Mobile Ministry Magazine: 11/01/2006

Setting a foundation at the intersection of faith and mobile technology

How do churches, mission groups, organizations, communities, parents, and people respond to life when their use of mobile technology intersects with their faith? Here, we not just ask that question, but present the foundations for answering it. Read more about Mobile Ministry Magazine (MMM) and its mission/vision.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Carnival of the Mobilists

Do make sure that you check out the latest Carnival of the Mobilists at Fierce Wireless. As with previous carnivals, this one boasts some thought provoking articles as to where mobile devices, the mobile web, and people who relate to the world are going via their mobiles. Even if it is that you come here to MMM to get your mobile news and views, it is also good to hear what others who are more entrenched in the mobile industry have to say about issues and events.
~ sent from Treo via Mo:Blog

Addressing the Need Versus the Want

Many times we find that the discussion of those things tech and web flow towards the latest and greatest and those who don't have are usually left wondering if technology will ever be good enough for them on a slower modem connection, or with a phone that simply does voice and text.

The issue of the last mile (in digital terms) wss brought up in an article at Adaptive Path. And while I am right there with that author in wondering what do we gain by leaving those who cannot catch up to the pace of a few, I am encouraged in that there is something being done about it.

MMM is one side of things, bringing awareness to the purpose of (mobile) tech to change and enhance community. But another more hand on effort is being done by the folks at Geekcorps. One recent article of their's talked about how they are using available and low cost tech to improve the quality of life in Mali.

Sure, this is not the only example, but when trying to consider if tech is really effective, we have to look at those who would most benefit and from there equip, teach, and encourage tech usage that speaks well towards the Great Commission and lest towards a debt condition.
~ sent from Treo via Mo:Blog

Time to Reflect SomeTime to Reflect Some
I had been sitting on this one for some time now. When I left work tonite, more than 12 hrs after I got there, I had the thought that I should be over burdened with the task that is at hand. There I was at work, with a due date and me in the kind of physical pain that made sitting, standing, and walking all a bear.

So as I sat on the Metro on the way home, thinking about my plan for the next day, I gathered the right mind to open up Devotionals and get caught up with the devotionals that I have been neglecting.

There it was in my face and plain and simple. The man named Mordecai used what he had to make sure that the people of God were not forgotten, and also used his place in the court to elevate God's people (Esther 10:3). I read that and felt like I was and am not doing all that I should be. No, not concerning MMM (even though the room for improvement here could house a few elephants); but in my day job and day to day dealings. Was I really taking advantage of the places and opportunities that God has given me to show His people His glory? It left me thinking.

As it was, I did not have any news downloaded, and so I read Tuesday morning's devotional as well. That one pointed to the truthfulness of Gaius and how the truth was in him and he was known to be truthful. In the unpacking of the various parts of my heart towards making technology known to people, and showing God's hands in the mist of this, I was forced to ask myself if people could testify that the truth of God was in me and that I am living out of the truth of God.

Needless to say, it is a bit after 130am and I am still thinking about this. Sure, there is much in terms of tech news that I want to talk about. And maybe I will get to it. But right now, before I make my sleep and rest this sore body, I have to ask myself if whether I am in the right place to be an evangelist of God with tech, or if I am just a tinkling brass making only white noise to get people by.
~ sent from Treo via Mo:Blog

Monday, November 27, 2006

Learn A Bit About Mobile Email

Probably one of the best things that has happened to me over the past year+ has been the addition (or addiction in the minds of some) to using email in almost any place. Whether I am just reading to catch up, cleaning out spam (way too often), or responding to various people and companies on various issues, mobile email has essentially become a vital part of my internet usage. And while it is that I did just fine without it, having email on the go is something that I would rather prefer.
Image: CNet logo

To that end C|Net is offering a free course on using mobile email. From talking about understanding mobile email to the difference between email and instant messaging, this is a good workshop to get a hold of if you are looking at what getting email to a smartphone or wireless laptop can do for you and your ministry/organizational needs.

Course link at C|Net.

A couple of really good devices for mobile email are the recently released Palm Treo 680 and Blackberry Pearl. However, with a data card from your phone carrier, you can also get email and Internet on the go to your laptop or TabletPC.

Originally posted at Palm Addict.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

How To: Installing Programs to a PocketPC w/o a Computer

Got an email earlier today about a post that we had in the forums about how to install programs onto Windows Mobile/PocketPC devices without a computer. And while it is that I was unable to get that post, there is a website that does lay things out step by step.
Image: Windows Mobile logo, via Microsoft

The entire how to from PocketPC Central.
Image: Palm Treo 700wx for Sprint, via Mobile Tech Review

The one question that PPCCentral doesn't answer is what you can and cannot install right from a website to your Windows Mobile/PocketPC device. In general rules, if you are downloading a program right onto your device (for example from the Internet to your Treo 700wx), then you will want to download the .CAB version of the file and from there use File Explorer to find the .CAB file and then click it to finish the installation.

The only downside to using this method is that if you download something that hoses your device, you will have to wait until you get to your host computer to do a restore. That is, unless you have a backup program (recommended for those with mobile devices).

The Three Faces of Mobile Phones

This is what happens when I get a chance to sit and think and write on a Saturday afternoon. Here is an article published at my personal site that also fits in with what some of you have emailed MMM about in the past.

Mobile phone tech is something that I like. The ability to do almost anything anywhere is not only neat, but saves me a lot of time towards actually having time when away from work. However, I have noticed that there are three type of mobile users out there, and three types of phones that go with them.

Mobile as a voice point of contact or fashion statement:...

Read the rest.

Do you see this same "face" aspect happening in other areas of computing? What about across industries and other applications?

Could the Mobile Do Away With Paper Bibles for Some

I know, its one of those questions that I personally tend to stay away from because of the largely "paper attached" culture in which I live. But after reading an interesting article at Golden Swamp speaking about laptops and textbooks, I wonder if one application where mobiles can really be effective is in ministry education?

Please note, when I say mobiles in this context, I am thinking of laptops and the Internet. I do not think that publishers nor the Internet can handle smartphones/PDAs/feature phones taking this kind of use for education (yet ;) )

Friday, November 24, 2006

What do all these new devices mean?

As a followup to a previous article about my "new to me" Hitachi G1000 Windows Mobile 2002 Smartphone article, I started to think about what all these new devices mean for us...

