Using Mobile Phones

Etiquettes of the Mobile PhoneIslam has never been opposed to advancement. However, certain advancements are such that togetherwith their benefits come much harm. Whilst mobile technology and the mobile phone in particular has revolutionised the way we live, it is important that we utilise such technology appropriately.Crude MannersIt is important to realise that there are certain etiquettes of speaking on the phone. For example when calling someone, many people do not first ask the person they are calling whether it is convenient for them to speak at that very moment. They simply begin a long conversation without any regard for the inconvenience they cause the person they have called. There are yet others who, whilst in the company of others,answer phone calls and begin to casually converse with whoever has called them. Doing this is akin to turning your face away from those in your company whilst in the middle ofa conversation and engaging in conversation with someone else without any explanation or apology to the first. Such behaviour is indeed inappropriate and a reflection of crude manners.Robber of TimeThe mobile phone, whilst being a very useful item, can prove to be a robber of time too. People feel obliged to utilise the free minutes and texts they have within their contract. If one has an allowance of 500 minutes or 500 texts within his talk plan, it is not necessary to utilise all these minutes or texts. By calling people or texting them only to use up the allowance, we are wasting valuable time which could have beenutilised in productive activities.Text MessagesNowadays, many people send ‘Jumu‘ah Mubarak’ text every week to friends and associates. The contents of many of these texts are not authentic and sometimes not in line with Islamic teachings. One needs to be cautious before forwarding any message of this nature. Many people forward these messages just because they apparently sound good irrespective of the message being incorrect. Do not forward any message until you are sure of its authenticity.If you are keen to propagate the beau­tiful teachings of Islam by using the text facility then make sure it is something beneficial, correct and authentic. Moreover, the day of Jumu‘ah should not be fixed for this; any day and every day should be made mubarak by conveying a piece from the teachings of our beautiful dīn.Name at the End of TextWhenever you send a text message, it is important to write your name at the end of the text, because it is possible that the person you are texting has not saved your number on his mobile. As a result, he will be confused and inconvenienced when he receives the text due to not knowing who the sender is.In The MasjidWhen attending the masjid one should switch off his mobile. Failure to do so will result in one being disrespectful to the house of Allāh as well as being a means of disturbanceto others if the phone were to ring. It is prudent not to even leave the phone in vibration mode. In this situation if the phone were to receive a call during salāh, not only will it divert the phone owner’s attention it will also disturb the person next to him. Many people immediately after the completion of salāh check their phones for possible missed calls or messages. This shows that although one was physically standing in the court of Allāh, mentally he was elsewhere. Thus we should switch our phones off before entering the masjid and not pay attention towards them until we leave.Haram SharīfMany people would not even dream of answering a phone call whilst in the masjid when they are in their localities. However we observe the very same people freely using the mobile phone in the Haram Sharīf in Makkah and Madīnah. One should make a firm resolution and refrain from this for this leads to neglect andmany other wrongs whilst in blessed places.Musical Ring TonesWe should make sure that we have an appropriate simple ring tone on our mobile phone. To keep a musicalring tone is harām as the playing of music, or being a means of it being played is a sin. It is quite unfortunate that even when in Haramayn Sharīfayn whilst performing tawāf orpresenting salām to the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam, the musical tones of mobile phones are heard.This is harām and a major sin. Safeguard yourself from such things that distance you from the Creator.‘Islamic’ Ring TonesThe adhān, salām, tilāwah of the Glorious Qur’ān, nāt and nashīd are used as ring tones by many on mobile phones. The adhān has a set time and a purpose and should only be announced at the time for the stipulated purpose. Salām also has a specific purpose which is to greet one another. The Glorious Qur’ ān is the word of Allāh and has been sent for guidance of mankind. The Shari’ah has stipulated many rulings in regard to this great book. Nāt and nashīd are recited to inculcate and increase the love for our beloved Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam in our hearts. Noneof these should be used to inform us that someone is calling us. This is disrespectful. One should merely keep a simple ring tone for this purpose.How Many Rings?If when ringing someone one finds that the phone cuts off after a few rings or diverts to an answering machine, then the caller may try again. One should retry a maximum of three times for it may be that the person was busy and as he approached the phone it stopped ringing and thus he was unable to answer. However, there are some phones that do not divert or cut-off and keep ringing. In such cases the caller should let it continue ringing for that duration which would be considered normal, approximately ten rings. If the call is not answered then put the phone down because notanswering indicates that the person is either occupied or does not wish tospeak. Do not cause inconvenience by compelling.Mobile and TeachersIt is not permissible for teachers at madrasah or school to use the mobile during their working hours for the madrasah and the school has purchased that time from them. This time does not belong to them; it has become the property of the employing establishment.Source:At-Tazkiyah– wisdom ofShaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat

