Telecom

Mobile Etiquette: Are You Phone Savvy or Bore?

Published

17 years ago

January 26, 2009

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Cell phones are now part of our culture, our lives, and our realities. We are now used to it!
While mobile communication provides many benefits, including convenience, flexibility and personal security, it can sometimes be intrusive to others.
But seem to think, they are the only one with a cell phone. They pull it out at will, talk loud, not because he can only hear out of one ear, but he wants people to notice.
Now students leave class in the middle of lectures, disrupt the class and they answer the phone while sitting with their friends, all to please whom ever it is calling, driving while talking is just as dangerous as drinking and driving.
Correct mobile phone etiquette – is important both in considering others and helping to keep you and those around you safe.
1. Pay attention to the road.
We have growing evidence that cell phones may distract drivers and cause risks for themselves and other drivers.
The cell savvy user never uses a mobile phone while driving unless it is "hands free." Not only are both hands free to shift and steer, there seems to be a very significant difference in the degree of attention deficit when using an ear phone. The ear phone makes it much easier to focus on driving.
The cell savvy user is also careful to limit conversations in cars to traffic areas and conditions requiring low amounts of decision-making. In high volume, tricky driving situations, the cell savvy user either turns the phone off or lets it ring.
The cell phone bore pays no attention to traffic conditions, drives with phone in hand and may put surrounding cars and drivers at risk. Too focussed on phoning, the cell phone bore often misses what is happening on the road nearby and makes driving moves and decisions at an impaired level. Busy chatting, the cell phone bore may run a stop sign and broadside a car.
2. Speak softly.
The cell savvy user is careful to speak in hushed tones, knowing that a mobile phone has a sensitive microphone capable of picking up a soft voice.
The cell savvy user also sets the ring tone at a low level with a tune that is soft, gentle and not annoying.
The more crowded the situation, the quieter and softer the volume of voice and ring.
The cell savvy user moves to vibrate in any situation like a church, a workshop or a meeting where a ringing sound would prove disturbing to other people.
The cell savvy user tries to gain as little phone attention as possible. The goal is to communicate effectively without anybody else noticing or caring.
The cell phone bore speaks loudly and employs loud, obnoxious ring tones at all the wrong times and in all the wrong places. The cell phone bore calls attention to herself or himself.
Some people seem incapable of speaking on their cell phone in a normal tone of voice. Perhaps they are subconsciously worried that the party on the other end cannot hear them very well, so they double and triple their volume. Sometimes it seems as if they are shouting.
Watch the reactions of people near the cell phone bore when the voice or the ringer are too loud. The cell phone bore is not a popular person. Back to Top
3. Keep your distance.
Each person is surrounded by a personal space. This space provides feelings of safety and calm, especially in crowded places.
When strangers come into our personal space, it can make us feel uncomfortable.
The smart cell phone user respects the personal space of other people and tries to speak in places 10-20 feet or more away from the closest person.
If there is no private, separate space available, the smart cell phone user waits to speak on the phone until a good space is available.
Sensitivity to other peoples’ needs and comforts is a sign of good character.
Crowded rooms, lines and tight hallways are not good places to carry on phone conversations.
Next time you find yourself in a crowded space, watch the reactions of non mobile phone users to those who speak loudly into their phones while standing next to them.
The cell phone bore ignores the private personal space of others and seems oblivious to the discomfort caused by such behavior. Unconscious, unconcerned and unaware, the cell phone bore acts as if no one else matters. Back to Top
4. Keep business private.
Many personal and business conversations contain information that should remain confidential or private. Before using a mobile phone in a public location to discuss private business or issues, the cell savvy user makes sure that there will be enough distance to keep the content private. Some stories, some issues and some conflicts should be saved for times and locations that will allow for confidentiality.
The cell phone bore does not think strategically about content and handles a full range of issues and topics in a wide variety of settings without paying much attention to the surrounding audience. This lack of discrimination can have dangerous consequences as business deals, relationships and future plans may all be endangered by leaks and loose tongues.
5. Keep a civil and pleasant tone.
The cell savvy user knows that others might overhear a conversation, so they are careful to maintain a public voice that will not disturb others. At the same time, the cell savvy user knows that certain types of conversations may require or inspire some tough talk or emotional tones. They reserve these conversations for more private settings. They do not fire employees, chastise employees, argue with a boss or fight with a spouse or teenager on their mobile phones in public settings.
The cell phone bore will sometimes air dirty laundry in public and share emotionally intense conversations with nearby strangers. The cell phone bore will speak in loud and angry tones that often cause other people to move away if they can. Back to Top
6.. No cell phone before it’s time.
The cell savvy user thinks about when to turn the phone on or off. There are many situations where it would be rude if a phone rang, interrupting the transaction at hand.
Stepping up to a service counter, entering a restaurant or joining a meeting, the cell savvy user turn off the phone and relies upon voice mail to take incoming calls.
There may be sometimes when a particular incoming call or message requires an exception, but the vast majority of callers do not require immediate access.
The cell phone bore leaves the phone on all the time in all places regardless of the situation. The cell phone bore answers the phone no matter what else is happening and expects others to sit and wait while they chat with the caller. Back to Top
7. One thing at a time.
The busy person multi-tasking at a desk can be a wonderful model of efficiency, handling, phone, keyboard, coffee cup and remote control all at the same time, but at other times, multi-tasking can be hazardous, rude and inefficient.
The cell savvy user reserves multi-tasking for situations and times when it is safe, convenient and appropriate. Approaching a counter to work through a problem with an airline ticket, the cell savvy user turns off the phone or its ringer to protect the coming transaction from interruption. One thing at a time. Focus. Efficiency. Manners.
The cell savvy user often stops other activities such as typing when a call comes through in order to give the caller, full attention. Free of distraction, the cell savvy user makes the most of the call.
The cell phone bore often juggles multiple tasks at the wrong times in the wrong places and often drops a ball or makes someone else angry.
Stepping to the counter to work out a problem with a ticket, the cell phone bore takes an incoming call right in the middle of the transaction and holds up the employee as well as all the other customers lined up waiting for service. Oblivious to the inconvenience and inefficiency caused, the cell phone bore allows a mobile phone to interfere with the performance of the employee and the needs of the other customers. The cell phone bore puts personal wishes ahead of civility.

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Telecom

Truecaller Targets Global Market with Powerful New Business Chat Push

Published

17 hours ago

April 9, 2026

Ugo Onwuaso

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Truecaller, the leading global communications platform, today announced the expansion of its Business Chat platform, making it accessible to global channel partners and enterprise solution providers. By “opening up” market access to its platform, Truecaller is empowering partners to transition their enterprise clients from legacy, low-trust SMS to a verified, smart, media-rich, and conversational communication experience.

Truecaller

Through this partner-led expansion, Truecaller empowers businesses to reclaim customer attention and establish immediate trust and credibility.

“The definition of success for modern enterprises has fundamentally evolved. It’s no longer just about delivery – it’s about earning attention, establishing credibility, and driving meaningful conversion,” said Priyam Bose, Global Head, GTM at Truecaller.

“By opening up market access to our global partners, we’ve created a powerful gateway for brands to engage with over 500 million active users where they already interact daily through communication that is contextual, trusted, free from clutter, and designed to initiate actions. For existing customers, the outreach opportunity extends to an additional high-impact channel, strengthening the overall customer experience journey.”

Truecaller Business Chat enables a clutter-free, high-trust conversational experience between businesses and consumers. The Business Chat platform equips partners with actionable insights, including real-time data and rich engagement metrics. This facilitates a more sophisticated, data-driven communication strategy that adapts at every stage of the customer journey.

Partners, including Gupshup and OneXtel, are already live in India along with Globe Teleservices, Cloudcom, and Sling Africa in other global markets, rapidly scaling the product in their respective regions. Global partners can now leverage Truecaller’s massive footprint to offer their clients a trustworthy engagement channel in an increasingly crowded digital world.

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Telecom

Apply Now: MTN Nigeria Opens 2026 Media Innovation Programme

Published

17 hours ago

April 9, 2026

Ugo Onwuaso

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MTN Nigeria has opened applications for the fifth edition of its Media Innovation Programme (MIP), expanding the cohort to 25 fellows from 20 in previous years to mark the company’s 25th anniversary and bolster the media sector.

MTN Nigeria

The initiative highlights MTN Nigeria’s 25-year milestone in connecting Nigerians, paralleling investment in storytellers who amplify these connections across society and foster a vibrant media industry amid digital evolution.

“The Media Innovation Programme reflects our commitment to supporting the growth and evolution of the media industry by providing access to knowledge, exposure, and meaningful engagement with the realities shaping it,” said Tobe Okigbo, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer at MTN Nigeria.

