Phone moan: 'Honey, I really must take this call'
These days just about everybody has a close relationship with their mobile phone, but just how close was revealed in a new study from Omnicom Group’s BBDO Worldwide and Proximity Worldwide. Of the more than 3,000 people ages 15-35 in 15 countries surveyed, 14 percent say they actually answered their cell phone during sex, and that number was at 15 percent among Americans. In both Germany and Spain, that number inflates to 22 percent. Also, 75 percent of Americans say they have their phones on and within reach at least 16 hours per day, actually below the 78 percent average for the survey. In Russia, 89 percent of those surveyed said their phone is within reach for at least 16 hours a day. And most people are very protective of their phones. According to the survey, 63 percent of people, including 59 percent of Americans, said they wouldn’t lend their phone to a friend for a day.

Phishing scams on the rise, but growth is slowing
Phishing is still as big a threat as ever, but one study shows that growth of the deceptive online activity is slowing significantly. The Anti-Phishing Working Group reports phishing attacks grew by just 1.8 percent in February, pretty good considering the average growth rate since last July had been 26 percent a month. Still, the company reports that in February 2,625 reported phishing sites were active worldwide, up from 2,578 in January. The group does note that phishers may be changing their tactics a bit as internet users become more savvy. One method is pharming, where a host file is modified to point commonly accessed sites to a fake site, which could lead to an internet user unknowingly offering personal information to someone with malicious intentions.

News organizations show support for e-journalists
Eight of California’s largest newspapers and the Associated Press submitted a joint court brief on Monday asking that online publishers be allowed to keep their sources confidential. Last month a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge ruled against three reporters who published secret technology information about Apple in stories on sites widely read by Apple computer users. One or more Apple employees apparently leaked the information, and the judge ruled that the three aren’t entitled to protect their sources because they published stolen property. But on Monday a group that included the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Orange County Register and the California Newspaper Publishers Association submitted a brief that said, among other things, that if the ruling is upheld it could affect the ability of journalists in the future to uncover important news. The companies involved say Apple should drain all possible sources before demanding the online publishers disclose their email records.

Microsoft Television? New Xbox unveiling on MTV
Video game nuts should mark May 12 on their calendars. That’s when Microsoft will unveil the next generation of its Xbox game console on an MTV special hosted by actor Elijah Wood. The show will also air in Japan on the morning of May 13 and throughout Europe that same night even though Microsoft has yet to set a release date or a name for the product. Still, the company expects to release the new console later this year. The MTV show will include video of games for the next Xbox, as well as highlights of its online play capabilities. Competitor Sony has said little about its plans to launch the next version of its PlayStation, but it’s now looking like the company will take the traditional route and unveil more details at the E3 show in Los Angeles the week after Microsoft’s MTV unveiling.