Image via Wikipedia

We all know that every once and a while you need to "re-calibrate" the GPS.  Hey, what does she know?

The approach is simple…place your phone on vibrate mode.  This way only you really know when you’ve received and email

Next, announce that you think that you may be lost. But don’t fret, you have GPS on your BlackBerry! 

BUT, you want to be safe…right?

"Honey, I need to pull over and re-configure the GPS.  This should only take about 10 minutes."

This will give you ample time to go outside of the vehicle and catch up on emails!

Rating:  Convenient
Simplicity:  Easy
BB Time:  2-10 minutes
Honesty:  Deceptive

If you’ve got one of the Blackberry models that has a camera, you might just want to become a professional photographer.

Snap a picture and while you’re at it….send some texts and check to make sure that all is ok at the office.

Rating:  Convenient
Simplicity:  Easy
BB Time:  1-3 minutes
Honesty:  Honest (if you’re snapping a picture)

Sure, you can manually kick off a ringer sound.  But we recommend going all the way.  FakeCall to the rescue.  Schedule a call…and just wait for the ring.

Your phone rings…and you can just walk away, out of sight, out of range, and start typing.

Rating:  Convenient
Simplicity:  Simple
BB Time:  1-5 minutes
Honesty:  Misleading

The LED and backlit screen are pretty good.  Even better is using a Flashlight app (such as this one).

Gotta search in the car, outside, or somewhere in the house…use the Blackberry as a flashlight.

Oh, and get a little caught up on your inbox.

Rating:  Convenient
Simplicity:  Simple
BB Time:  1-5 minutes
Honesty:  Misleading

It could buy you 30 minutes…not as good as the 60 minutes Desperate Housewives slot, but chances are, somewhere, right now, a Friends rerun is playing.  Your odds are far better.

And even though she knows whether Ross and Rachel will ever get back together, she can’t resist watching it as though it’s a new episode all over again.

You can get a lot done in 30 minutes.

Rating:  Convenient
Simplicity:  Simple
BB Time:  5-30 minutes (5 = channel surfing, 30 = jackpot)
Honesty:  Honest

Don’t try this with your 11-year-old.  But if you’ve got an infant or a toddler, this will easily grant you up to a minute of you-and-BB time.  And BB doesn’t mean BaBy.

Use this sparingly.  She’s not going to buy this if you try it more than once every few days.  Worse yet, you might find yourself doing all the cleanup when it happens for real.

Just remember the childhood tale of The Boy who cried Spit Up.

Rating:  Convenient
Simplicity:  Simple
BB Time:  1-2 minutes
Honesty:  Sinister

You might be surrounded by other mirrors, but the phone will do.  This time.  Admit it: this phone makes you look 20 pounds lighter.

Slowly check your eyebrows/unibrow, nose hair, of course, your doo (if you have any hair…), and even for any unsightly ear hair.

If you don’t act on what you see…it’s not as believable.  Sell it.  Fake plucking out an eyebrow hair for real effect.

Rating:  Convenient
Simplicity:  Simple
BB Time:  1-2 minutes
Honesty:  Sly

You might only need a few gallons, but that’s still a ten-minute stop off for the top-off.  Take your time choosing whether you want a carwash and which fuel grade you prefer.

*Pay in cash for extended time, or at least request a receipt from the pay-at-the-pump. 

Rating:  Desperate
Simplicity:  Moderate
BB Time:  5-10 minutes
Honesty:  Stretch

Your dog is yiping again.  Maybe she’s hungry.  Maybe she’s lonely.  All you know is that, she’s outside and your wife’s not.  The back yard is small.  She needs company.

Head off to the garage to get a cup of dog food, and outside you go.  If you’re in plain view of the house, you’ll have to make it quick. 

*Especially effective in winter, because there’s no way she’s following you out there into the cold.

*This might also work with wild animals, but you’ll probably lose a valuable Blackberry typing thumb at some point.

Rating:  Inconvenient
Simplicity:  Moderate
BB Time:  2-10 minutes
Honesty:  Deceptive

Riding somewhere with the family is close quarters.  It’s hard to sneak a peek at your inbox.  We highlighted the co-driver idea a few months ago.  This takes you to a whole new level.

So you think the car is pulling to the left.  Pull over somewhere.  Safely.  Don’t be an idiot and park on the interstate.

The best tire is front left, provider you’re the driver.  If she’s the driver, then it’s rear right.  This keeps you out of view. 

If you need to buy extra time, go for the gold and change the tire.  Hard to argue with all that effort.  But we guarantee you that you will regret it later.

Rating:  Desperate
Simplicity:  Moderate to Difficult
BB Time:  2-30 minutes
Honesty:  Deceptive