The number of teenagers texting whilst driving has doubled since 2010, with every two out of five teenagers texting while driving. The information has come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association.

The agency found there are more than 600,000 drivers use their cell phone when driving, where around half, or 48.6% of all drivers in the US have admitted to answering a phone call, and one in four admitting to placing a call. There are laws in place within some states in the US for distracted driving or using a mobile device when driving - with 39 states enacting the law. These laws have not been completely effective in preventing accidents.

Around 6% of drivers have claimed they were involved in a crash, and 7% in near-crash situations within the past year. 2% of which admitted to using a mobile phone and 3% specifically sending or reading a tex message.

Google have enjoyed their fair share of antitrust accusations in Europe, but now the New York Times is reporting that new anti-competitive allegations have been levied against Android. This new complaint was filed by Fairsearch, whose members include people from Microsoft and Nokia among other companies.

The group are claiming that Google are using Android as a way to push consumers into using Google's apps instead competitors' software. Fairsearch are pushing the fact that Google forces OEMs who use Android to place apps like YouTube and Gmail into hot places on the desktop. This is just the beginning of yet another antitrust lawsuit, so we should see Google respond shortly.

Sony are poised to add system level support for their DualShock 3 controllers to their Xperia-branded smartphones. A user would be able to wirelessly connect their controllers without root or hugely complicated setup procedures, using just a USB OTG cable for the initial setup.

All you would need to do is plug the controller into your Xperia device's USB port, turn it on, enter the device settings and then just enable the controller. Once there's some talk between the device and the PC, you'll need to unplug the controller and then you'll have the ability to use it through Bluetooth.

At the moment there's no news on whether this will jump across to non-Xperia-branded smartphones, but I'm sure it'll just be time for now. Games that support a controller are obviously the way to go, but this isn't a big problem.

If you're a fan of Street Fighter and have a spare dollars to see a web series of it made, you might want to open your wallet to a Kickstarter page on it. Joey Ansah, is behind it, where he is the director, writer and creative guru behind Street Fighter: Legacy and along with Christopher Howard, they need $950,000 to get a prequel series they're calling Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist off the ground.

Street Fighter: Legacy was produced and released on YouTube around three years ago, mostly as a proof of concept to show that a live action version of Street Fighter would look great, if it were done right. The video saw eight million views, with a 98.7% approval rating.

Ansah has said that Assassin's Fist has been in development for around three years, with the team purchasing the option from Capcom last year with plans to fund the film through independent investment. If the Kickstarter isn't successful, the team could lose the funding they've already received, pushing production back into 2014.

Images have popped up onto the Internet of the purported Google Babel for Gmail, with Techradar getting their hands on a bunch of screen captures of the web interface for the upcoming Google unified messaging application, Babel.

It looks like a rehash of Google Chat for Gmail, with a better looking interface for the sign-in, as well as new features within the program itself. It looks like we could expect some photo sharing abilities with Babel, a mandatory Google+ login, and a feature to start a Google+ hangout directly from the chat.

This could be a total fake right now, so don't put much faith into this right now.

If you're a Tumblr fan, and an Android user, you'll be glad to know there's an updated app available on the Google Play Store. The latest app overhauls the user interface, with the scrolling lists and static squares now a thing of the past.

The user interface is now gorgeous, and deserves your eyeballs' attention. Not only has Tumblr for Android received a fresh dab of paint, but there are some very slick animations, too. Pull to refresh is here, as well as tap a button to post and you'll see things bouncing and popping around, making the Tumblr for Android experience a better looking experience.

Grab Tumblr for Android from the Google Play Store, here.

The Navy has successfully completed a test of its upcoming laser weapon system that is set to debut in 2014. The laser system successfully shot down a drone. We have embedded video of the test below for your viewing pleasure:

Previous experiences with laser technology haven't been so successful. Part of the issue is that high-power lasers are large, require massive amounts energy, and large amounts of cooling. There have been some experimental laser weapon systems mounted in airplanes and on ships.

All I can think about is how cool lasers are. Pew, pew! Pew, pew!

A California court has ruled that it's illegal for drivers to check mapping applications on a smartphone while driving. This does not preclude drivers from using navigation systems that are built in to a car. This ruling comes after a driver argued he was using a phone for directions rather than texting or talking.

According to vehicle code 23123, drivers are not allowed to use a smartphone while driving. The ruling states:

This case requires us to determine whether using a wireless phone solely for its map application function while driving violates Vehicle Codesection 23123. We hold that it does.

 

Our review of the statute's plain language leads us to conclude that the primary evil sought to be avoided is the distraction the driver faces when using his or her hands to operate the phone. That distraction would be present whether the wireless telephone was being used as a telephone, a GPS navigator, a clock or a device for sending and receiving text messages and emails.

