Mobile Ministry Magazine

Some good news out there for those of you who use RIM BlackBerry devices and have looked somewhat longingly at the Celio Redfly. In the past weeks, the versatile Celio Redfly smartphone companion devices have added BlackBerry devices to its list of compatible smartphones. So this means that for those of you who do your work on a BlackBerry, and don't want the hassle of finding wireless keyboard drivers or carrying a netbook, that you have a solid solution.

A few reviews have already been published about the Redfly+BlackBerry package, here's a snippet from the review from Brighthand:

...BlackBerrys don't have an on-screen cursor in exactly the way a PC does, so Celio had to adapt. The Redfly's trackpad-- and mouse if you plug one in -- acts like a 5-way D-pad. This can move the selection point up, down, left and right, but not diagonally. Hitting the left mouse button is the same as pressing in on the track-ball on the BlackBerry. The Redfly has a set of Up, Right, Left, Down buttons, and I often find these easier than the mouse or trackpad...

We've talked about the Redfly+Smartphone combination here a few times. This is really a good solution for those of you who'd have little to no problem working from your smartphone for long spells, but could use the larger screen and closer-to-full-sized keyboard. Add to that you get 8hrs of use out of the combination, and you really do end up with a very robust mobile solution.

There are a number of churches/orgainzations which may have looked at BlackBerries and Windows Mobile devices as enterprise-like solutions for communication and productivity. This Redfly+smartphone works really well. And, instead of configuring laptops, then having to track those (more expenses), you get something a lot less expensive in the Redfly, and something that requires a lot less maintenance for you (the IT department) and the user.

For more info, to download drivers for your device, or to see the different Redfly models available, check out the Celio website.

If you are using the Redfly, we'd love to hear how you are getting along with it and some of the positives and challenges. Leave your note in the comments below.

Labels: BlackBerry, ceilo redfly, mobility, Windows Moible

Just a few mobile-oriented questions that have been stirring in my head today:

• I see more and more pastor-teachers opting to carry information-centric mobiles such as BlackBerries. What are some of the top reasons that you use such a device, and what would make using it more effective for your needs?
• To those of you who use a smartphone in addition to other office software, what do you to manage information that is ministry/business in nature, but you are notified during personal times (days-off, evening family time, etc.)?

Labels: BlackBerry, communication, mobility, Personal, smartphone

I wrote a few weeks back about my belief that the only thing I thought I needed to make my BlackBerry the complete mobile ministry companion was some form of GPS navigation. At the time I picked a model, I had to decide between having Wi-Fi capabilities or a GPS radio.

I picked wi-fi for the call advantages and the ability to have a second method to get internet access. Plus, third-party GPS pucks provide better (IMHO) functionality than current built-in radios.

I had an opportunity to see if TeleNav GPS Navigator would fill my needs.

TeleNav 5.1 promised to make my Blackberry a mobile GPS voice navigator, and I wanted to see it done.

After getting the software on my device, I was able to go throught the setup process, and pair it to my bluetooth puck via my phone's bluetooth radio. The program itself gives the option of Drive To, Directory assistance, Maps & Traffic and Tools/Extras. I went straight into the Drive To menu. I entered an address, and the program immediately queried the address and gave me the directions. The display showed clear 3-D arrows, and gave me the option of looking at the summary of the trip, or switching to 2-D. During the trip, I received close-to-live updates of the trip in progress, and estimated time of arrival.

You get to pick what type of voice you want; the voice prompts were clear and not given in a timely fashion. Any major deviations to the presented routes were met with ominous rings. After a few requests to turn round, it mapped an alternate route immediately.

I changed the inputs... the program can map your trip to accommodate fastest way, shortest, preferred route, or you can have the route optimized for traffic or pedestrian walking. The system continually polled for traffic, and located a major pileup before the electronic roadsigns noted it. It then gave the option of a segment-avoiding re-route.

