Ray LaHood, the U.S. transportation secretary, recommended today that automakers equip new cars with controls to disable some kinds of in-vehicle technology while the car is in motion -- to limit the safety hazard of distracting drivers with communication, entertainment and other functions that are not required to operate the car safely. [See 2/16/12 story.]

The driver would have to stop the car and put the transmission in "park" to perform functions on built-in gadgets including texting, Web browsing, 10-digit phone dialing, and viewing more than 30 characters of a text message unrelated to driving. 

These functions would be enabled in moving cars only for devices that are used by passengers and cannot be viewed by drivers. ... [MORE]

Two of the worst commutes in the U.S. are in North Carolina according to GPS data.

Analyzing data compiled from smart phones and GPS devices from four million vehicles, the Daily Beast ranked the 50 most tormenting commutes in the country.

The 5.3 mile corridor of Charlotte's I-485 eastbound between Tryon Street/Exit 1 and NC-51/Exit 64 slotted in at No. 31 taking 2.14 minutes per mile at its worst.

The Triangle did not escape scrutiny getting the dubious honor of the 47th most aggravating section of asphalt. Credit the 6.9 mile ribbon of I-40 eastbound between Airport Blvd./Exit 284 and NC-54/Exit 290 where a mile crept by in 1.66 minutes.

On the way home, take deep breaths and listen to something peaceful.

Recently upgraded to 9.0 in magnitude, the earthquake in Japan was powerful enough to actually shorten the length of a day on Earth.

The report at Space.com explains that the seismic event sped up the Earth's rotation by 1.8 microseconds by altering the planet's distribution of mass, which also shifted the Earth's axis by 6.5 inches.

Japan shifted as much as 13 feet. GPS coordinates will have to be recalculated and pushed to devices.

The quake is expected to be one of the five largest since 1900.

A little late to the navigation app party, Garmin announced its entry into the iPhone arena.

I guess this is a testament to the times.

If you have ever missed a bus because it was a couple of minutes early then you may find  this online tracking tech useful.

The Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute near Brevard has joined a national effort to map deformations of the earth’s crust.

The research lab, which houses radio and optical telescopes and is better known for its celestial exploration, has installed a GPS station that will send live data to Boulder, Colo.

There, researchers will determine where the Earth’s crust changes shape, how magma moves under the surface, and how to mitigate damage from earthquakes and volcanoes.

The GPS station is called an Earthscope Plat Boundary Observatory instrument, and it was built and will be maintained by a consortium of research groups funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA.

The observatory instrument at PARI is one of more than 1,100 continuously operating GPS receivers that are linked to more than 100 meters throughout the United States that measure deformations. Most are concentrated on the West Coast, but the PARI instrument is one of six on the East Coast.

“People tend to think of PARI only in terms of astronomy, perhaps without realizing that modern astronomy places us on the leading edge of physics, computer science, engineering and Earth science,” PARI Science Director Dr. Michael Castelaz said in a prepared statement. “In addition to the Plate Boundary Observatory we are heavily involved with solar power and alternative energy sources, and are currently in discussions with several universities about ways to use the PARI campus for various environmental and Earth science initiatives. Our association with globally-respected organizations like UNAVCO and state-of-the-art projects like the PBO help underscore our commitment to all forms of science and technology.”

For more information about UNAVCO, visit www.unavco.org. To learn more about the Earthscope PBO, visit http://pboweb.unavco.org/. To see data from the PBO installation at PARI, visit www.pari.edu/telescopes/geoscience/plate-boundary-observatory-at-pari.

I've invested in exciting new technology! Heeeeeeellllllp!