Cell Phone Etiquette

Your Cell phone is an invaluable part of your life now. You use it at work, in the car and at home. It keeps you connected to all the things important in your life. And you’re a responsible cell phone user. So, let’s just take a moment to review some of the more important do and don’ts of cell phone etiquette.

1. DO keep your calls brief and to the point. While you may have unlimited minutes and time available, the person you are speaking to may not.

2. DO use an earpiece in high traffic and/or noisy areas. This will help keep your call private, but more importantly you can speak naturally and not subject everyone around you to the details of your call.

3. DO let the person you’re speaking with know that you are on a cell phone. That way if they can’t hear your or you get dropped, they won’t be surprised.

4. DO remember that there are places in your life where it might not be appropriate to be on a phone – churches, restaurants and taxi’s come to mind quickly.

5. DO encourage your friends and coworkers to adopt similar rules of cell phone etiquette.

6. DON’T take a personal cell phone call during a business meeting or while at the doctor or dentist office. It’s okay to let the cell phone take a message – that’s why your carrier provides voicemail and it’s usually free.

7. DON’T have emotional or stressful conversations in public. You need your privacy and so do the people around you.

8. DON’T use loud or annoying ring tones. You may enjoy it but the people around you may not be amused.

9. DON’T invade anyone’s space or allow anyone to invade yours while on the cell phone. You can step out of the room if you need to.

10. DON’T multitask while on the phone. Eating, drinking are not appropriate pastimes while on the cell phone.

FACTS ABOUT BLACKBERRY

The company who revolutionized the Smart Phone market RIM (Research In Motion) provided wireless hardware, software and services to customers worldwide. RIM also provided software development tools and makes radio-based modems that can be used in other portable devices.

RIM began selling its pager-sized BlackBerrys in 1999, and now the device has been transformed into a mobile phone/PDA with a miniature Qwerty keypad, available in 40 countries. There are more than 8 different groups of units available including the 7100 series, the 7130 series, the 7200 series...well, you get the picture.

PROBLEMS WITH PARENTAL CONTROLS

AT&T has put a temporary hold on it’s new parental control service after discovering a problem with a it’s 911 calling feature.

The service was intended to allow limits to be set on your child’s phone. You could block certain number, limit the phone’s data functionality or even limiting the hours of the day when the phone could be used. However, then a user called 911 during a blocked time, if the call somehow get’s disconnected the 911 operator could not call the number back.

Hopefully, this problem will be resolved and the service will once again be available to interested parents.

NEW COLORS FOR THE PEARL

RIM has announced three new colors for T-Mobile customers for it’s popular Blackberry 8100 “Pearl”. This bring total T-Mobile Pearl offerings to five. Previously there was a Black and a White version of the Pearl (kinda like the real thing). Now there will be a Blue, Sunset (red) and pale gold.

Unlike the Pearls from the sea you now have a choice of colors to choose from.