RIM BlackBerry Storm Shortcuts: 20 Touch Screen Tips and Tricks
The new BlackBerry Storm smartphone is packing a brand new version of RIM's handheld OS, v4.7, and with that OS comes a whole new set of shortcuts. These 20 tips and tricks will help you get the most out of your shiny, new Storm--and its SurePress touch screen.
Finding Your Way Around the Storm: Navigation Tips and Tricks
-To scroll downward in a message or while viewing a Web page, place your finger lightly at the bottom of the screen--but don't click--and drag upward. To scroll down a full screen's length, slide your finger up rapidly.
- To scroll up, place your finger lightly at the top of the screen--but don't click--and drag it down. To scroll up a full screen's length, slide your finger down rapidly.
-To zoom in on a picture or a Web page, tap the screen lightly twice--but don't click it. (The BlackBerry browser also has zoom in/out options; two separate magnifying glasses for zooming in and out sit at the bottom of the browser screen.) To zoom back out after zooming in, click the BlackBerry Escape key until you return to the original view.
-To "pan," or move around while viewing a web page, hold your finger on the display--but again, don't click--and drag it in the direction you wish to move.
-To quickly switch between active applications from the Storm home screen, hold the BlackBerry Menu key until the Application Switch ribbon appears on screen. Then lightly touch the ribbon and move back and forth to scroll between available apps. To select one, click the screen when a specific app is highlighted.
-To jump from the Storm home screen to the main icon screen, put your finger on the home screen, just above the app dock, and click once. (You can also simply hit the BlackBerry Menu key while on the home screen to access your icon page.)
Text and Messaging Shortcuts for the Storm
-To copy and paste text from one location to another, lightly touch a finger to the Storm's screen at the start of the text you wish to copy. Then hold that first finger in place while you touch the end of the text with another finger. The text in between your digits will then be selected. To copy it, click the BlackBerry Menu key, scroll to "Copy" and click the screen. To paste, follow the same instructions but pick "Paste" instead of "Copy."
-To quickly search your messages for all mailings from a specific contact, find a message from that contact in your Messages application and then gently hold a finger on screen directly over the contact's name. After a few seconds, all messages from that contact appear on screen.
- To quickly search your messages for a specific subject line, or to track a thread, find a message with the desired subject line in your Messages application and then gently hold a finger on screen directly over the subject line. After a few seconds, all messages with that specific subject appear on screen.
-To precisely navigate to the middle of a sentence, or even a specific word, while typing on the Storm, gently press your finger on the Storm's screen on or around the text or character you wish to edit. Then, with your finger on the display, but not clicking it, slide your finger around until it's exactly where you want it and then let go. The specific character or set of characters will then be highlighted for easy editing.
-To delete multiple messages at once via Storm, open your Messages app and gently hold a finger on a message near the top of the list you want to delete. Keep that finger in place, and then touch another message further down the list. All the messages between your two fingers will then be highlighted. From there, you can click the Delete Messages key at the bottom or the screen to do away with the selected messages. Or you can continue to select older messages by keeping one finger on the selected messages and scrolling down. When new, unselected messages appear beneath your current selections, touch any of them to select it and all the messages between it and your previous selections. Again, hit the Delete Messages key to trash messages when you're ready. To unselect messages at any time, click the BlackBerry Escape key.
-Rapidly scroll through messages by sliding a finger sideway while reading an e-mail or text. Slide your finger to the left while in an open message to skip to newer messages; and slide to the right for older correspondence.
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