There's a remarkably impressive cell phone bill in Congress, and no, we don't mean that somebody in Congress just accumulated a cell phone bill that's enough to give someone more than a headache.

Senators Amy Klobuchar and Jay Rockefeller just revealed their proposed legislation, dubbed the Cell Phone Consumer Empowerment Act of 2007, that will greatly benefit cell phone users all over the US. Don't believe it? Read on to find out.

Distressed with Early Termination Fees? The two senators propose that the ETF be reduced to only half the amount after one year; this is especially useful for people who just have to cancel their service a few months or weeks before the end of their contract.

Klobuchar and Rockefeller also thought up of something very useful for consumers: a visual map of all network providers in a given area. This way, people will be able to make informed choices before signing a contract with a network provider.

As for Armed Service Personnel - those who frequently leave the their hometown or country and thus may have to shut down their subscriptions at inopportune moments - the two senators suggested that those who work in the military should be absolved of any cellular contracts once they receive orders to leave the country for a period of not less than three months or 90 days.

Such legislation certainly means less headaches for cellular phone users. Will the bill be implemented? Do check this space to find out.

Click on the Read link to read the summary of the entire bill!

With Apple's iPhone now out, the Internet rumor mill has turned its attention onto other smartphones. Today we have some interesting - and, please note, unconfirmed - rumors about LG's new Windows Mobile smartphone.

According to Arne Hess of The Unwired, the new LG smartphone is reportedly being readied for "a semi-exclusive cross-European launch in September". The phone will reportedly have Windows Mobile 6 Professional as well as UMTS.

Furthermore, HSDPA support remains unconfirmed along with the smartphone's supported GSM and UMTS bands. The LG Windows Mobile smartphone is also rumored to have Wi-Fi by default, but some carriers may choose not to activate it.

The design will be similar to the LG Prada and will be touchscreen-centric. The final phone will also reportedly not have the joystick or D-pad that the prototype seen at the 3GSM World Congress had.

  

Lucky Asians, they get the chance to take a peek, and perhaps bring home a g-smart PDA-phone from Gigabyte Communications called the i200. Now, we haven't really seen so many PDA-phones coming from the Taiwanese manufacturer Gigabyte, since they specialize in computer component parts. However, at the 3GSM Asia World Congress in Singapore, they did showcase a bunch of new gadgets of which the i200 was a standout.

The i200 packs a lot of punch, with features like onboard DVB-H and DVH-T receivers, 2.69-inch VGA touchscreen display, and a Crossbow (Windows Mobile) compatible OS.

But what we recognize as most Gigabyte-ish is the fact that most of their handsets feature ambient noise generator. You can customize your background noise so that the receiver of your call would perceive you're in a party when you're really just snoozing at home. The DVB-H and DVH-T receivers let you receive TV broadcasts and even record it -- with 512MB memory to boot. Throw in a few more features like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS capabilities and perhaps a bigger hard drive capacity, and this PDA-phone will make its way to the U.S. in no time. We're looking forward to it!

Gigabyte hasn't revealed the pricing for the i200 yet, but it's set to launch in the market early 2007.

It is not much of a secret - nor a surprise - that the homeless population in the U.S. has been rising steadily since the early 1980's, and has increased exponentially in the last five years. They have been marginalized and denigrated as men claiming to be "Christians" do their best to put them out of sight and out of mind.

The digital age is promising to change some of that.

Thanks to internet cafes, public libraries, and the fact that last year's state-of-the-art hardware can be had for a song, the homeless are increasingly making their presence known on-line.

HappyIvy, who runs a website called "AboutUsNow.com," lives in a bus without power nor plumbing. Nonetheless, thanks to public Wi-Fi, he's able to run a 24/7 online TV studio, record an album, write his memoirs and - to the terror of neoconservatives in Congress - is organizing a grassroots political movement.

Those clinging to survival in the urban jungle may be pushed into the shadows of society, but the digital divide is becoming irrelevant to these people. As Michael Stoops, director of the National Coalition For The Homeless points out, "More have e-mail than have post office boxes....the internet has been a big boon to the homeless." The new technology allows homeless persons to maintain contact with family members, helping many to get some kind of footing in society.

Although many homeless persons agree that the Internet has been empowering, it's not a panacea. Contrary to the official "party line" in the U.S., the causes of homelessness are many and complex, although virtually the entire problem is a result of grossly misplaced priorities and unconscionable economic policies. Nonetheless, if the Internet cannot take the homeless off the street, it can give them a voice.

Amidst the growth of the videogaming world, the mobile gaming industry has remained a contender in people's choice of entertainment. The international support received by the upcoming International Mobile Gaming Awards (IMGA) proves that mobile games are still an important sector of the entertainment and graphics industry.

Bringing us the third annual awards event for mobile gaming are Adobe, MOVIDA Group, Nokia, NVIDIA, and Texas Instruments. Sponsoring the event are Orange, the Khronos Group, Auchan and Belle de Mai Media Park, Marseille.

Formulated to encourage and reward the creativity of all leading studios and amateur mobile game developers prizes will be awarded for the the following categories:

• Grand Prix
• Most Innovative Game
• Best Interactive Experience
• Excellence in 3D
• Best Use of Connectivity

Students will aslo be able to partake in IMGA 2006 because the awards will also feature a separate competition for them. Aside from cash prizes, leading-edge gaming handsets, opportunities to attend top-level training camps, and an all-expenses-paid trip to the 3GSM World Conference 2007 in Barcelona are up for grabs.

Entrants who would like to compete in this year's IMGA are invited to submit initial proposals by 6pm CET 11 September 2006. The 20 best proposals will then be announced on September 20. Shortlisted entries will be given until 26 January 2007 to produce a demo version of their concept for judging. The winners will be announced at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona on February 14, 2007.

If you're interested in submitting your entries, full details are available in IMGA's official site.