Mobile Ministry Magazine

There has a been a number of happenings in the area of mobile bible applications. Here are the highlights of what's come in the past week+:

OliveTree Releases Symbian S60v5 Beta and updated BlackBerry and Android applications

The folks over at OliveTree have been kicking it into high gear with mobile application updates. They've released an early beta of their OliveTree Reader for Symbian S60v5 devices (Nokia 5800XM and N97, Samsung i8910, and Sony Ericsson Saito). Testing is happening in this very public beta to get feedback before making this official. So jump in by downloading the reader and giving your feedback in the OliveTree forums.

There has also been an update to the BlackBerry and Android versions of the OliveTree application. Those too can be downloaded from the mobile-enabled download page.

Maemo 5 Bible App (Katana) Development Moving Forward

The topic of a new Bible application for Nokia's Mameo5 platform has continued with some really solid success. Already, there has been some movement by a number of developers to port the existing Rapier application to Maemo5 (testing on a live device only remains there). And then for the newer application - tentitvely named Katana - there's some work being done in a basic UI, and discussions about a plug-in approach that would enable the use of paid Bibles from folks such as OliveTree, in addition to the already planned for support for Sword and Palm Bible+ bibles.

If you'd like to learn more or join the development efforts, throw your eyes and prayers into the discussion.

Logos' Bible Software App for the iPhone

Logos has also jumped into the mobile application world with its Bible software application for the iPhone. This is a free application which allows its users to read, search, cross reference, compare versions, and even set up reading plans, all from an iPhone or iPod Touch device. As with many mobile Bible applications, this one requires a wireless connection as it connects to the Bibles featured at bible.logos.com. There's tap-and-hold functionality for viewing Hebrew/Greek, verse/text comparison, and linked cross references.

If you are looking at a Bible app to compliement your Logos library, this would probably be your best bet. For more information, visit Logos' iPhone software webpage or iTunes.

Got News?

Got news about a Bible application - new application, text, or public beta programs, shoot us a note about it so that we can help you spread the word.

Labels: Bible, iPhone, iPod Touch, Katana, Logos, Maemo, Nokia, Olivetree, Rapier, Samsung, software, sony ericsson

By now you have already heard a boatload on Nokia's latest announced device, the N900. The N900 is a successor to the popular N800 and N810 Internet Tablets, but does them a few degrees better. For one, the operating system has been totally retooled and sits now on much better engineering and hardware. On the other side, you have that still open and tweakable aspect due to its Maemo Linux roots, and this endears the N900 to be the kind of device that can and should be tuned to the user's liking.

Read more »

Labels: Maemo, N900, Nokia

Taking yesterday's post just a bit further, I saw a note about a project sponsored by Nokia called The Ideas Project.

It looks to be one part projections, and another part think-tank towards where technology is going and how more people can have a say in the development and execution of these ideas?

Has the Body ever done something like this (I mean, besides a venue like BibleTech or ChurchIT Roundtable)? It would be interesting to hear and see these ideas challenge and take shape around the world wouldn't it?

Labels: innovation, Nokia

I received a package from the folks at Nokia/Symbian a few days ago. While I knew that I was getting some things, it was an unintended item that made me laugh and feel confused at the same time.

A bit off the beaten path in terms of content here, but I'm sure that you will get a good laugh out of it. Thanks to Kristina and the folks at Nokia/Symbian for the gifts.

Labels: gifts, humor, Nokia

I was just looking at an article at Nokia Conversations about 2009 being the year of widgets and had the idea of a new widget. With the N97 Widget Compeition going on, this was quite timely. Then, I realized something, searching for a Bible verse, or saved bookmark, should really be this simple. I'd submit one for the competition, but then also share about its idea here and maybe get a few consolidation votes ;)

First off, when you think about looking up a Bible verse (whether print or digital) its always think and go. One of the frailties of mobile computers is the fact that in addition to thinking and going, you have to also open an application, and then navigate to some kind of search or index (book menu, bookmarks, or find).

Well, I started to think; what would be easier? Personally, a widget on my phone's front screen would be prefable. But that widget would have to make it really simple.

So I developed this with the idea that all you want to do is search, and it should not matter if you are looking for a verse from an application on your device or a Bible website that you prefer. That you might even have that verse saved as a bookmark somewhere like YouVersion, and all you want to do is retreive it.

Let's take a step back now. Widgets are simple programs. They do one thing only, and they are designed to minimuze the friction from thinkning about something to doing it. Many of us are familiar with widgets - Weatherbug, the clock on your desktop, etc. The idea being that when something happens, all we want to do is know about it. The more indepth things of making notes, bookmarking, etc. are left for full applications. Essentially, every Bible reader should start here, and then build the experience.

Now, about this widget. My ideal widget would allow for this to be configured to work with every Bible website and application that could be loaded on a device. That it would index all of the verses, bookmarks, and tags used, and only those would be searchable from this interface.

And if you think about 90% of the time you are sticking your hand out for a Bible, this would be it. You type the verse, it opens a popup to that verse with an additional button that says "Go to 'x' Application" or "Go to 'x' Website." That's it.

