Six months ago I turned off automatic email downloading on my phone; it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Having access to email on the go is helpful (as is web access), but downloading email automatically does more harm than good.

Instead, consider checking email only when you have the time to act on it, or when you’re looking for a very specific, timely message. I list instructions below on how to disable auto-check…but first, here are ten reasons:

1. Battery life. Constantly checking email kills your talk time. Since turning off “automatic synchronizing,” the battery life on my Motorola Q (Windows Mobile) has more than doubled from “I hate this worthless phone that doesn’t last a day” to “oh, I forgot the charger, no big deal”
2. Setting expectations. Anything you can do to train your contacts that you are not their slave is to your advantage. Writing back in a few hours (preferably at your desk) is perfectly reasonable (my thoughts on being responsive vs being available)–don’t let people think you’re always available for them

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Steve Jobs recently announced a handful of new features (to be released in June) for the Apple iPhone, one of which was support for Microsoft Exchange Server via ActiveSync. At present, Exchange is not really supported on the iPhone. ActiveSync support will help both business users and IT administrators, but other factors may still prevent widespread adoption from businesses.

It remains to be seen exactly how ActiveSync will be implemented on the iPhone (though the Microsoft Exchange blog says that Apple’s implementation will include both HTML email and Auto Discovery for any Exchange 2007 users), but a business user will regardless benefit greatly from automatic (”push”) wireless synchronization of the following:

• Email
• Calendar
• Contacts
• Global Address List

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It took me a long time to get useful and readable sites on my mobile phone. To save you the trouble, here’s what I use and why. I’ve organized them in order from practical to fun, and then at the bottom I’ve listed some other helpful sites that I haven’t experimented with as much…

1. Google - www.google.com/m - does this really need an explanation?
2. Metro [Your stop] - www.meenster.com - This is the only DC specific one on the list, but knowing how many minutes until the next train is immensely helpful for planning when I leave. The other day it was 12 degrees out and it saved us from standing outside for 18 minutes. It also helps me to decide whether to transfer an extra time or just walk (hooray for underground internet access!). I have separate favorite links for the stations I use most often (thanks to Justin Thorp for this, though it works just fine without an iPhone)
3. Weather - mobile.srh.weather.gov - navigate to your local zip code and then store it there as a favorite
4. Wikipedia Mobile - www.wapipedia.org or axa.instinct.co.nz/wiki - I use the latter site more, but they both are useful and do the same thing. If you’ve ever tried wikipedia’s main site on a mobile browser you’d know how horrible an experience that is
5. Orbitz Flight Status Search - mobile.orbitz.com/mobile/App/ViewTravelWatchHome - When I’m checking on a friend’s flight status, this is immensely helpful. Since Southwest isn’t listed there, however, I just go to Google and type “Southwest 1234″ where 1234 is the flight number
6. Yelp Mobile - mobile.yelp.com -When I need a restaurant review at the last second, this is the place to go

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I can’t stop reading about the MacBook Air, but that’s because I’m a geek who loves sexy technology. Deep down I know that, like the iPhone, it doesn’t really make me more productive. While I do connote portability with productivity (in that portability enables mobility), a few ounces one way or another doesn’t play a role in my travel decisions. We’re in a world where there’s fashionable technology and dull-looking technology…but we’re missing the point. Or at least my point: technology should help us to get work done first and foremost.

Regularly I’ll toss my Dell M1210 into a Waterfield sleeve case with an extra battery and a book. That’ll get me 8 hours for 6 lbs (or 4lbs before the other stuff) with more power than the MacBook Air. Tack on my Motorola Q with an extra battery and I have unlimited free internet if I can’t find a hotspot. What more would I need? (oh, I’ll bring my 1st generation iPod Nano along, too.)

But that’s not really doing my comparison justice. With the MacBook Air I can’t bring along DVDs for a planeride (plus I have two headphones jacks on my Dell). The very thin keyboard, like the iPhone’s missing keyboard, is an adjustment that I wouldn’t look forward to. And the pricetag isn’t exactly forgiving. Continue reading…