginning to blame electromagnetic fields as being a "likely cause" of up to 30% of childhood cancers, adult leukaemia, depression, brain cancers, possibly breast cancer, and even up to 1/10th of all miscarriages. Bold claims, and they kind of lost us when they got into the "allergic to electricity" argument, but hey, who are we to argue with peoples' gadgety ailments? Perhaps it's time for Engadget to pack up shop and move to the mountains to. Who's with us -- post-Engadget gadget-recovery commune? Nobody? Aight, we'll see this one through, then, like the rest of them.
Text and drive in Malaysia and go to jail
If you're in Malaysia and you plan on spending any time behind the wheel, you'd better curb any temptation to read or send text messages while on the road. Declaring that "using the SMS while driving is more dangerous than talking on the handphone," government officials have mandated jail time for DWT. Having seen more than our share of distracted drivers, we'd have to agree -- even if we have a soft sport for our fans in Malaysia.
