It seems to be some kind of tradition here at MMM to poke a look at mobile devices, services, or experiences that are a bit more on the fringes of what’s possible, what’s happened, or what’s coming. In that light, I think a small look at FirefoxOS, and its aims for those markets/regions where there isn’t that much in terms of smartphones makes for an interesting perspective.

What is FirefoxOS?

For those familiar with the web browser Firefox, there’s a good bit of similarity happening with FirefxOS. The former (browser) was a chance to unseat the incumbent and dominant web browser (then Internet Explorer) by offering a standards compliant, fast(er), and more expandable (through the use of extensions) web browser. In part, the goal was to disrupt Internet Explorer by making it be what it wasn’t trying to be – the center of one’s web browsing environment. FirefoxOS is going a similar route but from the perspective of being a mobile phone platform. And what it aims to disrupt are (a) the route of development, and (b) the use/marketing of the top smartphone platforms, Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android.

Disrupt the Route of Development

One of the fabled innovations of the last half-decade of mobile has been the rise of the “app economy” and the ability for those with the time, patience, and funding to get into a platform and design some kind of unique experience within it. This is nothing new to the MMM audience – from as far back as the original Bible Reader on PalmOS Classic devices, the idea of a few people learning a platform then making content or services available made a lot of sense. Over time, this evolved into offerings a places such Handango/PalmGear, Nokia’s Download! service (the first manufactuer-pushed app store), iTunes App Store, and now every other app store imaginable (seriously, look at just the list of places you can download a bible). The problem is that it left the ability to build into a select group of folks who would have a particular motivation to continue. All the while, a place to produce with a lower barrier to entry, i.e., make a webpage, continues to sprawl at an amazing pace.

FirefoxOS aims to disrupt in this wise first: if someone can make a webpage, why can’t they make an app?

Disrupt the Top Smartphone Platforms

What’s also quite true about mobile now is that for the greater majority of those who use a mobile device in developed nations (please note all of the qualifiers that I just used), when asking the question “what is a smartphone,” or, “what is your preferred smartphone device or platform,” there are only two answers: Apple (iOS) and [Google] Android.

In the midst of such an answer are the incumbents whom are older: Microsoft ( with Windows Mobile then, Windows Phone now), Nokia (with Symbian, S40, and Maemo/MeeGo then, Windows Phone now), and Blackberry. And then there are those whom are looking to jump into the scene: Samsung’s Tizen, Jolla’s SailfishOS, Cannoical’s Ubuntu Mobile, and Mozilla with FirefoxOS. The former are more or less looking not to become unrelevant. While the latter platforms are looking to grab a slice of the mobile pie inside of a world context that has shifted the priority and profitability of mobile from a Western European/USA audience to an Asian and South American one.

FirefoxOS wants to be embedded into these newer regions and environments but to do so, it has to also disrupt the attention that the leaders and incumbents have towards their platforms. Disrupt doesn’t just mean attention though, it also means shifting the conversation from what has been possible to what is doable.

Phones for Apps for FirefoxOS

Part of the strategy for Mozilla to change the conversation (disrupt the incumbents if you will), is to offer a chance for developers of any skill level to get into the stream of creating apps and services for their upcoming platform that showcase the flexibility of it, but also endear the platform to the context of the markets it will be developed into. The Phones for Apps for Firefox program that’s going on this month intends to do just that.

If your proposal is accepted (and there are still devices left), then you will have the opportunity to create within the stream of some of that disruption that FirefoxOS seems to be aiming for. And even if you don’t get into the program, there’s documentation and software available to help you get started in making this platform something worth keeping into the conversation of what’s available for you or your content.