Now, for those who are students of the Word, and would like to do things like add the ability to mark a verse as favorite, add notes, highlight, etc. Nope. Not happening here. This is only meant to be short, simple, and to the point.

To developers, open your Bible application's APIs so that something like this could plug into it. You don't lose sales by allowing for something like this, and essentially, you open the door for more people to know about and learn about your application.

What are your thoughts? If not you, could you see someone really liking something simple like this?

By the way, the N97 Widget Competition is going on until February 27, 2009 (drawing on march 13th); winning prize is a new Nokia N97 mobile device. All you have to do is make an image of your widget idea and submit it.

Labels: innovation, Nokia, software, UI, usability, UX, widget

I've been playing with the Nokia N96 for the past few weeks, even going as far to having it replaced with a model with a later software update, and its been pretty cool. So much so in fact that if the battery were more efficient, and it had 3G (I am using the Euro spec one), I would give up my N95 for it.

Here's a rundown of the specs of the N96:

• 320x240 pixel color screen
• 16 GB of built-in internal memory
• microSDHC card slot supporting up to 16GB microSDHC cards
• 5 megapixel digial camera with LED Flash
• VGA video camera for video calling in supported markets
• Quad-band GSM, regional support for UMTS/HSDPA (the model I have supports European 3G, though there is a North American 3G supported version)
• Accelerometer
• Built-in GPS
• Wi-Fi via 802.11b
• Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and Stereo Bluetooth
• DVB-H digital TV tuner
• MicroUSB cable connection to PC

Now, before your eyes glaze over and say that this is way too much for a phone, let me emphasize that the N96 (and other Nokia N-series devices) are more than just simple phones. These mobiles are designed to facilitate the kind of interactive computing that you cannot get from just voice, nor from just sitting on a table in the corner of a room. Its a "get out and see the world" kind of device. This one just happens to make video a significant part of the experience.

The long and short of things with the N96 though center around the fact that it is indeed feature packed, but there are some limitations. For example, it has already seen some major software updates to address issues such as device speed and battery life. Its not (yet) as fast as my N95 in terms of most tasks. Nokia has a tradition of tweaking and tuning things over the course of the life of a mobile device, and so hopefully the N96 will see some of this attention.

The one area though that cannot really be helped is battery life. The battery is a small one (950mAh) compared to the on in my N95, and before the end of the day (with my usage patterns) its pretty much done. Most people should not have a problem though, and get a full day out of the N96 unless they are having a media heavy day (camera, video, Wi-Fi are big drains on the battery).

All is not bad with the N96 though. I found it easily able to replace my N800 Internet Tablet because of the 16GB of internal memory space. With the memory card slot, if I were to add an 8GB card, I would have as much space as my N800 right now. Also, there is more polish on the Symbian S60 software than on the Maemo that the N800 uses. That made it easier to live with the device, and pretty much do whatever I wanted to do.

Other positives included compatibility with most of the software that I usually use. I'm looking forward towards playing more with Nokia viNe as that seems specifically tuned to the N96 as well. Doing TV-Out was also more pleasurable than the N95 with crisper video and less lagging when using the web.

The N96 is not for everyone though. At a retail price of $800, its not exactly the most ministry friendly tool to just go out and get. And at the same time, its value in a ministry context, as with most smartphones, is just hard to measure. You can duplicate just about anything that you do with a phone, mp3 player, laptop, video camera, Internet terminal, cable box, etc. And then you can share it. The only limits are your imagination and the battery.

As stated earlier, I really enjoyed the N96. In some respects, its better than I expected. The down points are really down though. Nothing that cannot be overcome, but definitely takes some of the shine off of this top of the line device.

Makes me wonder what's next, and if there's another type of application of mobile tech like this that I've not yet explored.

Thanks to Nokia Blogger Relations for sending this device.

Labels: N800, N96, Nokia, review, smartphone

In the earlier years of MMM, we had this series called "If Paul Had A Blog." What was really interesting about this series was looking at the effect of the technology that we use now on the missionary journeys that Paul experienced.

Since its been a while, I wanted to take another look at this. And given the attention that smartphones and mobility have taken with a more mainstream audience, we can get a glimpse of just how indepth technology is today, and some of the challenges that could be had.

First thing to note, Paul would have had a mobile phone. Probably not the N95 that I get to carry around, but something along the lines of the Nokia 6210 Navigator. This device has a few things that would have been beneficial - at least until a shipwreck or three - GPS with a built-in compass for Nokia Maps, ability to access the web, and a camera that had the ability to not just send text of what he was experiencing and whom he was thankful for, but images as well.

Now, he would have had to do all of this on a prepay system because there would be no way that a person could move that much across various countries and have a contract, it would just be a hassle in dealing with the billing.

He'd have the ability to use something like Nokia nviNe in order to allow others to keep up with his journeys. The really interesting part about this would be that we could see where he would be shipwrecked, and then when he gets a new mobile and starts up the service again, we can see that break in action and begin to keep him in prayer or launch a search.

