Mobile Ministry Magazine

Excellent article here about Christian blogging and our responsiblities to have a "hearable" voice while online. Its a really good and honest/Scriptural look at how we need to be sure that even online, that we are presenting communication that builds faith in Christ.

Link care of Think Christian

PalmBible+ has just released version 3.2 of their popular Bible reader for PalmOS devices. Here is a listing of some of the new features:

- Improved card search logic and speed
- Text to speech.
- Many aspects of memory management revamped
- Lightspeed overclocking support for searching
- Prev/next book shared action
- Zlib compression for cross-references and Bibles.
- Faster cross-reference lookup for Bibles in VFS.
- Auto-scroll support.
- Auto-off can be set within Bible+
- Highlighted bookmarks on color devices
- Adjustable maximum number of bibles
- Tapwave rocker support
- Vocalized Hebrew support
- Book picker for more than 74 books

The website was also refreshed in its design and many of the manual and pages are updated with new information. Click here to visit the Bible+ website and to download version 3.2.

If nothing else about PDAs becoming more and more like computers, one sure issue of development has kept PDAs from completly overtaking normal computers as tech tools of choice. For one reason or another, battery life has always been the bain of many of the higher end model PDAs.

In a report at PocketPC Thoughts the other day however, there was a mention of 45hrs of battery life by the Asus A636 (running Windows Mobile 5, Bluetooth, WiFi, and GPS!!!). After reading the report, I have to agree with the PPC Thoughts folks and just say that its quite impressive, and a great solution if you will find yourself needing to navigate areas and you know that you will not have a power source at your leisure at all times.

Click here to read the posting at PPC Thoughts (there is a link to the full review from their website).

Still here and still posting. Sorry that I have not been around any, with the holidays and Issue 3 pending, I have honesly taken the time on those things and not so much on the site. Also in truth, I am not online at home currently, so doing some updates either have to come durning a spare cycle at work, if not completly composed on the Treo in another spare cycle.

No matter, MMM is still here and kicking. And here is some news for ya from PDA Geek:
Handmark is one of the most popular handheld software resellers, and it has been quite busy this holiday season with new product announcements. The company's latest product is The Jewish Study Bible, from Oxford University Press. The work uses the TANAKH Translation from The Jewish Publication Society and does not amend the original Hebrew text.

Click here to read the rest of the blurb and for download links.

Just wantitng to let folks know that the lack of posts is not because we have gone away, but that our hosting company fixed a long standing issue and that made for an unannounced offline time. We will be back to normal posting as the week goes on.

And if you have an idea, or just an article in general that would be an excellent post, or include into the next issue of MMM, send an email with your article, and we will work on getting that up.

As a note, I am still looking for people to fill in roles, let me know if you are interested, so that this ministry can really be a blessing to the worldwide Christian tech community.

In my mind and heart, there is this place that we as a connected culture and world are coming to where the Internet is just as much a main facet of communication as is newpapers and radio was to our grandparents/parents/us in the not so recent past. It is that drive that is happening all over the world though that makes the push for me to help Christians that they need to be at the forefront of new media initiatives, instead of behind and copying other's ideals and methods.

One of the reasons for that is touched on in an excellent article here at C|Net. Basically, it is saying that moreso than any generation before, the use of the media named Internet is a paradigm shift to cognition as well as social patterns. I found this artice incredibly fun to read, and will be picking it apart in my personal time, looking for tendencies and strageties that would help myself better relate to folks younger than I, as well as those older than I (I'm only 26, so I am kinda in the middle) when it comes to using this media for the glory of God.

I encourage you to get a reading into this article at C|Net and even forward it to people who may not be as techie as you are, but who are interested in views like this that would challenge the perception that the Internet WILL change the world. In my opinion, the internet HAS changed the world, and now it is up to us to pull an Adam and submit it to the glory of our Lord in thought, page, and chat.