In my way of thinking, it really doesn't mean much to you and I unless you are like me; too much money spent on Mobile Tech already and not enough reason to justify spending a bunch more!

So actually, with the recent craze of the Smartphone flood on the market just about anyone can get into this game...
Many of the new devices are actually quite affordable even if you are on a budget. This DOES have a hitch, your Service Provider. I am a Sprint user and have no plans to switch. The new devices they are offering are still around $500 without a new contract. If I didn't already have a couple of PDAs lying around, I might be able to justify something like this. Especially with all the research I have done on efficiency and creative uses of mobile technology on a budget (see my site www.coosbaytv.com). So since I don't want to duplicate or sell my existing devices, I chose the other route; buy a used device and let someone else pay the high initial cost. My G1000 is doing everything I need it to which is connect to the Internet as well as the combined benefit of some WM apps and the querty thumbboard. This combo for email, streaming audio quick checks of Internet articles and blog post is getting the job done.
It does have limitations that I covered in the post about the device but for $65, hey, I'm happy.

One reason I cannot justify a NEW DEVICE is that on the Oregon Coast, Sprint does not offer EVDO or Power Vision as they call it. So why pay for something that still won't really work here?

If your Service Provider is Verizon or Cingular, you can probably jump into a new device or Smartphone with a much more reasonable price tag. Maybe even $100 or so.

If you need to step up to more than just phone calls and text messaging, this is a good time to start looking. Most importantly, do your own research and ask questions before you buy. There are reasons that some of these new devices are the low price they are! Make a list of features you need and then look for a device accordingly...

Need some help with getting started? Someone here at MMM would be more than happy to help. Just post a comment to this post with your questions and one of us will get back to you.

Happy Hunting, Jay

Thankful for Mobile Tech for more than the obvious reason...

With (hopefully) everyone having their fill of turkey and stuffing yesterday, I thought it was a good time to bring this up.

Many people in the business world ask me "why do you want to be accessible 24 hours a day?" The answer is simple, just because I am accessible doesn't mean I always answer or immediately respond! The point is, I have the option. This is great for not being tied to a physical location.

Now, the real reason for this article is the fact that of course this technology has brought me in touch with people; lots of people! These are people that I have more in common with than many of the people in my hometown. The world is getting to be an incredibly SMALL place thanks to the Internet! The mobile aspect just helps me to stay in touch with folks on the go. Some of you may know that I live on the Oregon Coast and am a video producer. There are not alot of folks here that I can rely on when it comes to an issue to address. Thanks to things like Forums and Users Groups, it is easy to find answers to questions that plague any of us.

So, at the risk of the obvious, besides family and friends I am thankful for the new friends I have been able to connect with in the past couple years as well as looking forward to making even more new friends in 2007!

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Thanksgiving, New Phones, CMT

Thanks be to God for all of you this Thanksgiving day. While it is that many of us are either on the road, about to get on the road (me), or at our destinations, God has made provision for all of us to be thankful to Him for Him and our families.
Image: Palm Treo 680, via Brighthand

A few mobile phone notes:
- The Palm Treo 680 has been released on Cingular (to come on up to 30 world carriers really soon). I have done a write up at Brighthand on my first impressions with it.
- Cingular has also released the 8525 and Samsung BlackJack smartphones. Both of these hit at different aspects of mobile device usages. The 8525 is literally at the top of the heap in terms of being everything that laptops were only a few short years ago. The BlakcJack is sorta like a BlackBerry that changed clothes, lost some weight, and came to the holiday season with a bit more than just a smile. If you are in the market for a new device, these are two good ones out there.

Christian Mobile Tech has been cranking out some news the past days, and here are some snippets of what CMT has posted: Image: Notepad, via CMT

- Bible With You Bundle at PalmGear
- Mobible: The Holy Bible...unplugged
- Laridian's PocketBible for Pocket PC Updated
- GoBible Available

Remember, man does not live by bread (turkey, football, basketball, egg nog, and shopping) alone; but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Deut. 8:3). Please be sure that you not only get some eats for your body, but also for your soul this day.

Product Review: Time Management Pad

I had an opportunity to try out Time Management Pad, the flagship software title from Lil' RedSpider. Time Manager Pad (or TMP, for short) is a calendar and task manager with a twist.

TMP is a deviation from what you'd expect to see in a third-party PIM. It also shows deviation can be a good thing. It made me think "retro" while staying in the 21st century.

For those who secretly yearn for the good old days (read paper planner), TMP will take you on a ride from the get go. It incorporates a unique list style that combines a calendar view with a task section. The layout made me feel at home immediately, especially since it drew in my standing appointments and meetings seamlessly from the stock program.

I was able to adjust the default settings so that I was able to reduce the space used by the tasks section to about a third of the screen instead of half. This allowed me to "see" into my planned future, and it also included "no appointment" days. While somewhat weird to me at first, it occurred to me that including these "empty" days could serve the purpose of giving me a visual account of free blocks of time

TMP proved to be capable without being flashy. In this, it avoids accusations of bloat and overkill leveled against some datebook enhancers and replacements.

Its greatest attribute is the learning curve. It goes to great lengths to emulate the stock datebook in terms of entry and categorization. Even casual PDA and smartphone users should be up and running in relatively short time.

Sticking to the "less-is-more" paradigm, TMP allows for the user to tweak the standard low-frills look with category-specific coloring and custom icon use. Setting up repeat events and alarms was easy.

Creating a new calendar or task entry is as simple as going to "Records", just as any PalmOS program. This program also allows for assigning priorities to your items. It has a full-blown calendar that can be accessed from the Tasks pane, and which can be toggled forwards and back. The task feature has an adjustable countdown feature that informs you of the number of days left for a tasks completion.

All in all, I was more than impressed with how TMP performed. I used it for an extended period of time (including a stint when I was seriously indisposed), with it assigned to one of my hard button full time.
The developers are always open to suggestion (two for me would be linking and some sort of contact accessibility), and do look for ways to incorporate them into new releases.
It is a great accessory for any person on the go. It is available for trial from the developers' download site, and can be purchased as well for $17.95. Simon from LRS, who always takes the time to answer any and all questions, completes the cycle of wonderful service.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Harnessing the Power of Google

Ok, maybe not that deep in that you are taking all the (good/evil) power of Google for your own benefits, but if you are looking to mobilize some of the aspects of your ministry/organization, a recently added feature to Google Pages might make for a neat option.
Image: Google Page Creator

As talked about at Mobile Crunch:
Google’s official blog has another interesting article on their fairly recent Google Page Creator, web page design offering. The post, which is highlighting the power and simplicity of the tool drops a cool little tidbit down at the end that might just be the cart-tipping reason to use this application over a number of other web page development tools; when you create a page for the PC, the tool automatically creates a mobile-optimized version of the page at the same time...

