California court: Drivers can use smartphone maps, for now

Google Maps (left) and Apple Maps on smartphones.

(Credit:Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)

Texting or chatting on the phone while driving is illegal in California, but the law seems still to be catching up with technology when it comes to other aspects of smartphone use behind the wheel.

A court of appeals has reversed an earlier court decision that ruled map reading on a cell phone was taboo under the law, according to the Associated Press. The 5th District Court of Appeal said the law currently applies only to talking and texting on mobile devices and doesn't yet have legal language for app use.

The case came about in January 2012 after Fresno resident Steven Spriggs got a ticket for checking his iPhone 4 map when he was caught in a traffic jam, according to the AP. While he was searching for a better route on his phone, a California Highway Patrol officer stopped him and fined him $165.

Related storiesGoogle Maps Gallery debuts as Web's interactive digital atlasGoogle Maps charts the frozen home of the polar bearNokia's Here Maps to expand to all Windows 8.1 devicesBehold Google Street View's Taj Mahal imageryGoogle Map Maker expands to more corners of Europe After losing a challenge to the case in traffic court, Spriggs appealed the ticket to a Fresno County Superior Court. He lost again. Undeterred, he brought the case to the district court of appeals.

The panel of appellate judges ruled in favor of Spriggs, saying California law stipulates that "listening and talking" on cell phones without a hands-free device is illegal, but it doesn't specify other ways in which phone use is unlawful, according to the AP.

While this is a clear win for Spriggs, and he'll be able to get back his $165, the case could be appealed by the state attorney general's office to the California Supreme Court.

Topics: Smartphones, Apps, Corporate and legal Tags: California, law, appeals court, texting while driving, driving, smartphone, fine, map app, talking while driving

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Google Barge bids farewell to San Francisco, to make Stockton its new California home

Still think of the Google Barge as a wacky idea from a company that makes more money than it knows what to do with? Well, Mountain View will soon prove that a floating building has its merits: for one, when the company gets in trouble with authorities, it can get the hell out of dodge... literally. According to CNET, the vessel is slated to set sail to Stockton, California, after it was discovered in early February that it didn't have a construction permit in San Francisco. The barge is still a work in progress (hence the need for the proper paperwork), but once it's done, it will showcase the company's more avant-garde creations like Glass, autonomous cars and other projects from Google X's lab.

Google's moving because the 35-day window it got from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission to secure a permit is almost up. Without the permit, Google's liable to be fined up to $30,000. Clearly, even though 30 grand is pocket change for the tech giant, it chose to pack its bags and finish construction in friendlier waters (read: outside BCDC's jurisdiction). A rep from the Treasure Island neighborhood (where the barge is currently moored) said the vessel could leave as soon as next week, and since Stockton's just on the other side of the bay from SF, it'll be there in no time. Fingers crossed that Google can now focus on finishing construction, because we can't wait to confirm if the barge's party deck exists.

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Source: CNET

Tags: barge, california, google, googlebarge, projectx, sanfrancisco Next: Netflix engineers experiment with bump-based video sharing and sleep tracking .fyre .fyre-comment-divider

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California Court Rules In Favor Of Using Cellphone Maps While Driving

Good news, Californians. You can now, once again, use Google Maps on your phone while driving. That is, legally. Until this court ruling, map use was in a shady legal gray area.

This comes two years after a Fresno, Calif., man was ticketed for looking at a map on his iPhone while stuck in construction. He was looking for an alternative route. As you do. The cop issued the $165 ticket under a law that prohibits listening and talking on cellphones while driving.

The man thankfully challenged the law and won.

The 5th District Court of Appeal reversed the ticket on the ground that the law specifically limits the use of “listening and talking” without the use of a hands-free device, but does not apply to other uses of the phone.

Next up, Californian man challenges traffic ticket issued for playing Threes while driving.

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