In embodiments, an apparatus for computing may include a receiver; a speaker; circuitry coupled to the receiver and speaker; and a service to be operated by the circuitry to receive an instance of a message via the receiver, and to conditionally affect a provision, through the speaker, an audio notification alert of the receipt of the instance of the message. In embodiments, to conditionally affect the provision may include to bypass or cause to bypass of the provision of the audio notification alert, on determination that another audio notification alert has been or will be provided by another proximally located apparatus for receiving another instance of the same message. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.