What does this mean? Well, for some who are just starting out in a ministry endeavor and want to have the alternative means of attracting the mobile phone audience, Google Pages (a free service that allows one to create a webpage hosted by Google) makes for a neat and easy to manage solution. You don't have to hassle with developers (even though we are really nice people), nor the fun (sic) of domain registration and hosting contracts.

Of course, you have to already have a Google account. But other than that's what's stopping you from using that newfound power to change the world around you in Jesus' name?

Just Some Comments

Greetings all;
Hope that many of you are having a good and blessed go of things. Here at MMM, we have been one part busy in gearing up for the upcoming holiday, and in another part looking at the way we use mobile technology as a means to minister, and help others minister.

A (slightly) informal poll of the MMM team shows that many of use have a laptop as our main means of mobile tech. Some of us use smartphones, and a few of us have a combination of devices that we use to both communicate and facilitate communication. Because our usage patterns are so diverse, we look for those pieces of mobile technology that would be relevant to those uses. Sometimes that is smartphones (me, I am on one nearly all the time), other times that is software or a service that works online no matter what device that you have. The point is that we look to meet you where you are accessing tech, and want to give you tools to glorify God with it.

A rule of sorts then sounds like this:
"using technology is a matter of personal preference, but the fruit has to always be God glorying"

Sure, we can have music and data on our PDAs, but it's always more to the point of ministry to serve the community with those things.

So, do be thankful for MMM. I personally appreciate the MMM team and everyone of you who come here to read and learn something about mobile tech and ministry that you never thought of, or thought of but just found out that others think like you. But don't let things stop here. Take the Gospel to those who need it, and if tech is your gateway, make sure people meet Christ at the gate.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

The Blessings of Daily Scripture Reading

Regular daily reading of the Bible affords a panoramic sweep of the great themes of Scripture and helps foster a life of faith in God. In this article, you will learn how you can use your PDA to help you establish or enhance the life-changing practice of reading God’s word daily.

Two Views of Scripture

Flying in an aircraft presents a very different view of the Grand Canyon than hiking along the Colorado River’s banks in the canyon’s core. The hiker sees a dark corridor of steely cliffs, a thin patch of blue sky, an occasional huddle of prickly pears or a towering cottonwood, a scorpion scuttling out of harm’s way on the dusty trail ahead, and deep green pools interrupted by sudden shocking scenes of mud white water crashing against boulders. The flyer, by contrast, sees the whole blue dome of heaven beneath which roll wave after wave of brightly lit vermillion spires and purple battlements stretching beyond both horizons. Straight down, a quiet winding ribbon of emerald water adorns the deep heart of the Canyon’s silent majesty.

These two views of one natural wonder illustrate two views of a far greater wonder, the Bible. From one perspective, like the hiker, we can experience the depths of a small portion of God’s word by lingering over it, considering it, examining the details, touching it, even tasting it, like “honey out of the rock”(Psa.81:16). This kind of reading is devotional and concentrated. It involves personal interaction with God over a particular verse or passage of His word. It may involve careful consideration of words, phrases, and syntax. Most importantly, it fuels prayer.

From another perspective, our aim is to see the big picture. We reverently survey the entire awe-inspiring sweep of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, with its manifold themes, characters, and events—one great book at a time—as it reveals God’s plan of the ages, from eternity to eternity. We could never acquire the hands-on perspective of the hiker from the air, or the breath-taking perspective of the flyer from the ground, and both have tremendous value. To put a new twist on an old saying, we need to see both the forest and the trees.

While both experiences of God’s word are indispensable, in this article we will focus on the panoramic view of the Bible afforded by regular daily reading of chapters from both the Old and New Testaments and the Psalms and Proverbs.

(Read the rest of the article here...)

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Free Olive Tree!

Evening all! Just wanted to make sure that you were all aware that Olive Tree (maker of some of the finest Palm software on the planet) has given their website a new look and compiled a list of their free software.

This new site looks great and having all the free downloads in one place, easily accessible from the front page, makes getting around their site a joy. And if you think that's a joy, what would you say to FREE copies of Confessions by Augustine, commentaries by Luther, Greek New Testaments, Calvin's Institutes, and about a million other freebies.

Get your SD cards out and "fill 'er up!"

soli Deo gloria

Friday, November 17, 2006

Olive Tree Goes to SymbianOlive Tree Goes to Symbian
A few places have recently reported tgat Nokia has shipped over 100 million Symbian smatphones. In addition, a Symbian licensee, Sony Ericssion, has recently purchased a major Symbian developer UIQ. This makes for a great deal of new folks with new mobile devices, and all of us can use tech to God's glory to study and share the Word.

Those news bits make it all that much more interesting the release of a beta version of the Olive Tree Bible reader.

Alradt a popular bible reader for PalmOS and Windows Mobile devices, this release will only help more people get a hold of the Word on their mobile devices.

Thanks to All About Symbian for thie notice.
~ sent from Treo via Mo:Blog

Two Neat Notes

Was on my Treo a good deal yesterday after work and just relented to being mobile and enjoying some tea when I read two posts at Palm Addict that were pretty neat.

The first post was about Laridian's bible reader for iPods. Very neat. I have heard of a few missionaries using audio book bibles on their iPods, but I always find reading by eye much nicer to the heart.

The second post was about a person who was sick for the week and was able to use his Treo 650 to manage office affairs. Now, while many of you might be in the position of saying that a laptop is better for this (and to a large degree you are right), being able to do documents, manage a calendar, and other tasks on one's phone just says how far we have come with tech.

So as you gear up for this holiday weekend, don't limit your interaction with God. The time is here, and so is the technology, to make nearly anything possible.

~ sent from Treo via Mo:Blog

Thursday, November 16, 2006

The Mobile Office MS Style: Office Live Launched

For being one who likes to go mobile, the idea of being able to use the browser to work from for some office related tasks seems like a great idea. Not only am I leveraging the wireless and nearly anywhere connectivity of the Internet, I am also doing it without having to install loads of software on my laptop, thereby making my laptop run more efficiently.
Image: MS Office Live Logo

That's one reason that I like that Microsoft has thrown it's hat into the virtual (Internet-connected) office with its Office Live product. And with today's release, there is a chance that for some of you who might be in the market for an office solution that is MS Office, but not quite happy about licensing fees and support costs, Office Live could prove to be a cost effective means in keeping one mobile.

