New BlackBerry for Obama?
President Obama will soon be getting a highly secure modified version of the BlackBerry for use while traveling and around the White House. The National Security Agency is in the final stages of development with the Blackberry 8830 and it should be ready in the next few months.
AFP/FILE
Surprised to hear that President Obama is getting a new BlackBerry?
You're not alone. But word is out this morning that the president is getting another one. Credit those sneaky guys over at the Washington Times for this scoop.
According to Bill Gertz, the 'top-secret BlackBerry 8830 is in the final stages of development by the National Security Agency, which will soon begin checking to make sure its encryption software meets federal standards."
Doesn't he already have one? Sure, there are plenty of photos of the president and his "BarackBerry" but it's actually a clunky interim model, or models. Kind of like having to use two remote controls for your TV. It's a pain, but you get used to it after awhile.
"Mr. Obama has been using a patchwork of two devices, a BlackBerry and an NSA-supplied secure hand-held device known as Sectera Edge," Gertz writes. "The General Dynamics Corp.-made Sectera must be plugged into the presidential BlackBerry, making its use more cumbersome than a secure BlackBerry."
Whoa
What makes this one cooler?
He can email with it. And use it as a phone. Maybe even play a game of presidential BrickBreaker.
Not amazed? Well, we all don't have to be. Nobody really wants to intercept our emails or listen to who we think should be the top selections in this weekend's NFL draft (Mark Sanchez is a better pick than Matthew Stafford, FYI).
FrankenBerry
But for President Obama -- it's a different story. We like how Al Sacco at CIO.com describes how the president must be feeling.
"This has got to be music to President Obama’s ears, especially when you consider the fact that he has reportedly been forced to use a 'FrankenBerry' of sorts since taking office. Apparently the president hasn’t turned over his regular BlackBerry 8830; he has been connecting it to the fugly Sectera Edge we showed you way back in January in order to meet security requirements."
Although the new BlackBerry isn't ready quite yet, when it is ready for prime time don't be expecting him to email back and forth with the public. Or send out hilarious YouTube links of someone pranking a drive thru burger joint (like the one below).
The new device is only operational with the same models.
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