Now, it would also be of his benefit to create sermons that could be uploaded and shared to places like YouTube, Flickr, Ovi, Facebook, or MySpace. He'd also have the benefit of being able to keep tabs with the latest policy changes happening from Rome with SMS alerts (if he was willing to sign up for an SMS service from Rome that is).

I would be interesting to see also how Paul would teach the use of this tech. He speaks on his ability to speak many languages to the Corinithians, but always emphasized the need to make sure that the Body was best served with whatever was brought to the table.

The more I think about it, the mobile tech tools of today present an easier means for us who are missions minded to be like Paul. Sure, we might not travel the world, nor need everyone to know what we are doing. But we can create lines that intersect with the lives of others, and then allow the technology to better accent or even encourage the lives of those who might not get a chance to see us in person.

I wonder if the Body is looking to go back towards doing this in various applications? It would be pretty interesting don't you think?

Labels: blog, camera, maps, mission, mobility, multimedia, Nokia, Nokia Maps, SMS, tech

Its Halloween and for many Christians, this is NOT the time when they want to go out and do much of anything. Understandable, there are some not-so-Christian aspects to the day that could discourage some.

That being said, I'm going out. Actually, I'll be driving to PA. Not for candy and treats (though there is a possiblity of a real treat this weekend), but to connect with various folks. Mobile is taking a signifiant piece of my trip as well, and it should be fun. Here's a breakdown of some of what I'll be using:

• Down to two mobiles, I'll be using the N95 and N96 to take pictures during homecoming and a parade.
• I'll be doing some troubleshooting to a few PCs using my N95
• The N800 will be my music player in the car when I'm tired of the 100+ CDs I have
• I'll be using both the N95 and N96 as wireless hotspots for the week as I'll be working out of office the entire week. Also, they will serve as a conference call center for me
• I hope to get some use out of Nokia Maps 2.0 as well, though I'll be largely in areas that I am very familiar with

It should be pretty fun. I only hope that Philly is still intact considering the World Series parties that have been happening. Hehehe

What about yourself, are there ways you are looking to get out and use tech to connect and share life with others this weekend?

Labels: mobility, multimedia, music, N800, N95, N96, navigation, Nokia, Nokia Maps, travel, wireless application

This is just a bit of a summary look at a few mobiles that have been in my pocket recently. Feel free to ask questions on any of them, and concerning the Nokia devices, stay tuned for feature articles about them.

HTC Diamond from Sprint

This is a model that I just finished reviewing for Brighthand. Its designed similar to the iPhone, Sprint Instinct, and LG Prada, but offers a smaller design than all of those. It has Windows Mobile and a custom user interface called TouchFlo3D. This custom interface, combines with the Opera Mobile browser, VGA (640x480 pixel) screen, and several pieces of additional software to make for a solid device. Some of my knocks on it were the battery life and polish of some of the software, but overall, its not a bad device to have.

Nokia N96 (Euro version)

The N96 is a newer Nokia model that I have received from Nokia Blogger Relations to review. It features 16GB of internal memory, a digital TV-Tuner, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, TV-Out, GPS... (breathe) ...a 2.8in screen, and Symbian S60 3.2 as the operating system. I've actually been swapped out to a different model since initially getting it due to some missing software and an update. So far, its not been too bad, but this newly updated model hasn't yet seen much time in the pocket due to the Diamond review taking priority. I have taken a slew of pictures of it though :)

Nokia N95 (North American version)

The N95 is the model that I received as the prize for the Mobile Web Server competition. Given the applications that I have for it, memory, system stability, and what is not out yet that could be better, this has been pretty solid. As usual, I wish that I could get more battery life out of it, but that's only because I really do everything with it. I'm not looking for a new model though, this one really meets the needs I have, the explorations that I've been wanting to do with mobiles in ministry.

Labels: Hardware, HTC, HTC Diamond, mobiles, N95, N96, Nokia, review

This week, I had the honor of giving one of my pastors a Nokia N810 Internet Tablet. It was something that he had been looking at getting for sometime and after seeing me with my N800 (the previous model), he would ask of me questions and such about it.

Well, after receiving a bit of an extra blessing from some work over the past month, this was something that I ended up being able to purchase (from another friend) and then present to him. It was really neat just seeing his face as he opened the package and was able to take that next step towards enabling himself to "get out of the office and minister more." Given that his office is kinda everywhere (virtual), this aspect of getting out will get some additional play.

That got me thinking this week: considering the economic times, and the fact that many are tightening budgets, what can we do to enable people to better position themselves (with or without mobile tech) for ministry opportunities. Whether that is something as simple as doing some PC support to a person's computer, or taking some of the extra server space a business is using and renting that out to a ministry who is looking for a web presence.

Even further, what can ministries do with the mobile and web tech that they already have to make it easier for those who might not be able to come to a facility? Can the addition of virtual ministry outposts such as delayed video blogging, podcasts, and even discussion forums help facilitate some of the community involvement that ordinarily would be missed?

