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Jenn Writes

Writing my way through life, one word at a time.

Elevator Pitch

January 13, 2013 by koalateagirl

Somebody asked me today to explain, briefly, why I’m so enamoured with my BlackBerry Bold 9900. He said “pretend we’re in an elevator and you need to explain why you like it, not as a sales pitch but as someone who uses the product.” I am familiar with the concept of the elevator pitch and this is what I came up with:

My BlackBerry is a tool, not a toy. It does everything I want it to and does it in a way that works for my lifestyle. It is reliable, fast, secure, and looks awesome. I use my BlackBerry as a phone, for email, for social media, to text, to get from point A to point B with BlackBerry Traffic, and to use BlackBerry Messenger (BBM). I play games and watch videos on it too, but the primary function of my BlackBerry is to help me be productive. I can open, read, edit, and save documents and share them with friends and colleagues from the dock or from my desk. I can take amazing pictures and share them instantly. It fits my hand perfectly, isn’t too big to put in my pocket, but has a screen big enough to watch a video if I choose. The fact that I’m supporting a Canadian company is just the icing on the cake.

I wanted to add all of the awesome things I’ve heard about BlackBerry 10 and my impressions from the few times I’ve been fortunate enough to check out a Dev Alpha but until I have a BlackBerry 10 device in hand, I felt that I should speak only about what I know and that’s my Bold 9900.

Well? Why are you part of Team BlackBerry?

BlackBerry 10 - Lets do this

BlackBerry 10 – Lets do this

Filed Under: BlackBerry Tagged With: BBM, BlackBerry, Bold 9900, camera, elevator pitch, Manifesto, Team Blackberry

The Grey Cup with BlackBerry

January 11, 2013 by koalateagirl

It’s no secret that I love my BlackBerry devices. I also love the Canadian Football League. With the 100th Grey Cup practically in my backyard, I decided that once again this year, I was going to go and report from the big game without taking my old and heavy laptop. This year, however, I did add the BlackBerry Bluetooth keyboard for my PlayBook. This gave me more functionality with very little additional weight.

I also added a second battery and charging case (which is basically a small case for the extra battery that you plug the regular micro usb adapter into) for my trusty Bold 9900. I knew I would be putting in some very long days and didn’t want to need to find somewhere to plug in my BlackBerry. Between the 2 batteries, I got somewhere in the range of 12-13 hours of heavy use out of my Bold each day. My BlackBerry was in hand from the time I got up (around 6am each day) until I finally got back to my hotel room somewhere between midnight and 1 am.

I was pulling double duty at the Grey Cup this year – as a member of Argonotes (the official pep band of the Toronto Argonauts) and as a member of the media for Rouge Radio.com. I could not have successfully done both things without my BlackBerry calendar to help me keep track of where I needed to be and when. It was indispensable for getting press releases, schedule updates, and interview requests into my hands immediately so that I could add or adjust my schedule accordingly. Between my Bold and my PlayBook, I had everything I needed: email, calendar, documents to go, a voice recorder, cameras, a phone, access to text messages, Twitter, Facebook, and, of course, BlackBerry Messenger.

I recorded interviews on my PlayBook while tweeting and taking pictures on my Bold or vice versa. I typed game notes on my PlayBook with the keyboard while watching the game. I freaked out another reporter by using the remote control feature to type on my PlayBook from 2 rows back in the press box. Having words appear on the tablet next to you that you were asked to watch for a couple of minutes can be a freaky experience, especially when the words are addressed specifically to you. (Yes I know, it was wrong to use my PlayBook to freak out other people but it was a prank I’d been planning for awhile and the opportunity presented itself at the Vanier Cup on Friday night.)

The combination of my Bold 9900 and my PlayBook were all I needed to make the most of my Grey Cup experience – no need to lug around a heavy, awkward laptop, a voice recorder, or a camera – just my trusty BlackBerry Bold 9900 and my PlayBook.

I will note that being able to update my Facebook, Twitter, and BBM statuses with things like “I just drank out of the Grey Cup” was awesome. I uploaded a ton of Photos, directly from my devices, often while walking between events.

Have you ever used a tablet instead of a Laptop? Would you consider leaving the laptop at home for a major conference or event?

Banners outside the Rogers Centre

Banners outside the Rogers Centre

Filed Under: BlackBerry Tagged With: 100th Grey Cup, Argos, Battery, BBM, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Messenger, Bold, Bold9900, Calendar. camera, CFL, charger, Facebook, Football, Keyboard, Playbook, Twitter, Vanier Cup

She’s Connected and my BlackBerry

October 24, 2012 by koalateagirl

You know what I absolutely love hearing when showing off my Bold 9900?  “Wow, I didn’t know a BlackBerry could do THAT“.  I heard that a lot this weekend at the She’s Connected Conference in Toronto.  Mostly it was the simple things like the fact that managing multiple accounts in the Native Twitter Application is so easy.  Or that I could remote control my PlayBook from my Bold 9900 (to be honest, that was me showing off because I had the bluetooth keyboard for the PlayBook and was perfectly capable of typing on that but I like the wow factor of the remote control).  I loved meeting so many fellow BlackBerry devotees and being able to help them use their devices more easily.  It’s not rocket science but there are tips and tricks that will enhance your experience as a member of Team BlackBerry.

