Slate just published my latest technology column — this one in praise of the unique keyboard system on the new Blackberry 7100t. It opens:

If you’ve tried to zap someone a text message recently, you’ve probably discovered the huge drawback of typing on your cell phone. Unless you’re one of those cyborg Scandinavian teenagers who was born with a Nokia in his hand, pecking out even a simple message is a thumb-twisting chore. You can speed things up by using SMS shorthand—”C U l8r”—but that ain’t gonna cut it if you need to write a serious business e-mail. What we really need is a small, elegant phone that makes typing real, polysyllabic words fast and easy.

You can read the rest of the piece online for free! And, if you have any thoughts, feel free to share them in The Fray, Slate’s online discussion board, where intelligent comment is always welcome.