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I love it when my anecdotal observations get a dose of validation. In April of 2006 I blogged about how cell-phone-driving-safety studies dealt only with the distraction they cause drivers, and not the effects of drivers slowing down the whole flow of traffic while on the phone.

A University of Utah study released this week confirms just that:

"At the end of the day, the average person's commute is longer because of that person who is on the cell phone right in front of them," says University of Utah psychology Professor Dave Strayer, leader of the research team. "That SOB on the cell phone is slowing you down and making you late."

As a bonus, my observation that every cable in my house ultimately gets tangled beyond recognition with every other cable has been validated by researchers at the University of California at San Diego who have proposed a simplified model for knot formation. I don't think I could tangle my cables so badly if I deliberately tried to; fortunately I don't have to.

Here's what the AP reported today about cell phones:

With Americans cutting the cord to their land lines, 2007 is likely to be the first calendar year in which U.S. households spend more on cell phone services, industry and government officials say. The most recent government data show that households spent $524, on average, on cell phone bills in 2006, compared with $542 for residential and pay-phone services.

What makes this interesting is that cell phones are little computers, and with the massive light being shone upon them by Microsoft, Apple and Google, we can expect some very interesting changes.

Will cell phones replace laptop computers? Not anytime soon. However, one need only look at advertising trends and spending to see that Madison Ave. already sees the opportunity. Then, start looking at what HP is doing with its IPAQ brand and you’ll see little computers and phones integrated with online services such as navigation [disclaimer: we are working one the IPAQ navigation site], and the combinatorics bring you to a conclusion.