Office Live comes in three "flavors:"
- Basics
- Essentials
- Premium

Granted, if you are one who will spring for the Premium, you are probably looking down the wrong tree at this point in time (networks need more attention with the higher level services) unless you have a clear mobile/virtual office stragety. But it is a nice package nonetheless and one to look at if you are at the point of looking for office software updates for your office, and CDs and licensing has been a past issue.

The Gadget Pastor has also recently done a post on using Windows Live Writer (which carries some elements found in Office Live as I understand them). Check out his look thru and then investigate Office Live for yourself.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Mobile Tech the New Old Fashioned Way

With my first real test of this new device being a weekend away, I can say that pretty much everything that I had need of was met. What were some of the things that I was able to do? Well, all of the usual Smartphone tricks. Of course, the two biggest noticable differences are having the qwerty keyboard as well as the screen being easily four times larger than my flip phone... click to read full article

Thanks, Jay

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Getting Started With Your PDA Bibles

Reading the Bible on your PDA is the fundamental yet profound focus of our current article. You will learn about the inestimable value of enjoying God’s word and about the ease with which you can do it on your PDA.
"Blessed is He Who Reads"

The Bible is the only book I know that heartily and repeatedly recommends itself, promising manifold blessings to its readers.

“Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near” (Rev. 1:3—NIV). “Receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21—KJV). “My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God” (Prov.2:1-5—NKJV)

People of renown in the Bible were characterized by their love of the scriptures. Notice how David describes the law, statutes, and judgments of the Lord:

“More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than the honey and the droppings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is thy servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward” (Psa.19:10-11)

The prophet Jeremiah exuded his love for God’s word when he wrote,

“Your words were found, and I ate them; and Your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart…” (Jer.15:16—Amplified Bible)

The patriarch Job declared,

“I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12—KJV)

and the Lord Jesus resisted the devil’s temptation to change stones into bread by quoting Deuteronomy,

“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’ ” (Mat.4:4—NKJV)

How very strong indeed is the Bible’s own recommendation of itself!

From these verses alone, we see that salvation, understanding, discernment, the fear of the Lord, the knowledge of God, a joyful heart, life, and victory are among the innumerable blessings that accrue to a person who spends time in the word of God.

(Read the rest of the article from Olive Tree's site here)...

Where Social Networking Can Meet at the WellWhere Social Networking Can Meet at the Well
One of those things about mobile technology that one soon realizes when they start reseaching either the hardware (phones, laptops, etc.) or software (blogs, moblogging, virtual offices, etc.) is that community quickly becomes a central theme around many prducts want you to interact. Whether they plug you into an existing service, or create something totally different to interact with, the big pull is to realize the human community and find out how best to get the most of us to participate.

One of those stories of Jesus that has always been chock full of community is the story of the Samaritian woman Jesus meets at the well in John 4:1-29. Sure, we know this story of how two races of people interacted, and how it was made plain that Jesus is for more than just the traditional Jew. But the aspect I want to bring out is where they met. They had a common meeting area where it was both accepted and expected that people would me. In fact, despite that Jew would not interact with a Samaritian, they both considered Jacob's well as a meeting place.

Ok great, so you tell me (Antoine) that social networking is like the well in this story? It can be. Using the hardware and software of our times, we can (and should) create places where people can come and be refreshed (by Jesus).

So what does this well look like? Depends on who you ask, but here is one well that I think of already existing and doing well: LifeChurch.TV. Here you have a place where you can watch and listen to the Word, and find refreshing. And if you stick around there long enough, you just might me the Great Refresher.

When considering the impact of your ministry, it is not always a question of it being mobile, but whether those who have been too mobile can find a place of rest and refreshing if they were to stop by your well.
~ sent from Treo via Mo:Blog

Monday, November 13, 2006

Monday's News and Notes

Here are some notable items for this Monday:

The 53rd Carnival of the Mobilists is now underway at C. Enrique Ortiz Mobility Weblog. One story of particular interest was the story highlighting the impact of mobile phones on landlines. A very interesting read, as are the other highlights.

Church Tech Matter's recent posting titled Freely Get, Freely Give was a really neat look at two sites who are offering alternative content and giving it away for free. I won't spoil the links so you need to visit Church Tech Matters and read the posting :)

Speaking of social networking-like websites (when you click the link above you will see what I mean), there is a new site for those of you who have a BlackBerry and wanting to get more news and information. Weirdly enough, I have not found many streams of information relating to BB use in the church. BBSocial may be a way to find out if there is anything going on with BBs in the Body. See BBhub for the original post.

There is always more going on when it comes to mobile devices and the tech that we use to connect them. Provided I get a minute to collect my thoughts, I will share a few things tonite that will open the door on things to consider as the web and our workplaces get more mobile, and what that means for sharing the Gospel. Till then, stay blessed and minister mobile.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Recap and Pushing Ahead

We have been talking a good bit about how mobile computing can lend itself to being more effective in ministry and missions. This is of particular interest to many pastors and missionaries because of the mobile nature of their weekly work, and the fact that sometimes, its better to get out and be amongst people, instead of in between the pew and the kneeler.

Here are some of the links to posts on this subject over the past week plus:
- Taking the Ministry on the Road
- Mobile Security at 1src
- Speaking of Mobile Offices
- More of the Mobile Office, MMM Tweaking
- Girls Gone Mobile Continues A Tale of Two Offices

So where does that leave us in our discussion and where can we go from here? For one, we have to consider the thought again of whether we are called to simply use technology just to make integrating with culture and life easier for us, or if in using this technology, we are called to take out a significant piece of our use and empower others who (regardless of tech or not) need a dosage of community and healing that the People of God have been called to bring to them.

And then what when we bring it to them? Where do we go with this Gospel once tech has enabled us to preach to every man, woman, and child? When we have been able to do reach from our pocketbooks and share finances and enablement to the disenfranchised? I would think that it puts us in that place of the church that Jesus is coming back for. In effect, we go tech because its another means to share with those who don't have the least, that there is Life available for them.

