Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University just confirmed two older research studies, one in 2006 and one in 2003, that says driving while talking is as bad as driving while drunk. How did they reach this conclusion? Brain imaging. Volunteers drove a simulator inside an MRI brain scanner and were asked to determine whether a sentence was true or false. We’ve got two problems with this study.

One, since when does your wife ask you to determine whether somethings is true or false, repeatedly, while having a conversation? It’s usually just talking about picking up milk or the crazy broad at work—a decidedly easier activity.

Two, did these volunteers actually get drunk and take the same test? Or were the researchers just saying that the errors made while on the phone were similar to the ones made theoretically while drunk. Because their study report doesn’t seem like the subjects liquored up and did some driving. It’s pretty difficult to come to the conclusion that talking on the phone is as dangerous as driving, but you can conclude that it’s more dangerous than just driving normally. [Consumer Affairs via Textually]

Rothman points out that Mythbusters did their own test in Episode 33 (he’s a big fan) and actually did get drunk and drove around. Any MB lovers see that one?

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Hannspree, a company that’s no stranger to putting LCD screens in absurd places, has just pioneered a leather purse LCD TV. You read that right. Leather. Purse. LCD. TV. Purse. TV. LCD. Leather. TV. Purse. LCD. Purse. TV. Italian Leather. 9.6-inches. $259. You don’t want one. [Hannspree via Shiny Shiny]

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Sprint Mogul’s ROM update will be available for direct download later today, confirming yesterday’s rumor. As expected, the update includes EV-DO Rev. A, GPS capabilities, and other tweaks and fixes. Laptop Magazine found faster music and web page downloads, as well as an upload speed boost of 105 Kbps in their test of the update. In other news, the iPhone still has EDGE. [Mogul update, Laptop, AP]

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Hulu, the joint NBC/Fox online video service, may very well be launching any minute now, if sudden attention after months in quiet beta is any indication. We reviewed it last November (along with Joost and Miro), and we’re still not sold on it. Our last experience was chock-full o’ ads and didn’t have nearly enough of the Battlestar episodes and SNL sketches we wanted. Still, as long as NBC holds its convenient little grudge against iTunes, it’ll have to be a place for us to check for the latest TV shows. The question is, will we go willingly? [Alley Insider; Hulu]

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If you missed your weekend Gizmodo fix because you were doing something else incredibly antisocial, here’s a roundup just for you:
• Tank, alcohol, destruction. Enough said.
• Masdar HQ became the world’s first positive energy building.
• An exploding iPod nano almost destroyed a PS3. Oh, the humanity.
• We took a look at computer viruses portrayed as 3D art. Spectacular.
• Unidentified iThingy seen on iTunes.

• Daylight saving time wasted energy.
• The Beatles catalog followed the sun all the way to iTunes.
• A camera saw into our pockets from 80 feet away.
• We reviewed Timbuk2’s latest messenger bag.
• Wheelchair Dude was referenced in Apple Thesaurus.

Now, shoot back to the homepage for the latest Giz goodness.

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Acknowledging the “data corruption bug” that’s been ravaging Windows Home Servers since Christmas, Microsoft today warned users NOT to:
• “Use applications to directly edit or change files stored on Windows Home Server”
• “Use media management programs, such as Windows Media Player, to import files to the Windows Home Server”
• “Redirect applications to access files stored in the shared folders”
Instead, users are instructed to move files to and from the server only by hand, using Windows Explorer or a command line tool. Promise of a fix was cautiously optimistic, but not exactly speedy:

The issue can now be reliably reproduced and a fix is in development. Once the patch has passed internal quality bars, external participants will be asked to help test the fix. Our current plan is to release beta test versions of a fix over the next few months, with a final version currently estimated for June 2008.

Some of you will probably want to get on board with that beta test. In the meantime, let’s all heed those warnings. [Updated Windows Knowledge Base Support Page; Windows Home Server Official Blog]

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Purveyor of strange peripherals Thanko may actually have made a useful non-USB gadget— a motorized TV stand that lets you raise your TV up to eye-level for better Wii gaming. Great idea, but Thanko needs to employ new guys in the “name that gadget” office: this is called the “Electric Up and Down Big TV Stand.”

Now, I don’t own a Wii, but I do play EyeToy games from time to time, and I can totally see the advantages this gizmo offers. With one click of the remote control, you can elevate your flat-screen TV by up to 1.3 meters, negating all that bending and peering downwards that happens when your telly is at a height more convenient for watching from the sofa than for gaming. It looks pretty sturdy in design too, and the motor can power-lift 40- to 60-inch TVs that weigh up to 110 pounds.

Available in Japan, for the equivalent of $675, we suspect that like most other Thanko gear you’ll see it here soon. [Thanko via Digital world Tokyo]

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Who would lose more dignity if you modded an old Mac into a toilet paper dispenser: you or the Mac? It’s a tough one, but you’re welcome to find out with the detailed instructions for turning the old computer into a TP receptacle/pee spray magnet on TechRepublic. Personally, I’m sticking with a bar on the wall; just seems easier. [TechRepublic]

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Yesterday, AT&T announced an unlimited voice plan for the iPhone that still comes with a paltry 200 text messages. Now, we have word that AT&T will be jacking up the price of text messages over your plan’s limit to a whopping $0.20, with multimedia messages going up to $0.30 (not that the iPhone can send those). If you send lots of text messages you’d better sign up for a larger text plan or risk adding some pretty crazy fees to your bill. [Broadband Reports]

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Pioneer just released a statement that its much-loved North American chairman and CEO, Tom Haga, will “pass on the reins” after 38 years with the company. He is stepping down rather quickly, shifting to an advisory role on March 31, and his replacement, Masao Kawabata, will be moving from Japan. This sounds fishy following Pioneer’s manufacturing upheaval this past week, but our company sources tell us it’s an “unrelated and unfortunate coincidence in timing” due to the end of Pioneer’s fiscal year. [Press Release]

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