Primate Communication

All species of living things have developed some sort of communications system regardless of how primitive it may appear to be however only the human animal has managed to devise prearranged meanings to their communications signals. Although, human beings may be adapt at communications we have also discovered that animals tend to communicate amongst themselves in some form or other. Birds let forth specific sounds to signify that you are in their territory or to initiate a mating ritual. Various species of ants tend to emit specific odors as warnings to invaders approaching their location. Body movement is yet another means of communications as we can see with the honeybee.We are reminded that the honeybee can reveal to the other members of the hive where the nectar is located. Science has shown us that a solo bee performs a ritual dance accompanied by sounds to relay the necessary information to its fellow bees. Often time a researcher and especially the lay person feel that the human species is the only one capable of communications. Like the familiar bee dance which conveys information other non-human species perform similar actions.Technically communications is the manner by which information is transmitted from one organism to another by way of the nervous system. Thus theoretically, species tend to communicate according to that information which they are sending. The bee in our example perceives the food sources location and it has evolved its own ability to effectively share this information with its hive members. It stands to reason that the more evolved the nervous systems is than the more complex the means of communication will be. In this sample of the tiny bee and its dancing routine, it would appear that each aspect associated with the bees dance contains a specific meaning. Limited as it may be with merely relating direction, distance and type offood it is still a means of communication.Sounds within a language are often capable of being linked to one meaning in particular. These are culturally agreed upon symbols such as is found with the African Tswana people who refer toone specific species of nut-bearing tree as mongongo. Similarly the English adaption is known by the same word; however, we are told that the San people call the same tree gxa according to the accepted words within the San culture.No creature is born knowing their cultural language therefore each must be learned. Several basic concepts are generally accepted when evaluating languages. First, a languages utilizes abstract symbols which in turn allow people to converse about abstract concepts. Second, languages are generally passed from one generation to the next by cultural sharing and not by genetic make-up. Do not be mistaken, as there is a biological aspect associated with language even though it is not genetic. Anatomy plays a major role in the ability to speak and produce effective words. These anatomical requirements are primarily seen in the human species. No animals have anything which remotely resembles a 'voice box'. These physical components for voicecommunications usually consist of the larynx, subglottal system and the supralaryngeal vocal tract by which we find no other animals anatomically equipped or capable of speaking in the manner for which people converse. We are often told that communication via speech remainsuniquely reserved for humans. What generally differentiates us from other animals is our ability to talk. To date we have discovered no non-human type of languages even though many animals employ sounds in order to communicate. There is however a great difference between the meow of a cat and the moo of a cow as opposed toa human making a speech before congress.We are taught that most communication systems relating to nonhumans are viewed as closed systems where various calls or signs have specificmeanings. Some authorities suggest that such closed systems limit the species ability to generatemeaningful communications. Primates usually spend their entire lives in tight knitted societies where they frequently communicate by means of touching, smelling, vocalizations, gestures or evenvisual and facial expressions. These means of communication convey their state of mind and serve as clues to how they will act in the moments following such acts. Frequently, the use of body language is employed to emphasize a point. Chimpanzees are representative of this with their repertoire of calls, facial expressions or gestures however we frequently find that these outbursts usually express emotions such as aggression, excitement, fear or sexual stimulation. All primates including humans tend to use threatening gestures, offensive stares as well as special poses intending to intimidate others. Actions such as this are usually successful to prevent physical fighting among non-primates however with humans it is unpredictable. Physicalviolence is usually rare among the non-human primates. Relative to these symbolic gestures by primates we find that they do not provide names for things or combine calls to create new meanings. Human's as opposed to non-human species base their language on open communication which can be readily manipulated in order to create new words when necessary.In the past, several researchers have attempted to teach chimpanzees to speak however these feeble attempts were doomed to failure mainly because of the vast differences within the vocal tracts and facial and tongue muscles of the two species. Researchers have concluded that there are several essential aspects of the human species which allow us to express ourselves verbally. In essence our brain is designed to recognize symbols and to process what it conceives. With this ability we can not only recognize a variety of words but in addition we can formulate ideas relating to those words. Unlike the non-human species our physical anatomy permits us to communicate verbally. Lastly, the process must be defined as filling a need. Man at some point in time needed tocommunicate with his peers in order to survive.As I relate the experiences of Beatrix and Allen Gardner and their research with the young chimp named Washoe I am reminded of the 1995 movie Congo where Dr. Peter Elliott and his assistant Richard teach human communications to a gorilla named Amy. Using a special backpack andglove Amy's sign language is quickly translated to a digitized voice for all to hear. After considerable debate Peter decides to return Amy to the jungles of Africa. I was very impressed with the identification of Amy and her use of sign languageto convey her thoughts. Throughout the movie I wondered if such actions were actually valid and if they could be duplicated. As they often say, truth is stranger than fiction and after reading about theGardner's experiences with their chimp I will have to do further research and reading.Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Joseph_Parish/24208