Solving a Problem or Convience

Was just on instant messenger talking with LaRosa of J4L, and while talking to him and reading about the "not so closing" digital divide in Africian countries, it led me to think about the need/want for any technology.

So in opening this discussion, I want to pose a simple question: do you buy computer technology to solve a problem (easier contact with loved ones, greater profitability with business, etc) or as a matter of convience and accessory (its the latest thing and is not necessarly functional?

Place your responses in the comments area and let's discuss.

If there is one barrier to some developing countries when it comes to computer technology of any kind, it is the cost of attaining and maintaining a system (hardware, software, and workflow) that is both problem solving and region specific. Many computers were, for the most part, created for the Western world, where functionality and use are determined on Western thought and task patterns. There is nothing wrong with this, as that is the way things should be. But when moving that hardware/software to an area that is not as industrial or technological, there are other aspects of computing that need to be considered, and the success rate of computer techology can then be more a positive figure than an imaginative one.

So enter the $100 OLPC (one laptop per child) project that is moving into prototype mode and will be demoed at the UN Net Summit in Tunnis. Engadget gives some excelletn pictures of this device as it will appear in action here.

Here are some specs for this $100 computer:
Encased in rubber
500MHz processor
Mesh networking capabilities
Four USB ports,
Handcrank for power use on the go
Three forms: laptop mode, gaming mode, and book mode
Linux operating system

C|Net reports that one of the larger standing issues for this PC is making sure that in areas where a $100 would be quickly sold off for food for a family, that there would be some so of security mechanism that would prevent a "second marketing" of these PCs to others.

Its a noble pursuit and I really hope that it at least leads to a success on the part of mobile computing and breaking down the digital barriers that developed countries have over not so developed ones. One thing that I can really see from the OLPC project is a concerted effort on the part of manufacturers to get everyone from in front of the screen so much and getting out to explore the non-digital world a bit more (only using the digital one to communicated and share moreso than interact).

One of the largest complaints leveled against the Bible+ program is that the availability of modern language versions has been close to nil. Aside from the Message version, there has not been a modern English language version.

That is now changed with the recent availability of the English Standard Version (ESV) now available for Bible+ from this link.

Accoring to the message board thread at Bible+, the user revgraham emailed the publishers of the ESV and got a reply from Dan Kok, Vice President of Operations, Good News/Crossway and was given permission to host the ESV on his website, and to make it freely available. There are many versions of the ESV available for all types of PalmOS models that might want to use the ESV. If you are a Bible+ user, or looking for the ESV for your PalmOS PDA, Bible+ and the ESV is a great place to start.

EDIT: Link fixed in the second to last paragraph.

Not wanting to leave GMPSoft out of the news findings today, I noticed that they have a new release of eBooks that are linked to their bible offernings.

The first one is Men of the Bible; Some Lesser-Known Characters. Some Lesser-Known Characters includes valuable insight into the life and faith of some of the not so well known people from the Bible such as Enoch, Jabez, Simeon, Philip, the Evangelist and others.

The second one is The John Bunyan Collection which includes John Bunyan's most popular writings to read on your Palm PDA. One of them, The Pilgrim's Progress is the most well-known allegory ever written and like the Bible has been extensively translated into other languages. It has been commonly translated by Protestant missionaries as the first thing after the Bible.

Click here to read more and to download these additions to the BibleWithYou software on your PalmOS PDA.

Here is a snippet from the press release:
When Bible scholars and students converge upon the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) Convention this week in Philadelphia, PA, November 19 – 22, they will find one of their favorite Bibles, the New Revised Standard Version (copyright National Council of Churches), in a popular selling product for handhelds, Olive Tree Bible Software (www.olivetree.com)! Not only will AARSBL attendees be able to purchase the New Revised Standard Version for the Palm and Pocket PC, they will be glad to learn of future plans to introduce this translation in other formats – and with other notable academic works – establishing it as the premier Bible for study...

