To Boldly Go Blackberrying in Italy

Those nice people from the Italian arm of RIM, the Blackberry makers, have kindly supplied me with a shiny new Blackberry Bold 9000.

Bold Blackberry

I thought it might be interesting to hear how the Blackberry experience is going so far, even if I’ve only had this mobile email receiving handset for a couple of days.  First though, a few comments on the Bold itself, and I’ll also mention the Vodafone data connection plan I’ve hooked the Bold up to.

Finally, I’ll be offering a little warning with regard to picking up used Bold’s and, most probably other RIM Blackberry handsets.

Right let’s Boldly go on, says he naughtily splitting his infinitives before starting this trek around one of the star players in RIM’s current galaxy of products. … Continue Reading

Italian iPhone Fever

The inimitable Apple iPhone was officially launched in Italy by TIM (Telecom Italian Mobile) and Vodafone yesterday.

The Milanese, at least, decided that this object was the apple of their eyes, and formed long queues outside mobile phone shops in a attempt to obtain what has become the latest technological must-have fashion accessory.

All this enthusiasm comes despite high priced mobile phone service plans, and the sluggish Italian economy. To be fair though, Milan’s own economy is far from sluggish, which means the well heeled Milanese can afford to splash out and make the iPhone ‘MyPhone’, so to speak.

Was I in the queues? No. I’m probably going to end up with a Blackberry, sooner or later, at least once I’ve paid off the dear old Italian tax man.

Has Google Italy been Got At?

What an interesting question. I mean, would it be possible for someone working within Google Italy to manipulate the Googleplex’s search engine systems to the extent that the ranking of certain sites could be manipulated?

As I understand it, Google’s systems are based on cold and complex algorithms. Although these sophisticated formulae perhaps could not be tweaked, one who knows how the algorithims do their stuff could, I suppose, pass information on to certain parties. Certain parties could then use this information to make their sites more Google friendly. What a naughty thought.

Why am I on about this? Good question. Actually, it’s because I was speaking to someone involved in the running of a major Italian website, and this site’s page ranking in Google had fallen. The fall was such that this person intimated that someone somewhere was possibly exerting influence on someone in Google Italy.

Could this really be the case? Well, this is Italy…. And Italians are ‘furbo‘. This post, of course, is pure speculation.

Can anybody tell me what these are?

I’ve been seeing these odd symbols on quite a few websites recently, and even within Google search results. I don’t know what they are, or why they are there?

Anyone care to enlighten me?

Here’s a picture of these mysterious critters:

The Politicians’ Favourite Cell Phone

Recently in Italy, many of the power mongers here, including a good few politicians have had their mobile phone conversations tapped by Italy’s law enforcement authorities, usually in connection with one of Italy’s many ongoing scandals.

Of course, having people listening in on telephone conversations concerning dodgy dealings can be potentially rather embarrassing. Indeed, many of the big names in Italian politics, much to their annoyance, have been recorded and subject to investigations in connection with various potentially illegal activities.

Italian politicians, who are quite an arrogant bunch, think they really should be above the law, and so have been trying to do just about everything they can to render the results of the cell phone surveillance operations inadmissible in the Italian courts.

Well, now the power brokers and dodgy deal merchants need fear no more. They can set up a few Swiss bank account swelling insider trades, and the odd protectionist take over, without having worry about the pesky attention of those bothersome law enforcement types.

Yes, an Italian (surprise, surprise) company, Caspertech (this site has an English version), has recently launched the ‘Cryptofonino‘, which is a mobile phone with software capable of encrypting telephone conversations and text messages. I’ve noticed adverts for these interesting devices on the front page of Italy’s biggest financial daily, Il Sole 24 Ore, for a few months now.

One suspects that these things have been selling like hot cakes here in Italy, and many of the clients are most probably those democratic representatives of the people, plus a few of those running various ‘enterprises’ down in the south of Italy. Not to mention just about anyone with a bulging Swiss or offshore bank account.

One of these technological jewels can be had for €999 + Italian VAT, a price, I’m sure you will agree, which is a mere drop in the ocean for someone who is likely to make the odd million or two from a few creative business deals.

Should you feel the urge to keep your cellular conversations confidential, all you will need is a GSM operator which supports CSD data services.

I’ve ordered four – one for me, one for the other half, another for the little one, and yet another for the dog. Better safe than sorry, that’s what I say.

This Would be Useful

Well, I’d find it handy. What I’d like my email client to do would be to automatically, when requested, recognise dates and times and add them to whatever calendar system I’m using. I’m always receiving emails with this sort of information.  I know that there is a plugin thing for Outlook, but I use Thunderbird, and so far I have not found a system that can do this.

Such a system would save quite a bit of time for many people, I suspect.