Criticism Vs Feedback: They Are NOT the Same!

Over the past 25 years, I have frequently noticed that there appears to be a tendency by trainers, coaches and other"Talking Therapy" specialists to confuse the meaning of these two terms and to use them interchangeably. I propose that this usage is incorrect andthe purpose of this article is to clarify the use of these two commonly misusedwords.It is important to note that the dictionary definition of the word "Criticize" is one thing while in the real world where we all live it is something else because of the implications communicated by our verbal and non-verbal communication based on our experiences, values and so forth.Criticismusually occurs when someone has not met the, often unspoken, expectations of another person. The receiver is usually expected to have read the mind of the other person, known what was expected by/of them and then (deliberately) not complied. The intention of criticism is NOT to help or improve the receiver, but more to induce a feeling of guilt in them for their actions. The criticism and its cause is often repeatedly used by the supposed "victim" as a way to continue chastising the receiver for their behaviour as a form of emotional blackmail.Frequently it appears that both the verbal and non-verbal communication of the critics are at opposite end of a spectrum: At one end is that of a"Victim" and at the other end is that of an"Aggressor". It is not unusual for a person to move along this spectrum from their starting point as a victim who, moved by their emotions, move along the scale to become much more aggressive.The verbal language of a victim is often:- Full of emotive language.- Questioning ("What did I do to deserve this?" or"How could you do this to ME?").- Blaming / accusing ("Because of you XYZ has happened!" or "You always do this!".- The word "YOU" is used frequently.- The speed of speaking is often slower.The Non-verbal communication of a victim often includes, but is not limited to:- Hunched shoulders.- Lowered head.- Gaze directed downwards.- Protective gestures / postures.- Changed orientation.- A desire for proximity, etc.As mentioned above, 0n occasion, the communication may be that of someone being aggressive or so angry that they are willing/wanting to physically fight.Their Verbal communication often involves among other elements:- A raised voice.- Violent / aggressive or foul language.- A higher register.- A faster speaking speed.Their non-verbal communication usually includes:- Standing upright.- Threatening postures.- Fists clenched.- Rapid gestures.NOTE: Some people use the phrase "Positive criticism" in an attempt to soften their message which is still basically based on the concept of meeting expectations. The belief is that by using the word "Positive", it somehow negates the negative perception of the word "Criticism".E.G., "You did much better than I expected!"(Expectation: you were going to do it much worse!)This begs the question: How badly was the critic expecting the person to be?Criticism usually appears to based on emotional reasons rather than logical ones. It also tends to come from family members, friends or people whofeel that they have a "special" relationship with thereceiver which gives them the right to make these types of comments. In other words, it is frequently based on assumptions!Some example of "Criticism" are:- "You only care about yourself!".- "I did not expect that from you!".- "You sound like you are full of yourself".Feedback:The objective of feedback is usually to provide meaningful, relevant and useful information designed to help someone improve in a specific area."Negative Feedback" is used to correct undesired behaviour by pointing out what was done badly and the implications of continuing the same activity and 'providing a definite plan for improvement.The alternative is known as "Positive Feedback" and is designed to reinforce desired behaviour by recognizing exactly what has been done and encouraging its future use in appropriate contexts.While many people like to give feedback, quite often it is based on the giver's own