All in all, I was surprised by the intuitive nature... every facet seemed to have been created to assist drivers in a very busy world. Even the little things, like the ability to search and input destinations by voice, or the integrated compass, are all very useful. The biggest treat is integration with desktop browsers. Telenav has browser plugins that integrate with Internet Explorer and Mozilla FireFox. These plugins help auto-populate your account with addresses that are synced to your device over-the-air. In other words, you can plan a trip on your laptop, and be ready to go when you open and sync the program to the servers.

While the volume was a bit low for my taste, it worked over my device's media player; so, even with music playing, the program "spoke" over the music at turns and such.

Another feature that seemed glaring in its absence was the inability to input trips with multiple stops. However, it does force better pre-trip planning, and since the Drive-To feature is fast, this can easily be used at every stop.

This program is juicy enough to be a homerun hit, but TeleNav does take it a bit further. The customer service was exemplary, and it was via the most innocuos of sources: Twitter. Within minutes of sending the most general of messages over Twitter, I was treated like royalty. Not bad in this day and age. Shockingly wonderful service.

Maps are upgraded quarterly; thus, you'll always have recent information.

TeleNav is available in different packages. You can purchases a one-yr, two-yr or four-yr licence, or you can do a monthly subscription plan. They also offer a 30-day free trial period. They also have standalone units, GPS receivers, and solutions for business as well.

For the peace of mind, I highly recommend it.

Software was tested on 8-hr trip with Freedom Bluetooth GPS Keychain receiver and BlackBerry 8320 running OS 4.5.

Labels: BlackBerry, GPS, review, software

This application is one of my rant 'n' rave items.

SplashMoney is yet another component of SplashWallet from SplashData, and is aimed at being a mobile financial manager. And boy, does it deliver...

Just like its sister app SplashID, it comes in a dual package: a handheld utility and a syncable desktop companion. Both are full-fledged and combine to give the user the ability to manage financial matters on the go.

To start, SplashMoney serves as a secure, password-protected repository of your sensitive data. Each account you have can be entered by type and account number. In this sense, it is the complete financial ledger; you can input financial transactions as they occur. Instead of carrying a check register, you can do it electronically on your smartphone, as this is a complete check Register.

Now, what really sets SplashMoney apart is its online capabilities. SplashMoney, on both the desktop and the handheld (with online access), has the ability to go online and retrieve complete banking information from some major banks. This is a very useful feature for a few reasons. If you bank with an institution on the list, you can set up the account automatically over-the air if you know your weblogin information. Also, with the view transactions feature, you can balance every transaction from these banks, and check them against entries you made yourself. To expand a bit, I seamlessly converted all my banking information to the electonic sheet, and I was good to go in minutes.

When I say complete, I do mean complete. The Budget feature allows you to create and maintain your budget within the device. The budget utility is integrated with the transactions, so you can easily keep track of your overall financial picture. The Reports feature allows you to summarize all the info in easy-to-understand textual information or pie charts (I really loved this). These reports and color-coordinated pie-charts can be printed.

Syncing the handheld with the desktop is independent of the Blackberry Desktop Manager.

I'd love to see the list of online banks increase, even though the list does arguably include every major bank there is. The ability to share databases in a seamless manner between, say, a couple would be a nice enhancement.

All in all, despite my experience with this software on another platform, I was just as impressed. I am an unabashed fan. The features can be expanded beyond just personal finance; I used it to create a mock ministry budget that I could have with me at all times.

SplashMoney is available on every major mobile platform (and for Windows ) at the SplashWallet site. Of course, there is a 30-day trial and a 60-day money back guarantee.

Labels: BlackBerry, review, software, SplashData

Was talking to a new coworker today and got a chance to play with the new BlackBerry Storm. A really neat device, it got us talking about mobile devices and specifically some features that I use with mine. Besides the 5 megapixel camera, which usually gets a lot of attention, my co-worker was a bit enthralled with the idea of instead of hitting a button to snooze an alarm or hit "ignore" for a call, that I could do those actions with just a simple motion of the mobile.

As I spoke with her, I realized that there are some aspects of mobile devices that really have to be seen to believe. Sure, one can do things such as have a touchscreen or a nice camera, but its another thing to reduce (amplify?) interactions to actual motions.

