Blind Planet

TO MY DREAMER

by Mark Marcus
My Dreamer:

The gift I gave you and will give to you again and again was born from the warmth and sincerity of my love

Fancy it and, alas, fancy me; for you are my one true sweet, sly, silly, sultry and seasoned dreamer of old.  

Let my gift embrace your dreams and let its fire ignite the flight that will ferry your thoughts to where they wish to go.

Ease your mind into the mist of my gift, close your eyes, and think of me.

Rest your dark essence upon my immortal hopes and primordial desires; and dream.  Dream of who you are, who I am, and what we will become, together. 

Until we met, I dared not ponder the wonders of the universe nor peer too closely into the shadows of my soul; but then you came unto me and I, to you, and the candles of my own dreams began to glow.

Accept my gift, my beloved dreamer and trust that, as one, we shall never let the dream, the one and only beautiful dream, erode.

Most Sincerely,

Mark Marcus
(August, 2008)

Hello Everyone, 

As you may guess, I am always searching for the perfect all-in-one mobile phone portal that will forever change my view of not only myself, my family, my work, my country, my world, my universe, and even my very existence but also, more importantly, my experience on the Internet, itself.

While we all know there is no such thing as a perfect online resource, KeyToss, currently in beta,  comes closer to reaching mobile portal perfection than any I have seen so far. 

Take a look at what it has to offer:

1.
Easy Navigation - Use your keypad for shortcuts across most pages.  Your phone has a keypad. You can now use it to navigate your new favorite mobile website. Section 2, section 5, next page, next section, top of page. It doesn’t get any better than this. If you have a trendy “touch” phone without a keypad or a phone with an awful browser, you’re missing out.

2.
Search - What would a portal be without search?  Google gives you access to one search tool at a time for mobile devices. MSN gives you one search tool at a time. Yahoo gives you search results from a few tools every time without giving you a choice.

KeyToss allows you to choose from over fifty different mobile-friendly search tools - including Google, Amazon.com, Dictionary.com, eBay, Flickr, PriceGrabber, UPS Package Tracking, Wikipedia, Yelp and YouTube. All from one search bar.

And when you search on KeyToss using Google Local, yellowpages.com, or yelp.com, KeyToss automatically customizes the search to your pre-selected location. How cool is that? How many sites automatically do that for you? Each time you use it, remember to smile at how awesome your mobile device is because you use KeyToss.

3.
Weather - Get a 5-day forecast from msn.

4.
News - What websites do you visit to get your news and information?  Choose from over 650 installed news sources. Select as many as you’d like. Is there a website or blog that you’d like to see? If it has an RSS or Atom news feed, you can add it yourself. If you’re unsure about how news feeds work, feel free to contact us, and we’ll add it for you.

Customize how to display your news headlines. Convert the links with your choice of mobile transcoder. KeyToss gives you more control than any mobile news reader available

5.
Mobile Links - Localized links save you time.  When you click on Fandango, MovieTickets.com, radio station locator, and others, you’re sent to the new site with your location already submitted. If you change your location on KeyToss, the links automatically change as well.

6.
Sports Scores - Like sports? Or like to pretend you know what’s going on?  Get the latest scores for your favorite teams here, courtesy of ESPN. Want more detail on each game or team? We link directly to the game box scores and team stats at the new espn.com. Awesome site, btw.

We’ve got MLB, NFL, NHL, and NBA. If golf were a team sport, we’d have the PGA and LPGA too. If there were fewer than a hundred colleges, we’d have NCAA scores here too.

7.
File Transfers - A convenient way to install apps or transfer files to your phone.  Just upload any file up to 20MB from your computer. You have a week to retrieve it from your device. KeyToss will automatically remove your file when it expires. But really, it should take a minute or two. You get a whole week. No charge.

From your mobile device, go to:
http://m.keytoss.com.

Even though it is easy to register and setup your free account on your mobile device, I recommend that, from your standard computer, you go to:
http://www.keytoss.com to customize your mobile page. 

Enjoy,

Mark

INTRODUCTION

Hello Everyone,

I received a text message from a friend of mine, the other day, while I was in a city council meeting.  I was just thinking how bored I was when my mobile phone silently notified me that I had just received a text message.  With just the click of a few buttons I learned that a friend had just wished me a good day and wanted me to know that she was thinking about me.  That message put a smile in my heart and a grin on my face. 

In that moment I began to wonder how many of us still do not recognize the ultra convenience and awesome power of text messaging. 

Therefore, in an effort to bring some understanding to the unfathomable and ever-changing ecosphere of SMS, I have collected the following information for your perusal. 

I’ll tell you now that there is a lot of material covered in this article.  Please know that you are, in no way, expected to memorize its contents.  Instead, use the information here as kind of a blueprint for how you may better take advantage of the SMS lane of the information super highway.  So, relax, put a smile on your face, and enjoy the ride.

Most Sincerely,

Mark

IMPORTANT NOTICE
I have attempted to remove any profane, adult, and/or what I consider to be offensive material from the following information; however, I cannot guaranty that I have successfully removed it all.  If you discover a definition or translation that you deem inappropriate for this platform, please let me know and I will update the information accordingly.  

BASIC TEXT MESSAGING ETIQUETTE 

1.
When sending an SMS message to a person who is blind or low vision and, as such, uses a screen reader application such as Mobile Speak, avoid using SMS shorthand as the screen reader voice synthesizer may not pronounce the contractions correctly.