perception, values and experience which might not be valid or appropriate. This often occurs in a business context where a Senior Manager might dictate the norms of behaviour expected- for example, in a presentation - and insist upon compliance: "My way or the highway!" even though science or logic disagree with his ideas.Examples of feedback include:- "To make your presentation even better next time I would... !" (Specific advice)- "While replying to certain comments it might have been more advantageous to do X, Y & Z".To be effective, feedback:- Should normally be given by a specialist or someone experienced in the area being dealt with.- The language used should be emotion-free, based on data, clear, concise, and limited to the area being discussed.- Needs to be given immediately after the event hasoccurred. If delayed, it loses value.- Should always be based on observed behaviour and never on reported behaviour or mind-reading.- Must be given by a person who is properly prepared. The Critical Incidence Log is a very useful tool to use.The structure and procedures used in providing feedback differ if one is giving it to correct undesired behaviour or to provide help to improvesomeone's skills with positive intent. This article isonly concerned giving the latter type of feedback.When talking about feedback, it is interesting to note that there are basically three types of people to consider when giving it.1. People who prefer their own Internal feedback:These people do not normally need to receive feedback from an outside source based on external evaluation sheets and so on. They implicitly trust their own feelings and evaluation of their own behaviour. They KNOW when they have done a great / terrible job and respond accordingly. They tend to reject feedback in general.2. People who need External feedback.Other people need to receive feedback from outside sources to validate themselves & their actions / behaviour. These can be written evaluations, face-to-face interviews or any other formal or informal type of feedback. A simple hand-on-the-shoulder combined with a "Well done" from the boss or other "authority" figure willfunction as reliable feedback for them as will a detailed analysis of the end-of-course reports from a training session or the annual performance appraisal. They are also more comfortable with a formal, schedule feedback session and tend to react positively to feedback.3. People who need both Internal & External feedback.These people tend to vary the type feedback they require based on the context of the activity, the audience, their knowledge, experience and skills related to the activity.When to ignore feedback:There appears to be some unwritten rule that when one is given feedback, it is important to pay attention to it and automatically apply it in similarsituations or contexts. However, there are times when it may be less productive to apply it and MORE productive to ignore it. Some examples of time when the application of feedback should be considered are:- When the person giving the feedback is not a specialist or has not received specific training in the area.- Only one person gives the feedback: You can never please everyone so if only one person is"unhappy" or gives this feedback, maybe it is ONLY their perception.- Outside factors - often unrelated (the giver is having a "bad hair day"!)- Hidden agendas of the feedback giver: the desire to belittle the receiver, etc.- Unknown factors that influence feedback.- Not all feedback is well-intentioned.- Not all feedback is "true".A clear understanding of the difference between criticism and feedback is vital in today's world and our daily life: from parents educating their children who often need feedback but only receive criticism to teachers / trainers or business people in a work context or "Talking therapy" specialists such as coaches, NLPers, psychologists, psychiatrists, etc.In training courses, we normally videotape ALL theparticipantsTWICEso that they are required to prove that they have learnt the material covered: the first time they are requi

Will Three's Purchase of O2 Affect You?

