THURSDAY,APRIL3,2003
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 3A
Use of cell phone comes with awareness of etiquette
The Protocol School of Palm Beach offers etiquette seminars on fine dining, job interviews, and... cell phone use?
Yes, those handheld technological miracles are both easy to use and easy to abuse.
Web sites like phonebusiness.com and letstalk.com offer suggestions for cell phone users who are disconnected from proper use etiquette.
Learn to Locate that 'Off' Button
A cell phone is small enough to be taken anywhere, but there are some places where a ringing cell phone is sorely unprofessional and just plain rude.
According to phonebusiness.com, the cell phone fanatic, or "bore," is constantly "taking and making calls in public restrooms, during church services and riding along in the rental shuttle while squeezed alongside of others."
COMMON CENTS
This individual, the site explains, sacrifices effectiveness and professionalism for convenience and immediacy.
Nicole Roché
nroche@kansan.com
According to LetsTalk, a San Francisco wireless service provider, 39 percent of Americans surveyed in 2000 thought it was acceptable to speak on a cell phone in a public restroom. That must have to be one important
phone call.
In some places, a ringing cell phone will never be acceptable. Movie theaters, job interviews and funerals are obvious places. Nothing sounds more unprofessional than being in a job interview and having your Scooby Doo ring tone start up.
Some teachers will penalize
students whose phones go off during class, a threat they add to their syllabi. At the very least, a teacher may demand to answer your cell phone when it rings, which I have seen one teacher do recently.
"Hi, who is this?" the teacher asked as the student turned lobster red. "Well, she's in class right now. Can I have her call you back?"
Use your judgment. If in doubt, turn off the phone or put it on a vibrate setting.
Keep the Private Detail
Keep the Private Details Private
Recently a bus driver told me he often unintentionally overhears cell phone conversations.
Last week a female student was talking on her cell phone about her persistent cramps and irregular bleeding.
"I don't want to hear about that." he said.
Don't Sacrifice Safety
The truth is, no one does. Be mindful of what you say when talking on your phone in public — you never know who might be listening.
In her article "Cell Phone Etiquette" at bcentral.com, Joanna Krotz said that in 2002, about 41 state governments considered proposals to restrict or ban the use of cell phones while driving, according to the National Council of State Legislatures.
The problem is that plenty of accidents happen when people are driving without two hands on the wheel. Invest in a hands-free set or make the conversation wait until you get home.
Watch Your Volume
Just because your cell phone is the size of a Tootsie Roll doesn't mean you have to speak louder to make up for it. It's a cell phone, not a megaphone. Enough said.
Rochie is a Wichita senior in journalism. Each week she covers a different consumer issue.
University researchers conducting tests on new wireless transfer technology
By Amy Potter apotter@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
Computer users will no longer suffer from the wire connecting blues.
Researchers at the University of Kansas and The Information and Telecommunication Technology Center finished their first round of tests last month for Bluetooth Special Interest Group, based out of Overland Park.
The University teamed up with Bluetooth SIG this year to test technology that allows for wireless transfer of information between electronic equipment such as computers cell phones and printers, said Leon Searl, software research engineer at ITTC.
"Bluetooth is supposed to make it easier to transfer data. Hooking
things up to wires is always a pain in the rear to do," Searl said.
The inspiration for the name Bluetooth came from Danish King Harald Bluetooth, who united a number of countries in the Scandinavian area around A.D. 900, said Joe Evans, professor of electrical engineering and computer science.
"The idea behind Bluetooth is to try to unite a lot of the effort of the wireless data communications," he said.
One test the researchers performed ranked the device on a scale of one to five, ranking how easy the product is for an everyday user to operate.
If a product receives a one it means it's extremely difficult to use. Five indicates the user didn't have to look at the user manual and the technology is fairly simple to use.
"Bluetooth is supposed to make it easier to transfer data. Hooking things up to wires is always a pain in the rear to do."
"We're testing at the very highest
Leon Searl software research engineer at ITTC
level from the perspective of the average everyday user." Searl said. "Technically, the devices may be able to operate for the test, but is it easy for the user?"
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group represents 3Com, Agere, Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia and Toshiba and hundreds of Associate and Adopter member companies. Researchers did almost 400 measurements on products containing Bluetooth hardware from these companies, said Searl.
Bluetooth technology can work at distances up to 300 feet but the general use is at most 30 feet, Searl said.
The interest group has contributed $33,000 in funding for the program. This money pays the salary of two KU employees working solely on testing for Bluetooth SIG, said Joseph Evans, professor of electrical engineering and computer science.
The University's partnership with Bluetooth is an important one, said Dan Deavours, research assistant professor at ITTC.
"It will help us better understand the technology." he said. "It will help us in formulating future relevant research ideas and getting students involved in technology."
Edited by Ryan Wood
Pilar Pena/Kansan
Leon Searl, Information Resource Manager at Information and Telecommunication Technology Center, tests the transmission of information on a cell phone. The testing is part of the project that ITTC is doing for Bluetooth Special Interest Group.
As an engineer in the U.S. Air Force, there's no telling what you'll work on. (Seriously, we can't tell you.)
United States Air Force applied technology is years ahead of what you'll touch in the private sector, and as a new engineer you'll likely be involved at the ground level of new and sometimes classified developments. You'll begin leading and managing within this highly respected group from day one. Find out what's waiting behind the scenes for you in the Air Force today. To request more information, call 1-800-423-USAF or log on to airforce.com.
U. S. AIR FORCE CROSS INTO THE BLUE
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