Click here to read the rest of the release.
Click here to visit Olive Tree's website and download their bible reader for your PalmOS, Windows Mobile, Symbian, and Blackberry PDAs and smartphones.

In the many places that I have visited online that talk about PDAs and what one can do with them, there are very few places that have actually created a resource such as the compatability guides that Palm Focus has produced. These guides were quite instrumental to myself in getting my Tungsten T5 up and running (as it had a different type of memory that made some programs act good and others would plain break).

The other great things about Palm Focus is that it is highly focused on the task-oriented user. Not to say that there isnt the occasional game or multimedia posting, but that most of the articles there are so focused on how best to have a PDA solve a problem, instead of just be another electronic gadget, really appeals to the more work-oriented side of me.

I recommend checking out Palm Focus if you are in the market for a new PalmOS or Windows Mobile PDA; or at least to drop a note of congrats for his new addition. Lance is a blessed brother, and Palm Focus is a blessed site.

Probably more than just wanting to play and use the latest tech tools, I find it just as much a joy when able to go someplace and teach/equip someone to use some aspect of technology that they have not used before. And while I find the gap growing between those that understand their computers and those that don't; I can be happy in saying that the lack of being equipped with computer technology is being addressed in part.

It is in stories like this one at C|Net (talking about Brazil and open source software) that makes me feel that all people should have accessiblity to computing tools (but only if it is needed). I like how they are leveraging the computer knowledge of their growing technological communities and then trying something different, because it works, not just because its different. Its an appropriate take on things and I think one who's time has come in modern day computing.

On a smaller scale, I wonder if tools like eGroupWare and even Groove (recently purchased by Microsoft ironically) can help churches and missionaries save IT costs, end-user training, and even teh amount of stuff one has to carry to go to a particular area. I think it would be great if computing could really solve this problem of collaborating and teamwork, and therefore get us disconnected from the desktop and desk and interacting more with each other on a heart level.

One thing that really gets at me is when in the mist of listening to a performance, or sermon or other activity, is hearing someone's phone go off. I mean really, the person could at least have the decency to put the phone on vibrate and remit to using text messages when possible.

Well, since I cannot do much about the putting the phone on vibrate portion, if you have a Treo and at least some small data plan, you would really do yourself well to download SharkMsg from Ludus Tech and help proclaim the gospel of good phone manners. Its a FREE program made by a 15 year old, and trust me, I use it and love it.

Treonauts has an excellent review of this program and you can read more and download its latest version here.

(I realized that I used that title before but it fits here too)

I am an avid basketball fan and so when I went to ESPN this morning to hear the news of my Eagles losing (not good, when I went to the NBA side of things, I noticed a story about Michael Redd, shooting guard for the Mil. Bucks. He just signed a nice and large $91million contract over the summer and this story was about the gift that he blessed his father with. Needless to say, it aint mobile ministry, but it sure moved me to see that kind of blessing happen in a normally secular resounding news culture.

Here is a snippet from that article.
Thanks for nothing, Michael Redd. Thanks for sticking it to every son with a father. Thanks for raising the gift bar so high we'll need four Sergei Bubka's and a Huey to get over it. You couldn't do what the rest of us did, could you? Maybe swing by the grocery store to get a Hallmark card. Pick out a nice tie at Target. Kid the old man about his birthday cake becoming a fire hazard. These are the old reliables...

Click here to read the complete story and lets try to keep this bro and other Christian athletics in our prayers.

I would like to open up some discussion on this article here. Besides the obvious, "yes I am on the net more often than I was in the paper 10 years ago." Where is the net now effecting your ministry, or how can it better your ministry.

I think that in this time that I have been away from avid posting at MMM, I have really tried to take a look at the base things of technoogy usage and how it can really be a benefit to all, while at the same time meeting a need. What I notice more than anything though is the fact that there is a need for greater technical compentency amongst connected nations, but there is even a greater need amongst those people working in disconnected nations to be connected.

