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Studies Find School Cell Phone Bans Show Little Academic Impact

New research examining phone-free classroom policies, now adopted by a growing number of states, finds essentially no measurable improvement in student test scores and only marginal shifts in other outcomes like behavior. Cell phone restrictions in schools aren't a new phenomenon either—Maryland first banned phones and pagers in classrooms back in 1989 to curb communication tied to illegal activity.

Dallas mounts AI cameras on garbage trucks to score homes for code violations

Dallas has fitted 50 bulk-waste collection trucks with 100 AI-powered cameras that photograph properties along their routes and assign each one a 'blight score' from 1 to 4 based on detected issues like overgrown grass, litter and structural damage. Since testing began in April, the system has flagged possible violations at more than 21,000 properties, with some homeowners receiving code enforcement notices that could lead to fines. The cameras are run by a company called City Detect, which says it blurs faces and license plates but has no control over how the city enforces the data.

FCC proposes scorecard rating phone carriers on robocall blocking

The FCC announced plans to build a public scorecard grading wireless, wireline, and VoIP providers on how well they block illegal robocalls. The rating could use numeric scores, letter grades, or risk categories, drawing on call-blocking statistics, complaint data, and enforcement records. The measure would apply to retail voice providers but exclude wholesale-only carriers.

Legacy modernization ROI hinges on both tech metrics and customer outcomes, execs say

Industry leaders discussing AI-driven legacy system modernization outlined a two-sided return-on-investment framework: technical gains like faster releases, platform stability, lower operating costs and improved security, alongside business-side gains measured through customer satisfaction metrics such as net promoter scores and app store ratings. They stressed that modernization efforts should be evaluated on both fronts rather than treated purely as IT projects.

Google Pixel Watch users push back on sleep score accuracy during travel

A satirical account describes a user frustrated with her Pixel Watch's low sleep score of 71 after a camping trip, arguing the algorithm failed to account for noisy neighbors, a restless child, and a middle-of-the-night bathroom trip. The piece humorously frames the complaint as a courtroom trial defending the wearer's honor against her own sleep-tracking device.

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