Let's face it, the less distractions you have while driving the better, even if the government can't decide whether or not to tell you how dangerous phones + cars can be. Last week I was happy to see Penn Jillette (a magician whose work I've admired since I was too young to say the name of his current show) on Twitter proudly announce he was going to quit calling and texting in the car. Bravo!

Penn happens to sport an iPhone, and like any modern cell phone, it has "airplane mode." I'm going to show you how to set the iPhone to this "no call" mode, and explain why you probably don't have to while driving. Plus, if you absolutely must talk while driving I'll explain a helpful trick with the 3GS. You should never under any circumstances try to type while driving -- pull over, already.

To turn off your iPhone's cell radio, thus preventing distracting text messages, push messages and phone calls, go to Settings > Airplane Mode and turn the switch ON. Pretty easy, yes, I know. But unless you are going to use the iPhone's audio in your car (and there's like a zillion apps for that), you could just as easily turn off the ringer. The switch above the volume buttons on the left of the screen controls the mute for external sounds. When you arrive at your destination, check your phone for missed calls, etc.

If you have a 3GS, you can use the Apple headphones that came with it to activate Voice Control, giving you a relatively safe method of interacting with your iPhone while driving (except for a proper, Bluetooth speaker/mic or in-car solution, I guess). Plug in the headphones and put the headphone directly connected to the microphone in your ear. Press and hold the "middle" button (in-between the volume buttons) for about 3 seconds, until you hear the beeps. Voice Control is now on! You can control the iPod functions and make calls, but I recommend you try Voice Control before you start driving. Note that there are voice dialing apps for previous iPhones, but I feel having to see the screen to push even one button is an unacceptable distraction.

The New York Times and many other news outlets have reported on the unreleased government study showing that even talking on the phone increased the likelihood of having an accident -- whether you are hands-free calling or not. Driving and chatting with a disembodied voice can be distracting, apparently. So, again, the only truly safe thing to do is to switch off your cell radio entirely (Airplane mode). This won't allow you to play streaming radio stations, but it may save your life. Otherwise, use your willpower to ignore the chimes, rings and buzzes, and if you absolutely must talk or text, pull over.

So, any of you as hyped up and anxious to get their hands on a iPhone as I am? Well, if you're reading this I'm guessing you probably are. For those of you who are counting the moments until that sleek, shiny block of touch-screen goodness is actually in your hands, I have a word of warning for you -- especially if you intend to line up early and be the first kid on your block to have a new iPhone. This warning comes via the safety-minded folks over at the Boy Genius Report wherein they feature a document from "official" channels at AT&T which outlines how retail store managers are to handle the teeming masses who will no doubt be lining up early for the device come June 29th.

Among the methods featured in the document to help ease the situation and control the crowd, is an outline of a mock conversation where AT&T store managers explain to the stores near them why they need to stay open late and what steps they will be taking to help ensure the crowds don't spill into the surrounding stores and do all kinda damage. The document also reveals the super-secret method that will actually accomplish this miraculous controlling of the crowd. What is this miracle you may wonder? Stanchions. Yes, the proverbial "velvet rope" they use to keep people in line at events across America will be standing guard and providing security for the giant iPhone launch event.

Having been at a few Apple retail store events and openings (including the first one at the Glendale Galleria) I can attest to the fact that when Apple does almost anything, crowds of devoted users do show up -- and in really big numbers. For something like the iPhone, which really isn't just for Mac people but for anyone interested in a cool new device, I can only imagine how big the crowds are going to be. Reading this document doesn't really fill me with confidence that AT&T really has a complete grasp of what they're getting into here. I hope they do because we sure don't want a repeat of the iBook debacle from a couple years ago. So, just so I can get a rough count and maybe help AT&T realize the scope of this launch, how many of you are planning to line up early for an iPhone?

I'd file this under the "hmmm" category if we had one: Blinkit is a blinking light attachment for iPods with dock connectors. Intuitive Devices, Inc. brands it as something you can use for personal safety while biking, hiking, jogging, etc., since it has seven flashing cycles (including a "flash to beat" music mode) and the ability to re-direct its lights in a couple of directions. The Blinkit comes with tinted lens caps and is powered by two bright OLEDs inside so it drains very little power from your iPod's battery.

Sounds like an interesting accessory, but it sells for $29.95 which might put it outside some iPod owners' budgets. Kudos for creativity though.

[via Playlist]