Take for instance this story at CNN; besides the element of a digital divide still being an issue (while I can argue that if basic needs are not being net a digital one should not even be considered). I look at places highlighted here, hospitals in Africa, organizations in low-income areas in "connected" countries and wish to see mobile technology being used to solve a problem, not just be a resource. I believe that with every gift that we have been given from God, its a tool to be used for the betterment of everyone; not just a mark on a plate of things to consume.

What do you think about this article and making sure tech fills a need?

Still Here
Hello all;
I just wanted to write that things are still going on at MMM. I am currently away from my computer but am able to make use of mt Treo and palmOne keyboard while in the car to keep in touch with people via chatting and email.

One of the things that I like best about technology is its ability to help us keep in contact with each other. Whether its a simple phone call, or a multimedia message from our phone (picturees, sounds, and text all in one message), we have tons of ways to keeping contact with each other. One of my hopes is that with MMM is that we can learn to use these technologies for the best of us all to to minister and just pass off random acts of kindness to share the gospel (thank for the reader who passed that info along as well).

Well, that's all for now from me. I hope that all of you make the most out of the time that you get this weekend. Have fun, enjoy time with your family and friends, and use tech to the glory of God.
--- written on a Treo

If there is anything that I have learned in ministry, is that you cannot go very far by yourself. No matter how you do it, the Body works best as a team effort.

With that being said, MMM is formally announcing that we are looking for people able to work in some needed roles. The vision is to make MMM a worldwide technology-bank that teaches and equips those in ministry as well as those who receive from ministrial activities. To do that there are some roles that need to be filled so that this stage of MMM can go forth.

Some of the positions MMM is looking to fill include:
For the Magazine portion:
- Article writers
- Graphic designers for layout and document preparation
- Regional distributors

For the Website portion:
- Article Writers
- Website designers to improve layout and accessiblity
- Those skilled in Internet advertising

For the Tech Bank portion:
Well, that part is to come. Essentially, we are looking for those who are able to take in donations of technology and then be able to redistribute it to needed areas. There would also be a need for those people, or others, to be able to train in areas of software and hardware usage (else why give people a tool if they don't know how to use it.

Unfortunately, there is no revenue stream for MMM. Right now everything is funded out of pocket and by generous donations. It is hoped that at some point in the near future, non-profit status (at least in one state and in the USA) can be gained so that grants and other funds would be availiable. Now, if you are a nice Philanthropist and already have had a movement like this, don't let me stop you from contacting us and enabling us to be a blessing to communities all over.

So don't hesitate. If you like what we are doing here at Mobile Ministry Magazine and you would like to join in, contact us and find out how. I can guarantee that Acts 1:8 is at work here and will show God's heart towards the world.

I caught this article in my travels today; if you dont read anything else, read this.

The results of a social engineering experiment, which was conducted in Central Park on behalf of security firm RSA Security during August and September 2005, showed that most consumers gave away sensitive data after being wooed into a false sense of security by a friendly face or the promise of a cash prize.

Click here to read the entire article.

...only if I can say Jesus caused it to be ;)

I know, I know. I am a bit on the religious side of things in saying that. But, I see a lot of similarities in what Ed Colligan of Palm is doing with PDAs and what MMM wants to do with mobile technology. In some ways, I see the idea of stragetic partnerships and enabling of solving solutions (rather than just techy things).

I do like that he did say the off button is the most important piece though. We do have to learn to turn this stuff off at times, if for no other reason being that there is more interaction that can take place off the screen if we let God make it happen.

Hence being a mobile minister with tech. Why not put the PC in every pocket so that we are less inclined to sit at our screens and hash out images and text for everything. There is a world outside of what we read, and we can take our TOOLS to our pocket so that we can see it a lot easier :)

A question that I have been asked a few times in my walking out on MMM is how do I go and minister mobility. I mean, is there more that one can do besides publish a magazine and write in a daily blog? Well, my answer is yes, and its the "more" of MMM that makes me want to do this more often for more people.