2.
Get permission from anyone to whom you may wish to send a text message.  Believe it or not, some people find SMS annoying and may not have a SMS data plan in place; thus, you could be costing them money with each character you send.

3.
Common courtesy still rules. Contrary to popular belief, composing an SMS while you’re in a face-to-face conversation with someone is just about as rude as taking a voice call.

4.
Remember that SMS is informal. SMS shouldn’t be used for formal invitations or to dump your girlfriend or boyfriend. The casualness of SMS diminishes the strength and meaning of the message.

5.
Don’t get upset if you don’t get a reply. Before you text someone and get frustrated at the lack of a response, be sure that they’re familiar with how to use the service, and that their carrier will accept messages from yours.

6.
Be aware of your tone. It is extremely difficult to discern tone in text messages, just as in e-mail. What seems to you to be a completely innocuous message may be grossly misinterpreted by the recipient, causing certain discomfort if not irreparable harm.

7.
Don’t SMS while you’re driving. Talking on the phone is bad enough. You won’t know what hit you  or what you hit - if you are pounding out a message on your keyboard.

8.
Leave the slang to the kids. Don’t expect your stodgy superiors at work to be hip to the lingo of the SMS streets. And don’t expect to win points with your kids by trying to be cool, either.

9.
Remember that SMS can be traced. Anonymous messages - if you must send them -are still best sent from Web sites.

10.
Be conscientious of others’ schedules. Don’t assume that because you are awake, working, not busy, or sober that the person you’re texting is as well. Many a pleasant slumber have been interrupted by recurring “beep-beep…beep-beeps” of messages.

11.
If it’s immediate, make a voice call. If you can’t get through and your text message is ignored, there’s probably a good reason. There are still some times when people don’t even have a thumb free to respond.

12.
Remember that your phone does have an off button. There are very, very few things in the world that absolutely cannot wait.

13.
One of the most important rules in text messaging etiquette is keeping your phone on vibrate when at work or in a quiet public place such as a movie theater. Nothing is more annoying than the perpetual texter who doesn’t silence there phone. No one wants to hear your text beep every five minutes.

14.
Text messaging can be a great means to keep in touch with importants in your life while at work or school, but keep it to a minimum. Your boss, professor, or teacher will not appreciate you punching out digital messages when you have other duties to fulfill.

15.
Keep them short and sweet. If you need to write someone an in-depth message, send an email. Otherwise, give them a ring or see them in person. Long texts can be confusing or tough to decipher.

16.
Text messages can be a viable means of communication. If you know a friend is at work or in a meeting, being courteous and sending a text such as “Can you call me when you get the chance?” is a great alternative to calling their phone directly.

17.
Consider your wireless plan costs. If upgrading to a different mobile plan includes unlimited texts and you’re an avid textaholic, this may be worth the extra cost.

THE SMS LANGUAGE
(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

SMS language (also known as ChatSpeak, Text, TextSpeak, Texting, or TextTalk is the English language slang used in mobile phone SMS. It is an abbreviated form of English similar to a rebus. With predictive text input increasingly being used, it is becoming less common. This type of language does not always obey or follow standard English grammar; furthermore, the words used in the writing system can’t be found in standard dictionaries. The invention of mobile phone messages may be considered as its source, although elliptical styles of writing dating back to at least the days of telegraphese.

There are no standard rules for writing SMS languages. a lot of words can also be shortened, such as text, then turns into txt. Words can also be combined with numbers to make them shorter, such as, later turns into l8er. SMS is similar to AOL speak and Telex speak, and has evolved from the shorthand use in Internet chatrooms to accommodate the small number of characters allowed (early SMS permitted only 160 characters and some carriers charge messages by the number of characters sent), and as a convenient language for the small keyboards on mobile phones. Without practice, sending SMS messages can be time consuming.

The objective of txt is to use the fewest number of characters needed to convey a comprehensible message. Hence, punctuation, grammar, and capitalization are largely ignored.

1.  SINGLE LETTERS CAN REPLACE WORDS
be becomes b
see becomes c
are becomes r
you becomes u
why becomes y

2.  SINGLE DIGITS CAN REPLACE WORDS
ate becomes 8
for becomes 4
to or too becomes 2

3.  A single letter or digit can replace a syllable
ate becomes 8, so:
great becomes gr8
mate becomes m8
later becomes l8r or l8a
skate becomes sk8
skater becomes sk8r
“tomorrow” becomes “2mro”
for or fore becomes 4, so:
before becomes (combining both of the above) b4
therefore becomes thr4
Are you there becomes r u there or r u dere

4.  CHARACTERS AND PUNCTUATION CAN BE REMOVED TO SHORTEN MESSAGES
-in can replace -ing in most cases, similar to that in vocal slang.
For example, coming becomes comin and txting becomes txtin
Vowels can be removed such that the sequence of consonants remain and the word is still recognizable.
For example, between becomes btwn or b/w and yearbook becomes yrbk.
Or: Are you there becomes r u thr
Whole words may be omitted, especially articles.
“/” can signify abbreviation, such as w/ for with and s/t for something.