It's increasingly important that as the Body we have as few layers as possible to people interacting with us. Even if that makes us a bit uncomfortable that pastor's office is now the local coffeeshop, we have to adjust with the times and give the opportunity for people to be met by Christ no matter where they are. Personally, I like to be the kind of church that goes out to people, mobile tech helps me do this; and giving mobile tech even more so.

Related note: Celio is still offering the Redfly smartphone companion device for $199 (till the end of the month). If your pastor is like both of mine, mobility is just as important as content. Smartphones are great for this, but the screen and input methods can be a bit limiting. This opens things a good bit. Consider asking your pastors and others in leadership if this is something that would work for them, and then go bless them with it. You might find that a little enablement might go a long way towards helping all of us keep mindful of God's needs during this time.

Image by Allen Qu on Flickr

Labels: community, devices, gifts, Internet, internet tablet, mobility, N800, N810, Nokia

There's a reason for the scatted postings of the past weeks. I've picked up some more work, and have been a lot more active in using mobile tech than just writing about it. That being said, this past weekend allowed me to put into play some mobile tech that might add a hint of fun to your next community outing.

Things started with a montly biking event that I lead at my church. The goal is simply to get out and bike, engage with your community, and promote wellness. The added benefit of things in my neck of the US is that there is a gas shortage and so this is one of those kicks to an alternative means of transportation which can put less strain on resources.

Despite the event being cancelled, I still went out and a friend joined me. The course was to simply bike a local park/greenway and go from there. To log the event, I used my N95 along with Nokia's Sports Tracker application.

Sports Tracker is a beta application which enables one to log their workouts and do things such as see speeds, lap times, and measure progress over a course of workouts. It also uploads to Nokia's Sports Tracker web service and then one is able to see a map of the road traveled, pictures taken, and music listened to. So you know what that meant...

Pretty cool isn't it. Imagine what mobile looks like when ministry starts not just promoting the Gospel, but what the life abundantly looks life on the way to glory. Neat ain't it.

Does your church do anything similar where mobile tech like Sports Tracker or similar programs can add to the exposure, emphasis, or effectiveness of such endeavors?

Labels: biking, community, environment, N95, Nokia, Sports Tracker

If there is one lesson about mobile devices that is ever present, its that there is a balance between being independent and living in a community that is constantly being challenged. Because of the newness of mobile devices and Internet services, one can argue even that we've lost the idea of community while gaining independence.

An article, linked at Nokia Conversations, looks at mobile-enabled communities in India and Africa and asks what can we learn from those communities, and in effect do what technology was set out to do for us in the beginning - connect one another.

What lessons are mobile and Internet technologies giving to you in repect to community and independence?

Labels: community, mobility, Nokia, people

As stated before, the Nokia E71 Review has been published at Brighthand for your reading. In addition, I also reviewed the new Palm Treo Pro smartphone in the same week (yea, busy one there for me).

Some general thoughts:

• The E71 is one impressive piece of device. The metal body, the battery life, and the number of features is absoutely incredible. Its amazing where mobile devices have gotten to.
• The Treo Pro is probably Palm's best Windows Mobile device yet. While it does miss some of the Palm tweaks that other Palm Treo devices have, it feels and looks the part of something that iPhone users would be willing to move to in order to be more productive.
• Both devices are a distraction during church, the Treo Pro moreso because of the color and sheen.
• Neither device is available on contract (in the US), and this works to your advantage especially of you have contract terms that are in your favor right now.

Both devices have strengths and weaknesses, but only one of them really stole the show for me. Check out both reviews at Brighthand. Feel free to ask any additional questions and look forward to some other E71 impressions in the coming weeks.

Labels: Brighthand, E71, Nokia, Palm Treo, review, smartphone, Windows Moible

I thought that it would be good to give something of an update as to how I am getting along with the Nokia E71 smartphone from Nokia Blogger Relations. As I stated before, this is the European variant - E71-1 - and so any 3G action I'd not be able to do here in the US.

About the Design
Litereally anyone who has seen this mobile as said that its the best looking BlackBerry that they have ever seen. Of course, after correcting them that it is not a BB but a Nokia, they got more impressed.

The device is smaller than just about any mobile phone out there with this much power and ability. Its just over a centimeter in thickness and not much more than that wider than the Palm Centro.

Made of metal, its heavy. But not ungainly so. I am starting to forget that its in my pocket and having to adjust my pat-down routing to account for the weight of the device.

The keys are taking me a bit longer to get used to than I expected. I had various Treos for nearly a year and a half and so I expected similar in respect to the keyboard, but I am doing more aiming to get to the letters. There's also an issue with one of my application buttons where it seems depressed and so I have to press extra hard for it to register the button press to the contacts application.

Overall though, this is a heck of a well designed device. Despite having a metal body, wireless of all kinds, and a battery of the same size as the one in my Internet Tablet, this baby s slick. Its a nicely made device.

Something About Use
In terms of software, the E71 uses the Symbian S60 operating system; the same one that was in the N95 that we had last year, albeit with several tweaks and enhancements, its solid and just gets the job done. Here are a few highlights of things I've noticed.

