BLACKBERRY

Most people are aware these days of the rise of the "blackberry" as an indispensable corporate tool, but for thoise who have never heard of it, it is a mobile email device which allows you to receive your corporate (or personal) emails while on the move. Most of us here at American Megabank have been issued with them and to be fair they do have their uses. But, as with mobile phones, it is easy to become hooked. It is common these days to see people in taxis, airports, shops, bars and restaurants surreptitiously looking at their blackberry in case an "important" email has come in in the 30 seconds since they last checked.

However yesterday morning I spotted a new low in blackberry addiciton. I got into the lift with a colleague at 7.50am. We are on the 18th floor. Not a long lift journey. During the journey he stared constantly at his blackberry "in case there is something urgent". What can be so urgent that you can't wait 30 seconds till you're at your desk and can read the emails on a full size screen instead of peering at an overblown mobile phone screen. If it was that urgent surely someone would call you?

Ludicrous.