Neha Tiwari Pvt. Ltd.

I have been the proud owner of a Blackberry Pearl for a few months now. I love the lustrous design, and my fingers have even become accustomed to the teeny tiny qwerty keyboard.

Despite it’s user friendly interface and mad organization skills, the Blackberry folks really missed a beat with one minute detail. A singular piece of metal which has made this Pearl user want to chuck it out the window. It is nothing more than the flimsy sim card clip.

You would think a phone that cost a couple hundred dollars would be made with quality materials. So far, my buttons have not faded despite abundant texting, plus the color-vivid screen has minimal wear and tear. The battery life is commendable for a smart phone, and the edge feature is top notch. But why couldn’t they invest some time and effort in something as simple as a sim card clip?

At least one to two times a day, I get an error message on my Pearl. In the corner, there is a red “SOS” and a message that I can only make emergency calls as I have a sim card error. Seeing as how my parents and friends are not local 911 dispatchers, this poses a problem. I then have to shut my phone off, or do a hard reset.

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Finding a laptop bag is not meant to be hard; there are more obscure pieces of technology that take an entire scavenger hunt to locate. Take for example, my laptop keyboard’s control button. That puppy popped off and I thought I would never hear the happy tap of my “Ctrl” button again. But, thanks to some friendly powncers, I acquired a new one on eBay.

As I have discovered in the past few days in Seattle, finding a case which holds a fresh flashy laptop can be difficult. My uncle has a spanking new 17″ widescreen HP which requires a bag that can protect a laptop of that size, preferably with wheels, lightweight, and under $50. I looked at online retailers, as well as on foot at Fry’s, Circuit City and Office Depot. A few bad salesmen later, no luck.

The search finally ended at Best Buy. I found a lightweight Targus messenger bag for $25.99, on sale for half price. The compartment for the laptop has a good amount of padding, though the shoulder strap could use a little more. The bag also features an accessory organizer and cell phone case. No wheels, but it’s still not a bad buy for 25 bucks!

Big screen laptops are here to stay. I think it’s time that bag makers get with it and provide more wide-load friendly gear with a smaller price tag.

There is something very appealing about a compact robot that cleans. Of course, iRobot tapped into this market long ago.

Today, they will be unleashing the smarter 500 series of the Mr.Clean of floor cleaners. The robots can now “problem-solve” or sense obstacles in their pathways, as well as know when to start the next room via a feature called “Virtual Wall Lighthouse.” They can also be controlled remotely through a Wireless Command Center.

The Roomba 500 has also become more rugged. The robo-vacuum can now move through more challenging terrains [floor to carpet] and also comes in array of mod colors from champagne to burnt orange. Overall, it seems that the iRobot people have outdone themselves yet again.

Plus, I think anything that works for Lucille Bluth is good enough for me. If only I had a Bluth family banana stand lined with money so I could afford the $400 machine. I’ll have to settle for a traditional vacuum/broom/mop for now, I suppose.