Think about what the Nintendo Wii and what it has done for casual gaming. The people who want and use the Wii are not people who are "into gaming" but who see the ability to wave the controller and become a part of the game. To these people it is not about specs and the shiny stuff, even though the PS3 and XBox 360 get that look, its about those simple things that one never thought of before when it came to gaming.

Now go back to that interaction with my coworker. I received a phone call as I was talking with her and simply flipped my phone over to ignore it. Simply speaking, she was excited. It was so much a simple activity - ignoring a phone call - but to her it meant a simple activity that was made even more natural by the use a simple behavior.

Besides FlipSilent, which does this simple snooze/ignore technique, I also have an application called RockNScroll which takes that idea of using motions a lot further. With RockNScroll, I am able to not only change the orientation of my phone from landscape to portrait by flipping it, but I can also do things such as scroll web pages and select items by "pushing" or "pulling" the mobile.

If you will, my mobile phone has become more than just an input device, but its an interactive one. And just like my co-worker who chose the BlackBerry Storm in part for the advanced touchscreen, I am using these simple motions as a means to just add a bit of interactivity to my mobile-enabled life.

When you think about it, this is more the future of computing than specs and shiny stuff. And when looked at like this, its going to be something very hard to ignore, and something a lot of folks will be willing to pick up and answer.

This post was previously posted on my personal website, but I'm following a solid request to have it posted here for further discussion and thought.

Labels: BlackBerry, innovation, mobility, N95, sensors, software

Olive Tree brings name recognition and a reputation for reliability to the game. One of the things I first looked for when I initially considered the jump from Palm to BlackBerry was the presence of Bible programs.

The fact that Olive Tree had a BlackBerry port helped make the decision easy.

Olive Tree BibleReader for BlackBerry Version 4.0 is an impressive Bible study program that provides access to an entire suite of inspirational resources.

What makes this software compelling is the ability to store bible translations and related material on the user's expansion card. This removes the natural fear BB users have when it comes to device memory. Now, with this software, the only restriction on how much resources one can carry is based on device OS and memory card size.

Genius.

I am finicky. OTBR accommodated- me. Option-wise, I had numerous options: the ability to adjust font size, font color, background colors and more. The search function was snappy; I found it to be very responsive, even to multiple words.

Of particular interest to potential users will be the Bookmarking feature. It does just that: it keeps the selected verse in memory. This is great for when you are at service or such and have a list of scriptural references, you can save them in the program before-hand. I found it very useful.

Olive Tree has a library of dozens of bible translations and related reference resources that can be stored on card. Of these, a few are free (like ASV and BBE); the rest are for sale at the Olive Tree site. The reader itself is free.

My biggest issue with OTBR is admittedly somewhat unfair; it is based on the fact that I was such a huge fan of the features on the Palm port. To be specific, I was dismayed with the inability to add notes directly into the program while studying the bible. As said early, I loved this feature on my Palm. At the risk of sounding overly whimsical, I missed the ability to "split" screens with different versions. Again, that feature enhanced bible study a great deal

Simply put, this is an excellent program. It is well-made, feature-rich and has the potential to be a valuable tool in the lives of the familiars and the curious. If anything, try out the free translations. Support is quick, updates are frequently put out, and the developer clearly aims to please.

This software is rated for devices running OS 4.2 and up.

It is also available for Palm, iPhone, Symbian, and Windows Mobile.

This software was tested (and its review written) on an 8320 running OS 4.5 on T-Mobile.

Labels: BibleTech, BlackBerry, Olivetree, review

Those might have moved from an iPhone to a BlackBerry might be delighted in this news. YouVersion has released the initial version (1.0) of their BlackBerry Bible Application.

From the YouVersion Blog:

Biggest [user interface] change is an upgrade to a more elegant design, while also integrating sleek carousel navigation in the interface. Other features include the ability to email verse to a friend, view contributions from YouVersion users and compatibility with a wider range of Blackberry handsets. Models included in this update are: 9000, 87xx, 88xx, 83xx, 8220, 7130, 81xx...

According to the post, there will be a version of the Blackberry Bible Application for the newly released Storm/Thunder (touchscreen Blackberry) as well.

