by Tim Thorp, Computer Education Specialist, CIS

Two great tips for your cell phone usage

Tip #1: Add Brown’s phonetic operator to your contact list

Brown’s phonetic operator is not an operator at all. It’s actually a computer program that converts a name or a department that you speak into your phone into text (via phonetic matching) and then compares the text against the Brown phone directory for staff, faculty and departments. When there is a match where what you said equals a name in the directory, the system repeats the name back to you and if you affirm that the correct name has been acquired, it connects you to the person. That way if you ever need to call someone's office at Brown (while you are away from your desk), you can call the phonetic operator from your contact list and say the person's name and the operator will connect you.

To make this happen, simply add an entry to your cell phone’s contact list named Brown Directory and assign the number 401-863-6001.

Tip #2: ICE Program (In Case of Emergency)

Following the recent terrorist bombing in England, a local ambulance service found that a number of people who were injured had cell phones on them, but the rescuers were unable to determine who to call from the cell phone. Since then, they have launched a campaign across England called ICE (In Case of Emergency).

It is very simple, yet will be extremely helpful in the event that the owner of a cell phone is sick or injured. You program the word ICE in your cell phone, followed by the number of a person you would want to be notified in the event of an emergency. Public safety personnel would then know who you would want to be contacted in the event that you could not speak for yourself. It would be a good idea also to program additional numbers such as ICE1, ICE2 etc. for additional notifications.

More information about the ICE initiative can be found at:
ICE home page | Washington Post, 07/18/05: 'ICE' Cell Phone Plan Would Help Rescuers
The Register, 07/14/05: In Case of Emergency, Dial 'ICE' | NHS, East Anglian Ambulance Services