Did you know you can check in with Patch on Twitter and Facebook to get updates even if you lose electricity, cable and broadband access in your home? Even when the lights go out, you can use your smartphone to stay informed and connected during the storm. Here's a few tips to harness the information potential of your mobile device.
Patch Mobile:
- Access your Patch site using your smartphone browser for all the news and information you access on your laptop and desktop.
- Download Patch's mobile app in your phone's App Store. Versions are available for Android and iPhone.
Facebook:
Use your phone's browser to access Facebook online. Follow us on Facebook and check in for updates.
Twitter:
You can access Twitter with your smartphone even if you don't have your own account. Just send an SMS message to 40404 with the user account from which you want to receive updates "Follow [username]" and voila! You are on Twitter and ready to tweet.
To receive messages from @PelhamPatch send an SMS message "Follow PelhamPatch" to 40404.
To stop the messages, just send a message that says STOP, OFF or LEAVE.
If you do have a Twitter account, you can access Twitter with your phone's Internet browser or you can also use the SMS message function.
To receive tweets on your phone as SMS messages:
• Text the word "START" to 40404.
• When Twitter sends you a confirmation-reply text, answer to 40404 with the word "YES".
• Now text your username to 40404. Do not use the @ symbol. For example, @PelhamPatch would be PelhamPatch.
• Finally, send your password to 40404. It is case sensitive.
- Save 40404 as a contact on your phone!
Send Tweets:
Text tweets by sending them to 40404. From Twitter:
• @[username] + message - shows your tweet as a reply directed at another person, and displays your tweet in their mentions tab.
• D [username] + message - sends that person a Direct Message that goes to their device, and saves in their web archive. Use M [username] + message to send a private message!
• RETWEET [username] - copies another user's last tweet to your followers (also known as a Retweet).
• FOLLOW [username] - allows you to start following a specific user, as well as receive SMS notifications.
Keep in mind connecting your Twitter account to your phone will turn everything in your Twitter stream into an SMS message. To limit the number of text messages and conserve your battery power, turn off the mobile notification option.
To turn off Twitter notification via SMS, text the word “OFF” to 40404. Select what kind of notifications you receive, using this list of commands from Twitter.