Seems pretty slick of an application, especially for something free. Download it and let MMM know what you think about it.

Labels: Bible, BlackBerry, software, YouVersion

I am the type of phone user that likes to have it easy. There's nothing really complex about it; no insane formula that governs it. I simply like to have as much as I can on the least number of devices. Convergence is key.

It's the reason that I, the most loyal of Palm guys, migrated to BlackBerry. I am a ministry guy, and everything on my device needs to assist me in that pursuit.

The biggest drawback for me as a new BB user was the relative dearth of the third party applications that made life with Palm a breeze. In recent years, the gap is closing; one application that helps shrink this gap significantly is HanDBase Professional for BlackBerry by DDH Software.

I originally had this on my Palm OS device, and it was my most used non-scriptual application. Simply put, it is an all-round database solution with an amazing penchant for flexibility.

There is almost no limit to the possibilities. This application bridges the gap that exists between convergence device and handheld laptop replacement.

The program comes in two parts for the BlackBerry. It has the handheld portion and a desktop companion. The two components are syncable both ways. The idea is that the user makes a database on the desktop that is accessible on the user's device.

To explain further, think of a relational database that could be useful (like a check register) HanDBase allows the user to create a custom check register to fit the user's needs. The interface easily helps you along, and you can create tables and columns that are dependent on each other. In other words, you can integrate data and basically create simple mini-programs that fulfill business and personal needs.

It gets better. Checkable tasks lists, fitness logs, bible studies, business ledgers, contact databases, and more can all be created and then carried on your device.

DDH also offers the ability to create custom databases for individual and enterprise users. It is easy to see why this item is so highly regarded in the Palm world.

To nitpick, I wish that one could create databases on the go on the actual device.

All in all, I enjoyed using this software. Look here for a comparison of features of the BB stable.

Try out HanDBase at the demo download site.

As an added boon, DDH is offering a special code, good for 20% off HanDBase Professional for BlackBerry. Just use the code Dec08TL20 during checkout at the DDH website. The code is good till January 15, 2009.

Labels: BlackBerry

I promised to review some Bible software a short while ago. This is one I stumbled on while talking to Twitter pal Chris Szulwach, and I am happy I stumbled.

Youversion is an offering from Lifechurch.tv that is aimed at making the Bible more accessible to all. The best part is that they truly have a heart for leveraging technology to make it happen.

This application is user friendly, allowing users to add devotions and notes to specific verses that can be used by fellow users.

The whole project makes available a robust online Bible in numerous translations. Well, the developers didn't stop there; they created a BlackBerry port, so that your biblical needs are available on the go.

The BlackBerry application has more than 30 different translations in numerous languages. You can search the entire Bible with keywords. Upon starting the program on your Berry, you are welcomed to a clean mobile interface with an option to check other user contributions, or to use the built-in one-year reading plan, or simply just "read."

I found that application responsive. The default font was perfect, and can be made smaller or larger to fit the users tastes.

If I had to gripe (and I am honestly struggling here), it would be about the inability of a user to make notes/contributions on the BlackBerry.

All in all, this is a beautifully-made free application for BlackBerry and (gasp!) iPhone users. A true blessing. Have fun "inviting" friends and family to use this application Facebook-style via email, or join the growing community at youversion.com.

The generalized mobile site is located at m.youversion.com.

Labels: Bible, BlackBerry, Church Tech Today, iPhone

A post caught in the weeds of Google Reader has been rescued :)

The folks at LifeChurch.TV have released a free Bible application for Blackberry users. A connected application, the YouVersion Bible App for the Blackberry opens the YouVersion Mobile site where one can pretty much do anything: read several Bible versions, search for words and phrases, catch up on the One Year Reading Plan, and even share with other YouVersion users.

Check it out and leave your thoughts here or at LifeChurch.TV (but tell them we sent you).

Labels: Bible, BlackBerry, software, YouVersion

The E71 is getting packed up and sent back to Nokia this weekend, but before I do so, I wanted to add some notes about it that might prove helpful to some of you who are interested in this smooth mobile.