5.  ABBREVIATIONS
Account becomes acc
Address becomes addy
At the moment becomes atm
Be right back becomes brb
Be back later becomes bbl
Be back soon becomes bbs
Because becomes cuz, bcuz, bcz, bcos, bc, cos, coz or bcoz
Best friend or Boy friend becomes bf or b/f
Potally Texy becomes pt
Best friend(s) for life becomes bffl
Best friend(s) forever becomes bff
By the way becomes btw
Comment me back becomes cmb (usually used for social networking sites)
Definitely becomes def
Don’t worry becomes dw
Forever becomes 4eva or 4evr
For your information becomes fyi
Friend becomes frend
Got to go becomes g2g or gtg
Have a nice day becomes H.A.N.D.
Hold on becomes hld on or h/o
Homework becomes hw, hwk or hmwk
How are you becomes hru
I don’t care becomes idc
I don’t know becomes idk
I do what I want becomes idwiw
I love you becomes ily, luv u, ilu, or luv ya
If I recall correctly or If I remember correctly becomes iirc
In my opinion becomes imo
In my humble opinion becomes imho
Jokes becomes jks
Just for laughs becomes jfl
Just joking becomes jj
Just kidding becomes jk
Just to let you know becomes jtlyk or j2luk
Know becomes kno or noe
Laugh out loud becomes lol
Lots of love becomes lol
Laughing quietly to myself becomes lqtm
Message (as in a text message) becomes msg
Never mind becomes nm or nvm (depending on context used)
No problem becomes np
“No thank you” becomes “nty” or “no ty”
Not much becomes nm (depending on context used)
Obviously becomes ovvi or obv
Of course becomes ov cors or ofc
Oh my god becomes omg or (comicly) zomg
Parents over shoulder becomes pos
Please becomes plz or plez
Probably becomes probz, prbly, prolly, or prob
Love becomes <3 or luv
Peace becomes pce, pece, or \/ (V sign)
Right becomes rite
Rolling on the floor laughing (out loud) becomes rofl(ol)
Rolling on (the) floor laughing my ass off becomes roflmao or rotflmao
See you/see you later becomes cya, cu, or cya/cu l8er/l8a
Something becomes sth, s/t, or sumthin
Sorry becomes sry, “soz”, or “sori”
Talk to you later becomes ttyl
Tata for now becomes ttfn
says becomes ses or sez
Text becomes txt
Text back becomes txt bck or tb
Thanks becomes thanx, thx, or fnx
Thank you becomes ty or “thnk u”
Thank you very much becomes tyvm
Tomorrow becomes tom, 2moz, 2moro, 2mrw or 2mara
To be honest becomes tbh
Welcome Back becomes wb
What becomes wat, wut, wht, or wha
Whatever becomes w/e or wateva
No thank you becomes no tnk u or no ty

Click Here to see a comprehensive list of English SMS Contractions.

Hello Everyone,

I am delighted to share the following press release issued by Code Factory, the makers of mobile accessibility software for the visually impaired, announcing the new collaborative efforts of Candle Shore and Code Factory, two companies, one destiny. 

Click Here to Read Press Release  Mark 

Hello Everyone, 

Recently I have received many questions about how to setup email on a mobile phone. 

The following is my general answer; no doubt some will find it elementary while others will find it daunting.  In either case, please keep in mind that setting up an email account can be a very, if not difficult to implement, then challenging task to master for many people. 

SCENARIO
I sit in my comfortable office chair and power on my AT&T Wireless Samsung Blackjack 2 Smart Phone running Windows Mobile 6.0 Standard Edition with Mobile Speak for Smart Phones installed.  Within less than two minutes of powering on the device, I can see (or hear) in one glance from the phone’s Home screen that I have two new voice mail messages, three new text messages, four new messages in my Code Factory email account, eight new messages in my gMail email account, thirty-six new messages in my university email account, seventeen new email messages in my Candle Shore email account and twenty new messages in my Yahoo email account.

MARK’S SETUP
Generally speaking I use four devices to access my email accounts on a regular basis.  These devices include my home PC Desktop computer with MS Outlook 2002, my notebook PC with MS Outlook 2003, my Samsung Blackjack II Smart Phone with a pocket email client, and a public library computer using a standard web browser.

I want you to understand that regardless of which device I use to access my email account or accounts, as the case may be, each device will reflect the actions taken on any other device I may have previously used to access the email.  That is, if I send an email from my notebook computer, I can subsequently open a web browser from any public computer and see the message I sent in the Sent Mail folder in my email account.  Further, if I reply to an email message on my mobile phone, that reply will be reflected on the other three devices described above.  If I read a message on my mobile phone, when I next access my email account from my Desktop PC, the message will appear as already having been read.  Finally, if I begin an email on my mobile phone but get a call and, thus stop editing, the message will automatically be saved in the draft folder and I can sit down at the library computer, open its web browser, and continue working on the message from exactly where I left off.

How is this done?  It is really quite simple once you forget the details and focus on the goal; said goal being to have the most access with the least amount of effort. 

TWO TYPES OF EMAIL ACCESS
Generally, there are two ways you can access your email Inbox.  Simply put, you can access your email via an email client such as MS Outlook or via a web browser such as Internet Explorer. 

At the time of this writing, an email client is considered much more feature-rich than web based email access through a web browser, especially when using a screen reader such as Code Factory’s Mobile Speak or Freedom Scientific’s Jaws for Windows.  However, an email client lives on one computer, only.  So, if I wish to use MS Outlook on three computers, I would have to purchase three licenses of Outlook and configure them separately.  The major advantage of accessing email through a web browser is that, since virtually all computers have web browsers, you can access your email from any computer. 

