Do you think of yourself as busy? Then compare your daily to-do list with Joshua Wedekind.
A self-described “serial entrepreneur” based in Reno, Nevada, Wedekind works full-time in the aviation industry, is CEO of mobile payment start-up CipherBuy, partners at a retail violin shop, and still finds the time to freelance as a full-stack web developer.
Wedekind is also a husband and the father of two daughters, juggling dance recitals and soccer games amongst mobile payments, violins and applications for biotech companies. There he is above, looking surprisingly relaxed.
Maybe it’s because he handles all of his commitments like a champ using the BlackBerry Classic AND the BlackBerry Passport together.
Wedekind is the second techie I’ve interviewed this week who’s wielding the Passport/Classic combo. This one dumped his iPhone 6 Plus for the BlackBerry pair.
I’ve also interviewed more than half-a-dozen satisfied BlackBerry Classic users, from this financial TV guru and this digital marketing agency CEO, to this Toronto Maple Leafs executive and this high-tech CTO, this retailer/app developer, as well as this club DJ and this fine arts photographer. There are also more than a dozen happy BlackBerry Passport users including celebrity chef Tyler Florence, this real estate agent, senior hospital executive, manufacturing executive, non-profit founder, software engineer, tech journalist, legal administrator, pharmaceutical CEO, software manager, insurance salesman, corporate IT manager and these workers from multiple industries.
Watts: You manage multiple businesses and now multiple devices – What made you get both the BlackBerry Passport and the BlackBerry Classic?
Wedekind: I started carrying two devices because I wanted to have a business and personal phone to maintain a work-life balance.
Initially, I carried a BlackBerry 10 device and an Android phone to run all of the apps I need. But the BlackBerry Passport does such a fine job running Android apps that it replaced my Android.
The BlackBerry Passport and the BlackBerry Classic are quite a bit different, and they excel in different things. The BlackBerry Passport is by far the best device for running Android apps, especially games. It’s also my go-to device for reading technical documents since the wide screen can show computer code without the text wrapping.
The BlackBerry Classic is better at composing emails and text. And contrary to what you’d think, I actually prefer to browse the web on my BlackBerry Classic. The track pad generates a little cursor, which can be used to precisely click on the link you intend to. Too many websites don’t consider the mobile experience, and place small links close together, but the BlackBerry Classic overcomes these deficiencies.
Watts: It’s safe to say that the BlackBerry Passport and the BlackBerry Classic keep all of your endeavors running smoothly?
Wedekind: Yes! The trackpad on the BlackBerry Classic really makes a world of difference when typing long emails. With the trackpad I can navigate the cursor to an exact location in a large body of text. My emails are definitely better because of it, which means I’m able to communicate more effectively and efficiently.
Also, having two devices has been helpful in many situations. Sometimes I’ll be out of my home office when I get an urgent call from a client. I’ll talk to the client with my BlackBerry Classic while viewing the website in question on my BlackBerry Passport.
It’s like my office is always with me. In one extreme case, I used the browser on the BlackBerry Classic to log into a Google Cloud VM (virtual machine) to restart a web server that had failed while I was away from my laptop.
And the calendar is a necessity to keep my productivity in check so I can maintain a work-life balance. It integrates with BBM Meetings, my Gmail Calendars, and the BBM Travel app to help keep me apprised of what I’m doing. With juggling so many job titles, it can be easy to forget what one is doing the following week.
Watts: Any other features on the devices that you like?
Wedekind: Yes, the “Hub” is a defining communication feature that makes managing numerous email accounts a great experience. The OS is very stable.
And I like using all the apps that I need on the BlackBerry Passport like the Maps app, Google Maps, Password Keeper, Twitter, BBM Meetings, BlackBerry Travel, Buffer app, PlayCloud, BlackBerry Express, Square Register, Podio, Starbucks app, and vSSH.
Also, I was testing out the panoramic feature on the BlackBerry Passport – it even does the ocean water right!
Watts: I can imagine that you handle a lot of confidential information, how do BlackBerry security features assist with that?
Wedekind: Mobile security and privacy is very important to me. Every day, I spend time reading about new software vulnerabilities and applying security patches to my websites and servers.
I store all my client passwords in BlackBerry Password Keeper and I feel safe about that because if my BlackBerry is ever stolen or missing, I can send a remote wipe message using BlackBerry Protect.
I recently signed up for the BES12 Cloud trial and the concept of BBM Enterprise (formerly known as BBM Protected) is very intriguing. I hope that people realize that BlackBerry’s end-to-end encryption isn’t just something that enterprises need, but all individuals should use it to safeguard themselves.
Watts: What do you do with the BlackBerry Classic that you weren’t able to do on other devices?
Wedekind: My favorite thing to do is BBM video chat with my kids when I’m away.
But aside from that, managing several email accounts has been seamless. Before I was on BlackBerry 10, I was a die-hard Android guy. But it was a challenge managing all of my entrepreneurial needs with Android. I think this has been the main reason I had to restart my Android every day, the device was overwhelmed.
My BlackBerry doesn’t have any issues managing my numerous accounts or anything else. I’ve never had to recharge the phone during the day, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen the battery icon turn “red.” I used to have a BlackBerry car charger, but gave it to my wife since I never use it. She definitely needs it because she still has an Android phone.
Watts: How do your peers feel about you carrying the BlackBerry Passport and the BlackBerry Classic?
Wedekind: That’s an interesting question. My BlackBerry Passport definitely gets more attention – it’s been called “Gucci” before. Those who have noticed my BlackBerry Classic mainly comment on the weight and feel of it.
Check out Josh Wedekind’s BlackBerry-Related YouTube Videos
Josh Wedekind obviously enjoys his BlackBerrys – both of them.
Check out these videos he has up on YouTube, and stay tuned to INSIDE BlackBerry for more user Q-and-A’s!