• As a device to keep you connected, there really are few that are better. Yes, the interface might feel a lot dated compared to others, but its simple and very esily gets the job done.
• I found it pretty easy to manage contacts and calendar information with the built-in applciations; though their abilities can be extended with 3rd party software.
• For a Bible reader, I use S60 Bible Reader as that one is able to use the same Bibles that I had from the Palm OS application Bible+. It not as stout in terms of bookmarking and taking notes as other apps are, but its solid in terms of just reading while in service, study, or just when sitting and enjoying the day.
• Many people ask where you can purchase it, and your only options in the US at this point are from online retailers, or Nokia flagship stores in Chicago and NYC. You would be getting the benefit of purchasing it without a contract, which over the life of the device keeps things nice and inexpensive.
• The battery life, oh such nice battery life. Only BlackBerrys are better. But you win with much better software and hardware here in my opinion.

Feel free to ask any other questions that may come to mind about the E71. As I get other devices, look for them to be shared here as well.

Labels: Bible+, BlackBerry, E71, S60 Bible Reader, smartphone

Olive Tree's BibleReader for the BlackBerry has been updated recently. This beta version adds some features present in other editions of Olive Tree's product, and brings a few software and usability enhancements.

Some of the new features in BibleReader 4.0 for BlackBerry include:

• A redesigned verse-chooser screen
• A redesigned and optimized library screen
• A history feature which enables the viewing of past read content
• And, the ability to store Bibles on a memory card

BibleReader for the BlackBerry is currently available via the Olive Tree's beta software page.

A non-beta version of BibleReader is available from Olive Tree's website for other PDAs and smartphones in addition to BlackBerry models.

Labels: Bible, BlackBerry, Olivetree, software

Pardon the lack of pictures, but I'm litereally between phones of all kinds right now.

Last night, I received the Nokia E71 (European Version) from Nokia Blogger Relations and have some initial thoughts that some of you who might be in the market for a QWERTY smartphone might find very interesting.

First of all, this device is small. The E71 is all of 10 mm (that's 1cm) thick. Compared to the MWg Zinc II that I am in the process of reviewing its small, just really, really small.

Add in the fact that it has a battery that is as large as my N800 Internet Tablet and you have the makings of a device that can pretty much last a few days being used hard.

What I mean by using hard is this: there is built-in GPS, Wi-FI, Bluetooth 2.0 (with the ability to use Bluetooth stereo headphones, called A2DP), 110MB of internal storage space, a microSD card slot for adding more space, and tons of software at your displosal. In other words, this thing is loaded.

I gave it to a friend of mine who likes Nokias but currently has a BlackBerry Curve (ironically, I just reviewed that too) and she remarked that it was really small yet powerful. It was a bit too powerful. The metal casing and all of those features makes it kinda hard to assume that you will take advantage of it fully.

But that's why I get these devices. I'm given the task to living with the E71 and figuring out its abilities and whether this can be something that would work for those of you who would like to keep connected, or extend your ability to connect with those you minister with.

I look forward to sharing my experiences with you here, Jaiku, and other places online. Frankly speaking, I've got a new phone in the house, so you know its time to kick the usage up a good bit. :)

Labels: BlackBerry, E71, internet tablet, N800, Nokia, smartphone

Yet another Bible application, but this one for those with BlackBerries that cannot technically unattach from their device or the office. Bible Unleashed for BlackBerry smartphones is a pretty effective way to utilize a BB for more than just email.

From the press release:

...Bible Unleashed offers wireless versions of 16 different Bible translations from classic through to the most modern translations. Use Bible Unleashed to make your BlackBerry part of your daily worship by browsing Bible books, chapters and verses easily using the BlackBerry trackball and search for specific verses using keywords and phrases.

Bible Unleashed is compatible with BlackBerry Curve, Pearl, and 8800 series smartphones. Its a subscription service, and costs $4.99 per month to use. For more information and to take advantage of a specia 2-day trial offer, visit the Bible Unleashed website.

Labels: Bible, BlackBerry, RIM, software, wireless application