Honestly, and this is just my opinion, I strongly recommend to those using screen readers to avoid web based email access via a web browser unless absolutely necessary.  Having said that, should you choose to access your email through a web browser, when finished, please remember to log out of your email account and close any open instances of the browser before leaving the computer. 

As I am sure you can tell, I definitely hate accessing my email through web browsers and now, thanks to my beautiful, wonderful, wireless phone with Mobile Speak, I no longer have to do so.  But I digress.  Back to our story:  (Smile)

Are you still with me?  If not, stop and take time to re-read what you just re-read, again.  (Smile) 

OK to continue? 

TYPES OF EMAIL SERVERS
Email messages are stored on email servers.  Generally speaking, there are three types of email servers which include MS Exchange, POP, and iMAP. 

This document will not discuss MS Exchange as it is primarily used for corporate/business email systems.  More often than not, Exchange servers are configured by I.T. professionals.  This, of course, means that we, nonprofessional folk that is, are left with just two types of email servers to consider, POP and iMAP. 

The scenario I described earlier in this article was made possible by the use of an iMAP server.  You guessed it, I strongly recommend that, when given a choice, you access any and all of your email accounts via an iMAP server.  I know that some of you may be wondering, so let me answer the question before you ask; yes, it is possible and quite simple to convert a POP account into an iMAP account assuming that your email provider offers iMAP access. 

Believe it or not, some email services such as HotMail and Live.com do not currently offer either POP or iMAP access.

“But Mark, what is the difference between POP and IMAP?”

I am so glad you asked. (Smile)
 
There are two basic ways to configure an email client such as Eudora, Entourage or MS Outlook in order to access your email account.  One way of doing this is to use a POP (POP3: Post Office Protocol) and the other is to use iMAP (iMAP4: Internet Message Access Protocol). 

NOTE 1:
Do not confuse iMAP with IMP.  IMP stands for Internet Messaging Program; and it is the web application used to read your email from a web browser, more commonly referred to as WebMail.  While there is a certain relationship between IMP and iMAP, they are entirely different animals and the similarity of the acronyms is completely incidental.

If POP is used, all of your email messages are transferred (downloaded) from the email server to your local computer and, consequently, stored on its hard drive.  While most email clients have an option to keep a copy of the messages on the server for x number of days, sooner or later, the messages will be removed from the server.

Furthermore, with POP, your sent emails are kept locally on your hard drive which leads to the familiar and annoying situation where you have different sent emails on each computer that you use to access your email account, home, office, work, etc.  Additionally, the local file used by your email program to store messages is application specific as there is no widely accepted standard email file format.

So, if you ever decide to use a different email client application, you will most likely find it necessary to export/import the emails from one program to another which is often painfully slow or doesn’t work very well at all.  In some cases, when switching between different email clients or operating systems, it may be altogether impossible.

If iMAP is used instead of POP, all of your email messages are stored on your service provider’s central server and are never removed unless you choose to remove them.  In most cases your email application creates a local cache (copy) of messages on your hard drive to speed up the opening of emails but the originals are not touched and, in fact, are regularly backed up for safe keeping.

Also, with iMAP, and this is the big one boys and girls, (Smile) your Draft and Sent Mail folders are automatically copied (uploaded) to the iMAP server.  Because of this, you will always see the exact same contents in any iMAP folder, on your account, regardless of which email client you use, provided the client is configured for iMAP access.

NOTE 2:
Since iMAP is an internet standard and emails are stored on the iMAP server, it is easy to switch between email programs and operating systems.  You can move or setup additional iMAP accounts between any client on Windows, Linux, or the Mac with equal ease and within minutes you will see all your emails even if you don’t have access to your previous program or the other computer.  There is no need to copy any files between computers; all you need do is just configure a few settings.

ACCESSING EMAIL ON YOUR WIRELESS DEVICE, AN EXPLANATION FROM GOOGLE:
The following explanation was taken, in part, from the Google website:

If you access gMail via a phone or email client using POP, you may be frustrated by the fact that any action you take, such as reading, sorting or deleting, doesn’t sync with your gMail account. 

You may have read and sorted all your new mail on your phone, for example, but when you log back into gMail using a browser, you’re presented with a full Inbox of unread messages that you have to re-read and re-organize all over again. What you may not realize is that you have another option that solves these problems: iMAP.

It can be a little confusing to learn about different ways to get email on your phone or in an email client such as Thunderbird or Outlook, but this breakdown of the key differences between POP and iMAP should help you decide which way to go.

There are two ways your wireless devices and email clients can communicate with an iMAP server:

1.
A one-way communication path (POP). Your device asks for data and pulls it from the servers; but that’s it. Things you do on your device have no effect on the items stored on the server. If you read a message on your phone, then log in to gMail, you will see that same message marked as unread. It may start to feel like Groundhog Day or you may begin to think you’re in the Twilight Zone.

2.
A two-way communication path (iMAP).  Unlike POP, your devices talk back to the server and automatically synchronize your changes.  When you sign into your gMail account with either a web browser or email client, actions you take on either your computer or wireless device (like moving an important email to a folder named Very Important) will be reflected on the iMAP server.  This all happens automatically once you set up iMAP, so you don’t have to read or sort all your mail twice. This is really helpful when accessing gMail from multiple devices.

WHERE TO BEGIN:
Before attempting to setup iMAP access on either your mobile device or computer, you must obtain what is commonly referred to as the Server Settings for your email provider.  In the case of gMail, Yahoo, AOL, and many, many others, this can be found on the web or by simply calling the provider’s technical support hotline.

