I love my Treo 650, and I’ve become dependent on it (or addicted, really) for work. I was really counting on using it as I reported to jury duty today in Brooklyn (Kings County Supreme Court), but I ran into a problem at security…NO CAMERA CELLPHONES ALLOWED IN THE COURTROOM. A guard asked that I leave it with him for the day, but I just couldn’t sit in jury selection for an entire day (or more) without my Treo! I exited the building, covered the lens with black electric tape (please don’t ask what I was doing with a full roll of black electric tape in my coat pocket) and attempted to re-enter the courthouse a few minutes later from another entrance. It worked! No complaints from security – as far as they were concerned, the camera didn’t exist. This electric-tape hack allowed me to be somewhat productive during eight long hours in an overcrowded, windowless jury room at civil court in Brooklyn. I’m not sure if this hack (if you’d even call it that) is worthy of inclusion on Treonauts, but it sure saved my day in a big way. If all cellphonones and smartphones end up having cameras in them, will the courts ban all cellphones? This policy could lead to major outrage. Havinig sporadic access to email and my office network kept me somewhat sane.
JURY UPDATE: I was excused on day one. I’m good for six more years!