A method involving: (i) detecting one of a plurality of possible directional input commands for controlling the position of a cursor in a display; (ii) determining whether the detected directional input should be interpreted as an input under a free-roaming mode or under an attraction mode (iii) if the detected directional input is interpreted as an input under the free-roaming mode then determining an end position at a predetermined magnitude from the current position on a bearing determined by the detected directional input (iv) if the detected directional input is interpreted as an input under the attraction mode then determining the end position as coincident with a selectable item; (v) moving the cursor from the current position to the determined end position in a series of steps; and (vi) setting the end position as the current position.