Friday, November 10, 2006

Girls Gone Mobile Continues A Tale of Two Offices

We have been highlighting some aspects of the mobile office in the past week here at MMM, and its great to hear and see that other websites have also jumped into the fray.
Image: Mini Office 1 and 2 from Girls Gone Mobile

Image: Mini Office 1 and 2 from Girls Gone Mobile

Girls Gone Mobile has just published another edition in their series about the mobile office called A Tale of Two Offices. While being a user-centered review of a laptop versus a smartphone as the mobile office setup (the author compares the two based on her usages), it is a revealing look at what is gained and lost in the respective mobile choices.

While the ideal solution would probably be something in the middle of a smartphone and laptop (maybe a UMPC that has cellular access and acceptable battery life), what is able to be done now is quite incredible given where computing was just 10 years ago.
~ sent from Treo via Mo:Blog
Edit: fixed link and added picture

Where Does MMM SitWhere Does MMM Sit
I was just reading my RSS feeds, I know its late and I should be in bed resting my sick body, and I saw a few of the mobile sites out there mentioning a new site by the W3C (the folks who do web standards like HTML, wht browsers should read, etc.) called Planet Mobile. And while I am quite happy that the major standards body has gone out to make an effort to bring together a ton of the mobile content around the web, I sit and wonder if MMM really fits into their mobile of what the mobile web is about.

MMM is one part mobile tech, yes. Here we talk aboutu variious issues relating to using mobile devices to solve problems that relate to ministry and mission. To that end, one can argue that we are very much mobile. However, I don't see MMM in the same class as those other sites. Whereas many of the mobile sites that I have read are about mobile tech, they speak about it from a tech-first perspective. Meaning, they talk about the tech and then how to fit life within it. At MMM we try to talk about life and tech and how the two fit together within the context of tech being an enabler, not a progenor. Somewhat weird view I know, but think of it like this: some people prefer peanut butter and jelly served just with creamy and grape. MMM is like the straberry and crunchy cut into four squares version. Still mobile tech, but cut differently (becasue of Christ).

That's the other major difference. I haven't seen so much mobile tech and mobile web address issues relating to actually solving problems faced in various arenas. If I am in the UK, I don't want to just hear that mobile tech means I get a better browser, I want to hear that a better browser means that I can surf safer becasuse banks are going to mobile payment systems. If I am in the US, I am not just wanting to hear about ringtones, but I want to hear how to share them without using a computer or semi-expensive portal system. MMM seeks to address the problem of relating to community because community has no touch to the outside world. By using mobile tech, we not just connect with the outside world, but have a chance to educated and share it with others. Meeting their needs (education, food etc.) and thereby showing them Christ.

So yea, we are on this mobile planet, just walking at a different pace while speaking the same message that mobile is here, but adding that mobile with Christ will change more than what we communicate, it will change how we love each other in the mist of that communicating.
~ sent from Treo via Mo:Vlog

ChristianPDA.biz

I have been involved with mobile tech since the late summer of 2000, and I have seen a good deal of stores come and go, but I haven't seen so much as anyone really reach out to the Christian community on merchandise that fits into life and faith. Sure, there are some stores that have religious and spiritual sections, but I just haven't seen one who is soley Christ-focued. That is, until today.

Enter ChristianPDA.Biz. Here is a snippet from their About page:
ChristianPDA.biz specializes in quality Christian handheld device software (Bible, Bible study, devotional, Christian reference,
Christian audio books, and Christian e-Books) and accessories to edify the Body of Christ. We are an authorized retailer for all
our products.
Image:#

What really impressed me about this store was the focus on quality software at some very reasonable prices. So if you know someone with a PDA and is looking for some software, do let them know about ChristianPDA.Biz; they just might find a great bargain to go along with a great heart for enabling God's people.
~ sent from Treo via Mo:Vlog

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Effective Mobile Tech: Education

One of the reasons why I first got a PDA was to help me while in college. While it was that I knew the work, I was terribly unorganized and my GPA and attitude suffered. In August of 2000, I purchased my first PDA, a Palm IIIxe, and proceeded to use PDAs not just for enhancing my own education, but using it as a tool to teach others how accessible the world is (literally in the palm of your hand) and what their dreams can really reach out towards. For those times, PDAs have really been effective as not just tools, but also entry points. And its that effectiveness that encourages me to believe that education is one area where mobile tech can really serve the greater community.

There are two aspects of PDAs that show their effectiveness: software and implementation. A program that I was recently emailed about seeks to be the software key to helping educators meet the needs of students in a computing and interactive manner. Leading Step's Constructor is a PalmOS grammar teaching game that helps students to get a better hold of various aspects of the English language. And while it is that here in the US, Constructor has been put to some great use; it is also a program that can lend itself well to English camps overseas.

...The emerging influence of mobile technologies in the classroom offers opportunities to stimulate young minds and engage students at a cost-per-student that is much lower than traditional desktop or laptop computers. At the same time, teachers are afforded a more efficient means of doing their jobs. The basic functions of handhelds have been useful for entering text in the Memo Pad, learning time and time zones, staying organized, etc., but to increase their capability as a powerful teaching tool they need to be equipped with software programs specifically designed for enhancing a student’s education...
From one of Lending Step's case studies.

It is in the second aspect of using a PDA (implementation) where one really sees this shine. Through the aforementioned case study, and countless others, when mobile devices are used in concert with an educational paradigm/system that is less "by the book" and more "by the person," one can really maximize the mobile platform as the aspect of computing that is truly personal.

For more information about Constructor and other educational PDA software, visit Lending Step's website.

Top Wireless Industry Blogs Named

A few weeks ago, we posted about the Fierce Favorites, a poll to find out what the top wireless industry blogs are. And while MMM didn't make the top 20 list, the collection of mobile sites on this list are at the top of the game in content, trends, and user opinion.
Image:FierceFavorites: top wireless industry blog

Image:FierceFavorites: top wireless industry blog

View the entire listing.

Of course, this means that there is still room for MMM to grow; which makes the challenge of making sure that MMM is relevant spiritually and technologically all that much more fun.

Thanks to M-Trends for the news.

Monday, November 06, 2006

More of the Mobile Office, MMM Tweaking

I couldn't help myself, I told myself that I should be in the bed, but I am here tweaking MMM and posting about another who is writing about their mobile device lifestyle.
Image: A PDA mobile office, via Girls Gone Mobile

Image: A PDA mobile office, via Girls Gone Mobile

This one comes from the ladies at Girls Gone Mobile. Here is a snippet:
...With any of these mobile devices, the key to their usefulness is how well you integrate them into your daily life. My first of these devices was a glorified calculator with an address book and a large screen you could draw on. From there I moved on to a Newton, a Palm V, then a series of Jornadas, iPaqs, and the like. And now I use an Acer n311...