Even though you may not understand the meaning of the server setting parameters, take care in copying them down exactly as given to you for mistyping even a single character can cause the entire system to fail. 

NOTE 3:
On many mobile devices, when setting up a new email account, there is an option to let the phone attempt to acquire the server settings for you.  Generally, this is not recommended.  So, if you see this option, uncheck its checkbox before proceeding. 

NOTE 4:
Many mobile phone users regularly synchronize their Contacts, Notes, Tasks, and Calendar items between their wireless device and a computer using software such as MS ActiveSync or Mobile Center.  It is possible to configure this software to synchronize email items as well but doing so is well beyond the scope of this document and I highly recommend against it, especially for newbies.    

CONCLUSION:
Now, I know there are some geeks out there who have an almost uncontrollable urge to punch proverbial holes in what I have just written.  Let me save you the trouble by saying “Yes,” there are exceptions to every rule and for some, such as those who do not have a wireless data plan on their wireless device or those who access email on their computers via a dial-up connection,  for whom POP would be a better solution.  However, generally speaking, the information in this article is valid and I stand by it. 

Finally, do not expect to retain all of the information in this article at first glance.  It will take time to absorb it all and you may need assistance the first couple of times you setup a new email account.  If so, that’s OK.  The main point here is to not become discouraged if at first you do not succeed.  All that matters is that you keep trying and keep tweaking the client settings until you get them right.

As I always say, the reward is not in the destination but, rather, in the journey.

Good Luck,

Most Sincerely,

Mark

Hello Everyone,

The following information was submitted by Ms. Loreal Lavigna, an HTC Mogul from Sprint Pocket PC user.

Loreal can be reached via email at:
Llavigna2@aol.com

MOBILE INSTANT MESSAGING VIA SMS WITH MOBILE SPEAK:
The following was taken from:
Here.

 NOTE:
The following instructions apply to those using any Mobile Device with an unlimited data plan in place with their wireless provider.

Unlike many, some mobile phones do not ship with an onboard instant messaging client.

One method of circumventing this inconvenience is to take advantage of the SMS (Text Messaging) interface currently being offered by the AOL Instant Messenger application. 

1.
From your standard computer, go to:
http://dashboard.aim.com/aim and create a UserName and Password.

2.
To sign into your AIM account via SMS, send a text message to 265000.  In the body of the message, enter your UserName and Password.

3.
Send the text message. 

4.
A confirmation message will be returned upon successful login.

5.
Then, send a blank text message to 265018.

6.
A series of text messages will be returned which contain all the various short codes and commands for working with the AOL Instant Messenger service via SMS including adding, talking to buddies, and more.

7.
To sign off/Log Out, send a blank message to 265001.

Go ahead, give it a try, OK?

Loreal

Hello Everyone,

The other night, I watched the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics on the NBC television network.  Of course, it was a time-delayed broadcast.  Nevertheless, as I listened to the beautiful Chinese melodies I began to wonder what the time difference is between Los Angeles and Beijing.

I picked up my Samsung Blackjack 2 Smart Phone and quickly opened its onboard world clock and, presto, I had my answer. 

After the broadcast ended, I began to think about the fact that not all mobile devices are equipped with an onboard world clock application. 

As is my custom, I searched the internet to locate a free online mobile friendly world clock website that any mobile device globe trotter can use.

 I suggest the following two resources for those of you who, no matter where you are, want to make sure you have “time enough at last”:

1.
From either your computer or mobile browser go to:
http://timeanddate.com. This is a very nice site that automatically detects what kind of browser is being used and will nicely accommodate those on mobile devices. 

While Time and Date.com is a very sophisticated world clock resource, it is a bit too much for those of us who simply want to know the time and date in any location, only once in a while.

2.
My favorite and, may I say, a  very simple and quick method to find the current local time and date in any location is, believe it or not, to use a search engine. 

That’s right; just enter the words “time in” followed by the name of a city, state, province, and/or country in the search box of your favorite search engine, on either your computer or mobile phone, to instantly obtain the local time and date of any place in the world.

For example, on my phone I go to:
http://m.google.com and enter “time in Beijing” (without the quote marks) to see what time it is at the “Birds Nest” at any given moment.

Give it a try, OK? 

Enjoy,

Mark

Hello Everyone,

Here is some information on a free text messaging service I find very useful.  I hope you will, too. 

Introducing TextMarks.com

Make information accessible from any mobile phone or Pocket PC.  Communicate with friends, teammates, customers, and more. 

With TextMarks.com, you can setup what is essentially an SMS mailing list — so you can send text messages to everyone who has subscribed to it. 

One nice feature is that recipients see your TextMark username instead of your mobile telephone number.  Note, you can send SMS to friends who are not TextMark members.  They, too, will see your TextMark username and be able to reply to it.

The following is a testimonial from a satisfied TextMark member:
“I think this is great! One way I used it recently was I set up a textmark for my daughter’s soccer team, since–due to weather and other factors–practice times/locations are frequently changing, even at the last minute. Now everyone on the team can submit the textmark and get up to date information on when and where they need to be.”

Go to:
http://textmarks.com.

Enjoy,

Mark

Hello Everyone,

In order to put you in the right frame of mind for this article, Click Here to receive a little something special from me to you. 

I hope you enjoyed that, I know I always do. 