- This is the first Nokia mobile that I've reviewed that does a contact lookup just by dialing from the Active Standby (Today) screen without 3rd party software. Thank you!

- The browser is F-A-S-T. Whether on EDGE (cellular) or Wi-Fi (via coffeeshops and the like), pages load fast and cleanly with the Nokia Web browser. This browser, based on the same Webkit engine as Safari, also shows the Flash content of many websites. For that I was impressed as well. There's also an auto-complete option that makes it easier to revisit sites that require logging in.

- I downloaded the Mobile Web Server, Nokia Email, and Nokia Chat applications and there is still over 85MB of memory left to install more stuff. Yea!

- I've crashed it one time, and that was due to software, other than that, its been as rock solid in the software as it is in the design.

- Battery life is absoutely incredible. I get more than one day's use with it. That's crazy impressive.

Initial Conclusions
Only initial conclusions as this is just a piece until the full review gets to Brighthand. The Nokia E71 is a very impressive mobile device. The design, the battery life, and the software make it easily the best device Nokia could offer to those who wish to remain communicative to their audiences. The design will take knocks and drops, and the software is mature enough to do more because its seen some time in the oven.

At this point, I have very few reservations in recommending this device. You can also find it well under $500, making it a very smart choice as a purchase when you are not in a contract, or ending a contract, and want to keep the rates but update the mobile device. And its really one of the smallest, thinnest, most powerful devices of its kind.

Stay tuned for more about the E71 later on. If you have any questions, do ask and I will answer what I can.

Labels: E71, Nokia, review, smartphone

Pouring on the reviews of Nokia devices these days, here's one about the Nokia N82 smartphone. This device has a 5Mpx digital camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, and more, all in a candybar shell that is not much larger than the Sony Ericsson T616 that I was carrying when MMM got started. Amazing where technology has gone.

Here's a snippet of the review posted at Space and Time:

...However, once I got my eclectic taste of music on the phone, I plugged in the Nokia headset that was included and set off for a walk. I hate the Nokia earplugs. They are uncomfortable, cumbersome and that is just putting them on the neck. The quality of the music is great, and the sitting in my ears is horrible. I pulled out my Sennheiser earphones so I could listen in comfort. This made my music consuming much more enjoyable...

Labels: multimedia, N82, Nokia, review, smartphone

A post that I had starred in Google Reader has got me thinking about something that I'd like to put out there for discussion:

How would you feel about running a church service, or even an outreach event from a mobile device such as a mini-notebook (as described in the Palm Addict post I was reading) or even a mobile phone (very possbile with the Nokia N82, N95, and N96 models - )?

I want the thinking to go as far as even creating the content on the device and serving it on the device. Could you do it? And if you cannot, what's stopping you?

Labels: Asus Eee, community, Hardware, mission, mobile, N82, N95, N96, Nokia, outreach, software

Now, I know that I said a few days ago that I've got a review of the E71 coming, but I wanted to prep things along with a review that I did a few weeks ago that was recently posted at Mobile Burn.

The Nokia N78 is a pretty slick little handset. Like the E71, its has Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, and a memory card slot. Frankly speaking, its an amazing little device with a ton of battery life to spare.

In addition, this is one of the first models from Nokia which feature their latest operating system. Think like an update from Windows 95 to Windows 98, this is major and minor. The biggest aspect of this update is that you don't have to always connect to a host PC in order to download software updates. Other things like screen transistions and performance tweaks really tack on the value for it.

So in preparing you for the E71 review, check out the N78 review at Mobile Burn. And I'll have to try to remember to highlight more of these devices as I am writing about them on the internet. There's a lot out there to choose from.

Labels: E71, mobiles, N78, Nokia, review

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

One of the things that I've tried to do, even before starting Mobile Ministry Magazine, has been to reduce my computing needs to the bare essentials as much as possible. A big reason for doing so is because I've been one to travel a good bit and besides taking long trips, I tend to have taken many trips. Ironically, this weekend, I hit 100,000 miles in my 3yr old Civic.

Knowing what I can do with as few physical materials as possible is something that is a bit of an aim of being mobile. To skillfully and effective utilize the environment and services offered so that one can get a job done and connect. Andy Abramson, CEO of Comunicano, Inc. (an advertising, marketing and public relations agency based in Del Mar, CA), tends to do writes a blog called Working Anywhere and in a recent post talks about some of the tools that he uses as a global nomad.

...Basically, I've built the company (and am now rebuilding my house) by being the executive who works anywhere but the traditional office, allowing for a business lifestyle that is highly productive, and mostly more effortless than many people would ever imagine. For example right now I'm in Europe, floating between Lisbon, Portugal, Barcelona, Paris and London over a two-week period. After that I’ll be on the East Coast, the West Coast, back to the East Coast, into the Midwest, all before August 9, when I finally move back into my house. Along the way I’m staying in very business executive work-friendly and amazingly artistic, modern and well run hotels, all of which offer very high-quality Internet and many of the comforts and services a business traveler needs...

