Canter Bridge

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Along with all the good stuff in my job, there’s a potential downside: I’m ‘on’ 24/7 in time zones all over the world. One of the reasons I can manage this is my BlackBerry 7105t (T-Mobile).

But you gotta’ manage it or it will manage you.

The functions I use constantly are email, phone, contacts, calendar, and alarm clock. I get clear and reliable service on all five of those fronts, and fail-safe operation is essential to me (especially the alarm clock!).

Contrary to what change-abhorrent colleagues might tell you, SureType is not difficult to get under your belt. For a minimum of time invested in how to type that way, you come away with a compact device that’ll learn to recognize and correct the spelling of the words you use most.

I’ve had a Parrot BlueTooth gizmo installed in the two cars I use frequently. As soon as I enter the car, the BlackBerry synchs up its address book with the Parrot and I can yak away in car-as-office mode.

The downside: since this is an alarm clock for me, there is the tendency to wake up in the middle of the night, notice the little flashing light of the BlackBerry, and check the emails that have come in whilst I’ve slept (or tried to). This is the pathetic habit of sad little men and should be avoided by personal discipline rather than blamed on the BlackBerry as a failing of the technological possibilities it presents.

I charge the BlackBerry three different ways: by a dedicated charge chord in my home office, by connecting it to my desktop at work, and by way of a cigarette-lighter connection in my cars. Earlier versions required a physical connection to synch up with desktop software. This one does it all wirelessly. If I’m working remote and my assistant back at the office adds an appointment or changes a telephone number, it all updates instantly on my Blackberry. The same happens back home if I make the update on the Blackberry itself.

When I arrive at an international destination, the BlackBerry downloads a message from the local provider before the plane has taxied to a stop. With it, I can call home with little or no extra effort.

I suppose I’ll eventually look back on this BlackBerry as primitive technology. For now, it strikes me as cutting edge and accomplishes all the stuff I can imagine for it to conquer.

Now if they could just make one that dispenses toothpaste at the end of those long gel-and-paste-free flights.