Once upon a time (circa 2003), Three was the plucky upstart in Britain's mobile networks race. They came with a weird name, some weird phones (remember the NEC E313?) and peddled something called 3G connectivity. For years they were mired by poor receptionand bad phone choices, but the company (funded by the extremely wealthy Hutchison Whampoa) continued on, despite proving unpopular in the market.As the years rolled by, Three began to remedy those issues, helped by a new wave of smartphones which included 3G support as standard and through the purchase of a large amount of wireless spectrum, Three began to gain ground. It also helped that they aggressively undercut the competition in terms of pricing, offering the latest smartphones on extremely generous contracts for quite reasonable monthly sums.O2, on the other hand, can trace their roots back to the very earliest telephone communications - through their original parent company BT. They won the initial license to create a mobile telecommunications network in the UK and grew into one of the largest networks in the country, now under the ownership of the Spanish mobile giant Telefonica. In years gone by, they were the exclusive partner with Apple on the iPhone, but these days they're known fortheir great customer service, premium product offerings and sponsorship of venues.What do these companies have in common? Well, they're the two of the biggest networks in the UK, and the former is trying to purchase the latter. Yes, Three are now flush with cash and Whampoa are trying to complete the merger of their two companies for a reported £10.25 billion. It would create the biggest mobile network in the UK, large enough to rival EE, which was formed from the merger of T-Mobile and Orange. Their merger faces a hard battle against regulatory bodies who are concerned that the loss of a competitor in the market would lead to bad results for customers.If the deal does go through though, what would it mean for you?Well, it might mean a number of things. On the plus side, it would mean that the O2 and Three networks would be brought together to share their coverage. This would give the newly unified company a huge amount of 2G, 3G and 4G coverage. Almost instantly, customers would be given access to this newly expanded network, which means faster internet in more places, which can only be a good thing. It might also mean the expansion of benefits from each company, like free data roaming on Three and O2 Priority Rewards which offer special deals to customers on their network.On the other hand though, as the regulatory bodies fear, it could mean less competition in the market. That could mean higher prices and worse customer service, as there are fewer businesses around to force prices down. Recent Ofcom regulations said that mobile networks cannot change the pricing of their contracts after you've taken it out, but it could mean that by the time you're ready to shop for a new one, you could be left paying more than before.In the short term though, it's worth remembering that this deal has to comeup against some considerable hurdles in order to complete. All we can do is wait and see what the future has in store for us.Contact Telephone Numbersis the home to some of the most sought after customer service numbers in the UK, including theO2 customer service contact number. So, if you need to get in touch with the British mobile network, there's only one place you need to look.Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Alec_James/2053496

A Guide to BT's Purchase of EE

For those of us that spend our time thinking about the UK's telecommunications markets, these are interesting times indeed. With Three attempting to complete the purchase of O2, Virgin contemplating a move into pay TV and BT purchasing EE, it's a very busy time to be paying attention. It's that last deal, however, that's causing one of the biggest stirs. It concerns the UK's largest media company, who offer TV, home phone and broadband, alongside being tasked with maintaining the UK's broadband infrastructure. Oh, and did we mentionthey're trying to take over the biggest mobile network in the UK?Needless to say, it's a huge deal, and you're bound to have some questions, so let's dig in to the detail.When did talks start?Rumours that BT were in the market for a mobile network came to light on the 24th of November, 2014 when it was reported that BT were in talks with both EE and O2. The latter would have been interesting because O2 is a former BT company, which was sold to Telefonica in 2005. Nevertheless, BT announced on the 15th of December 2014 that it had entered into exclusive talks to buy EE.How much will it cost?The deal will cost a reported £12.5 billion to BT in cash, but there's also a significant amount of stockbeing included in the deal. As part of the deal, Deutsche Telekom (who own 50% of EE and were formally trading as T-Mobile) will receive a remarkable 12% share in BT, whilst Orange have opted for a 4% stake in BT and a mostly cash settlement.Will it go through?Upon its announcement, there were fears that the deal would never see the light of day. The UK benefits from strong regulatory bodies which oversee competition within the country. As such, many suspected that the deal wouldn't be waved through on the grounds that it would create a monopoly for BT. However, Ofcom and their European counterparts both gave the deal the go ahead.Won't it affect competition?At the moment, it would appear that it won't make any major difference to competition in the telecommunications market. Ofcom believe that it takes at least four mobile networks to be on the high street for competition to be kept up, and this deal wouldn't affect that. BT-EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three would still be on the high street, and so competition would remain. That was the only major issue that had to be addressed, and the regulatory bodies are satisfied that it's been issues.What will it mean for EE customers?For the time being, not much. When the deal does go through, EE customers shouldn't notice much ofa difference at all. EE will still continue to be separately maintained, though it will shed some management staff during the integration with BT. In the medium to long term though, it's unclear what will happen with the EE branding. The company already recently underwent a rebrand asit moved from being Orange and T-Mobile into a single entity, so BT might feel unwilling to test the patience of the public once again.When will it happen?With the regulatory bodies now signed off on the deal and a price struck between the two companies, it's only a matter of time. There's a lot of due diligence yet to complete but these are two very big companies with expensive, talented lawyers. We'd expect the deal to go ahead by early 2016.Contact Telephone Numbersis the home to some of the most sought after customer service numbersin the UK, including theEE contact telephone number. So, if you need to get in touch with the British mobile network, there's only one place you need to look.Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Alec_James/2053496