What that means for us here at MMM is that we could jump into the fray and either develop an app (we’ve got one worth doing) or learning the platform such that we can assist others who might begin considering it. That’s not a small endeavor (we did mention all of the other platforms that are fighting for attention these days earlier). Still, it makes sense that at the intersection of faith and mobile tech that we look at what’s prime to disrupt the status quo, and then ask the question “what makes the most sense for those folks coming online, specifically through their mobile devices, as devices become more malleable and personal?” We think FirefoxOS is one of several ways to go about answering that. We’ll see what the future of mobile looks like when we design it.

In this month’s video, Mobile Ministry Magazine’s Antoine RJ Wright tackles a user submitted question on mobile phone research, talks about some upcoming events, and expresses a bit of sadness at a broken tablet.

One of the benefits of following social media is that you come across information that has relevance to mobile ministry, but it doesn’t have to come from major publishers or journalists. Some of the best items found in this space are posted by individuals. And specifically on Twitter, if you follow the hastag #mobmin, you are going to find some nuggets such as Vojo, a mobile blogging platform that extends the Internet beyond just simply having a browser. Here’s more:

Vojo.co is a hosted mobile blogging platform that makes it easy for people to post stories from inexpensive mobile phones via voice calls, SMS, and MMS. Our goal is to foster greater inclusion in in the digital public sphere.

You don’t need a smart phone or an app to post stories to a Vojo group – any phone will do. You don’t even need internet access: Vojo lets you create an account via sms and start posting right away. In addition to content posting via voice, sms, and MMS, and sms registration, features include:tags, geocoding, maps, MMS filters, groups, and group messaging. Group admins can also send sms and multimedia content out to registered users’ mobile phones…

Read more about Vojo at the MIT Center for Civic Media

Now, you might wonder why such a platform or direction might make sense. There are a few ideas that I can think of based on some of the experiences I have with multi-lingual communities:

• Creating a digital notebook/copybook where students post their assignments to this blog, but classmates would be able to see work as well as teachers
• ESL (English as second language) scrapbook
• Digital stories archive for low-tech communities

Of course, there are many other reasons to use a blog. You will want to make sure that if folks are blogging that they have the access to see what they are posting, and an ability to take what’s posted and utilize it to make a jump off for other items. How would you or your organization use a self-publishing platform to emower expressions of faith?

For a listing of other mobile-friendly content management systems, see this listing on our Services page.

Amongst the challenges that many find within mobile, the idea of making sense of the amount of data that comes in is one that gets many people. Usually because we end up trying to answer the questions around return on investment (ROI). Yes/ there’s that challenge of identifying the data that we use, but what about after we get that data? What can we expose our understand better in order to change our approach or perceptions to what makes for effective ministry practices?

The MIT Technology Review recently published a piece looking at how data from mobiles changed bus routes. Here’s a snippet:

…Mobility data is created when someone uses a phone for a call or text message. That action is registered on a cell-phone tower and serves as a report on the user’s general location somewhere within the tower’s radius. The person’s movement is then ascertained as the call is transferred to a new tower or when a new call is made that connects to a different tower.

While the data is rough—and of course not everyone on a bus has a phone or is using it—routes can be gleaned by noting the sequence of connections. And IBM and other groups have found that these mobile phone “traces” are accurate enough to serve as a guide to larger population movements for applications such as epidemiology and transportation (see “Big Data from Cheap Phones.”)

Cell-phone data promises to be a boon for many industries. Other research groups are using similar data sets to develop credit histories based on a person’s movements and phone-based transactions, to detect emerging ethnic conflicts, and to predict where people will go after a natural disaster to better serve them when one strikes…

Read the rest of African Bus Routes Redrawn With Cell Phone Data at MIT Technology Review

The MIT Tech Review has also pointed to a slew of other mobile research data that will presented at an upcoming conference.

Knowing some of the folks who read here, this kind of data mining or analysis sounds probably too specialized, or at the least too intensive to be useful quickly. But I want to wager that is something that can be done on smaller, more informal scales by starting with observation.

