Matchstick Message #44: Why Phlox is Important For the BlackBerry

from Tara Raffi to Student Information Requests date Mon, Apr 18, 2011 at 12:10 PM subject Matchstick Message #44: Why Phlox is Important For the BlackBerry

Dear RIM,

It's been about 6 years since that little silver Samsung flip phone warmed my ear, and I still miss some of the features it had. Despite my eternal devotion to my first real love, this is just wrong--there is no reason for the latest, most technologically cutting edge BlackBerry to be considered lacking to a phone that is over three centuries old in technology-years*.

So the grand idea is this: multi-colored indicator lights. There's just no reason not to have the option. I guess its classier just to have every single BlackBerry in the world always flashing red, but in this case I'd push for functionality over fashion. Its just more useful to know what kind of message you have waiting from across the room, or without having to set up a complicated system of vibration number and types (but thanks for giving us three different vibration lengths, that was a great idea). Right now, if a phone is on silent, there is just no way to tell what kind of message you have waiting for you. And, to soothe your justifiable fashion fears (its one of the only things BlackBerry still has a monopoly on--sexy) the indicator light palette can be couture-inspired. My suggestions: bamboo, everglow, phlox, and quarry would be a good start.

Sincerely,

Tara Raffi

Fashion Enthusiast

PHLOX

* Calculations for Samsung flip phone in technology years:

78.4 (US life expectancy)

divided by

1.5 (number of years until phone is obsolete, optimistically)

multiplied by

6 (years since I had that Samsung)

= 313.6

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