Drivers are still able to use in car navigation systems. Drivers are also able to use voice controlled systems, so this means iPhone users can use Siri to get directions.

EVGA and "k|ngp|n" have set new world records in 3DMark Fire Strike. The four records have been achieved using a single EVGA TITAN GPU and a pair of TITAN's in SLI. The four records were set in the 3DMark Fire Strike and 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme benchmark with both single and dual-GPU setups.

• #1 3DMark Fire Strike (SLI) = 22,054
• #1 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme (SLI) = 11,559
• #1 3DMark Fire Strike (Single Card) = 14,600
• #1 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme (Single Card) = 7,308

EVGA also made use of an upcoming EVGA X79 Dark motherboard. k|ngp|n also made use of their Precision X 4.0 tool for overclocking the GPUs. You can see EVGA's records in the Futuremark 3DMark Hall of Fame.

News Corp, owner of the FOX network, has threatened to start charging for the network (i.e. take it to cable-only) if Aereo prevails in its current lawsuit. News Corp, along with numerous different TV networks, sued Aereo over their renting of Internet-connected TV antennas.

The networks allege that this is an unlawful rebroadcasting of their content. The courts, however, ruled that it was legal because Aereo uses one antenna per viewer. News Corp's COO Chase Carey has threatened to move FOX to a subscription model if Aereo wins in court:

We need to be able to be fairly compensated for our content. This is not an ideal path we look to pursue, but we can't sit idly by and let an entity steal our signal. We will move to a subscription model if that's our only recourse.

Virginia Lam, a spokeswoman for Aereo, e-mailed the following statement:

It's disappointing to hear that Fox believes that consumers should not be permitted to use an antenna to access free-to-air broadcast television.

The free app per day app, AppGratis, was pulled from the App Store yesterday. Many assumed that AppGratis was pulled from the App Store because of Apple's new 2.25 clause regarding apps that promote other apps in a similar manner to Apple's own store.

2.25 Apps that display Apps other than your own for purchase or promotion in a manner similar to or confusing with the App Store will be rejected.

Apple has confirmed that AppGratis was pushed out of the App Store because it violates clause 2.25. Apple added that it also violates clause 5.6 that prevents using Push Notifications for advertising and promotions:

5.6 Apps cannot use Push Notifications to send advertising, promotions, or direct marketing of any kind.

Along with AT&T and Sprint, T-Mobile has been confirmed to be getting the HTC One on April 19. This news comes courtesy of Best Buy who posted the HTC One online for $249 with contract or $699.99 without. T-Mobile will also offer up the HTC One for $99 without a contract, but you'll need to make monthly payments.

HTC has been downgraded to a second-tier company, resulting in component supply shortages and delays in the launch of the HTC One device. These delays have resulted in the HTC One being released near the same time as the Samsung Galaxy S IV and the rumored release of the iPhone 5S.

Engadget is at NAB in Las Vegas, Nevada checking out the latest technology from Intel. Intel debuted an upgraded Thunderbolt technology capable of 20 Gbps in both directions. This is double that of the previous Thunderbolt iteration, which was only capable of 10 Gbps.

Intel stated that they currently have around 200 licensees and added that more Thunderbolt devices should be coming in the upcoming months. Intel also added that thinner Thunderbolt cables are in the works. The upcoming controller is code-named Redwood Ridge and Intel added that it will be built into some of Intel's upcoming Haswell processors.

Falcon Ridge, the next-gen Thunderbolt technology, will enable 4K video file transfer and display. This will be in addition to being capable of 20 Gbps transfer. The technology will be backwards compatible with previous cables and connectors.

Microsoft is said to be using an AMD processor in its upcoming Xbox 720, according to a Bloomberg report. News of the upcoming product has boosted AMD's stock by over 13 percent, or up $0.30, to $2.59. Meanwhile, Competitor NVIDIA's stock fell a quarter of a percent to $12.43.

AMD is already confirmed to be powering the next-gen PlayStation 4 from Sony, so it will be a major win if AMD is inside the Xbox 720. Microsoft's logic in switching to AMD could include lowering production price and trying to entice more developers to produce games for the platform. By adapting a PC architecture, both are achieved.

Neither AMD nor Microsoft would comment on the report. Microsoft is said to be aiming for a May or June unveiling, possibly at E3. Other sources have pegged May 21 as the day that Microsoft will unveil the Xbox 720.

It has been confirmed that Austin, Texas will be getting the elusive Google Fiber. Austin, TX will be just the second city to get access to Google's super-fast 1Gbps fiber internet connection and TV service. Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri is the other city to have access to Google's fiber ISP.

