But what about checking driving directions or looking at a map? After all, lots of cars have built-in navigation systems, and plenty of those are touch-controlled.

It’s still not allowed, at least not in the Golden State, according to a California appeals court. The court ruled that hands-on use of a cellphone is against state law — even to check one’s maps.

“Because it is undisputed that appellant used his wireless telephone while holding it in his hand as he drove his vehicle, his conduct violated Vehicle Code section 23123, subdivision (a),” the court wrote in a late March ruling.

California Appeals Court Ruling on Maps and Driving

Mr. Huber will move to Google X, the unit run by Google co-founder Sergey Brin that’s working on projects such as self-driving car technology and the Google Glass wearable computing device, these people said.

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North Korea has been added to Google Maps, so you can now get biking, driving, or forced marching directions.

– Stephen Colbert, via Twitter

I’ll be buying several new Windows 8 PCs this year, all with touchscreens. Touchscreens are new to me. When using spreadsheet and word processor programs, does the touchscreen completely replace the mouse?

A:

If you are thinking about Microsoft Office programs, I’d say no. While the forthcoming 2013 version of Office is designed to allow the use of touch instead of the mouse and keyboard, I have found in my tests that the icons and text are too small for that to work comfortably, at least on a desktop or laptop, and I still prefer the mouse and keyboard. In fact, this is a key reason Microsoft itself makes keyboard covers for its Surface tablet.

Q:

Does the new Google Maps app for Apple devices work on the iPod touch? Can I download maps in advance on my touch for use offline?

A:

Though Google says the app is “optimized” for the iPhone 5, it also says it will work on the third, fourth and fifth generation iPod touch, as well as on the iPad and on older iPhones. Note, however, that turn-by-turn navigation likely won’t work because Google says that requires GPS, which the touch lacks. As for downloading maps for offline use, Google hasn’t made this feature available yet for Apple devices.

Q:

My father gave me several hundred slides that we’d like to scan and convert to digital format. Would you be willing to suggest a couple of reputable companies for this service?

A:

One good choice is PeggyBank, which I reviewed recently here: http://tinyurl.com/bmkqdav.

Another I have tested successfully would be YesVideo, at http://tinyurl.com/aeqjng7.

Email Walt at mossberg@wsj.com.

Image copyright Vicki France

In spite of a soft economy, with about 14.5 million unemployed Americans and 8.2 million under-employed, people are still holding onto paid television, and actually consuming more video than ever before. Netflix has crossed over 30 million subscribers in the U.S., Hulu is approaching three million, but only 2.65 million people in the country “cut the cord” from traditional paid TV service. In fact, Americans are still spending about 33 hours a week watching traditional TV (that’s 4.5 hours a day!), compared to 27 minutes a week of streaming video. So where is this TV revolution the pundits have been blogging about??

Maybe we need to stop thinking of cable TV the way we think of phone service. It’s easy for technologists to predict that streaming video will do to cable companies what Skype did to the telcos, but I propose a new lens to filter TV technologies: an App that replaces broadcast television is like saying Yelp should replace Taco Bell.

My contention is that a “TV revolution,” as some are calling it, is not in the cards. Instead, I see a “transformation” of TV taking place, and while transformations are far less sexy to blog about than revolutions, I think this one could be pretty fun and pretty lucrative for tech companies that get it right. First, let’s clarify “transformation” versus “revolution,” in the context of Web services and Internet Apps:

• Revolutionary apps fundamentally overthrow an analog provider with a digital alternative. Examples: Skype is a substitute for your landline. iTunes is a substitute for Virgin Megastore. LinkedIn is a substitute for schmoozing. Match.com is a substitute for my pushy (but well-intentioned) auntie in India.
• Transformative Apps make analog providers a more pleasing or user-friendly experience. Examples: Fandango makes going to movies easy and predictable. Foodspotting makes finding the perfect entree a delightful experience. Mint makes banking more manageable and transparent. Driving from San Francisco to a cabin in Tahoe is a breeze thanks to Google Maps. None of these technologies replace the desired outcome, but they greatly enhance the experience to achieve it.

All evidence and viewership data suggests that YouTube, Hulu or Netflix isn’t a substitute for the experience of gathering around a big-screen to watch the Super Bowl or the latest episode of American Idol. Apps that make the offline experience of watching traditional television better, more fun and more social will be far more successful than those that try to overthrow TV. The Twitter app on my phone, for example, is the perfect TV companion and primary beneficiary of this phenomenon.

There is no question that on-demand, instant access to great shows on the iPad or laptop is one of the coolest things ever, but this is proving to be additive and incremental to traditional TV viewership at the moment. Most consumers still love the experience of watching TV on the TV.

In 2012, the Olympics provided the perfect case study for the transformation that’s taking place. Between the live streams on NBC.com, real-time access to event scoring and the medal count, we have never had this much access to the Olympics in history. Nearly every major event was available online, and usage was tremendous. But what pundits failed to point out this past summer is that we did not give up big screen, traditional television. NBC’s primetime broadcast, which was all taped coverage, averaged 31.1 million viewers per night, which was up 12 percent from the Beijing Olympics in 2008! According to NBC, many people who watched events, streaming live to a Web browser, also watched them again on television.

We have 70 years of consumer behavior patterns established and burned into the American psyche. And on top of that, television is big business. It exists on $65 billion of advertising spending and $60 billion of subscription revenue, and that’s 125 billion reasons why the industry will resist this revolution. In stark contrast to my friends in Silicon Valley who have said that they want to “destroy television,” I strongly believe that television should be transformed. And those of us inspired by the opportunity to innovate in the TV industry should be thinking about the opportunity in a transformational way if we hope to succeed.

Ashwin Navin is the CEO and co-founder of Flingo, the largest publisher of Smart TV software including apps from FOX, A+E Networks, Showtime, the WB, Transworld and TMZ.

One thing drivers should know about the new Google Maps for iPhone is that the traffic-information display has to be selected each time you start the app up or traffic won’t show. Is there a way to keep it on between sessions with the app?

A:

Google says the app “preserves its state” (in this case, having traffic mode turned on) as long as you don’t restart the phone or manually close its Maps app. I have confirmed this in my own testing. If you turn on traffic, and then leave the app without manually closing it, then use one or more other apps, traffic information will still be enabled in Google Maps when you return to it.

Q:

I agree with you that the new Google Maps for iPhone is very good, but, unlike Apple Maps, it doesn’t tie into the phone’s Contacts app so you can directly map the location of contacts’ addresses. Will this ever change?

A:

The iPhone allows third-party apps to have access to Contacts if the owner agrees in the privacy settings screen. One such app you can enable to use Contacts is Google’s own Gmail. But there’s no similar option for Google Maps. Google acknowledges there’s a demand for such a linkage, but isn’t saying if or when it might be offered.

Q:

Is there a manual or instruction book, such as a “Dummies” guide, for my new iPad Mini? How do I get an instruction manual for the Samsung Galaxy S III phone?

A:

The iPad Mini is simply a smaller iPad, which functions identically and uses all the same apps and settings. So any guide to the iPad will suffice. However, there’s a new entry in the “Dummies” book series just for the iPad Mini. It can be found on Amazon at http://amzn.to/TA7fv4. As for the Galaxy S III, you can download the manual at http://bit.ly/TA8BWA.

Email Walt at mossberg@wsj.com.

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