For example, back with the Kiosk Evangelism Project, one of the initial theories on implementation were that people would be willing and able to put their mobile or memory card from their mobile into a machine and get content. I had my partner in the project go to the mall and observe how people were sharing content, and then go into various phone does and look at how the devices that sell the most were not used towards that manner. We had to look at distribution differently in light of that data, then come up with methods of access and discovery that worked for that kind of target audience.

Yes, you can go a lot further, as the MIT Tech Review piece shows. But, you have to be willing to look at the data differently, and be willing even to let the use of mobile disk to you, rather than making it say what you want it to.

I’m in the midst of creating an online class, and specifically doing some edits for the content that’s already been created. The instructional designer for the school I’m working with has gotten back to me with several notes, and much of it are items that probably wouldn’t have been as hard to manage if I weren’t in the position of juggling several computing platforms at once in order to produce this. Now, let me note, this isn’t a knock to that school, or online classes in general, but it is an observation of some of the hurdles that tend to happen when governance doesn’t keep pace with the instructor, or the lesson.

The context of the class is that of creating a mobile ministry. In five sessions, I go through a summary of much of the work that’s been done here at MMM for the past 8 years (yes, its really been since April 2005 that the online aspect of this magazine has been in existence). For this class, I’ve got to handle working through a learning management system (a content management applications specifically made for online education) called Moodle. I’ve also got to create content inside of the enterprise-favorite, Microsoft PowerPoint. Inside of these containers I’ve got the requirements to create engaging and interactive content – and pretty much assume that all of it will be consumed session-by-session and while folks have little to nothing else on their plate. I’m not a fan of that methodology if you couldn’t tell.

At this point, I’ve got to redo a lot of content, and all of it is happening through the use of several mobile/connected tools:

• my Nokia N8: serves as the audio and video recorder (excellent in both of these capacities)
• my Kindle Fire HD and 1st gen Apple iPad tablets point towards Evernote and Microsoft Office Online to create the text-based components of this class – the latter doesn’t do so well on tablets
• Dropbox for sharing files between my devices and with the school I’m working with
• a personal wiki (using TiddlyWiki) on my Nokia N9 (different device) where much of the content generation, resource collection, and management of all these parts has happened
• And if that’s not fun enough, a borrowed PC to do the parts with Office Online that are just flat out unusable on these mobile devices

One could read all of that and get the impression that creating a mobile and online course is a lot of work and takes a ton. But, I don’t think so. In fact, I’ve done my best not to push back against the school that I’m working with in order to get a better idea of how to take my mobile-mainly approach and fit it within these constraints. That said, this could be done in a much easier way. For example:

• There would be one and only one document, Fargo.io an online outlining web app that connects to Dropbox accounts -created by the inventor of RSS (and oldest blogger) Dave Winer
• Audio and video components would be linked using the Dropbox “share link” feature but these would be created on a single mobile device
• Group discussions occur via Twitter (only) with access to the tweet stream restricted to the in-class participants only (also helps that Twitter is accessible via SMS, web, and email digests)

That doesn’t sound like much, but once you have your outline (as a professor), then there really isn’t much more to a class other than sparking the discussion(s) that lead to knowledge development/transfer.

I’m not done the edits that I have in place here, but I’m thinking that I might be up for doing something like this for the next presentation or course that I’m asked to lead. Seems like too much of a hassle to be using this tech the way that I do, but then have to take several large steps backward in order to teach people the lessons I’ve learned – content shouldn’t be locked, should be accessible to the greatest number of people, and should be tailored to their unique experiences with its application. I don’t know that content management systems, or governance really enable that right now. But I think that we can get there if we have these kinds of examples that simplify what can be done, then get out there and do it.

This past week, I was able to attend the ConvergeSE Conference. But rather than being there in a capacity of thought-leader, presenter, or even regular attender, I was there as a sketchnote artist. Sketchnotes are drawings that include text and graphics that are done during the course of attending meetings, bible studies, workshops, or nearly anything where you have lots of information and its just better to engage both sides of your brain while listening. I listened to the presentations, but kept my finger more or less on the pulse of what was happening around me. Being around the Columbia Museum of Art and their collection tends to make you a bit more reflective.