That's a good deal of traveling and the really good thing about this post is that while many of us might not have his resources, we can utilize some of the behaviors and services in our own capacities to make traveling less of an issue, or in the case of missions work, less a chore of logistics and more of just going and serving.

Check out the rest of the post The Tools of The Global Nomad at Working Everywhere and let's chat about some of the tools or behaviors that you have found sufficient in those times when you've been more nomad than settler.

Disclosure: Comunicano has worked with MMM in the past through the Nokia Blogger Relations program to provide devices and notification of services that may or may not be relevant to our community.

Labels: communication, community, computer, data, devices, environment, flexibility, mobile, mobile accessories, mobility, Nokia, resources, stewardship, sustainability, tools, usability

I'm by no means a parent yet, but I do have a ton of experience with kids through various volunteer and church functions. Frankly speaking, I love kids. And one of the more enjoyable things that I get to do is that I am able to use mobile devices in ways with them to engage them, and effectivly learn from them how they interact with their world.

What got me thinking on this wise was a thread over at Internet Tablet Talk where people were talking about how they use their Internet Tablets as part of their parenting strategy. From replacing the car DVD player, to sketching and games, there's a good bit that can be done given some imagination and a child in need of activity.

So to you parents out there, do you do anything with mobile devices to bolster some of your parenting? Or, is there something that you would like to see from mobile devices in terms of software that would make it easier for you to hand a device off and then be assured that they are not just keeping busy, but learning and engaging the world a bit differently than with other media?

Labels: internet tablet, mobile accessories, mobiles, Nokia, parenting, software

Ok, I am probably the last person to want to say that we want to elevate the Christian experience over the truth of the word - as this is a recent marketing thing that pretty much bugs me (and a few others) - but I do want to highlight that that if done in concert with discipliship and accountability, speaking and relating our Christian experience can have some value.

Getting back to that experience thing in a more content-neutral fashion (I hope), I like to see how others are making connections with the Body and enabling the testimonies of God to go further and further than ever before.

There is one post over at digital.leadnet that speaks about a holographic pastor as a means of relating the Word. As much as that's very much affluent and something in the future, it does speak to where tech can go in terms of making the sharing of the Gosple something where boundaries don't have to be an issue.

Then again, we can keep things in a more relevant light and look at the recent Mojo experiement that Nokia is doing in South Africa. Similar to the Reuter's experiment, this is exploring the use of mobile technology to create content and do so in a means that works with the environment instead of above it. I really like that Nokia is doing this and like them, I think that being careful crafters of content in this day and age is something that is also worth teaching.

What I like about the Mojo project is that it gets students involved and teaches them how to tell stories. A lot of time, we want to relate to others about what it means to be a Christian, or even talk about some important social speaking points, but have gain little in the way of training. I see a solution like this as being beneficial towards helping people to see their identity in Christ as something that can empower their communities. Pretty neat, and not so far into the future at all right?

Labels: communication, community, N95, Nokia, virtual

I don't want to fall behind too much in some of the current news as there is a slew of things going on these days that would be of interest to many of you looking at mobile devices, web services, and in general those things on tap for the side of tech called mobile.

• Evernote has left the beta stage and now has a few options for those looking for a solid note solution that can be done on several types of mobile devices, with and without inking/natural handwriting support. There's a free version as well as a pay version that offers a slew of options (via JK on the Run).
• An interview posted recently at the Adaptive Path Blog talks about an effort going on at Nokia called Homegrown where mobile devices are being looked at towards not only communication tools, but their impact on social and natural envrionments. Its a really impressive thing this group is doing, and speaks well towards a piece we posted earlier about sustaining the earth with our technology choices.
• The Nokia Internet Tablet has seen an update to the operating system for the N800 and N810 models. I'm still avidly using mine and despite some issues I run into, its still a genre changing kind of device. This latest update paves the way for several features and a new type of Internet Tablet device. Stay tuned here on that note.
• Nokia, Palm, and HTC have also introduced several new smartphones hitting all types of budgets.
  
  On Nokia's side, the E71, E66, and N78 all come in as nice lifestyle devices for business and entertainment use. Each of these also has GPS built-in. The N78 comes in a North American 3G compatable mode as well.
  
  Palm has introduced an unlocked Palm Centro - meaning that you can purchase it to be used on GSM carriers without needing a mobile plan to do so.
  
  And HTC has unveiled the HTC Diamond. A very impressive mobile device. Its a lot like the iPhone, a lot like nothing you've ever seen, and powerful as all get out. According to Palmsolo/Matt Miller, the HTC Diamond seems to really look and work nice with Laridian's PocketBible 4.
  
  Any of these mobiles would be suitable for engaging in a mobile lifestyle in my opinion. Do write in if you have had experience with any of these mobiles.
• Carnival of the Mobilists #129 is packed as usual.
• Logos Bible Software is doing a Show Us Your Work thing via their blog for those using Logos in notes, sermons, and other applications.

Pretty neat if you ask me. Tons out there on the mobile side of life just waiting to be applied in ways that are innovative and can speak towards meeting the needs of various communities around us if we use them as we are being Spirit-led.

