I really have no problem with cell phone use in restaurants, provided the cellphone owner is not disrupting others by carrying on a phone conversation with someone or ignoring everyone else at the table and texting non-stop. But that's just common courtesy. We always taught our daughter not to text at the table, and she doesn't - or at least not in our presence.
Likewise, I've been dining at restaurants while others are taking photos. This isn't a new thing. Back in ye olde Kodak days, people sometimes took photos in restaurants, too. I've been with groups that have asked a waiter to take a photo. This is a request that you need to play by ear. If the restaurant is swamped, then it's impolite to ask. But I've never once seen a waiter get testy about a photo request when asked nicely.
I'll add one more. Sometimes when I have lunch by myself, I have my Kindle with me to catch up on reading. No different than 10 years ago when I would take a book to lunch. Just like with a book, I'm still perfectly capable of putting it down to talk to the wait staff when they come to the table.
Reading through the article that was posted at the start of the thread, it sounds like a bunch of hooey to me. Maybe something posted by a disgruntled waiter or owner of a restaurant. Regardless, whoever wrote it needs to deal with reality. Like it or not, cell phones are here to stay. Unfortunately, the same could be said for rude people.
My take is this: Don't blame the hardware. Don't blame the software. Blame the Jellyware (aka the soft gray matter between peoples' ears).