ConvergeSE is a conference where it seemed that in part, many web developers, graphics designers, and mobile/web designers were there to connect and get a refresh. The talks that I attended were techie in part, but mostly seemed to serve the purpose of helping the creatives who were there to refresh a bit in an industry where not only things change quickly, but its easy to be distracted by things that don’t matter as much.

What was interesting is how you could parse the attendees into two groups: those who connect and those who were present. The connectors I saw talking often to different people and moving from place to place a bit faster than I. The folks who were present were a bit more solitary in sections, but seemed to just float along the stream catching connections as they happened, and embracing Columbia, SC when it poked different. The tech that connected these two groups usually came in some Apple-tinted flavor, but it always seemed to have something mobile nearby.

I found myself at one point sitting outside at one point just listening. I followed one group to a point, then moved my attention to another. I was grabbed by a few familiar faces, and later dropped off to be engaged by faces that might be more familiar in my future. I watched how people wandered between meetings, and how a few others spent the time right before a speaker started setting up their laptop/mobile or grabbing another quick bite. Listening, sketching. And generally just embracing something that doesn’t seem to be a part of design and development practices for many… contemplation, or reflection.

I got a lot of ideas about how to not use paper laynards, how to keep devices charged wirelessly, and how those beautiful paintings should have come home with me digitally. I thought about how to remain connected with a few new persons, and was sparked to create something for the church community here that isn’t always afforded… a chance to express and entreprenural spirit.

Connected technologies afford us a lot of things. But, if we don’t remain aware of the presence of how our lives intersect with others, and the opportunities that open up to us in that, then this tech is nothing more than just a connect to a stream. A stream where others just pass around. But we are there with a life jacket or directions to shore… being a presence towards something more than just another way to connect.

Is your organization still debating whether its worth having a mobile app or a website? And probably for the following reasons:

• Our organization has finally gotten on board with the idea of being present on mobile
• We’ve finally gotten the funds to build a mobile app, just trying to figure out how now
• We’ve got a mobile website but no one visits it
• Our regular website keeps getting fewer and fewer visits and we need something new

Ok, I get it. That’s a worthy debate. So let’s make it easy to answer:

• If its that your org has gotten on board with being present on mobile, share with them the Mobile Ministry Methodology
• Trying to figure out how to build a mobile app, follow the points about mobile strategy , this guide on how to build an app, or engage some of the services that help you build an app/website quickly
• Getting people to download your app or visit your mobile website is all about discoverability; get that part down and you fix that
• But, just because you need something new doesn’t mean you need mobile app, consider your audience and your options

I get it. Some folks are still debating the mobile question. Hopefully, the items in this post will help you take some posiitve forward steps towards answering the needs of your org, audience, budget, and mission.

We are very late in getting this up, but given the site issues and just how popular our review of Bible Bloom has been, its about time that we make a note about something new happening with Bible Bloom called the Daily Bible Challenge.

Now, you’ve been a part of reading plans before, but this one offers a bit more. And combined with the pleasant UI of BIble Bloom’s app, could make for a neat reason to use this Bible app versus to others.

Here’s more about the Bible Challenge:

The Big Idea
The Bible Bloom Daily Challenge is a journey that will stretch and strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ. The concept is very simple but the impact is profound: each day we’ll issue a new challenge to experience Jesus. You can try it, skip it, or share it. Some challenges will be easy and others will stretch you. But every challenge will grow your faith, glorify Jesus, and advance the kingdom of heaven.

What is even more exciting is that Christians all over the world will take the same challenge at the same time. Now imagine the revelation of Jesus that will enter your life through a daily challenge multiplied by tens of thousands of Christians all over the world. Together we will ask for a greater revelation of Jesus, pray against injustices like human trafficking and abortion, bless Israel, and activate our faith through evangelism. There are 365 inspiring, thought provoking, and fun challenges to stretch your faith.

