Some Good News on the Blackberry Front or As it's Commonly Known as... the "BB"

Yesterday you've heard me complain about another Blackberry (BB) upgrade.  Today I have some good news.  Remember the Column View feature I so dearly missed?  Well it's back - sort of - kind of.   For instance I was very intrigued by a series of articles that my blogging friend Terry Giuliano Long posted on her blog about focusing on a story  (*I will try linking to her website again:
The Art & Craft of Writing Creatively

For some reason this didn't work yesterday!  If it still doesn't work, please see my links on the right of this page!

Anyway I was checking Twitter on my BB and came upon her Tweet (I'm beginning to feel like I have a speech impediment!) *double* anyway, I couldn't read her page.  I tried using Zoom which on every other web page seems to work (I suspect that Wordpress pages might be the problem) but when I did that it blew up the page.  The only way I could read it was if I moved the cursor from side to side - very annoying.  I quickly closed out of it.  If I didn't have my notebook handy I wouldn't have gone back to read the articles, which are very good by the way.  Today, mindful that my BB upgraded itself during the night, I poked around to see if anything radically different occurred.  The first thing I did is look at the Webpage Options.  Sure enough under Browser Options you now have the option to choose "List" View.   I know that I didn't see this when my BB was first upgraded (I could be wrong) but now when I view Terry's page and I use the Zoom feature, it sizes the page exactly to my screen, enlarging the font.  You still have to watch where you place your cursor though...if you don't place it in the center when you want to scroll up and down you will again experience the "sea-sickness" I experienced when my screen moved from side to side.  Just writing about it is making me dizzy!!  I also have a very bad head cold or allergy - I'm not sure which.  I'm hoping that I can do what I promised to do today:  continue on writing my own story and cleaning the house -- my son is coming home from college.  Sorry for digressing, this is the third time now.

Another thing to look out for, fellow bloggers, and I will repeat what I said in yesterday's post, is how your page will open on other devices other than IPads, Notebooks,  IPhones and God knows what else they'll come up.  I suspect the next iteration will be that we will be all planted with a microchip-hmmm great idea for a story but I'm sure someone already thought of it.  If not let me know and I'll get started right away!  Granted technology moves too fast sometimes, but will those lagging behind be able to view and read your page?

Let me know if you've found any time-saving or new ways of navigating on your Blackberry.   I know there must be some quick keys - so far I only know "B" for bottom of screen and "T" for top of the screen.


Ciao for now.  Have a great Sunday!

I've Survived the End of the World - Will I Survive Another Blackberry Upgrade?

I'm afraid. No, not of the world ending. I'm pretty sure I've survived that but of my Blackberry upgrade.  This morning I noticed a new icon which just showed up on my Blackberry.  Next to the icon there's a great, big red dot that indicates it is time for another dreaded upgrade. Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da (cue music from The Twilight Zone). 

For those of you who follow my blog, you've read my previous entry of "Why Can't They Leave Things Well Enough Alone?" You know what I've gone through trying to get used to the new settings, etc. My problem is that I now do most of my "other" work on my Blackberry.  Yes I now have two jobs and my time is very limited.  Unfortunately a lot of web pages are blocked at work and I also spend half my time on the so called "express" bus which is anything but express. As you know it was against my will that I bought the Blackberry in the first place (that will be another blog) but after I got it I was happy. My son wanted me to get a Droid but it was cost-prohibitive.  Sorry son - I love you and everything but we do have to keep a roof over our heads!   Since when did such a little-itty bitty phone get to be so expensive...so Verizon had a special which was buy one and get one free. I was due for an upgrade so like it or not, unless my son wanted to buy his own Droid, he would be stuck with the Blackberry (which he also loves BTW).  So far so good. 

As first I was disappointed because the Internet pages were too small to read even with my glasses (as an aside I am now part of the Senior Generation - but that's another blog) but then I found Column View Ahh. How I loved column view because it fit everything into the screen without my having to fiddle with anything. Unfortunately even though I've found so many wonderful things with this upgrade, such as having the ability to view multiple pages on the internet, the Zoom feature which replaces "Column View" doesn't always work. This morning for instance I found on Twitter - yes I am now Twittering!! I am so TweetHappy - I can be found as @FiorDiDee - nice ha? a really nice blog on http://www.tglong.com/blog/?p=359 on "8 Steps for Focusing Stories & Essays" because I think that's what I lack.  *Trying to add link  8 Steps For Focusing Stories & Essays; Focus, Part 2

When I clicked on the web page though the text was too large and even when I used the Zoom feature it was either still too large or too small.  I had to give up.  It was too much for me to slide from one side to the other to read the article.  So lesson for all of you bloggers out there - try not to put too many graphics or pictures - be mindful of those poor Blackberry owners like me who perhaps cannot log into their notebooks or laptops or IPads.

Sigh.  I will eventually have to upgrade.  I will let you know if I survive.