Gadgets Blog » cell phone

As a former reporter, I always hated the lack of flexibility in courtrooms for members of the media. I remember sitting in the courtroom for hours writing like a mad man to try and get the gist of the testimony, some great direct quotes and more.

It would have been much easier if I had a tape recorder; I could have used it and just went back over the tape later in the office. I understand the need for the unobtrusive nature of justice, and neither the defense nor the prosecution wants to have some stupid reason for a mistrial.

Things have suddenly gotten a little easier for reporters in Wales and England after an official proclamation that they can tweet court reporting live using silent portable devices. Reporters must first formally request the ability to use Twitter in every court case and then only if the device is silent and will not disrupt proceedings.

This is a major coup for reporters who would otherwise have to leave the courtroom periodically to live blog or tweet something outside and potentially miss important proceedings. The law is still rather new, and only time will tell how it will be used and abused. We reporters are fond of breaking or bending the rules as far as we can.

In the U.S., cell phones are not even allowed into courtrooms, at least in the ones I frequented as a reporter, so tweeting and messaging a court case is impossible. It will take sweeping changes in the sensibilities of the U.S. court system to allow such a law here in the states.

Underground public transit: perhaps the darkest black hole of gadget technology. While items like laptops and cell phones allow us to stay connected to the world on the go, places with poor reception can be frustrating and cause interruptions in gadget use. For commuters who require extensive electronic use as a part of their jobs, this can be more than just an inconvience. These “black holes” of reception, however, are coming to an end for New York City commuters. Earlier this week, the city announced that they would begin installation of WiFi and cell phone service in the New York Subway.

According to an article at “ArsTechnica,” the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York has been looking for a contractor to make these installations for some time now. They’ve finally reached an agreement with a company called Transit Wireless to bring service for all major cell phone providers and internet connections for laptops and iPads alike. The focus has been to provide service at subway stations, but according to the article, the structure of the subway tunnels will allow for service to be broadcast up and down the tracks.