One of the more fun aspects of MMM has been being able to go to different people (friends, family, and strangers alike) and help them get thru their technology questions adn problems with as little hurt as possible. Sometimes, the advice is just that, advice. Maybe to do something differently or consider a program or device that would better meet one's needs. But, even in that, there is always the idea that no matter what is said, MMM is always a resource, not a crutch. I like that the many people that I've been able to bless with tech (hardware or software) have been able to take what they have been given and go to someone else with it and bless them.

Another thing is something that I'd like to do more of is related to the previous paragraph in that I like to give PDAs away. I like to buy them and then give them to people who have a genuine need for a PDA. Of course, I like to give to everyone, but I am learning to listen to the needs of people and then try to either set them up with a PDA (and hopefully later tabletPCs and laptops) at little to no cost for them. I think that part of enabling teh Body to be mobile with ministry is to give them the tool that can let them be mobile. Jesus didn't send the disciples into the world without the Holy Spirit, and so I feel the same (except in no way does tech equal the Holy Spirit).

What I would like to begin doing, and would require a lot of time on my part, is going to churches and speaking at workshops and services about the need to be a mobile minister, especially online. Not so much that we have to be JesusIsLord@Iam.com; but that we need to represent Him in our speech, actions, and let that flow into our offline lives. To those that have been given teh ability to, mobile ministry is taking the technology of mobile computers and the internet and submitting them to our Lord. The goal isnt to make the whole net Christian; but it is to make the whole net worship and honor the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as the God who runs things. And why cannot the net be another place that's submitted to that ideal? I think it can be and want to help others get there.

So yea, this is my heart and the vision for where MMM is going and is presently. I would hope that you would encourage and help MMM either in prayer, emails, or if you have tech that you want to donate, let me know. There is always a need for someone to have what we dont want. And you never know, you might just bless a future president or CEO with the means to become the Light God intended them to be. Something to think about dont ya think ;-)

I had been wondering all day what to write about at MMM. I have had news going thru my head as well as a few other items. What I really want to do though is to just take the time to get Issue 3 finished and released. I think that it will be a good issue and one worth holding onto for a while.

So, I sat and looked at what I do with MMM and really asked myself if there is any way that I could show forth God's vision for MMM a lot better than I have already. I like that MMM has a partnership; that has possibly been one of the best things as it has allowed for MMM to tap other net ministries for their strageties, and at the same time MMM is an encouragement to those ministries and sites.

I thought about how I could better leave the issue of finances in God's hands, and really do a better job of getting outside the blog and doing more MMM than just want I can write here. What I would love to do is to visit many of the churches that have pastors and members visit MMM and talk to them about using the net and mobile technology as an effective tool for ministry. In some ways, I guess that makes me a tech missionary in heart. But it is something that I want to do. I'd like to give that part in a more live fashion than I have done so far.

And then I thought about tech and gadgets. I cannot lie. There are some devices that I just want. I will admit that I was quite content with my T5 and Sony Ericcsion phone for the time that I had it. But the carrying of two devices and the way it made me feel that my mind was more on the tech than the relationship (with Dad), just got to me. I like how having a Treo lightens my hands so that I can raise them. I'd like it even more if I had Bluetooth in my Treo so that I could raise both my hands and not worry about issues with speaker phones being too low. But to me that's the price of knowing what I want. I can either be patient for the device that will meet my needs and fit in life without me having to adjust to it (the Treo has been great in this respect). Or, I can continue to be a gadget nut, giving away the older PDAs that I have outgrown, and showing others how to take the tech that is in their hands and glorify God.

I visited a church this weekend at the University of Maryland and the pastor mentioned that in order to live a life more purposfully, that one has to get rid of teh clutter and become purpose driven in the abilities one has. I'd like to be better in that. And hopefully, enable others to perform their calling of reaching the nations by my own stewardship of God's resources.

