Welcome to this morning's edition of “First To Know,” a series in which we keep you in the know on what’s happening in the digital world. We’re keeping our eyes on five particular stories of interest today.
Government Agency Calls for Nationwide Cellphone Ban
The National Transportation Safety Board is seeking to ban cellphone use of all kinds behind the wheel, from texting down to talking hands-free with a headset.
UK Judge Sanctions Live-Tweeting for Reporters
Reporters can now live-tweet at UK courts without asking permission.
Facebook Could Launch Mobile Ads in March
Facebook may begin experimenting with mobile advertising in March, with a launch right before the company’s planned IPO.
Google Extends Free Calling to U.S. & Canada Through 2012
Google has extended free voice calls through Gmail in the US and Canada for one more year.
Apple Founding Documents Fetch $1.59 Million
Apple‘s original founding documents from 1976, which were expected to fetch between $100,000 and $150,000 at auction on Tuesday, were sold to Cisneros CEO Eduardo Cisneros for $1.59 million.
Further News
"The protester" has been chosen as Time magazine's person of the year.
Say Media has acquired technology blog ReadWriteWeb.
Square, the mobile payments system developed by Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey, now has more than 1 million users, thanks to its popularity among Christmas-tree farmers.
American Airlines might pull 30 Rock from playing in in-flight entertainment after a public disagreement with actor Alec Baldwin, who was removed from a flight earlier this month for playing Words With Friends.
Google has disabled a mashup that allowed users to use Google Maps Street View holding an assault rifle.