Bold 9900 - BlackBerry Bold - TARDIS berry
My BlackBerry Bold 9900

The one question everyone seemed to ask me was if I was excited about the upcoming release of the BlackBerry 10 devices and operating system.  The answer to that was an unequivocal YES!  I am very excited about BlackBerry 10 and can’t wait until it is released!  I still don’t know how I’m going to get a BlackBerry 10 device into my hot little hands but rest assured, it will be done.  I have friends who are developers for BlackBerry and their excitement at what the BB10 OS can do has rubbed off on me.    I truly believe that there is a core market of BlackBerry users who may have switched to another platform who are waiting for an excuse to come back to the BlackBerry fold.  I believe that the BlackBerry 10 Operating System will be the thing to bring them back.  I spoke to quite a few people who either had been BlackBerry users in the past or who were simply curious about the new product launch.  A number of them were at the end of their cell phone contracts and were eligible for a new device, either now or at the beginning of the year.  After chatting with me, many of them are waiting to see what BlackBerry 10 has to offer before deciding what phone to get. I wasn’t out to strong arm people into becoming members of Team BlackBerry but I wanted people to give it a chance.

BlackBerry isn’t for everyone.  If you want a smartphone to game on, then this isn’t the right solution for you.  However, if you want your phone to work FOR you, and WITH you then you need to consider BlackBerry.  I primarily use my BlackBerry for social media, emails, as a gps, as a camera, and *gasp* to make and receive phone calls  Yes I have a number of very entertaining apps and games, but they’re not the reason I chose my BlackBerry.  I have far more games on my 64 gb PlayBook.

BlackBerry PlayBook - Bluetooth Keyboard - PlayBook - BlackBerry
My PlayBook

Not once all conference did i wish I had a different phone.  My Bold 9900 had no issues connecting to the wifi, releasing the cached wifi info page so I could log in again on the second day, or with maintaining a battery charge throughout the conference.  I don’t want to have to carry around a charger for my phone because it won’t last 10 hours.  I was having too much fun trying to meet up with twitter friends to be hunting for somewhere to plug in my phone.

Filed Under: BlackBerry Tagged With: accessories, Android, BB10, BlackBerry, BlackBerry 10, BlackBerry Evangalism, Bluetooth keyboard, Bold, Bold9900, Iphone, Keyboard, learning, Playbook, Remote Control, Research In Motion, RIM, SCCTO, She's Connected, tablets, Team Blackberry

Conference Time!

October 17, 2012 by koalateagirl

I’m very excited to be going back to the She’s Connected Conference this year.  Last year I had a great time meeting new people and learning a lot about blogs, brands and how the two can work together.  The only thing I really didn’t like about the experience was lugging my laptop around to take notes on.  This year I’m solving that problem by borrowing a BlackBerry PlayBook Keyboard Case from a friend to test it out during the conference.  If I like it, I may just have to find a way to purchase one. My BlackBerry PlayBook already goes pretty much everywhere I do, so it makes sense to use it at the conference.  I will, of course, also be taking my BlackBerry Bold 9900.  Not only can I use the BlackBerry Bridge and connect my tablet to my phone, but I can use my BlackBerry PlayBook charger to charge everything.  I love the way it looks like a little netbook but one that has a ton of great apps on it.

BlackBerry PlayBook Keyboard, PlayBook Accessories, BlackBerry

Yes I realize I’m a little insane to be going to a conference about blogging and social media and not taking my laptop.  I still love my laptop (though at 7 years old it’s on its last legs) but I don’t like lugging it around and constantly worrying about it being stolen.  With the keyboard, I have everything I need to make my BlackBerry PlayBook into a mini laptop for the 2 days I’ll need it.  I covered the Grey Cup in 2011 without taking my laptop (again it was a weight / space / afraid it would get broken issue) and didn’t really miss it and won’t be borrowing the digital audio recorder again since the recording on my PlayBook is actually better quality and easier to upload.  One thing I want to try to find before I leave for the conference is a neoprene sleeve so the case doesn’t get scratched when I toss it in my bag.  I got a neoprene case with the PlayBook but it’s too small to fit the PlayBook and case.
I’m also going to be wearing a BlackBerry shirt to the conference on Friday.  I have promised several people that I’d help set up their BlackBerry devices to do what they needed them to do and I figure it’s best if they can find me.  🙂  While I don’t work for Research In Motion (though I would love to work for such a great company whose products I love and use daily), I have spent a lot of time with my BlackBerry Bold 9900, my friends’ BlackBerries, and I’ve got a pretty good grasp of what’s going on with them.  If I should happen to run into a problem that I can’t fix, I also know that help is only a BBM message away.    If you’re attending the She’s Connected Conference and want me to show you how either my Bold 9900 or my PlayBook / PlayBook with keyboard work just ask!  I’m always happy to talk mobile devices!