Labels: Carnival of the Mobilists, Evernote, HTC, Laridian, Logos, mobiles, Nokia, Palm, sustainability

Here is some good news for MMM readers and those who just like technology that reaches a bit more than just out there.

I was approached by Jukka from Nokia's Mobile Web Server team (and I'm sure he's on several others), to write a guest post for Nokia's Mobile Web Server blog. The following is a snippet of the published post:

...In finishing with the MWS Experiement at Mobile Ministry Magazine, I knew for sure that moving my personal website to the MWS was something that I wanted to do. Besides the ability for complete content control, I began growing used to replacing going to MS Exchange when on a full computer to going to my moible via my MWS website. It was not just an issue of replacing a website that excited me, but replacing that entire middle man of syncing that made the MWS an attractive pursuit. However, I was not confident in my mobile device. Battery and memory concerns meant that I would have to modify usage patterns to carry a charger of some sort around often...

Read the rest of the post Replacing a Community-Reaching Website with the Mobile Web Server at the Nokia's Mobile Web Server Blog.

In addition to the post at Nokia's Mobile Web Server Blog, there is now a compiled version of the MMM Mobile Experiment Report in PDF format for your reading pleasure. This is the inital non-styled version, there will be an updated version of this PDF in the coming weeks.

Labels: Mobile Web Server, Nokia, review, software, tech

Welcome to the third and final installment of the MMM Mobile Experiment Report. In Part One, we talked about the general setup and the reasons for doing this experiment. In Part Two, we spoke on the day to day use of it; and then started talking about why its not yet an accessible solution, but it is a versatile one. In Part Three, we talk more about what is possible with the Mobile Web Server and come to some conclusions towards its potential use.

You see, for most end and power-users of mobile devices, the Mobile Web Server is not yet a solution. There are a few too many niggles with it before it can become a solution. What it is however is a canvas, a very empty canvas. When one wants to think of what is possible with mobility, this section of the report hits on that. And specifically for the Christian church, what we do with technology will go a long way towards making divisions along digital lines a thing of the past. Innovation requires that we think outside of the box before we jump into a new one. By the end of this report, I hope that you can not just see why doing the MMM Mobile Experiment was a paradigm shift for me; but also where and why Nokia sees this as a profitable endeavor.

This section of the MMM Mobile Experiment Report contains:

• Lessons Learned
• Current and Future Applications
• Why This Is A Model for the [Digital] Church
• Appendix/Additions

Lessons Learned

At this point, the MMM Mobile Experiment seemed to be a solid idea that is just a bit further than where people want to go with interacting with websites and at the same time, its not far enough in terms of how organizations and ministry can reach out to one another. What I saw in the first few days was that in order to get people to come to MMM Mobile, I had to be proactive about advertising and up front about limitations such as loading speed and the log-in issue. After getting used to it from a lifestyle perspective, I had to come to grips with the ability of attainable technology not being up to snuff with the demands of a web server being backed up by a social network. The frame work is there, but there is a gap before this can be applicable on a broad scale.

I did learn some things that were quite positive, and gives me hope that maybe the Body is better equipped to use near-solutions in effective ways. For example, in talking to my pastors about the MMM Mobile Experiment while it was going on, they had a genuine interest in how it would pan out and how it could be relevant to them. One of the smaller experiments was to live-blog during one of the sermons and then forward them the link to get their thoughts. Live-blogging the sermon on a mobile phone brought stares from people unaware of what I was doing, despite knowing my technical bent. Getting my pastors to be able to log in without issues became a problem because I did not noticed the case-sensitive issue for logging in under the guest account. And even during the sermon, I was not prepared for the out of memory error that running the browser and mobile web server would cause, preventing users from even accessing the site. it was advantageous to try, but in light of things, could have been better planned out.

Other parts that proved positive were in just the evangelism of mobile devices and the Internet as being tools of connectivity. I found that with the MWS active that I had more time to spend on mobile devices, thereby getting me in places where I could engage people and allow various aspects of using mobile technology open the door for conversations. In one instance, interacting with a child in a coffeeshop was made more fun when I took his picture via the Web Camera feature and then showed it to him and his parents from the screen of my N800 Internet Tablet. This showed to them that technology has a way to touching us even more than we think without having to have a Star Trek moment.

Current and Future Applications

Having done this experiment, it is easy to say that it can be used. However relevance for the mobile web server has its place in only a few areas, mainly because of the hardware and connection requirements that would necessitate more affluence than the market can share at this time.

In terms of a software platform, having a web server on a mobile phone can present the opportunity to remove a few middle layers of device management and information management software that has been slow to catch on in some areas. Normally, we think of this as syncing, backup, and personal information management (PIM) software; the structure of this mobile web server platform offers a few aspects of use that previously were harder to get newer users to adopt:

• If the smartphone is online (cellular broadband or Wi-Fi) accessing it though an IP address or domain name assigned to the device (or SIM card) give the opportunity to do things such as add and remove applications, connect contacts to social networks, backup contacts to an offline storage area, or even lock down the device in case of theft;
• If the device is not online, these same tasks can be done through a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi ad-hoc network where all that a person needs is a browser with a larger screen in order to extend the functionality of their device;
• Adding an email component would essentially make the MWS platform a replacement (on the consumer level) or products like MS Exchange as the device is the server and there is nothing that needs to be additionally added to the device.

