My cell phone number is on my business card. It’s the only number I ever give out. It makes sense, because I’m routinely not in my home office when someone calls me; if I want a client to be able to reach me, my cell phone is the best bet.
Many web workers rely on their cell phones for work these days and some have even moved to handling their phone calls entirely through their computers, with services like Skype. There are plenty of ways to do without a landline at this point, which leads us to the question of whether it’s even necessary to pay for a telephone line anymore. Read the rest of this entry »
As a web worker, I’m typically attached to my laptop. But there are times when using the computer isn’t particularly practical, like when I’m driving. Checking my email on the road is significantly easier if I don’t have to type anything — such as with Voice on the Go. The service allows you to check email, schedule appointments, send text messages and complete many other tasks just by placing a call on your cell phone. Read the rest of this entry »
Do you ever make business or personal calls on your cell phone while driving? If so, you may want to pay close attention to a campaign launched this week by the National Safety Council (NSC) to prohibit even turning on a phone while behind the wheel.
The organization sent letters to governors and legislative leaders in all 50 states, urging them to make the ban part of their motor-vehicle laws. This idea goes way beyond the efforts that have taken place in many states and cities to ban drivers from texting and using handheld phones. The NSC says that dozens of studies have found that using a hands-free phone while driving is no safer than using a handheld one. It’s a distraction issue, and the group says studies show that about 6 percent of all traffic fatalities are caused at least in part by drivers not paying attention while on the phone.
This shouldn’t be taken lightly. This is from a big organization with lobbying clout, the same group that devised the “click it or ticket” slogan, adopted in many places to warn drivers to follow the law and buckle up.
The AAA motor club, another group with influence, has a campaign of its own to educate drivers to the fact that using a hands-free phone isn’t safer than using a handheld. But AAA hasn’t endorsed the safety council’s more radical position.
What do you think of a ban on using a cell phone while driving?
Well, even if cell phones won’t fry your brain like popcorn, there’s something new to worry about: “mobile phone dermatitis.” According to the British Association of Dermatologists, as reported by Reuters, there’s enough nickel in many popular mobile devices to cause a reaction in sensitive users. If you get an otherwise inexplicable rash on your face or ear, they say, you should suspect your cell phone.
Apparently the risk is higher for women, who have more tendency to develop nickel sensitivity due to jewelry. The dermatologists cite some published studies in urging their members to take this possibility into account. They also tested a bunch of popular phones to find out which ones were risky: affected models include the Motorola Rzr and Q, the BlackBerry 8700c, and some Sony Ericsson models. The BlackBerry Pearl, Palm Treo 650, and Kyocera KX444 were among those with a clean bill of health.
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Web Work 101: How To Escape The Cubicle
