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Shutting Up Annoying Cellphones
NoWhere Man writes: "North Carolina-based BlueLinx, which produces consumer applications for short-range wireless systems, and" Hold on I gotta take this call.... " a telecommunications center at the University of Adelaide in Australia are developing a feature for mobile phones that interacts with Bluetooth shortwave radio-link systems in public places. The feature is designed to automatically silence cellphone ringing. Once inside the Bluetooth coverage area, cellphones with the "Q-Zone" feature will be silenced."
sulli
sulli
RTFJ.
At best, this is just a small feature to allow busy people who don't want to have to remember to turn their phones off when they enter a movie theater, to have it done automatically. Fine with me. This isn't going to prevent the annoying noise of cell-phones, unless people make the voluntary decision to do so.
I don't really even find cell-phones that annoying, unless it's in certain circumstances such as theaters. And chances are that some dumbass is going to think that waiting for a call from his buddies downtown is just as important as the call for the doctor who has to rush to the hospital to save a car-accident victim's life.
I'm not suggesting we should force anyone to turn their phones off or down, either. That's a bit stupid and big-brotherish, to me. It also could leave a lot of room for lawsuits and liability issues.
This only serves to make life a tiny notch simpler for those who care to be responsible enough to keep their volume down or off in certain public places. The problem of those who could care less about making those 'sacrifices' will have to be dealt with via old-fashioned intolerance by people around them when their phones go off and they engage in annoying conversation while you're trying to enjoy a flick. That is, next time someone's phone rings in the middle of a movie and they don't immediately shut it off -- or worse, they answer it and start talking, the people around them should chastise them for it. It's better than enforcing some dumb law and the moron still has the choice of leaving the theater or staying there and being a prick, if he can put up with the resulting disapprovement of the other movie-goers.
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seumas.com
I, for one, am seriously thrilled to no end by this bit of news. Now, if only children came with this feature...
/* TNW */
"Every jumbled pile of person has a thinking part that wonders what the part that isn't thinking isn't thinking of"-TMBG
Seattle, WA Shoeboy Industries, a leading producer of homemade bongs, has announced plans to enter the wireless market in a big way.
"Many people are bothered by individuals who use their cell phones in innapropriate places." announced Shoeboy. "Just yesterday I was taking a leak and the guy at the next urinal was on the phone with his wife. I'm sorry, but if a guy is going to say 'I love you honey' in a public restroom, I expect a blow job."
Shoeboy Industries hopes to combat these annoying mobile phone users by introducing a technology called ActiveGlock.
"ActiveGlock will provide a convienient point and click interface to silence those mobile users once and for all!" exclaims John Cheese, tech stock analyst for pointlesswasteoftime.com. "I'm very bullish on Shoeboy Industries stock right now. Shoeboy should be able to mow down the competition and shoot his way to the top of NASDAQ."
A representative for the Disgrunted Postal Workers Association revealed that it's members had been evaluating ActiveGlock technology and hope to implement it "When those bastards least expect it."
Others are less optimistic. "Technically it's murder," declares University of Utah law professor Dr. Rajeev Papshigali, "we wish it was justifiable homicide, but it isn't."
Dr. Papshigali's warnings went unheeded on wall street where Shoeboy Industries closed at 2.25 for a gain of 2.24 points on the day.
--Shoeboy
Am I going to be the only person who realizes that this is censorship?
Yes. Here's the clue: Censorship can only be done by the government.
You don't like the fact that the theatre you paid to get in to blocks cell phones? Walk out.
Hrm, I wonder if this feature was funded at all by university professors. :) At least at my school the number one annoyance for professors is probably the two or three times per class that someone's cellphone rings. It's like the professors are beaten into submission too. Most times they just shake their head in disgust and go on with the lecture. The funniest (and most annoying) incident was when a classmate of mine asked the professor a question. The professor started into answering it, then the student's cellphone went off. Now, most times they'll just quickly smack the thing off like an alarm clock on a monday morning. Not this guy! He proceeded to get up and go out into the hall and take the call! I dont think the professor actually believed what had just happened as all he did was chuckle and move on. Could have been worse though, at least he had the decency to leave the room. He could have taken it right from his desk. :)
Personally I find it much more fun to take care of annoying cellular user the Old Fashioned way.
Fist Prost
"We're talking about a planet of helpdesks."