Filed Under: BlackBerry Tagged With: accessories, BlackBerry, Bluetooth, Bold, Bold 9900, Conference, convenience, Keyboard, SCCTO, She's Connected, TeamBlackBerry. PlayBook, technology, travel, wireless

Ten Things you need to know about your BlackBerry

October 16, 2012 by koalateagirl

Since I started this blog, I’ve met a lot of other members of Team BlackBerry.  One of the things that constantly astounds me is how few people regularly back up their BlackBerry handheld devices.  I learned the hard way about backing up my BlackBerry – earlier this year I managed to brick my Bold 9900 (totally a user error on that one).  I hadn’t backed up in over a month, and while I have a lot of technologically inclined friends, I still lost a few things.  I now back up my BlackBerry at least once a week and have BlackBerry Protect doing a daily back up.  Some of these tips seem really simple, and they are very easy to implement but they will make life easier as a BlackBerry owner.

  1. Plug it in!  Plug your BlackBerry into your computer to create a backup and to move files and folders from your computer to your device and vice versa.  You may never need the backup, but if you do, you’ll be happy you did it.
  2. Use folders so that your home screen isn’t cluttered with apps.  Keep only the things you access daily on your home screen.
  3. Update your BlackBerry – Not just the Operating System (OS) updates but also applications.  Having the latest version of an application means it’s more likely to work the way it was intended and integrate with other applications such as Blackberry Messenger (BBM) more smoothly.
  4. Turn off WiFi coverage when you’re out of range for it.  Unless you’re searching for hotspots, you don’t actually need your wi-fi on when you’re out and about.  When wi-fi is turned on, it will continuously look for networks to connect to which will drain your battery.
  5. Press and hold the BlackBerry button to see what applications are running in the background and close any that you aren’t actually using in order to free up memory and save your battery. The BlackBerry Button is the one that looks like this:
    BlackBerry, BlackBerry Bold, BlackBerry PlayBook, Tips, Tricks.
  6. Blackberry Shortcuts.  These are awesome.  Tired of typing your number in a Facebook message, direct message on twitter or on BBM?  Type mynumber and poof – there it is.  Mypindoes the same thing but with your PIN.  If you need to insert the date into a post, type ld (long date) and the date will show up (ie: Tue, Oct 15, 2012). To get the long version of the current time, type lt to show (12:54:45 AM).
  7. Going to a movie and need to put your phone on vibrate quickly?  Press and hold the “Q” key and it will automatically switch your phone to vibrate.  To switch back, press and hold the “Q” key again.
  8. Set up auto on/off times.  You can do this by going to Settings –> Device –> Auto On /Off  and set what time you want your BlackBerry to automatically turn off at night and when you want it to turn on in the morning.  You can set different times for weekdays versus weekends too.
  9. Learn how to do a soft reset of your device.  You know the handy Ctrl + Alt + Del command you use to reboot your computer?  You can do the same thing on your BlackBerry by pressing Alt + Shift + Del at the same time. (If you have a full touch screen you’ll have to do the battery pull instead)
  10. Get a shell or a holster and a screen protector.  I love my holster – it means that I can always have my BlackBerry on me.  If you dislike holsters (and I know some of you do), get a shell casing so the back doesn’t get all scratched up in your purse or briefcase.  The cases make the BlackBerry easy to grip too.  A screen protector is a must if you have a touchscreen and it’s great even if you don’t.  When applied correctly, they don’t interfere with the touchscreen sensitivity but help protect your screen against nicks and scratches.  Of course you can always get a really cool sticker for your BlackBerry like I have for mine.  Have I mentioned how much I love my TARDIS-Berry?

Well, that’s it.  Those are my top 10 BlackBerry tips.  Do you have a tip or a trick for other members of Team BlackBerry?

Filed Under: BlackBerry Tagged With: BeBold, BlackBerry, BlackBerry Button, BlackBerry By Choice, Bold, Bold 9900, folders, help, Hints, Team Blackberry, tips, Torch

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Assorted Pictures

Jenn Writes Logo. An old fashioned typewriter with an cartoon owl next to it.
A tea cup with white and pink flowers on it full of tea
Lovely little tea cup… the teapot filled it 5 times
A picture of BMO field at twilight with the words "Every New Beginning Comes from Some Other Beginning's End
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The long and winding road
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