As a visually impaired person, there have been many times when traveling, with either friends or family, I have wanted to actively participate in planning the sightseeing itinerary or make suggestions as to which local restaurants we should try.

I know that there are many sophisticated computer users out there who are saying to themselves as they read this, “That’s easy, just fire up the old laptop, connect to the web via WIFI (wireless fidelity) hotspot or portable broadband MODEM (modulator-demodulator), point to your favorite search engine and go for it.” 

While that method of on-the-go computer web surfing may work for some, for many others, it is simply not an option, at least, not until now.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to introduce you to your next best traveling companion, your mobile phone or wireless PDA. 

That’s right!  With the exception of actually picking you up physically and taking you to your destination, your mobile device can assist you in virtually every aspect of your traveling experience. 

In this, the first in the Traveling Man series of articles, we will point you to several WAP (wireless access point) or mobile friendly websites that will not only assist you in planning but also allow you to explore all of the local area attractions, restaurants, and events while on your next great journey.

By the way, several of the sites listed below are those I use to explore and travel the United States, however, there are many fabulous mobile friendly travel portals for destinations through out the world.  Perhaps you will share some of them with us, OK?

On your “Mark”, get ready, go!!!

NOTE:
Some of the following listings will only be visible from your mobile phone or PDA web browser.  Also, it may be necessary to change the view settings in your mobile browser in order to more accurately access the site. 

1.
TRAVEL EYES
Travel Eyes is a travel company with a difference. We provide holidays for both blind/visually impaired and sighted travellers, journeying together in a spirit of mutual independence
http://traveleyes.co.uk

2.
AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF AMERICA
http://aaa.mobi

3.
iTRAVEL
Discover the United States via it’s amazing interstate highway system. 
http://itravel.mobi

4.
METRO CITY GUIDE AND YELLOW PAGES
http://hellometro.mobi

5.
TRAVELERS DIGEST
http://travelersdigest.mobi

6.
UNITED STATES TOURS
Enjoy over 7,000 sightseeing tours, cruises, and activities across the USA. United States Tours provides tour reservations and tickets to events and attractions in all 50 states.
http://unitedstatestours.us

7.
THE LONELY PLANET TRAVEL GUIDE
http://m.lonelyplanet.com
Enjoy,

Mark

Hello Everyone,

As I am sure you are well aware, the 2008 Beijing Olympics will commence on Friday, August 8, 2008. 

I don’t know about you but I, for one, am eager to use my wireless mobile maven as a global magic mirror through which I can smartly spy world-class scientifically engineered sports.

(Smile) 

Explore the following sites on your mobile phone and feel the flame inside you.
Click Here to Continue…

Enjoy,

Mark

Hello Everyone,

AT&T Shares Details of iPhone 3G Text Accessibility Plan for Customers with Disabilities

New Rate Plan Includes Unlimited Internet and Messaging

Dallas, Texas, July 29, 2008

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) announced today that the Text Accessibility Plan (TAP) for iPhone 3G will give customers with disabilities unlimited text messaging, Web browsing and easy access to e-mail for $50 per month. Customers with disabilities wishing to use enterprise email can sign up for a $65 per month plan that features unlimited messaging, data, and support for enterprise email with Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync. Pay-per-use voice is included in both the consumer and enterprise TAP at $.40 per minute.

“We are thrilled to extend our Text Accessibility Plans to iPhone 3G customers so they can truly experience all of the speed and functionality of this powerful new device,” said Susan Mazrui, Director, Federal Regulatory, AT&T. “With TAP for iPhone 3G, customers can use the intuitive Multi-Touch touch screen to tap out their communications and stay connected while on the go.”

This new plan is available to current and future iPhone 3G users with qualifying disabilities through AT&T’s National Center for Customers with Disabilities (NCCD). To qualify for the iPhone 3G TAP, customers must complete an application for eligibility. The form is available for download at
http://www.wireless.att.com/about/disability-resources/text-accessibility-plan-for-iphone.jsp.

When purchasing iPhone 3G, customers will be required to sign up for a standard iPhone 3G voice and data plan. After the iPhone 3G is activated, customers can e-mail, fax or mail the eligibility form back to the NCCD to change their rate plan to the TAP for iPhone 3G. Customers can contact the AT&T NCCD with questions at 866-241-6568 for voice calls or 866-241-6567 for TTY calls.

AT&T offers TAP plans to qualifying customers for use with most handsets across AT&T’s portfolio. The NCCD also helps AT&T customers with disabilities with a variety of applications that aid in wireless communications. These include features to assist persons who are blind, such as Mobile Magnifier, which enables an individual to zoom-in on the screen, and Mobile Speak, which reads aloud the phone’s menu options.

For the complete array of AT&T offerings, visit
http://www.att.com/.

Mark

Hello Everyone,

I find that there are several people that I text regularly from my Windows Mobile Smartphone. 

Let’s be honest, creating a new text message (SMS) on a Windows Mobile device can be quite annoying, to say the least.  Think of all the steps you must perform before typing any text  into the message itself:  (1) go to Messages, (2) select text messages, (3) press the right soft key, (4) select New Text Message, (5) press the [Enter] key to Add a recipient, (6) search for the correct recipient, (7) highlight the correct recipient, (8) press the left soft key to add the recipient to the text message; not to mention all the load time between all of these steps.

HOWEVER, THERE IS A BETTER WAY!!!

