cell phone use

Mobile phone chat slows freeway traffic

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 06:59:57 -0500

So your employees have told you about the importance of cell phone use while they're on the road. They've run through the safety speeches and tried to convince you that they're perfectly safe while computing on the go. This is going to shock you, but they aren't quite as safe as they think they are. The most recent studies show that drivers who are talking on a cell phone clog traffic because they're driving more slowly (and reacting much more slowly) than drivers who take the radical path of paying attention to their driving. It doesn't matter much whether the talking happens with a phone held to the ear, or through a speaker-phone--it's all distracting to the driver. Try to keep this in mind when the users ask for more mobility in their cell plans.

For more on the cell-phone rolling roadblock:
- Read the report (but not while you're driving) at CIO-Today

Nine deadly sins of cell phone use

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 20:01:37 -0400

Practically everyone uses a cell phone for business. Many of us use that cell phone badly. Once in a while, it's good to be reminded there are, in fact, rules of etiquette to help you from becoming "that jerk with a cell phone." What are some of the new deadly sins of cell phone use?

Butt dialing. This is the inadvertent dialing that happens when you sit on an active keypad.
Aisle blocking. When it's time to get off the airplane, don't stand in the aisle talking when you should be walking.
Bad phone hygiene. You shouldn't borrow a phone and sent it back with your makeup, bodily secretions, or other personal flotsam attached.
Appropriate headset use. There are times and places when a phone just shouldn't be used, even with a headset. Guys, if the room features a urinal, it's one of those places.

There are five more rules, and following one and all will help keep you on the good phone list for a long time to come.

For more on the sins of cell phone use:
Read the complete list at ComputerWorld

QUICKLINKS: Mobile network roaming comes to fruition in Australia; Spain's mesh wireless network takes flight at airports; Much

Sun, 25 Jun 2006 20:00:50 -0400

Mobile network roaming comes to fruition in Australia. Article

Spain's mesh wireless network takes flight at airports. Article

Vendor luring customers with low-cost wireless routers. Article

Spend on wireless infrastructure will increase steadily. Article

A Linux mobile platform and the impact on the handheld industry. Article

The real danger of cell phone use in stormy weather. Article

Voice over Internet Protocol is boosting customer service for food retailer. Article

QUICKLINKS: Wireless net for Sacramento hits a big roadblock; Dell, Vodaphone partner for faster broadband for laptops; Much mo

Sun, 11 Jun 2006 20:00:50 -0400

Wireless net for Sacramento hits a big roadblock. Article

Dell, Vodaphone collaborate on faster mobile broadband for laptops. Article

Mobile phone chip maker sees only robust market ahead. Article

Stockholm moves to set up special cell phone use zones. Article

The obstacles facing mobile device use during flights. Article

Editor's Corner

Sun, 05 Mar 2006 19:01:40 -0500

For years the rule has been to turn off the cell phone, and every other digital device, once a plane starts heading toward a runway, whether it's during takeoff or landing. A while back, there was a big story about how cell phones don't impact flight navigation. I wish I could remember where I read the report or who authored it because this week brings another report, courtesy of TechWeb, that sticks to the traditional warning that cell phones can impede airline safety. I've always felt that there had to be some legitimacy about the issue. What could airlines gain by preventing cell phone use? It's not like they can't be brought on planes and customers are forced to use those 1970-looking handsets packed in the back of plane seats.

We've all read or heard some of the phone call transcripts from the horrendous actions on 9/11, and there has not been one report that the calls during those flights impeded flight travel or airplane navigation. Not surprisingly, the FCC is still studying the issue and hopes to render some sort of official dictate later this year. One big impetus to settling this debate is that wireless vendors want access to in-flight customers. Right now that's a bit limited thanks to the FCC; only foreign airlines can currently use Boeing's Connexion Wi-Fi service during international flights.

My take is that just a few years ago, a laptop here and there and the few cell phones being used by travelers likely wouldn't impact anything during flight, even GPS transmissions. But today every business user has at least those two mobile devices in play, and likely even another PDA or digital recorder/player device strapped on under their business suit. The crowded mobile airways aren't the same scenario presented just a few years ago.

What I do find frustrating is that the Carnegie Mellon study noting cell phone use isn't safe during certain navigation times also notes that the FCC and FAA clearly aren't working together on the issue and haven't been in the past. I'd think that this kind of issue falls squarely on both their shoulders and presents a ripe opportunity to illustrate that federal agencies can work together and collaborate and share resources in the name of air travel security. - Judy