Laptop Lenovo receives BlackBerry email even when ... 'sleep'

Even when turned off, the latest ThinkPad laptop can still "chat" with a BlackBerry phone, allowing their owners to read and send emails faster.

Lenovo (which bought the ThinkPad computer brand from IBM) and Research In Motion (BlackBerry smartphone maker) together created a special component card.

When installed on your computer, it will download all the e-mails in your BlackBerry mailbox wirelessly, whether the computer is turned off or in standby mode.

The new ThinkPad laptop will synchronize data with your BlackBerry device even when it is turned off.Source: Engadget

That means, when the ThinkPad starts, all new emails have been downloaded.

Users will no longer need to establish a secure Internet connection with the enterprise server. They can also send emails from ThinkPad to other BlackBerry users without needing an Internet connection.

Called "Lenovo Constant Connect", this card will combine the "always active" feature of BlackBerry mobile email technology with the large keyboard and monitor of the laptop, Mr. Rick Cheston, a senior executive, said.

For example, a traveler will be able to turn on the computer and quickly compose a few emails right at the airport waiting chair, instead of struggling to set up a regular Internet connection.

The price of this card in the US does not exceed 150 USD, Cheston said. Products will be available in the US market in the second quarter and landed in the rest of the world by the end of the year.

In the first phase, it was only compatible with Microsoft's Outlook client email application, but in the long run, it would support both IBM Lotus Notes.

The ThinkPad laptop models made from last summer onwards are compatible with "Constant Connect" cards. Similarly, the BlackBerry models shipped within the last 2 years also use this feature.

Constant Connect connects to your BlackBerry smartphone via Bluetooth wireless technology. When the computer is turned off, the card will store all new email inside its flash memory.