Calling all cell phone users: please set to vibrate

Chinese offices are known to be very quiet places; sometimes so quiet that you can hear a pin drop. I find the lack of noise slightly odd personally, but as the old saying goes: silence is golden. That is, until it's shattered in the most obnoxious fashion.

Cell phones can ruin any tranquil moment, but they are arguably at their most annoying when they are belting out pop music or strange sound clips at full volume in an office.

Since the introduction of the Motorola StarTac back in 1996, every mobile phone has had the option of a silent vibrate alert. I remember being in California back when the phone was introduced, seeing how the new SMS and vibrate features won over fans. The near-silent buzz in your pocket let you know that you were getting a call. It was all very unobtrusive.