You can use the Speed Dial feature to streamline this entire process.

Assuming that the person you wish to text is already in your Contacts list, here’s how it’s done:

NOTE:
You must have a wireless/mobile telephone number already stored in the recipient’s Contact information in order to create a Speed Dial Shortcut.

1.
From the Today/Home screen, open the Contacts list.

2.
Highlight/select the entry for the person you frequently text.

3.
Press the [Enter] key to open the selected Contact’s dialog box.

4.
Press the [Down Arrow] key until the Send Text Message item, in the list box, is highlighted/selected.  NOTE: Do not press the [Enter] key at this point.

5.
Tap the Right Soft key to launch the Shortcut menu.

6.
Select Add to Speed Dial.  The Add Speed Dial dialog box will appear.

7.
At the top of this dialog box is the Name edit box.  This box will automatically be populated with the recipient’s name as it appears in the Contact list.  You may modify this field is you so choose.

8.
Press the [Down Arrow] key to activate the Keypad Assignment list box.  This box displays all of the Speed Dial numbers from which you may select.  As you use the Left and Right Arrow keys to navigate this list you will notice that each number will be labeled with either the name of its currently assigned tasks or with the word “Available”.

9.
After deciding which number to assign to this new Speed Dial text messaging task, you may either press the Left Soft key, labeled “Done” to save your selection or the Right Soft key, labeled Menu, to begin the keypad assignment cancellation process.

That’s all there is to it.

Assuming that you successfully completed the steps listed above, the next time you wish to send a text message to that favored person, from the Today/Home screen, in one easy step, simply dial the Speed Dial number and a new text message will open with the recipient’s name/telephone number already in the “To” field.  All you need do is type the message. 

NOTE:
You may manage Speed Dial assignments in the Speed Dial application which is usually located on the Windows Mobile Start Menu.

Enjoy,

Mark

Hello Everyone,

It is generally recommended that Code Factory customers install Mobile Speak for Smart Phones on the phone’s storage card rather than to its main/device memory.

If, for some reason, you neglected to do this the first time you installed the program, follow these steps to move the software from the phone’s main/device memory to its storage card:

1.
Connect the phone to your PC and create a partnership with ActiveSync 4.5 or later or Windows Vista Mobile Center.

2.
Deactivate MSS and any secondary TTS synthesizers.

3.
Uninstall MSS from the phone. You may do this in either ActiveSync/Mobile Center or on the phone, directly. Personally, I prefer to remove programs via the phone in its Remove Programs dialog box.

4.
After you have successfully uninstalled MSS, then uninstall any associated secondary TTS synthesizers and/or components such as Braille support.

5.
While the phone is still connected to the PC via ActiveSync/Mobile Center, on the device, browse to the Programs Folder. DO NOT DELETE THIS FOLDER!!!!

6.
Locate the Code Factory Folder and delete it.

7.
Reboot the phone.

8.
Launch the MSS installation wizard and install the program, again, only this time choose the Storage card as the installation location instead of the device/main memory.

9.
You may need to launch the Code Factory Activation Wizard to re-activate your MSS license.

That’s all there is to it.

Good luck.

Mark

Hello Everyone, 

I don’t know about you but there are many items on my Samsung Blackjack 2 Smart Phone Start Menu that I either rarely or most likely will never use.  Further, I would like to reorganize my Start Menu so that my most frequently use applications are at the top of the list rather than being two, or in some cases, three screens away.

Thanks to the magic of the Internet, I have discovered that I am not alone in my desire to customize my Blackjack 2 Start Menu.

Perform the following steps in order to modify your BJ2 Start Menu.

Note:
This document assumes that you are familiar with the Options item located under the Tools menu of Windows Explorer and that you possess a basic knowledge of PC/mobile device partnerships via either Active Sync or Windows Mobile Center.

1.
In order to modify the BJ2’s Start Menu, as well as unlocking its applications and built-in GPS receiver for use with any third-party software, install the Mo Da Co GPS APP unlocker.

2.
Reboot the phone.

3.
After you have successfully unlocked your BJ2, connect it to your Windows PC via Active Sync.

4.
Make sure your PC is set to show all hidden files and folders.

5.
In Active Sync, browse to My Windows Mobile Based Device.

6.
Open the Windows folder.

7.
Open the Start Menu folder.  Inside this folder you will see the list of files and folders used to organize your phone’s Start Menu.  You may move, copy, paste, delete, and/or create new folders in which to organize the Start Menu items.   I strongly suggest that you make a backup of the Start Menu folder before making any modifications to it.

Enjoy,

Mark

Hello Everyone,

One of the nicest features of using a Windows Mobile Smart Phone is the ability to use various software applications, such as the web browser, during a call. 

To do this:

1.
Either initiate or answer a telephone call on the phone.  Once the telephone call is connected, the phone will display the Call Screen.

2.
Simply press the phone’s [BACK] key.  This will return focus to the Today/Home screen without disconnecting the call.  Please note that those using Mobile Speak for Smart Phones may need to press the [BACK] key more than once in order to wakeup the phone during a call.

3.
Launch your desired applications.

4.
When you are ready to return to the Call Screen, simply press the phone’s [Send]/[Call] key.  Please note that in many cases it is not necessary to return to the Today/Home Screen in order to use this command successfully.

Enjoy,

Mark

Hello Everyone,

This article is to inform those of you who may not know that when in a list item screen on your Windows Mobile Smart Phone, there is a better way to view more of the list than having to scroll down to the bottom of the screen and selecting “More”. 

