You can either take action,
or you can hang back
and hope for a miracle.
Miracles are great,
but they are
so unpredictable.
- Peter F. Drucker
The people who get on
in this world
are the people who
get up and look for the
circumstances they want,
and if they can't find them,
make them.
- George Bernard Shaw
So my blackberry 8330 died a sad death at the best of times, while traveling. It is amazing how much I had come to rely on that device. I use it for online access, tether mode for my laptop, calendar, etc... I went directly to the Verizon store on returning home, and was told the device was hosed, so time to upgrade. The new device is the 9630 World Edition and so far, I am impressed and pleased. That said, I feel a strange need to play with the SDK, or at least get started with the Plazmic CDK.
A quick internet search led me to the blackberry site and their sdk. The link required registration to download but you can find it here. Once you install the base application, you need to run the update as well.
Once I get the install finished and see how it works, I will update with a new post. In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed on the install since I am running Windows 7 and it is not listed as supported - probably due in part to the fact that Windows 7 has not been generally released yet.
cross posted from my digital vision site as well.
I have been traveling a bit more lately, partly due to the merger / acquisition work I am engaged in and partly due to the need to meet with clients. This past week, I had yet another fun experience with US Scareways, spending almost 10 hours in the Philly (worst delays) airport trying to get a flight out to Burlington. The flight was delayed, delayed, and then finally canceled. Once I got through the rebook line, I found I was due to arrive in Burlington after the rental car place closed, and making it very challenging to get to my NY meetings in time. At that point with my wife's help, I got my travel agent on the line and decided to redirect to my next set of meetings in the morning rather then continue to fight the mess.
When I called my travel agent (Carlson Wagonlit), they completely straightened things out, got my no show hotel and car fees refunded and got me re booked on my new flights. I have to say, they have been THE BEST agents I have ever dealt with and I have used them numerous times in clinch plays to bail me out.
Here's to you nice agents at Carlson Wagonlit Corporate Travel! You have continually made bad experiences much more bearable - I am glad I can call you!
Recently, while traveling, I tried out our Sony eBook reader. It is a nice little device that belongs to my wife, but she shares - thanks love. The device I used was the PRS-300 in pink. Overall, there are tweaks that I would make but for my first time with an eBook reader, I was pleasantly surprised. Now for those of you who know me well, you know I have had my eye on the kindle since it came out, and now that the DX is here, I am almost at the tipping point to buy one.
Not being 100% sure about the eBook thing, my experience with the Sony has sold me. I forgot I was using e-ink and got lost in the books. I also brought along travel documents, some presentations to review and a couple of PDF documents I wanted to read. The positive is that the books read great! I am sold on that concept. The con to the Sony was that it confirmed my concern about the other media, meaning for anything other then the eBooks, it was tough.
Of course, this is why I have been waiting on the DX and it's larger screen size, so that also confirms that position as do the reviews I have been reading. Once the acquisition happens and I get my buyout, I think I may splurge on one finally.
If and when I cave and order it, I will post my impressions here.
