My BlackBerry Storm, a close friend indeed

GASEBALWE SERETSE
Staff Writer | Friday August 6, 2010 00:00

Late last year, I finally managed to get my touch-screen BlackBerry Storm smartphone through a contract with one of the cellular network providers and all I can say is that life has never been more convenient. If I were the violent type, I would most certainly hit my friend for denying me such a convenience for so long.

Nowadays, wherever I go, I have to carry my newfound friend with me and it has proven to be a true friend indeed. Apart from the convenience of being able to call from my shiny jet-black friend any given time of the day because I am on contract, I have also been able to do a lot of work-related matters on the road because of its features. Apart from accessing the Internet I can also take good quality pictures.

A few months back, I went on a safari with an animal conservation organisation deep in the Kalahari. I left my laptop since I knew that I would be camping in the wilderness where there would be no access to not only electricity but the Internet too. But alas during the trip I was told that we would be spending a week in Kang. Somehow, I managed to convince my travelling companions to lend me a computer and a modem so that I could write and send a story to my supervisor, Maureen Odubeng, in Gaborone via e-mail. Soon after I finished the article, we hit the road and along the way I got a call from Mmegi.'Seretse, I haven't seen the article that you e-mailed me, can you resend it to me,' Odubeng said.

At first, I was not sure what to do since the person who had lent me the laptop and the modem was in another car that had used another route, and for a moment, it looked like I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. My boss was on deadline and she could not wait for me to re-write the story when I arrived in Gaborone. Then I remembered my BlackBerry!

I confidently told Odubeng that I had the story in my sent items so I would email it again via my phone.To say my colleague was shocked would be an understatement. She could not believe that I could send a big file through my phone. I resent the article and when I arrived in Gaborone, my story was in the paper thanks to my smartphone.

A few weeks ago, when I went to Letlhakeng to interview the relatives of the late folk music artist, Speech Madimabe, I could not get a photographer to accompany me. I was not worried since I believed that I could get an old picture of Madimabe, but when I got there, I could not secure it. I whipped out my BlackBerry and took a few shots of the artist's cousin after the interview. From there I proceeded to the cemetery where I got pictures of Madimabe's grave.

When I arrived at the office, I sent the pictures to the computer of the Chief of Photography, Tseletsebe Tsebetsame via Bluetooth.  Tsebetsame was so impressed with the quality of the pictures from me, an amateur photographer such that on another assignment when I could not get a photographer he suggested that I should just use my BlackBerry.

My BlackBerry 'voice notes recorder' also came in handy when I realised that I had left my electronic recorder behind during the Madimabe interview. Today as I write this article I have the voice of Madimabe's cousin speaking to me in the sweet and lovable language called Seboloongwe.

I can also get to shoot nice videos with my 'video camera' application in the BlackBerry Storm.

While some might argue that they could do the same with their less fancy phones, I can boast about the quality that I get when using BlackBerry.

I have to confess that I am a Facebook addict and at times I choose to access my Facebook account via the smartphone and I can boldly declare that it is the best Facebook that a phone could offer. I can download 'tonnes' of music, videos, ringtones and voicenotes with my BlackBerry.

Did I mention that since getting myself this cute gadget, I have earned the respect of some people? I am now the envy of electronic gadget lovers who would go, 'Wow, you have got a BlackBerry!'

This is one phone that I could gladly exhibit for all to see had it not been for the fact that I would be making myself an easy target to petty thieves.

The only downside about my phone as other users have complained before is the bug and glitches with the phone's software. But the convenience that it provides me compensates for all that!

What more can I say, BlackBerry is a close friend indeed and my heart would be broken if I were to parte with it.