Explanation: BB's Implementation of Time Zones

[jimillett]

I read the entire post and I understand most of it and I only have one statement for the idiotic handing of time zones by RIM. Ahem.... I bet the IPhone doesn't have this problem. I couldn't find a forum topic on their site about it either....

[sechler]

Under clock setting then select set time there is an option Auto Update Timezone. You can turn it on and it switches for you.

[keaton]

yeah, they finally fixed this in 5.0. I was always annoyed with this myself. And actually, every dumb phone also never had this issue, ha, no need to compare with an iphone when an even better comparison can be made.

[JeffH]

You missed the point. "Dumb" phones don't care what time it is because they don't have an integrated calendar. I'm looking forward to 5.0 to see how the "fix" works.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[inkbm]

thanks Jeff for clear explanations in this thread, spotting the option in Outlook 2007 to set timezone on each appointment was most helpful.

I am a frequent traveller and have appointments often put in my diary by others in other TZ's and often find myself frustrated by the view of my day presented ahead of time by both the BBerry and Outlook. I haven't quite figured out what I really would like it to look like. (I'm certainly not interested in printing a schedule like you - I carry my Bberry for that) I just know the view I have today is not always helpful.

I do think that different colours for appointments set in different TZ's would be useful and ability to set certain days to be viewed in the TZ that I'll be in on that day would be useful, particularly on large shifts, say when I travel to PST from my home GMT.

I am just installing v5 on my Curve so I'm hoping the auto TZ function will work for me on my next trip.

[inkbm]

Oh and I wonder if anyone has experienced the following (note I am a BES user and sync OTA not through the DT):

When travelling I often use my bberry tethered by cable to my laptop as an IP modem. (OK a little slow - but it works)

Say I am travelling in CET (+1 hour from my home GMT)

I set my TZ on my bberry, but I don't on my laptop - I've seen it cause too many issues.

When I disconnect my bberry the time is now 2 hours incorrect! It seems to spot that my time is 1 hour ahead and correct it for me, then sees my TZ is different and do that for me as well shifting a 2nd hour! This cost me a meeting once!

I have since discovered the desktop setting (I'd never looked for that since I don't sync on the desktop) so it shouldn't happen again - but in my view this is a nasty defect!

[JeffH]

Yes, synching your BlackBerry time to your desktop can cause problems when the desktop isn't set to the correct time zone. It's also unnecessary since setting your BlackBerry time source to Network will keep it correct.

[racensave09]

first off, Jeff this is a great post and made things a lot clearer for me. So thank you for that. I am now running OS 5.0 (.238) on my Tour and the auto update time zone feature is working well with all of my stored appointment.

However, I write this as I travel across the country and watch what timezones my Tour tries to switch to. I continue getting Mexican time zones. (Mexico City-Old, Mexico City-New, and Tijuana). While there are no issues today, my concern lies with DST. I could be completely off on this, but to my understanding, DST is not carried over in Mexico, so when it comes time to "Spring Forward, or Fall Back" our time will report incorrectly and consequently our appointments will be off. Is this correct? Thanks in advance for your help!

[JeffH]

I haven't heard that problem (Mexican time zones) reported before. Are you by chance traveling near the US / Mexico border? I don't have OS 5.0 yet and I don't know how the auto time zone feature works.

[racensave09]

i am traveling near the border, but my thinking is that my phone would be able to recognize which tower I am connected to and then receive the proper time stamp and time zone information.

I've searched over every BB forum i can find and noone seems to know the answer. I just hope we can get this figured out soon. At least before "Spring Forward"

[JeffH]

Problems with tower-broadcast time stamps are the reason BlackBerry devices historically did not attempt to automatically change time zones. Disabling that function and controlling your time zone setting manually would solve the problem. I suspect you won't be the only person to report it. It'll be interesting to see if it occurs in other time zone boundary areas.

[gnGracie]

Thanks for the info. I wondered why my bb didn't change times when I traveled last week.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Toronto Girl]

Thanks Jeff:
I too was surprised the first time this happened to me crossing time zones. Unfortunately, when I changed the time manually it changed hundreds of all day events which did not auto correct when I changed the time back upon my arrival home. Live and learn! I'm just working with 5.0. Looking forward to a simpler sol'n. Will watch for updated posts.

[JeffH]

The all-day appointments bug is very annoying. I don't expect the automatic time zone feature to fix it, since it isn't related to the time zone, but rather to how all-day appointments are kept internally.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Irael]

I realize this forum is old, but I'm new to BB and just found it after what turns out to be the standard frustration of new users. I've read lots of stuff here. I appreciate the explanation of how the BB works and why it gives you the choice of screwing up your calendar or your time display when you travel. But I don't appreciate the repeated suggestion that folks who have this problem are bringing it on themselves by entering the "wrong" time for their appointments.

The reason new users have such a problem with this is that all of them have the completely reasonable and normal assumption that you want your calendar to show the time of an appointment in the local time at which it will take place rather than time of the place you happen to be at two months before or after it took place. If I have an appointment in New York at 5, I really don't care that it will be 2 in California where I was before I left for NY. The airlines, and apps like Worldmate, also make this reasonable assumption. So, when the airline tells you that your flight home from NY leaves at 5, everyone--everyone--understands they mean 5 pm NY time. It does not occur to anyone but the programmers at BB that before you leave California, you ought to enter the time for your 5 pm return from NY as 2 pm because that's the time it will be in California when you take off.

Some people who have responded have focused on the need of folks who are making telephone appointments to have some single time reference that will be good in all their locales. This is, of course, not a problem for each individual person, who will enter the appointment for the time it is where they are. And it's not a problem for the person setting up the appointment, who can specify a time zone--this call will be at noon eastern time, or whatever--and let every participant enter the appointment in their calendar at the appropriate time for them. An administrator who is entering the appointment in multiple folks' calendars may have a problem, but it's nuts to solve their problem by making the BB nonfunctional for the rest of us.

What I have learned from this forum is that there are some people out there who have lived with this idiotic system long enough they have come to think it is normal. On that count, weigh the reactions of newcomers more heavily. That's what user-friendly means. You shouldn't have to drink the BB Kool-Aid to appreciate it.

I do like my phone, actually, but not this feature. At a minimum, BB needs to offer people the option of decoupling the phone time from the time of the appointments in the calendar. I don't need BB (or Outlook) to try to change that for me as I move around, and it won't need changing if every appointment is entered in the local time at which it will take place.

Ok, got that off my chest.