The March 21st edition of the WSJ’s “The Journal Report: Technology”is a veritable ode to hacking–albeit on the lighter side. An article titled “What to Pack on Your Next Vacation” takes a peek inside the luggage of today’s vacationing business exec.
Driven by a need to stay on ahead of their email (“In a survey commissioned by trade magazine Mobile PC last year, 80% of respondents said that staying connected when they are away from their workplace makes their lives easier when they return.”), businesspersons are toting Blackberrys and WiFi-equipped laptops–not to mention a goodly assortment of entertainment gear. But it’s the between-the-lines uses that tickles the columnist: Gameboys as impromptu flashlites during a power outage; burning a more tolerable assortment of music to CD for the hotel restaurant; VOIPing by the pool. True, the rest of the article consists of the sorts of “surprises” any road-tested geek will consider rather pedestrian (surfing the Web from a hiptop; emailing digital pictures instead of tired postcards to the folks at home; imbibing DVDs and video games on the run). Still, it’s good to see the “now in colour” WSJ noticing the edges.