Source: Tom's Guide | Keywords: obama, election, blackberry, youtube, president | Themes: Smartphones, 3GSM
For many who live in a business suit, the BlackBerry is an essential part of their arsenal. This also applies to President-elect Barack Obama, who has often been seen tapping away on the RIM device.
Obama’s BlackBerry days will soon be over, according to officials, as he’ll have to give up the smartphone for something a little less data-capable. Besides the obvious security concerns should he lose his phone or otherwise have his data compromised, the Presidential Records Act of 1978 requires all Presidential correspondence be in the public record.
The New York Times described the BlackBerry as one of Obama’s most beloved tools on the campaign trail.
“His BlackBerry was constantly crackling with e-mails,” said David Axelrod, the campaign’s chief strategist. “People were generous with their advice — much of it conflicting.”
Rather than having memos and briefs printed out and manually delivered, Obama received many documents on the handheld device. Those too lengthy to be easily read on the phone’s screen were viewed on his laptop, where he could make changes and comments directly to the document.
Obama also supposedly used his BlackBerry to check up on the things outside of his work, such as the progress of the Chicago White Sox.
While schedules and habits for him is expected to be much different once he takes the Oval Office, it’s unlikely for Obama to abandon technology like his predecessors. Already with his desire to appoint a White House CTO and his use of YouTube for fireside chats, Obama could be the first U.S. president in history to have a laptop on his Oval Office desk.
Obama’s a MacBook user – could there be any stronger form of endorsement for Apple than that?
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wait obama uses macs, fuck should of voted for maccain.
WOW that is kind of lame I mean look at the way we live now days compared to how we did is 1978. For a better example of the look at the show live on mars. I agree that all Presidential correspondence should be in the public record, but who care about if he wants to call his wife or daughter or send them an email. I think that “Presidential correspondence” should be public record and not on his blackberry. This is a technical generation and a technical country. I mean when was the list time anyone even sat down and wrote a real letter to a loved one or that a report was all had written?
O and remember "Maccain is responable for the invention of the blackbarry" lol
I don't care if my Jesus-elect do things off the record; he is our savior and God works in mysterious way.
aww, let him keep it!
the last line in this article seemed kinda irrelevant.
kami3k >>> Redneck window$ apologist.
I can see why, but still, this is 2008 we don't use brickphones anymore, for the president to use a Blackberry would be quite beneficial as he will almost always be in touch, no more corrupt secretaries
. I find it quite ridiculous that they're still living in a 20th century world there.
I wonder why they neglect the remote data wipe feature in Blackberrys, if it ever does get stolen just wipe the data. Need the emails? of course you can ask RIM to back that up, for a fee of course.
They can use some type of logging program or device for his blackberry?
But I am highly disappointed that he's computer illiterate.
They can use some type of logging program or device for his blackberry?But I am highly disappointed that he's computer illiterate.
What do you mean? Obama is far from computer illiterate. I'll assume that your comment was some sort of jab at Apple.
"Besides the obvious security concerns should he lose his phone or otherwise have his data compromised, the Presidential Records Act of 1978 requires all Presidential correspondence be in the public record."
ok, so all of his correspondence is to be public, but there is a possiblity he'll have his data compromised? Isn't that sort of conflicting? You can host your own enterprise blackberry server, what's the problem. I suppose he's not allowed to use the telephone either? This is the year 199.... err... 2008 damnit! Would he be allowed to bring his laptop with him? If so, I see no difference then if the 'berry's with him.
The major problem is that RIM is based in Canada. Regardless of how secure their network and devices are, we could never risk having sensitive information leave the country willfully. Although, since the article says the correspondance is in the public record, I can't see where the security threat would arrise from. I would also think the pentagon would be smart enough not to email Top-Secret information to his blackberry in the first place. As long as the NSA records all the correspondance entering and leaving his blackberry, it's still in the public record, and he can have his little toy.
Now, as for the MacBook, there's no way we can risk our national seurity to the whim of Steve Jobs. In the future Jobs will probably decide to roll-out a "feature" that gathers and stores all your perosonal files and information on Apple's servers, you know, because that's what the customers want. Then he defects to China and we're all in a world of hurt. I, for one, would welcome our new Macommunist overlord.
they dont have computers in the oval office???
what is this the stone age?
Well, he IS the President now... He could modify/add things on the law, right? I know there has to be approval by congress and all, but if he likes/uses tech, might as well "update" some laws, don't you agree?
Esop!
Lol...Barack got ROFLPWND by technology!!11
Wait hold on. The President of the United States of America has never had a laptop on the desk of the Oval Office. WTF! That may answer so many questions. I guess this is the President of "Change"
BTW I do know a little something a how the gov. looks information security and they really do not like cell phones period. Laptops are ok mostly though.
Dey's gonna give him a "Whiteberry"
CreoleLa said: "Wait hold on. The President of the United States of America has never had a laptop on the desk of the Oval Office. WTF! That may answer so many questions."
Especially the "why" in Bill Clinton case.