A Colorado man has given new meaning to the term “BlackBerry thumb.” Thomas Martel, a 28-year-old from Bonnie Brae, Colo., a suburb of Denver, recently underwent a new surgical procedure called “whittling” to reduce the size of his thumbs for more efficiency typing on his new Apple iPhone, according a report on NorthDenverNews.com. The procedure apparently involves shaving down the thumb bones through tiny incisions. The surrounding musculature and thumb nails are also carefully tweaked to fit the new thumb size, according to the report. From the article: “From my old Treo, to my Blackberry, to this new iPhone, I had a hard time hitting the right buttons, and I always lost those little styluses,” Martel said. “Sure, the procedure was expensive, but when I think of all the time I save by being able to use modern handhelds so much faster, I really think the surgery will pay for itself in ten to fifteen years. And what it’s saving me in frustration – that’s priceless.” Priceless, indeed, Tommy. I just can’t help but think how angry this guy is going to be fifteen years from now if phones and other mobile devices trend toward, say, voice activated interfaces or other such input methods that don’t discriminate against larger folks. And his thumbs must look downright silly… if this story is even factual.Many of you have relationships with your handhelds that some—your significant others, perhaps—might consider unhealthy, or even obsessive. Related Links 20 USB Gizmos That Have No Place in the Enterprise (But You’ll Love Just the Same)Why Your BlackBerry Causes Speakers to Buzz I’m a BlackBerry lover myself, and I can honestly say I would never go under the knife for a handheld. Would any of you seriously consider this type of surgery? AS Related content brandpost Sponsored by Freshworks When your AI chatbots mess up AI ‘hallucinations’ present significant business risks, but new types of guardrails can keep them from doing serious damage By Paul Gillin Dec 08, 2023 4 mins Generative AI brandpost Sponsored by Dell New research: How IT leaders drive business benefits by accelerating device refresh strategies Security leaders have particular concerns that older devices are more vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. By Laura McEwan Dec 08, 2023 3 mins Infrastructure Management case study Toyota transforms IT service desk with gen AI To help promote insourcing and quality control, Toyota Motor North America is leveraging generative AI for HR and IT service desk requests. By Thor Olavsrud Dec 08, 2023 7 mins Employee Experience Generative AI ICT Partners feature CSM certification: Costs, requirements, and all you need to know The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification sets the standard for establishing Scrum theory, developing practical applications and rules, and leading teams and stakeholders through the development process. By Moira Alexander Dec 08, 2023 8 mins Certifications IT Skills Project Management Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe