U.S. President-elect Barack Obama is confident that he will be able to keep his BlackBerry after he takes office Tuesday, despite concerns that it would leave him open to hackers who could gain access to presidential business.
In an interview broadcast Sunday on CNN's new political program, State of the Union, Obama said he is confident that he can keep his beloved BlackBerry, despite strict U.S. government guidelines for keeping communication secure.
For months, experts have expressed concern about potential security breaches of Obama's electronic gadget of choice.
However, he has remained steadfast in his desire to keep his BlackBerry to stay in touch with the outside world.
Obama told CNN's John King that his BlackBerry is just one of a number of tools that he will use to "break out of the bubble" of the White House, so the average American can still communicate with him.
"That if I'm doing something stupid, somebody in Chicago can send me an email me and say, 'what are you doing?' Or, 'you seem detached,' or 'you're not listening to what is going on here in the neighbourhood,'" Obama told King. "I want to be able to have voices other than the people who are immediately working for me be able to reach out and send me a message about what's happening in America."
BlackBerry manufacturer Research in Motion offers encryption on the device.
However, reports suggest that U.S. security officials have tried to entice Obama to switch to other products on the market that have government approval for their ability to secure classified documents and e-mail communication.
Pre-inaugural festivities
Obama will take the oath of office at a ceremony on Tuesday, and he has a busy weekend of events to mark the occasion.
Just before 10 a.m. Sunday, Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden visited Arlington National Ceremony to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Later Sunday evening, Obama and his family will attend a star-studded concert on the National Mall that's expected to draw a crowd of at least 500,000.
Performers at the concert include U2, Beyonce and Bruce Springsteen.
Obama, Biden and their families arrived in Washington on Saturday after a train ride from Philadelphia that followed Abraham Lincoln's journey 150 years ago.
With files from The Associated Press