Read the rest of this posting.

MMM Tweaking
You will notice that when you mouse-over links now that you get either a thumbnail of the homepage of the link or a queue message that the link is being cached for being made into a thumbnail. The feature is called link thumbnail, and is just a little something that I hope will help you out as you read MMM and our ability to go link crazy from time to time.

If there are any other site features, or news, or general comments about MMM, feel free to drop us a line via our contact form (no messy email programs if all you need to do is submit a form IMO) and if usable and accessible, it will probably get done.

Speaking of Mobile Offices

Last week, I brought up the subject of mobile offices. And while I intend to look at the software side of things, it is a good thing many times to get a picture of what a mobile office setup can look like in practice.

A popular mobile tech website, jkOnTheRun, has recently published an article speaking about a day in the life of the Samsung Q1 UMPC (ultra-mobile PC). Besides this picture (which really impressed me from a sheer gadget perspective), the way that the Samsung is used in concert with other mobile devices, online and offline applications, and general working discipline makes it possible to see this kind of setup being adaptable for minister/missionaries who are looking to "take their show on the road."

One note about the setup talked about at jk, it is NOT CHEAP, to do what he is doing. The costs of the UMPC, data connections, and specialized applications are in general more than what many people have a budget for, let alone want to pay. This is not to discount cost as being a reason for not taking the office mobile though. Making the decision to go mobile is one part knowing what is available, but then also having a plan of action as to how one can best use mobile resources for productivity and personal usages.

Lardian Bible Reader for WM Smartphone

While most people don’t carry a Bible on there person daily, most people do carry their cell phones with them. I happen to personally carry a Windows Mobile smartphone, the Audiovox SMT 5600 from Cingular. I wanted to carry a bible (or two) on it and that is where the subject of our review begins. This is a basic user review of PocketBible by Laridian, Inc.
Image: Audiovox SMT 5600, via Brighthand

Image: Audiovox SMT 5600, via Brighthand

Specs

While Laridian does make bibles for several types of mobile devices, this review will focus solely on the version for the Windows Mobile smartphone. There are two components to this product a reader software and a bible file. I am currently using book reader engine 1.057 by Laridian. This bible reader software is supposed to the designed for Windows Mobile 2002 and following. My device is running Windows Mobile 2003, so that works for this software. I am currently using two bible files NIV and NASB. I use both in the hard copy so I thought it would be a good scenario for this review.

How Usable Is It
Image: MyBible for Windows Mobile Smartphone

Image: MyBible for Windows Mobile Smartphone

There is a trial version of the reader software and free bible files so you can try out this software before you invest any money in it. That is what I did and I recommend the same for you. Once you buy the software, you can download it as many times as you need to from the Laridian website. They also recently rewrote their end user license agreement (EULA) so that if you like to use multiple devices, you can load your purchased software on multiple devices as long as you are not using more that your total number of licenses purchased concurrently. You can even change platforms and not have to purchase the same bible again. See their press release for all the details.

Installation is done by downloading the software to your desktop and perform a sync with your device. The software loading wizard is easy for anyone to use. Once the reader software is loaded you can load multiple bibles on your device. The reader software uses the two soft keys that are familiar to Windows Mobile smartphone users. The left button normally offer the ability to choose, Old or New Testament, Book, Chapter and Verse. The right button is normally reserved for detailed menus about the screen you are on. Press the right soft key and you will have the ability to choose a bible to use, Find feature, Bookmarks, Options (Appearance, Navigation Miscellaneous, Debug).
Image: MyBible for Windows Mobile Smartphone

I loaded two versions of the bible and use the feature of book selection to read the same verse that I have selected in multiple versions, one at a time. I also like to use the Find feature. It is like using a concordance that is clickable. Great feature for study or lesson preparation. The Bookmark feature is nice for marking verses for memorization, favorites, etc. In the Bookmark feature you can create multiple categories, so you can classify your verses accord to their use for you. The only feature missing in the bookmark is the ability to mark multiple verses. I asked the company about it and they are considering it in future reader revisions. The Options feature allows you to adjust the font size, select Christ’s words in red, select indent poetry and select footnotes. I have not used the debug tool and that is a good thing. I am glad to see that the developers of this software care enough about the quality of their product to build in tools to debug, just in case.
Image: MyBible for Windows Mobile Smartphone

I have really been blessed to carry two versions of the bible without have to keep up with two hard copies. Instead I now carry them on my smartphone, which is with me most of the waking day. It has been a great tool and I recommend it to any Windows Mobile smartphone user.

I just picked up a used Blackberry 7280 and might try to load their version of a bible reader on it soon to give all of you Blackberry users a review to look forward to. Remember, with the new EULA, I only have to purchase the new bible reader software for the new platform. How sweet is that!

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Bible Reader is Even Better

An article at PalmAddict today let us all know that Olive Tree has updated their Bible Reader Beta (v.366build123). From first impressions it looks like a great one. Some simple fixes are there for card searches and for eBook notes. There are several other helpful fixes mentioned. But, according to Olive Tree there is more new under the hood than just fixes. Two new features and some mystery have me eager to get back to my cradle at the office and get this build on my T3.

The first feature is an early Christmas present for those of you who are avid personal note users. Some of the new bells & whistles you'll be hearing will be: added "edit" & "delete" hyperlinks that are used from the main screen. This will surely save us tons of extra taps to get into the note editing. If you want to remove a note from the main screen, simply tap it goodbye! Also for note users, when you are in the edit screen, you will see a new title bar that will help you remember what you're noting in the first place. Awesome.

Second, they've incorporated some extras into the shortcut menu including a highlight shortcut. If you have used highlighting in the past, you'll be thankful for a quicker way to get at that now.

When speaking with Olive Tree about this reader, they mentioned that there are some features that will be utilized as new products come out. That has me waiting to see what they're not telling us is in this release! Exciting stuff!

For now, we'll have to wait for the new releases. Just start making your Christmas list now...

Exploring the Bible on Your PDA

OliveTree.com has long been one of the leading software for personal, Bible study. They have a range of tools ranging from Bibles, devotionals, movies and much more. I want to encourage everyone to stop by OliveTree.com and take a look at their new site and their vast selection of tools for the novice Christian or the seasoned veteran.