Gig.U congratulates Google and the City of Austin for their initiative to bring a world-leading network to one of the world's great research university communities. This effort will pay enormous dividends for the country, as it will help develop the human capital America needs to lead a global economy that increasingly creates value with big data and big bandwidth. The Austin project, as well as the recent response to the North Carolina Next Generation Network project demonstrates that university communities are increasingly recognized as attractive partners for next generation network deployments because of the innovative spirit and demand profiles of their residents. We look forward to watching and learning from the exciting growth and innovation to come from the Google Fiber projects, and accelerating such efforts in Gig.U communities throughout the country.

It's probably not enough to draw most people to move to Austin, but it could certainly help the start-up scene. Austin, Texas is already home to the South by Southwest conference and start-ups wouldn't have to travel if they were already based in Austin.

The Consumerist, a website dedicated to customers fighting back against companies, hosts a yearly competition to pick the worst company in America. The tournament is ran much like the March Madness basketball tournament with two companies being placed head-to-head and voted on for worst company in America.

64 companies started and we're down to the final two: Electronic Arts and Bank of America. Interestingly, this is the same way the tournament ended last year. EA garnered 64 percent of the popular last year and could end up winning the Golden Poo award again this year.

We've covered the failed SimCity launch in detail, so if you feel EA deserves the title "Worst Company in America," you can head over to the Consumerist's website and cast a ballot up until 9p.m. PT tonight.

Red, the make of high-end cinematographic cameras, will begin upgrading Epic-M and Epic-X cameras tomorrow to the new Dragon Sensor for the low price of $8,500. The upgrade will usher the already amazing cameras into the 6K era and will re-define the meaning of high definition.

The new sensor features 6K resolution with 120 frames per second possible at 5K, and features 15 stops of dynamic range. In an interesting turn of events, Red will let owners as well as the public watch the upgrade process live at their booth at NAB.

Red Epic camera owners who wait until Thursday to purchase the upgrade will have to pay $9,500. Those looking to purchase a new Epic-M with the Dragon Sensor pre-installed will be able to pre-order the camera tomorrow for $29,000. For smaller film makers who ordered the more budget friendly Scarlet, they will be able to upgrade to the Dragon Sensor in the near future. Scarlet Dragon pricing is forthcoming and we will keep you updated when more information is released.

Lego Batman is one of the biggest hits on the Wii console ranking right up there with the Lego Star Wars titles. Fans of the game have already seen the sequel arrive on the Wii and Nintendo DS, but Wii U owners have been left wondering when they will get a taste of Gotham City love.

Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes will blast onto the scene for Wii U on the 21st of May, which is just over a month from now. The date has not been confirmed through Nintendo, but it is listed on both Amazon and GameStop's website as going on sale that day.

Gaming site Joystiq has also confirmed through GameStop that this date is indeed the official launch date for Lego Batman 2 for the Wii U.

Images have surfaced of Panasonic's upcoming Lumix DMC-GF6 MFT camera. The camera which is set to be released tomorrow appeared in white trim, and looking quite nice.

Along with the image, info has also been leaked about the camera's specifications. Packed into the small hosing is a 16-megapixel image sensor, an all-new "Venus" image engine, low light Auto Focus system and WiFi. The camera is capable of burst of up to 4.2 frames per second, and can shoot 1080p video at 60 FPS.

Other notable features include Near Field Communication, an ISO range up to 25,600, and will come with a 14-42mm kit lens. The GF6 is expected to retail at $680 and every indication is pointing to the official launch happening tomorrow morning.

Do Mirror-less Four-Thirds cameras appeal to you? Personally I still prefer a big bodied DSLR, but that is just the photographer in me speaking.

This morning a Taiwan news station reported that the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth, had passed away. However, we are happy to report that the Queen is alive and well. The report headline said (as pictured below): "Queen of England passes away, and we will miss her." It appears that the passing of Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of England, was confused with the Queen.

Margaret Thatcher served England as prime minister from 1979 until 1990, and holds the title as England's longest serving politician, and nicknamed the "Iron Lady" because of her uncompromising politics and leadership style. As prime minister, she implemented conservative policies that have come to be known as Thatcherism.

While we at TweakTown are sad to hear of Baroness Thatcher's passing, we are happy to report that the Queen is doing just fine. In general I hold all media sources to the highest standards and as a journalist myself, I fact check everything I post before hitting that submit button.

What has Taiwan news media been smoking this morning?

UPDATE: To be clear, there was some confusion to the translation of the headline. Some are stating the Chinese wording translates to "Queen" and others "Prime Minister". The fact remain for sure that the image used is of the Queen of England, and not Margaret Thatcher.