Back to basics with a Blackberry Bold
By Ross O. Storey
04 May 2009
Having newly acquired a Blackberry Bold smart phone, which I have affectionately nicknamed ‘b-cubed’, I quickly came to realise why these amazingly clever devices have become known as ‘crackberries’. They are certainly very addictive in their multi-functional appeal.
Of course, my initiation was not without its problems. It took me some days to get the Blackberry ‘pushmail’ system to work and the experience underlined to me just how some technology issues have the most basic solutions.
As one who believes that the Internet, or ‘Google the Great’, can answer any question, I spent time researching BIS (Blackberry Internet Server) and BES (Blackberry Enterprise Server) in my quest to get my e-mail pushing. I contacted my service provider, Starhub in Singapore, and had their special Blackberry package activated. I rang them and was told that their 3G smart phone experts would ring me back within 24 to 48 hours to help me solve the pushmail issue. Impatient to enjoy b-cubed’s complete facilities, I rang again a day or so later, to go through the usual rigmarole of identifying myself, explaining my problem and again being told someone would ring back within 48 hours.
More web searching increased my knowledge of some clever Blackberry features and short cuts, but the push mail still did not work. On Monday evening, I attended a function at the Singapore Flyer, the world's largest Giant Observation Wheel, and, sure enough, when I was in the middle of some enjoyable networking with guests from the Mobile Marketing Association, the Starhub 3G expert called me. I explained my problem, expecting some detailed advice on how to set the system up, when the Starhub expert told me: “Just switch the phone off, take out the battery, wait 30 seconds, then replace it. Then switch your phone back on and see if that works’.
I obeyed instructions, amid clinking glasses at the network function and, lo and behold, B-cubed began receiving my e-mails. The basic ‘when-in-doubt re-boot’ approach had saved the day. Of course, this is usually the first advice that any computer tech will give you if you are having a fight with your desktop and it also seems a solid approach for smart phones too.
Now, each day I receive about 100 e-mails, so I began to wonder if pushmail is a blessing or a curse. Having set b-cubed to vibrate mode, I suddenly found by breast pocket vibrating every five minutes or so as the messages flooded in.
My next weekend was largely taken up with loading most of my music CD collection onto my Blackberry Bold, and, having purchased a 16-gigabyte media card, I was amazed how much musical data could be stored. In my Web searching I found that b-cubed could actually accept a 32GB card, but I couldn’t find one anywhere in Singapore.
Another joy of the BBB is the number of applets you can download to make your phone even more functional. My only gripe is that too many of these applets and services are restricted to users in the US and Canada. What about us here in Singapore!
But all-in-all, my love affair with b-cubed already has my wife worried. She thinks I’m obsessed, but I know I’m just better connected.
Ross O. Storey, currently the Managing Editor of Fairfax Business Media Asia, is responsible for the editorial content and production of MIS Asia, CIO Asia, Computerworld Singapore and Computerworld Malaysia magazines.
