Mobile apps that warn drives of DUI checkpoints are the target of a group of senators who fired a letter to the mobile industry heavyweights.

The letter from Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Harry Reid, (D-NV), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), and Tom Udall (D-NM) was sent to Apple, Google and RIM.

The letter calls for the ban of DUI checkpoint apps. "With more than 10,000 Americans dying in drunk-driving crashes every year, providing access to iPhone and iPad applications that alert users to DUI checkpoints is harmful to public safety," they state in the letter.

There are a number of apps available in the major mobile software markets that alert drivers from DUI checkpoints to speed traps which often depend on crowdsourcing.

RIM has responded swiftly and committed to removing the apps.

"RIM's decision to remove these apps from their online store proves that when it comes to drunk driving, there should not be an app for that," said  Schumer in a statement Wednesday.

Should tweets on DUI checkpoints be banned?

As rumored, Motorola says its 10.1-inch tablet will be available as a Wi-Fi only model.

Today is the first day consumers can buy the uber-tablet Xoom from Motorola. It is also the first piece of hardware to hit shelves with Android 3.0 Honeycomb, an operating system optimized for tablets.

AT&T does not need an iPhone fighter, but it wants to broaden its line up with a variety of compelling devices for consumers who want choices.  The HTC Inspire comes early in a year that may be AT&T's greatest product stream so far. 

The smart phone can go toe-to-toe with the iPhone and even trumps the iPhone 4 in some categories. Take a look a the vitals.

    * 4G (HSPA+)
    * Android 2.2 platform with built-in Adobe Flash Player support
    * Next-generation HTC Sense platform with cloud services
    * 4.3" LCD capacitive display
    * 1 GHz Snapdragon processor with 4GB internal memory
      and microSD slot with 8GB card included
    * Mobile Hotspot support
    * 8MP camera with 720p HD video recording
    * $99 with a 2 year contract

Every one of those lines out-specs the iPhone 4 in some way.

While Android is comparable to Apple's iOS, not everyone is going to prefer it. HTC's sense continues to evolve making Android even better. Included with Sense are HTCSense.com services like call forwarding, phone location, and security management.

The camera sensor out duels the iPhone in megapixels, but the Inspire's images seemed to need a bit more tweaking to my eyes.

No problem. The large 4.3" screen is HUGE compared to the iPhone. Tough Apple's phone has the Retina display which renders images and text beautifully even at with the smaller real estate, but as a media oriented device 4.3" is emerging as the screen to have. It makes for better browsing, a richer media experience and GPS navigation much easier to follow.

Speaking of GPS, I still love Android's free turn by turn navigation ...functionality that I ponied up $30 to buy RoadMate for on my iPhone.

There is a slick Facebook stream for social hounds, but don't look for a front facing camera…not there.

Light to moderate users should get through the day without charge, but gamers and heavy users might need to keep the charging cable handy.

Ready to try 4G over the HSPA+ network? AT&T says its has seen speeds as high as 6MBPS. Using the Ookla's speedtest app, I never saw download speeds more than 3MBPS and over 2MBPS was rare. Usually speeds were more in line with solid 3G performance, between 1.0 and 1.5MBPS.

Even so, browsing was fast and I doubt anyone except the most data demanding users would really be unsatisfied with the speeds. Nonetheless, I've queried AT&T about the data speeds providing the results of my Ookla tests.

The spec sheet and price may lean in the Inspire's favor compared to the iPhone so it will not be an obvious choice for everyone …and that is good sign.

Ask yourself first, just how geek are you? Enough for an hour of Android video?

Google's Android czar shows off Android 3.0 Honeycomb on a 7 inch Motorola tablet prototype.

The head of Google's Android mobile operating software says the search company "bit off a little more than we could chew" with the sale of the Nexus One, a smart phone Google began selling online early this year but then stopped offering after similar devices powered by Android hit the market.

Some clever folks have created a six step plan to dual-boot Android software on an iPhone.

Always wished you had a pocket fair guide to direct you exactly to the racing pigs, the deep-fried candy bar or the Tilt-a-Whirl? This year you can, if you have an iPhone or Android phone.

The fair has its own free app available for download this year. Just search for "NC State Fair" on the iTunes store or the Android Market.

Once you've downloaded it, the app shows you a satellite view of the fairgrounds as you walk around. The foods, exhibits and rides nearby are marked, and you can click each to get more information and even reviews from other fairgoers.