Sometimes, I get a bit jaded looking at all the different PDAs out there and how easily it is that one can just get a plethora of information to put into those little devices. Seriously, they can really hold a ton of books, music, picutres, and dang near anything else that you want to hold. So you must understand that when I had my first PDA, a Palm IIIxe, I was quite amazed when I found out there were bible readers and tons of bibles availiable. And so with that I downloaded Olive Tree and a bible (as there wasnt much room for more than one or two) and from there was able to go sharing the Word everywhere with my PDA.

Once I convinced myself that I needed to upgrade because of wanting to carry more bibles and lexicons, I ran into a site that has basically maintained a high standing in my bible's list ever since. The site is GospelShare.org. And because I work with the Bible+ folks in doing their website, I am able to see quite often the numerous amount of bibles that are added to their database.

So now that you know what I know, I want to you make a note to share a bible with someone that you know who has a PDA. It doesnt have to be someone that you know personally, you can get in touch with a missionary agency and get a bible from here, along with any of the bible readers that support those bibles, and get sharing. Gospelshare has already done the hard work in making it availiable, now make yourself a minster and get the bible in the hands of people so they can be saved and change the world towards God's image :)

We've made it to our final software review after reviewing two awesomely crafted applications both available at very affordable rates. We first took a look at e-Sword as a freeware application, and then we looked at SwordSearcher as a shareware low-end software package. Today, we're going to take a look at one of the high-end software packages that is currently available on the market. Today's software application is WORDsearch 7 from the WORDsearch Corporation.

Now, I'm fairly familiar with this company as I have been using their software since 2000 (WORDsearch 5), and I have greatly enjoyed my experience with it. Well, fairly recently, they released a new version of WORDsearch, version 7 (completely skipping over version number 6). Ever since I found out about the release of this package, I was interested in checking out this application.

Some will say that I can't be objective in this review because I've used the company's software, but rest assured that my review will be just as fair & balanced as the other two. Why? They have completely redesigned & retooled the software for version 7, so it's basically as if I'm using as brand new piece of software from a company that I have never used before.

Click here to read the rest of the review.

As I am sitting here at work, I have just come off of a problem that has been eluding me for a good while with a current project. Thanks to a friend online, I was able to learn the basics of what I needed to solve the problem. No, I wasn't given the answer per say, but I was given a set of tools and then allowed to use my own inteligence to figure out the solution. Its safe to say that as I am writing this, I am excited that I have been able to learn something new, while at the same time feeling that there was a lesson beyond the simple function that I just applied to the Flash movie.

Where am I getting at, one might ask? I like the different pieces of technology that have made themselves a part of our daily lives. I think that to a large extent, it isnt that we can live without them, but rather that we can live with them that makes them such a great part of our lives. Whenever someone asks me about using a Treo, or other PDA, I go into great detail about how I have been able to cut the fat and streamline some tasks that usually took longer, or more intricate planning to get done. My personal technology has enabled me to take the spare cycles of my thoughts' processes, and apply them into learning and understanding newer and more profitable things.

And this is where I think technology should do for all of us. Not so much that we learn it and it becomes something that we cannot live without (anything that is learned has that capacity). But it is when we learn something, and it becomes a means to change the world around us.

I took a moment in preparing this article to look at instances of training in the Scripture and noticed how the "training" of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah included a specific eating regiment, prayer multiple times a day, and an aplitude to adjust to conditions to learn and be a light no matter where they were. Their training enabled them to prosper where others didn't. And at the same time, it set the stage for them to change the world around them. God used the tools at their disposal to change the mindset of a conquering kingdom.

Now what if we were able to do the same with the Word and technology. Take it into a place it hasn't been before, and because of our diligence towards the Word and the heart of Dad, be able to enable others to change the world. I'd like that personally, and its something that I hope MMM encourages you to do on a daily basis as well.

And if you think this is just words, wait until our new writer comes on the scene...he has something that you can truely take to others to enable them.

