This has got to be one of the most useless bizarre BlackBerry accessories I’ve ever come across—and I come across a lot of ’em—but I can’t help wanting one just the same. Hong Kong’s Brando, known the world over for its impressive collection of USB gadgets and gizmos, has released what it’s calling a “Mobile Phone Telescope” for the BlackBerry Bold 9000 and Storm 9530. Brando Mobile Phone Telescope for BlackBerry Bold Never mind the fact that the 2.0 megapixel camera on the Bold takes pictures about as well as I can draw them, and I’m no artist. (The Storm’s 3.2 megapixel shooter is better, but its shutter-lag-time, or the time it takes for the camera to actually take a picture after you tell it to, seriously impedes overall usability.) You can now “[o]vercome the short coming of camera cellphone that can only near-sighted, it also makes distant view for you at the moment.” Yeeeeeeeahhhh…okay. The lens ships along with a see-through-plastic case that looks a bit like Seidio’s Innocase and a strap that attaches to the back so you can…uh…dangle your telescope-equipped BlackBerry from your wrist? And it costs just $17.00, plus shipping. Brando Mobile Phone Telescope for BlackBerryApparently you fit your device with the special case, attach the lens to its backside and you’re ready for some sharp-shooting. The setup seems a bit bulky to me, as you’d need to lug it around everywhere you might want to use it. But if you need to increase the zoom functionality on your BlackBerry’s camera, Brando’s Mobile Phone Telescope is an option, albeit an awkward one. Check out the Storm version here and the Bold here. Not a BlackBerry user? Have no fear, Brando’s also got a version for the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1. AS Gizmodo via BerryReview Related content opinion Website spoofing: risks, threats, and mitigation strategies for CIOs In this article, we take a look at how CIOs can tackle website spoofing attacks and the best ways to prevent them. By Yash Mehta Dec 01, 2023 5 mins CIO Cyberattacks Security brandpost Sponsored by Catchpoint Systems Inc. Gain full visibility across the Internet Stack with IPM (Internet Performance Monitoring) Today’s IT systems have more points of failure than ever before. Internet Performance Monitoring provides visibility over external networks and services to mitigate outages. By Neal Weinberg Dec 01, 2023 3 mins IT Operations brandpost Sponsored by Zscaler How customers can save money during periods of economic uncertainty Now is the time to overcome the challenges of perimeter-based architectures and reduce costs with zero trust. By Zscaler Dec 01, 2023 4 mins Security feature LexisNexis rises to the generative AI challenge With generative AI, the legal information services giant faces its most formidable disruptor yet. That’s why CTO Jeff Reihl is embracing and enhancing the technology swiftly to keep in front of the competition. By Paula Rooney Dec 01, 2023 6 mins Generative AI Digital Transformation Cloud Computing 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