“The expansion to 25 fellows this year is a deliberate reflection of our 25-year milestone, and a reminder that as the media industry continues to evolve, there is a continued need to invest in the people and ideas that will shape its future.”

Applications close April 22, 2026; aspiring fellows can apply at mtnmip.smc.edu.ng.

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Meta Unveils Muse Spark: MSL’s Groundbreaking People-First AI Model

Published

17 hours ago

April 9, 2026

Ugo Onwuaso

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Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL) unveiled Muse Spark Tuesday, its first large language model in a new Muse series, designed from scratch to deliver “personal superintelligence”—an AI assistant tailored to users’ real-world needs like complex reasoning in science, math and health.

Meta Unveils Muse Spark: MSL’s Groundbreaking People-First AI Model

Meta AI

A New Model: Muse Spark

Over the last nine months, Meta Superintelligence Labs rebuilt our AI stack from the ground up, moving faster than any development cycle we have run before. Muse Spark is the first model in our new Muse series — a deliberate and scientific approach to model scaling where each generation validates and builds on the last before we go bigger. This initial model is small and fast by design, yet capable enough to reason through complex questions in science, math, and health. It is a powerful foundation, and the next generation is already in development. Muse Spark now powers the Meta AI assistant in the Meta AI app and meta.ai, built to support complex reasoning and multimodal tasks.

What’s Changed with Meta AI

The Meta AI app and meta.ai are getting an upgrade today, along with a new look. Whether you need a quick answer or help with complex problems that need strong reasoning, Meta AI now handles both. You can switch between modes depending on the task, and Meta AI can launch multiple subagents in parallel to tackle your question. Like planning a family trip to Florida where one agent drafts the itinerary, another compares Orlando vs. the Keys, and a third finds kid-friendly activities — all at the same time, giving you a better answer, faster.

Ask Meta AI: It Understands

The real world moves fast, and most of it does not fit into a text box. That is why we built strong multimodal perception into Muse Spark, so Meta AI can see and understand what you are looking at, not just read what you type. Snap a photo of an airport snack shelf and Meta AI can identify and rank the snacks with the most protein — no label-squinting required. Scan a product and ask how it compares to alternatives. It is the difference between an AI that waits for you to explain the world and one that can simply look at the world with you. And when Meta AI powered by Muse Spark comes to our AI glasses, the assistant will be able to better see and understand the world around you.

Multimodal perception is especially valuable for health. With Muse Spark, Meta AI is now able to help you navigate health questions with more detailed responses, including some questions involving images and charts. Health is one of the top reasons people turn to AI, so we worked with a team of physicians to develop the model’s ability to provide helpful information on common health questions and concerns.

Muse Spark excels at visual coding, letting you create custom websites and mini-games straight from a prompt. Ask Meta AI to build a dashboard for planning a big surprise party, spin up a retro arcade game to chase a high score, or launch a whimsical flight simulator — and share any of them with friends.

Ask Meta AI: It’s Plugged Into What You Care About

Meta AI can now help you discover what to wear, how to style a room, or what to buy for someone you know. Shopping mode draws from the styling inspiration and brand storytelling already happening across our apps, surfacing ideas from the creators and communities people already follow.

And when you are looking up a place to go or a topic that is trending, Meta AI surfaces rich and relevant context right alongside the conversation. Tap into a location and see public posts from locals who know the area. Ask what people are buzzing about and get the full picture, pulled from content and community posts. It is context from your people, right where you need it.

Looking Ahead

The Meta AI app and meta.ai will have the upgraded experience with Instant and Thinking modes everywhere they are available today. The new Meta AI features are starting to roll out in the US on both. In the coming weeks, we will bring these new modes and capabilities to more countries and to the places where people use Meta AI, including Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, and our AI glasses — where these perception capabilities become even more powerful. We are also opening access to the underlying technology. It will be available in private preview via API to select partners, and we hope to open-source future versions of the model.

This is only the start. As we expand these features, expect richer, more visual results, with Reels, photos, and posts woven directly into your answers, with credit back to the content creators. And as our models improve, we’ll continue to build safeguards for things like safety and privacy, starting with the strengthened risk framework and other protections we’re sharing today.

The future of Meta AI is rooted in the relationships and context already at the center of your life. We are building toward personal superintelligence — an AI that does not just answer your questions but truly understands your world because it is built on it.

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