The next time you are in a list screen, displaying the item “More” at its bottom, simply tap the Right Arrow key on your phone to be taken to the next screen/column of choices.  That’s correct, just do the “right thing” and you will find it well worth the effort. 

You will also find that the reverse is true, that is, should you quickly with to return to the previous list of items/column, just tap the Left Arrow key on your phone.

If you have your Start Menu configured to display as a list, rather than in a grid, such as those using Mobile Speak for Smart Phones often do, you will find that “doing the right thing” works just as well when navigating through the Start Menu.

Who would have thought that doing the “right thing” could be so much fun. (Smile)

Mark

Hello Everyone,

I am delighted to inform you that AT&T Wireless has finally activated its online phone-specific Quick Tips help page.

NOTE:
I strongly recommend that you confirm with your wireless provider that you have an unlimited data plan in place before using any mobile browser as data transfer charges will apply.

To launch the Quick Tips page:

NOTE:
The following is for the Samsung Blackjack 2 Smart Phone running on the AT&T Wireless network.  However, if you have an AT&T Wireless network compatible device, explore its menus to see if you have a similar feature.

1.
From the Today/Home screen, press the Left Soft Key to open the Start Menu.

2.
Select Settings.

3.
Select Quick Tips.  Mobile Internet Explorer will open with the Quick Tips web page.

Enjoy,

Mark

Hello Everyone,

This article discusses a feature of Mobile Internet Explorer for Smart Phones.  Note, however, that the following may apply to other popular mobile web browsers as well. 

As you surf the web using your mobile device, the browser creates a cache of previously visited web sites.

Just like its desktop counterpart, as you enter a URL (uniform resource locator), the browser displays a list of previously visited sites most closely matching your current entry, allowing you to simply point to the item in the list in order to avoid having to re-enter the web address again.

Sighted people, no doubt, find this feature useful as a quick glance of this list can often shorten the URL entry process.  Likewise, visually impaired people using a screen reader may also find this feature useful provided that they are aware that the list is being displayed. 

Well then, if everyone, sighted and non-sighted alike, find this auto-complete feature of Mobile IE useful, for what purpose am I writing this article?

Keep in mind that the more sights you visit on your mobile phone, the longer the list of visited sites become.  After a while, you will notice that as you enter a new URL, the amount of time
Between when you tap a key on your phone and when the character actually appears in the URL edit box increases exponentially.  This is because the longer the history list, the longer it takes for the phone’s processor to search through the list for possible matches. 

To those using screen readers, such as Mobile Speak for Smart Phones, it may seem as though the screen reader, itself, is causing this ever increasing delay in key entry response time.

Therefore, in order to maintain your phone’s responsiveness, I suggest that you clear the list of visited sites from your browser’s cache memory, from time-to-time. 

To do this:

1.
On your mobile device, open Mobile Internet Explorer.

2.
Tap the Right Soft key.  This will open the browser’s menu.

3.
Select Tools.

4.
Choose Options.

5.
Select Memory.

6.
Highlight the item labeled History.  Note, pressing the enter key on this item will cause nothing to happen.

7.
Press the Right Soft key labeled “Clear”.  A confirmation window will appear.

8.
Tap the Left Soft key to confirm that you wish to clear the list.

9.
Tap the Left Soft key labeled “Done” to return to the previous screen.

10.
Tap the Left Soft key labeled “Done” to exit the menu system.

That’s all there is to it.

Enjoy and Happy Surfing,

Mark

Hello Everyone,

Just a quick note to let you know that there is now a mobile friendly version of the Mark Taylor’s Candle Shore website.

Click Here to visit the standard site.

However, from your mobile browser you may now go to:
http://candleshore.com/mobile

Enjoy,

Mark

Hello Everyone, 

Sometimes, although rarely, a mobile phone will completely freeze during normal operation or it may not correctly start or boot because of some incompatibility with a recently installed application.  This restart failure may persist even after removing and reinserting the battery. 

Many Smart Phones have a manual or hard reset procedure for completely resetting the phone back to its original factory settings.  A hard reset is performed, generally, by pressing a combination or series of keys on the phone, itself, and, therefore, does not require the operating system in order to be successfully completed.

I strongly suggest that you locate the hard reset procedure for your mobile device, write it down, and keep it handy in case of extreme emergencies.

Note 1:
It is best to reset your mobile device via the operating system.  A hard reset is only to be used when all other attempts at rebooting the device have failed. 

Note 2:
If your device fails to reboot because of a recently installed application, while the phone is powered on, albeit in a useless state, attempt to connect the device to your PC via USB in order to access the phones’ memory.  If the phone will connect, from the PC, uninstall the recently installed program and attempt to reboot the device. 

Note 3:
The following procedure is for either the original Samsung Blackjack or the Samsung Blackjack II. Smart Phone, only.

Note 4:
Upon successful completion of a hard reset, all user data will be erased including any third-party applications such as Mobile Speak for Smart Phones.

1.
Remove the micro SD card, if one is inserted.

2.
Remove the battery.

3.
Wait at least twenty seconds and then reinsert the battery.

4.
Replace the battery cover on the back of the phone.

5.
Press both the [POWER] and the phone’s [UP ARROW] button, simultaneously.

6.
Follow the onscreen confirmation prompts. 

That is all there is to it.

Good Luck,

Mark