Read more about the Bible Bloom Daily Bible Challenge

Sounds like something worth taking part in? Good stuff. Let’s sweeten the deal for you here.

Bible Bloom has given us two promo-codes that we’ll give away to anyone who wants to try out the Bible Bloom app. Its only available on Apple’s iOS devices (made for the iPhone, but will work on the iPad) so sorry about that end of things. But for those of you looking to try something a bit different, or get a friend or family member to try something different, this is a great idea. If you are interested in the promo code, shoot us a message via Twitter including BibleBloom in a hashtag (for example, “hey @mobileminmag, I’d like to try that #BibleBloom app”). If we get a large number of tweets, we’ll choose at random; if not, we’ll just go by the responses. Let’s say that we give about 3 days to get a response from you all on that.

Until that point, stay tuned to MMM for more bible app reviews, commentary, or other potential giveaways.

The other day while going through email, I noticed a newsletter from the good folks over at Olive Tree Bible Software. As I read, I saw a neat piece in there about how to use a concordance with their software. Here’s a snippet:

…As you can see, the Olive Tree Concordances are much more than a list of cross references for each word in the Bible. With dictionary information tied to the original language, these resources are valuable tools for Bible study. Each concordance comes with a copy of the Bible in the selected translation…

Read the rest of Using A Concordance in the Bible Study App at the Olive Tree Blog

That piece got me thinking back to how I used to use print resources, then print and web, and then later web and mobile resources in order to do my studies. A good deal of the work that went into feature suggestions and the design of Palm Bible+ app which accelerated my travels in this space. It was very important then to not just have access to the resource, but have it in such a way that it didn’t interrupt the reading flow, but was there when needed. Now then, we did things with the PalmOS Graffiti system, and even the keyboard on Treo devices to make that happen. These days with touch and more consistent connectivity, designing these resources into an app is a bigger challenge.

Even with that challenge, its still a suitable flow of use. So, let’s open question that titles this post (how do you use study resources) with a few qualifiers:

• For those of you who might use commentaries, concordances, etc. in your private reading, how do you do it? What could be done better?
• For those of you who use those resources while teaching, what kinds of challenges do you run into either from the side of teaching or the side of sharing the sources of that info with students?
• For those wh might use these resources to teach, but don’t share them with your students/audiences, why?

There you have a few ways to frame an answer. Let’s hear what you have to say towards using study resources, especially with your mobile-enabled audiences.

Was browsing over at Symbiota and came across a really interesting question worth discussion on several levels: How would Jesus use technology?

…I think Jesus would have used the technology in a couple of ways. One, I think because we see Jesus working primarily with his group of 12. He talk crowds, he healed and he walked through cities and really impacted a lot of people. But he concentrated, he put a lot of his leadership training in his 12. So I think Jesus would have really used technology to train his core leaders to give them the tools. I think of the story when Jesus send 70, 2 by 2. I can imagine, you know, hypothetically if I can use my imagination them being in the field and asking Jesus the question and having Jesus on Skype or on Google Hangout and he’s saying, OK this is how I would do the situation if I were you.

So I think he would primarily use it in training his core leaders but also because he was impacting so many people, he would make sure that the gospel was broadcasted as far and as wide as possible…

Read the rest of the Interview with Pierre Quinn over at Symbiota

Personally, I don’t know that Jesus would have used tech in that manner. At least not when it came time for ministry. If we look at the text, we see very little of the carpenter in the text, but we do see the effects of his work in terms of social movements, behaviors, and responses.

Its an interesting one, and makes us really think about how we navigate and move in this space. Perhaps its less about the tech, and more about the process after the tech we should pay attention to?

Disclaimer: Symbiota is one of several partner groups to MMM. Interested in partnering with MMM?