Sunday, March 31, 2013

Distractions during Left Turns Can Be Deadly


Los Angeles car accident lawyers have always known that left-hand turns, especially at intersections, can be challenging maneuvers with a high accident risk.  According to a new study, the brain is put under a great deal of pressure and strain, when a person is navigating a left turn while driving.  When there are distractions during a maneuver like this, a person's risk of an accident increases.
Canadian researchers who found that motorists required greater brainpower when they were making left turns at intersections, than when they were making other types of maneuvers conducted the study.  Intersections are already accident magnets, and when a person is distracted by a cell phone conversation when he's making a left turn at such dangerous areas, the risk of an accident, which is already high, is magnified further.
The research involved hooking subjects on to digital MRI machines, which were then used to scan brain images when the persons were making left turns.  The researchers studied the brain areas that were activated when the person was driving straight, and when he was making simple left turns.
They found in their analysis of the scans, that when a person made a left turn in traffic, there was dramatically increased activity in the area of the brain that is involved in spatial navigation, visual processing and motor coordination.  In other words, this area of the brain is under great stress or pressure when the person is making a left turn, because he has to look out for pedestrians, and keep a watch for other cars that may pose an accident risk.  In contrast, a person is not under such great stress when he is making a right-hand turn.
The researchers found that if the motorists were distracted while they were making a left turn, there was a dramatically increased risk of an accident.  They found that a motorist, who was having a cell phone conversation when making a left turn, was at a higher risk of being involved in an accident.

Saturday, March 30, 2013

iPhone Breathalyzer Helps Prevent DUI


The launch of a breathalyzer device that can be plugged into a smart phone to give you an instant reading of the alcohol in your system could signal yet another way for motorists who have had a few drinks to avoid getting arrested for DUI.  Los Angeles DUI lawyers believe that this device could be useful to determine whether a motorist can drive safely after having had a few drinks.
The breathalyzer device is called a breathometer, and can be plugged into your iPhone.  The device was launched recently, and has been designed to be plugged into both android and iPhone handsets.
According to the designers of the breathometer, the device allows a user to check his breath alcohol level at any given time and at any given place.  The device determines your breath alcohol levels and gives you an accurate reading, so that you can avoid being arrested for DUI. 
The developers also plan on developing software that will enable the program to offer to call a cab for you if it determines that your breath alcohol level is much too high for you to be driving safely.
The device is small, and convenient enough for you to carry around in your pocket.  Now, with this device, all that you need to check your breath alcohol is to plug in the device into your iPhone, and get a fairly accurate reading of the alcohol content in your breath.  That means that you have a fairly good idea of whether you're risking a DUI arrest, by driving after having a few drinks.  The device is activated by launching a special app on the smart phone, and then blowing into a small grill that has been placed on top of the device.
The device has only now been introduced to the public, but production has not begun yet.  The device is expected to be made officially available to the public over the next few months.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Los Angeles Building Small Parks to Keep Sex Offenders Out


More discrimination against persons who have been convicted of sex crimes is underway in the city of Los Angeles, where city officials have announced that they will establish several small parks, in order to keep people with sex crime convictions on their records out of the neighborhood. 
According to Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino, the large population of persons convicted of sex crimes in Los Angeles has created uneasiness among residents in the city.  Two districts- Harbor Gateway and Wilmington - will be the site of the proposed new parks.
In fact, according to the New York Times, such plans are being made across the country and not just in California.  Many cities are in the process of building small parks, with the exclusive purpose of keeping sex offenders out of these neighborhoods.  These parks are very tiny, and in some cases, they measure just a few hundred square feet.  For instance, one of the proposed parks in Harbor Gateway is just about 1000 ft.², which makes for a really small play space, and is unlikely to be of much use to children.
However, Los Angeles criminal defense lawyers find that this hasn’t fazed city officials, who openly declare that the only reason they're building these parks is to keep persons with sex crime convictions on their record out of the neighborhood.  All these plans are being made under Jessica's Law, which requires persons convicted of sex crimes who have been released on parole to live more than 2,000 feet away from schools, parks, playgrounds and anywhere children gather.
At least 2 parks are being planned for Wilmington which happens to be an industrial district, and 3 parts are being planned in Harbor Gateway.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Judge Rules Xbox Does Not Infringe Google Patent


Fans of Xbox can relax.  A US judge has ruled that Microsoft's Xbox system does not violate Google's Motorola Mobility patent.  The decision was made by the US International Trade Commission Judge David Shaw, who decided to take Microsoft's side in this case.
The Xbox is the most popular game console in this country, reporting higher sales every year than Sony PlayStation or Nintendo’s Wii.  Last year alone, the Xbox generated more than $9.6 million in sales, and accounted for 13% of Microsoft's revenue.
In 2010, Motorola Mobility filed a complaint with the International Trade Commission, in retaliation for a demand made by Microsoft for royalties on Motorola cell phones that used Google’s Android Operating System.  That led to allegations by Microsoft as well as regulators that Motorola Mobility was abusing its patents to limit competition. 
In January, Motorola Mobility dropped at least 2 video-decoding patent lawsuits.  That decision came after Google settled with the US Federal Trade Commission, and reached an agreement regarding how the company would deal with patents related to standards applied to the industry. 
In April last year, the judge decided that 4 out of the 5 patents in this case were infringed.  However, the International Trade Commission asked him to review the case again.
Patent infringement litigation is a complicated area of law, because it includes not just legal aspects but also technological aspects.  These lawsuits revolve around which individual or which company is the legitimate owner of the patent, and has the right to use the ideas included in the patent. 
If you are a patent owner, who believes that his property has been wrongfully infringed on by the use, distribution, manufacture and sale of a product that uses the patent, contact a California patent infringement lawyer to learn how you can protect your rights.
 
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