One of my favorite things in romance series is trying to spot those secondary characters that will feature in their own books. It's like an extra puzzle guessing game to try to pair them off -- and then see later if I'm right! (I'm also a sucker for villains who turn over a new leaf, so I'm eager to find out what you discover about Sigil!)
The cell phone use thing seems to have gone through a couple of cycles. I've heard not to use them, because you look oblivious, and I've heard that if you use them, that means you're talking to someone who can call for help immediately (to the point where one self defense instructor recommended pretending to talk on your cell phone). With the rise of "Apple Picking," I'm not surprised that we're back to not using them.
The best advice I've ever heard about preventing crime is being aware of your surroundings at all times. You're less likely to be a victim if you (and your friends) can avoid dangerous situations!
Bad boys are all well and good, but nice boys are under-loved! That said, Declan and Liadain sound like they're going to be an incredibly fun pair to watch keep each other on their toes.
I hope I'm in the process of one right now... I preordered the B&N Nook so I'd finally have an e-reader! Upon receiving it, however, I discovered that it doesn't read .doc or .txt files (counter to what I'd understood to be true from a conversation with a bookseller early on in the preorder process). So I'm hemming and hawing -- do I return it and buy a different reader that has that functionality, but other problems? Or do I keep it and hope for a software update, since I've already made the purchase? Decisions, decisions....