-Jaron Lanier
In Australia, and (presumably) the US and the UK, having a mobile phone ring while in the cinema is considered *extremely* rude. However, when I was in Hong Kong last year, it seemed like this was perfectly acceptable behaviour. What differences in acceptable mobile phone etiquette have other Slashdot readers noticed from place to place?
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo
--Andy Finkel (J. Klass?)
I'd like to see all new movie multi-plexes built with a temptest-proof (ie: RF-proof) wire cage around every theater. If you *elect* to go in, you should be aware that your cell phone, your pager, and any other obnoxious and rude device you may have, just *won't work*.
If you don't like it, I hope you choose not to patronize these places - I expect business will pick up as a result!
A.
...bringing you cynical quips since 1998
The problem with cellular phones being used while driving is that they occupy not only your attention but your physical capacities. So do these other activities which people are frequently engaged in while on the freeway.
I hate new laws. I hate throwing a law at every problem or question, but I don't see any way around this, since there is a direct connection between the behavior and the resulting accidents -- just like putting a 'WIDE LOAD' sign on the back of a long semi carrying a mobile home. Why is that sign there? Because carrying a house tends to make it a bit dangerous for the guy behind you!
But how do you come up with a reasonable list of things that you can and cannot do while moving (note that I don't see a problem with snacking away or shaving in your car if you're in gridlock))?
Shaving, putting on makeup, reading a book, getting dressed -- really bad thins to be doing while driving. They demonstrate absolutely horrible common sense on behalf of the driver. But drinking... It seems a little strong to say that I'm not allowed to have a few sips of my soda while I'm on the road. Should I have to pull over to the side of the road each time I get thirsty? Maybe not. Probably an acceptable thing to do, compared to unwrapping a big-mac and sinking your teeth into it, removing your concentration from the road.
Cellular phones are fine, if you have a hands-free system. If you can call-up a number and have your system dial it and, further, have yor conversation, without physically having to removing your concentration or hands from the wheel, then great. And I think we're moving closer to this, as technology becomes available.
You also have other issues, such as sleeping. Being extremely drowsey is a massive cause of accidents. In fact, it is generally accepted that if you've been awake for over sixteen or seventeen hours straight, you are operating at an impaired level similar to having a blood/alchohol mix of .05 percent. Almost a legal limite in many states.
But driving while sleepy isn't illegal. We don't pull you over and ticket you if you're caught yawning.
It's a difficult line to draw, but I think that for the attempt of safety, lines do need to be drawn. Where possible, alternatives need to be advanced and used. If you can do something in a safe manner while on the road, that's great -- cellphones with speakers and hands free operationg. If you can't do it safely -- trying to hold your phone, dial it, hold it between your ear and shoulder as you tilt your head sideways and converse and drive in this position -- then that's not so great. Should be an offense that can be fined. The same can then be applied to several other well-known hazards that drivers engage in routinely.
People will dislike the changes and scream that they are having their rights invaded, but people need to realize that while it seems to them that they're just pitting their foot on a pedel and moving a little wheel to the left and right, they're actually still responsible for a piece of metal and fiberglass, several tons in size, rocketing down the freeway at seventy or more miles per hour.
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seumas.com
For this feature to work, the user is going to have to allow it. Once Bluetooth enabled phones come out, users are going to quickly learn that they should not automatically connect to any bluetooth enabled device- first of all, the local Bluetooth piconet (limited to 16 devices, I think) is going to go quickly to capacity. Of course bluetooth will quickly be adopted by spammers and their ilk, which will cause most people to quickly disable the automatic discovery and promiscuous communication.
I have a feeling that the features that allow this sort of thing (stopping ringers) will not be automatically enabled (unless Microsoft dominates the technology). Would you be willing to share the contents of your PDA with anyone who walks by?
A handheld EMP generator might be more effective.
Would work on ANY cell phone. As well as my neighbors blaring TV. Dangerous drivers with their fancy electronic ignition. The machine at the grocery store that claims my checks are bad. Those androids that the CIA has used to replace my family members.
All kinds of useful things.
Certain window coatings that are designed to block the sun's UV rays also have the unintended side effect of weakening the airwaves used by cellphones. Couldn't this be used to block cellphone usage in certain areas (operas, concerts, restaurants etc.)? Advantage: only the owner of the place can impose the restriction, rather than some random stranger who just happens to walk by and has a beef with cellphones. What's the matter about cellphone usage on a bus? It's a noisy place anyways. And what's the difference about learning about somebody's private life by overhearing a phone conversation, rather than by overhearing a conversation with their seat-neighbour?
Say no to software patents.