Over the next few days, I'll be posting articles from their site that aid students of the Bible with inspiration and insight. I'm sure the articles will encourage and challenge your heart and soul as they did mine.

-Kevin Agot

Using only your handheld PDA and Olive Tree Bible Software,you'll quickly and easily uncover life-changing treasures from God's word. As always, Olive Tree’s goal is to bring you the very best in Bible Study Software for your handheld PDA.

I Love the Bible, but Do I Really Want a PDA?

Awhile back I was getting ready to fly from Washington State to a Christian retreat in Pennsylvania. As usual, I stood in front of my library of Bibles, Bible study resources, and related books, wondering what to carry with me this time. I like to travel light, with a laptop and a few books, but there always seems to be at least one more book I wish I could take with me. When a friend of mine who uses his Pocket PC for Bible study encouraged me to buy one, I stalled, not realizing this wallet-sized digital gadget could handle more Bibles and study tools than I could imagine, using a storage card the size of a quarter.

After some consideration, I decided to take my friend’s advice and went out to purchase a Hewlett Packard iPAQ®, one of a number of Pocket PC devices that would serve the purpose. It took a few days to get used to tapping on a screen instead of turning pages to get where I wanted to go, but very soon I found that I was using this little Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) for much of my Bible study needs, and thoroughly enjoying it. When it came time for the trip, I didn’t even have to check a laptop through airport security.

A Complete Library of the Best Bible Reference Works

More and more people are discovering the amazing efficiency and convenience of using a PDA for Bible reading and Bible study, both personally and in groups. When I say PDA, I’m talking about the Palm OS and Pocket PC handheld devices (iPaq®, Axim, Toshiba, Treo, Tungsten, and LifeDrive, among others) that many business people use for maintaining calendars, storing lists of contacts, and accessing their email.

Did you know that today’s PDA’s can store dozens of Bible versions, dictionaries,

multi-volume Bible commentaries, daily devotionals, and eBooks? Although the screen is no bigger than a baseball card, the storage capacity on today’s SD Cards behind the screen is astounding. Through Olive Tree’s BibleReader™ application, all the resources and features are available to enable you to search for words, look up the meaning of a word, delve into the original languages behind the English translations, read the Bible in a foreign language, and investigate what Bible scholars have to say about a passage you are studying. You can even watch multi-media presentations about Bible times and places. (Click here for the rest of the article)

Devotional time well spent.

If you're pressed for time, I'll make this short: Get Devotions for Palm. Seriously. I have not been this excited over a piece of spriritual-based software in a long time.

For those of you who need a bit more persuasion (I'm not pointing fingers here, being that I am recently reformed amalgam of Jonah and Thomas myself), do read on.

Another challenge to our efficacy as mobile ministers is preparation. Not just the physical stuff... I mean real nitty-gritty stuff, like spiritual fortification. We know we have to bathe ourselves in the Word; we need to have that close relationship that can only be fostered by serious "quiet" time, devotion that truly allows us to talk... and listen.

The only problem is we sometimes allow life to become an excuse. Family, work, socials, Monday Night Football, heck, even church functions can get "in the way" of devotion time. One excuse that should be harder to use now is forgetting your devotional materials at home, thanks to Devotions for the Palm Pilot by (the aptly named) Devotions.
Image: Devotionals, via Handango

Devotions (the program) grew out of a simple need. It was created when it's founder could not get regular updates for his PDA from his usual source. So, instead of bemoaning his fate (as I probably would have; programming is far from a strength of mine), he asked around, and then got to work.

Devotions is an excellent devotional reader. For folks like myself, who depend almost entirely on electronic Bibles, it is a true blessing. In conjuction with the devotional books available at the site it assists in making that time easier to achieve.

I tried the Devotions with two titles, Streams in the Desert and Moments Together for Couples. The program itself acted in much the way most e-book readers do, in that you select which book you want, and tap that to open. It then navigated to current date in the year, and I was able to read the devotion for that day.

To further compound its worth, it is compatible with three popular Bible software titles: Bible+, MyBible and BibleWithYou. This means that if the devotion you are studying has linked verses, you can click on the link and it will open the veres in the Bible program you use automatically. Tapping on "OK" in the verse page takes you back to the current devotion seamlessly.

I also loved the idea of the Reading Log. This noted what day's devotions you have read.

As noted before, there are plenty of free titles, from Charles Spurgeon and aBible reading plans as well. There are also wonderful titles to purchase, such as the ever-popular My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers, By Faith Alone by Martin Luther and even Time To Get Serious by Dr Tony Evans of Oak Cliff Fellowship (all books can be purchased for $9.99 each from the site).

All in all, this is an example of useful software that is well thought too. For example, a lot of the devotionals and reading plans can be downloaded in increments to save on space on your handheld. With a little tweaking, you can store devotionals on a card.

I honestly believe this can be the missing link sorely needed by those of us searching for mobile devotional solutions.

Devotions can be purchased from the Devotions purchase site for 10% off the regular price of $10.00.

Feel free to drop a line for Jeff and Sarah, who truly seem to be nice folks. This message is strictly for them: Keep your devotions, as you are going to need them soon and often. I have a 31/2 yr-od, and I have given up trying to keep up with her!

YIC.

Mid-Day Thoughts

This is a bit more than what I normally post here, but as I am chatting to LJ, I see something that should be at least mentioned, and if there is discussion can follow towards actions, then it does. Here is the text transcript:

...reading articles about how Google and MS are trying to assume aspects of each other for wining the data battle , Adobe readying the Apollo web/offline interface environment, and then Zune/Nintendo DS-like working of tech... there is much to be shared, and at the cresting point, someone big wont like it, and many people small will fight hard [to be on equal ground to receive and use it]

but then we have a church of IT-know-nothings (not all, speaking of casual users) who will do nothing more than flow the wave instead of create a new river that speaks/acts life

listening to this devo's song, reading the devo and reflecting on this makes me feel that we aren't fighting in this arena, working yes, but not standing/fighting [even online those things that speak towards Christ's heart of sharing the love of God with everyone regardless of social, physical, spiritual condition]

Do we contend for the Gospel at the sake of making sure that the least of them have the ability to meet Christ just as the most of them...[or do we exist in our spaces, content with just a surface knowledge of the issues and the ability but no heart to go out and change something]

To be honest, I don't expect anyone to understand this completely, let alone respond; but to say that my heart has been piqued lately with how tech is relevant to the cause of Christ and why we are/aren't moving does keep me thinking of how to be more effective, with and without MMM.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

eBible for Palm OS – A Review

I received my evaluation version of eBible almost two weeks ago and have been using it almost exclusively since then.

