BlackBerries Save Vacations for Bankers With Sand

As the volatile global markets continue to burn investors, tan-fan investment bankers are managing to keep tabs on crisis-threatened portfolios and still rack up required hours on the beach—with the help of their BlackBerries. The devices have become as de riguer as umbrellas and suntan oil on sands from New York to the Riviera.

The first real vacation-saving test for the ubiquitous gizmo hit last week when the European Central Bank poured billions into funds to fortify sagging markets—and jittery bankers still hit the shores, reports the Financial Times. "Sometimes you just have to do that or you will never take a break," said one overworked stiff. (More BlackBerry stories.)