Yesterday, we took a look at our first software package, e-Sword, which was a freeware application. e-Sword proved to be a very valuable resource at a very minimal fee. Today, we're going to take a look at a low-priced software package from Akamai Software and see if it can hold its own. The application from Akamai Software that we're going to be taking a look at is called SwordSearcher.

To give you a little bit of background about SwordSearcher, it is the product of Brandon Staggs and is a piece of software that he has been working on for some time. I'm not exactly sure when he began work on this software, but the latest release of SwordSearcher (v. 4.7) was recently released in July 2005. Brandon Staggs was gracious enough to donate a full copy of the Deluxe Version of SwordSearcher (v. 4.7.1.4) so that we could review his beautiful software package. You can download a limited evaluation version of SwordSearcher, as well as purchase your own copy for $49.95, at http://www.swordsearcher.com.

On their website, Brandon Staggs says "the purpose of SwordSearcher is to improve and aid Bible study," so we will see if it does just that.

Click here to read the rest of Part 3.

Seems like things are ok for now. MMM is back online and we are rolling. Unfortunately, our host (dabutlerdidit.com) suffered a major file server crash and has to replace the file server. Seeing that MMM was getting low cost hosting from this partner in ministry, I'd like to help our partner get back online and rolling by contributing to him getting a new file server.

If you would like to contribute to getting this file server, or any other financial issues concerning MMM, please email us so that things can be talked about in a more formal manner. True to life, ministry and work costs money, and MMM has been a labor out of my pocket thus far. I know that it cannot continue to be this way, and somehow needs to stand on itself (with the help of donors), but that is how things are until that financial plan is set.

Please keep the file server issue in your prayers, and keep MMM and our partners in your prayers as well.

The first piece of software that we want to take a look at is e-Sword, which is coined to be "the Sword of the LORD with an electronic edge." As stated in the introduction to this series, e-Sword is our look at free Bible software that is available for anyone to download who has Internet connection.

A little bit of background about the software, it was created by Rick Meyers and first released in 2000 with the intent of being a free software application with a clean interface and having a study approach. Since its first release in 2000, the software has become one of the most popular Bible software downloads, reaching its 3,000,000th download in August of this year (1,000,000+ since August 2004). Also during that time, it has been improved drasticly and new resources have constantly been added.

The focus of our review on e-Sword is to take a look at this freeware application through its usability, interface, and several other areas. As of the date of this review, the current version of e-Sword is v.7.7.7, which is the version that we will be reviewing.

Click here to read the rest of Part 2.

Sorry all, with the server hiccups and personal items, it has been hard to get back into posting at MMM. I hope it didnt discourage you, but news is that some new contributers will be coming on, and that will keep things going when I am not :) Stay tuned for them.

In other news of interest:
WORDsearch To Go brings the power, speed, and ease of use of our PC products to your Pocket PC or Palm handheld PDA. Now you can take your favorite Bibles and reference works with you to church, Sunday school, or just have them handy for a quick devotional while you're out and about. Read more and check out the program here.

J4L has begun a series on Bible Software. See the next post for snippets of that one.

To those overseas, or here in the US and ahve the means to get it, BargainPDA has published a review of the QDA-700 by QoolLabs. I hope ya like it, its a good alternative to the Treo lineup out there. Read the review here.

PocketPC Thoughts has a link to a review of the iMate JasJar. In my opinion, this is as close to a laptop as a PDA can get (and I dont just mean its larger than a cargo pants pocket size either). This looks like a really nice device, and one that is sure to make mobile ministry an easier proposition for many. Check out the review here.

Another Windows Mobile PDA was introduced in Asia yesterday, the E-TEN 600. Here is a link to more on that model. I dont know much about it, but it looks better than many other offerings out there.

And finally, Palm Addict has a posting about being fustrated with tech gadgets, despite them being able to do *anyting*. Read here for that piece that I am sure many of us will find something there to agree with.