I use Bibles on my Palm OS devices mostly as a quick reference, or as a way to follow along when a pastor is preaching a sermon where he goes various places in the Bible. Also, I like to be able to compare versions from time to time during a church service or something like that.

There are many features in eBible for Palm OS that make it a very desirable electronic Bible for the way in which I use that kind of software, first of all the navigation from the upper left corner of the screen. Up there you have an icon, which will activate the pull down menus, you have the translation and the Scripture reference. You can tap on the translation to change translations very quickly and easily. Also the verse chooser, which lets you tap on the reference and get a list of books is in the upper left. Tap on your book and you’ll get a list of chapters, tap on the chapter and as expected, you’ll find the verses. This aids in navigation and is a very fast way to find a reference and makes it very handy if you are looking up a series of verses in fairly short order.

Additionally, there are forward and back arrows at the upper right corner of the screen that allow you to move in either direction of verses you’ve looked up using the verse chooser, which is especially nice. The find feature is also in the upper right corner of the screen, as well as the bookmarks, and a split screen toggle button that I actually found myself using more than I expected to. When you click on that, it will display or turn off a bottom pane in which you can display a second Bible, a commentary, personal notes or anything else that’s in your library. The ease with which this can be turned on and off is very nice.

One interesting feature that I hadn't seen before is the ability to tap on a singe word and get a pop up menu that provides access to study tools related to the word you've tapped on, such as topical searches, commentaries and lexicons.

The collection of books that’s included in the deluxe edition of eBible for Palm OS is very extensive. They’ve made a number of good references available including the Believers Bible Commentary, which is a personal favorite of mine. The reviewed version included three translations of the Bible including KJV, NKJV, and NCV or New Century Version.

Over all, I enjoyed this program very much, and found it both intuitive and easy to use. The only thing that I did not care for is the installation process. The program does not take up an abundance of memory on the device. However when I was trying to install, with only one Bible and a commentary, having 11 megabytes of memory free on my Tungsten E2, I continued to get out of memory messages. Never mind being able to install more than that on my device.

I contacted the good people at eBible and was advised that the way it was intended to be installed was with the program file itself on the device, and then a host of resources on a card. Their response was both timely and courteous, so I have no doubt that the product is very well supported.

I was also provided with an installation file for the program that would run on an SDIO card, and so most of the way I've used eBible has been with engine and data files on an SDIO card. The results were pleasantly surprising. There is the usual lag you'd expect from running programs on a card, but overall, performance was quite satisfactory.

Overall, I would recommend eBible to people I know, especially if they need to cross reference multiple versions and have numerous reference books available to them. With the wide variety of reference books, and a nice clean interface, eBible should be a benefit to anyone who needs a Palm OS based Bible. Topical studies are especially easy with the ability to tap on a single word and get a menu of things you can reference related to that, as mentioned above.

But if all you're looking for is a quick, easy to use Bible for church and things like that, eBible will fill that gap as well. I think the folks at Thomas Nelson have done a fine job with this product, and I'll be recommending it in the future I'm sure.

What If Paul Had A Blog #9

When MMM got started, a frequent thought of mine was about the early church and if the technology that we have today could have been relevant in any way. One of the easiest correlations was with Paul [love of] writing and the fact that so many are writing today via blogs. Many articles were written about what this could look like if Paul did have a blog, but one aspect of having a blog is being able to blog. We'd have to assume that Paul would have liked the GSM setup that most of Europe has now (though he would need a waterproof phone) for traveling purposes. But what would his blogging platform look like? I personally don't see him as a Facebook or MySpace-type person (easily Peter and John would be involved in those). But I do see him with something like Mob5.

I learned about Mo5 via its review at Wap Review and noticed that while it is short on features compared to some of the more entrenched social networking software applications, this one is incredibly versatile in that it is very usable on a mobile device. From the Wap Review article:

...I am impressed with Mob5.com's technology for adapting images to various mobile browser screen dimensions. Mob5 is resizing images to literally the largest exact size that will fit the browser's screen width. When I tried impersonating various mobile browsers using the the Firefox User Agent Switcher extension Mob5 would deliver the same image resized anywhere from 90 to 183 pixels wide. It worked well, in most cases delivering the largest possible image that would fit the screen without horizontal scrolling. I never got an image that was too wide for the screen. When Mob5 doesn't recognize a browser it renders images 90px wide which will safely fit on any phone's screen...

A pretty impressive feat for any website, let alone one that is a blog which serves several types of audiences. Paul would be able to speak to the various communities, and they would all (via the mobile tech) have a link to one another to share how God is working within their communities. Not all all much different than the functionality that sending and reading the letters did for the fellowships (in many cases, the same letter was read in multiple churches).

Mob5 is an interesting use of mobile tech and I am sure that as communities, companies, and people get more in tuned with how they want tech to be a part of their lives, services such as Mob5 will be right there with the enablements.

Other similar services/programs are available, such as MSN Spaces, and as we come across them at MMM, we will cover them and how they can be used for your organization or ministry.

Thinking of Mobile Content, Think RSS

I want to let you all in on a little/big secret. For some months now MMM has been undergoing a redesign effort. One of the reasons for the redesign is to make the suite of content here more accessible via mobile devices. While it is that I very much favor making this website mobile, I realize that for many viewing a full webpage on a mobile is just not feasible, some pages/sites are just too large.

Enter RSS, or really simple syndication. RSS is a format for viewing dynamic webpage content (content that changes often such as news articles). The cool aspect of RSS is that by itself it is pretty useless, but combined with a feed reader, it can be pretty versatile as a means in relaying constantly changing information that can be served for various devices.

An The Cellular Lifestyle goes into more detail about the various online and offline RSS readers available, so I will not cover that again here. I will highlight though that if you are looking for a means to serve content such as news announcements, church/organization news, etc. (even things as complex as a user manual) that RSS is a great option to give your audience. And for the most part mild help is needed to get a feed setup and read.

Add to that fact that both Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2 (the largest web browsers) handle RSS feeds quite well, and you have a means of helping info go mobile with people who already are.
- sent from Treo