An Approach to Faster Than Light Communication Using Quantum Entanglement

Einstein spent the last 30 years of his life trying to perfect a Unified Field Theory. I myself found it extremely difficult to research the material for this article in a timely manner. The subject of time or space-time can be a riddle. As a former engineer I find it a fascinating subject. Faster than light (FTL) or "Superluminal Communication" as it is otherwise called, can be achieved by using Quantum Entanglement. There has been enough research by respected scientists to say that the effect of Quantum Entanglement is instantaneous across all distances. The instantaneous effect happens even across vast stretches of the universe. The above assertion is in agreement with one of the time worn principles of science, Occam's Razor. The theoretical rule that states explanations should be the simplest, with as few assumptions as possible.Faster than Light communication is needed because transit times for signals can become increasing long and communication is degraded over very large distances. A radio signal transmission to Mars can take 13 minutes (depending on the position of Mars in relation to earth). One can say hello to a Mars astronaut and will not receive an answer for 26 minutes (signal time to Mars and back). Quantum Entanglement can be described as an event happening in one location can arbitrarily effect an event in another location. This phenomenon has been called"spooky action at a distance". Quantum entanglement has been observed and studied in relation to subatomic particles such as a photon. The spin (or angular momentum and orientation in its location) of the particle is described as either spin up or spin down. After measuring the spin of a particle the particle maintains its spin. If two entangled particles are measured in the same direction (no matter how far they are apart) their spins must be opposite. Either spin up or spin down. This effect maintains the angular momentum of the universe. It is not difficult to entangle subatomic particles. Entanglement can be achieved by having the particles in proximity to each other for a short time, for example splitting a beam of particles by an external force. This can create two beams of entangled particles such as photons.I will attempt to explain the workings of a device tocommunicate using Quantum Entanglement. The concept of the device is to entangle a photon by having it interact with an electron of a material and take on the property of either spin up or spin down. The entangled photon beam will then be spit and sent to a transmitter and receiver. The transmitter and receiver will contain the circulating photons in a waveguide. The transmitter and receiver can then be moved apart for communication purposes. The transmitter will use a magnetic field to change the polarization of the contained photons by "Faraday Rotation". A Faraday Rotation happens when light passes through a magnetic field in a material. The plane of polarization of the light or photon is rotated. This changing of the polarization will be reflected in the entangled receiver beam. By pulsing the magnetic field off and on a stream of 1's and 0's can be transmitted for communication purposes. A detector in the receiver will interpret the 1's and o's.Granted this device is just the beginning, there a many arrangements to use Quantum Entanglement for communication purposes. I hope this article helps to initiate other ideas in thisexciting field.Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Michael_A_Daddazio/873579