This is thinking about the mobile web server as it can have present relevance in the way that people want to get the most of their devices. For this to work best however, unlimited data plans, and seamless connectivity needs to be the norm and not the exception. Also, quality of service in terms of mobile operating systems, cellular lines, and even user experience will play a larger part in letting this connectivity option be the norm rather than the exception for mobile computing.

Taking things a bit further, the mobile web server has the ability to innovate in small business and organizational communications by:

• Intranet for a low-funded ministry or non-profit organization
• Website for a traveling missionary who travels in well connected areas and has has the funds to connect frequently enough to make this viable
• Future: platform for sharing documents and calendars as a family point of contact system
• Multi-campus connector for small groups spread over a large area

This is not to say that there are not other applications; only that in using the Mobile Web Server, I spoke with and engaged with organizations where the relevance of a mobile device that can handle these connections made for opportunities to remove buildings, excess tools, and in some cases a learning curve, therefore making more time for the connections that a web server and interpersonal communication allows to happen.

Why This Is A Model for the [Digital] Church

I was asked very bluntly at the conclusion of my experiment why I felt that this was a model for computing that the Body should be receptive to. I was given the reasons about economics, device availability, and even preconceptions that a mobile device should only be used for talking. My reason for thinking and believing that the mobile web server in various forms is a suitable means to enable the digital church is simply that it is something that has not been done before. Its new ground, and puts the Body at the place of pioneering and setting the bar in terms of what is possible with communication technologies.

I do not say this to mean that there are not other organizations that would not benefit from what has been written here, but to say that because the church has a mission to connect and empower people, it should take what is available and not duplicate solutions, but create them.

The book of Acts is an account of a sledging church finding its legs after Jesus left the scene. He deposited within them the Holy Spirit to empower and equip them with the innate ability to go to the ends of the earth and be a representative of Him and carry the Gospel's message of a redeeming and justified love. Since taking the plunge with Nokia's Mobile Web Server, I can see how that would not just be a radical idea, but an attainable one. The question is, are we innovative enough to capitalize on what has already been deposited in us to do since Acts.

Appendix/Additions

There were some additional posts written during and after the creation of this report. These items will be available in a downloadable version of the MMM Mobile Experiment Report (coming soon).

Labels: community, education, email, gospel, mobile accessories, Mobile Web Server, mobility, Nokia, phone, software, tech, usability

So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its vast resources in the service of God and man]; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth. (Genesis 1:27-28 AMP)

One of the reasons that I have gone mobile is because I better understand that while the ability to be connected is good for the Body, the ability to use devices and services that better utilize the limited resources of this planet means that other generations will also be able to enjoy such inventiveness.

Something that many do not think about when they use computers, build offices, or even get in their cars to travel to this and that event is that there is a considerable impact on the earth around us that can be minimized when we start looking at the excess and start working to trim things.

It could be as simple as instead of having a church office that the church starts to use a mobile office where the office is actually a data center that is exercising environmentally mindful policies and then the staff members are working from home where they can be a more integral part of their local communities. Trading paper bulletins for SMS alerts might seem like a struggle for some members, but the saving of paper means that the administration staff can spend less time at FedEx and the church can spend those funds on enabling more members to stay connect whether they can make it to a service or the service come to them.

Now, we might not get immediately to the place where we are using phones made from biodegradable materials, but looking at the simple command at the beginning of creation to steward this earth, we can definitely do more than we do.

Has your church or organization started any policies to minimize the environmental impact of doing the work of ministry?

Related Articles:

• Review of the Nokia 3110 Eco-Friendly mobile (Smart Planet)
• Designing for Sustainability (Nokia Conversations)
• What if we all changed our chargers? (Nokia Conversations)
• Solio Solar Charging Solutions
• Working flexibly is paving the way for a more sustainable future (MOOF.mobi)
• Creating a Manifesto for Sustainable Life... (Tim Samoff)

Disclosure: Inner-Linked provides consulting services for those individuals and ministries who are looking to trim their environmental footprint while adding innovation and accessibility to their ministry endeavors.

Labels: 3110 Evolve, community, environment, Inner-Linked, Nokia, stewardship, sustainability, tech, usability

One of the things that I most enjoyed about using the Mobile Web Server was the ability to live-blog sermons and Bible studies. For the most part, this was conducted on my N75 using T9 for inputting text. Because of some hardware and performance aspects, I did have to keep mindful though of how fast I would swap between saving the blog posting and updating it. This meant for shorter notes, but gave me a chance to listen and make sure that I got in the most important points.

I'd like to share the last set of live blogged sermon notes with the MMM community. As we often talk about using technology in innovative ways, I want to make sure that I open to you some means of looking inside of how I am working around the mobile tech of today to address what will be questions for later (the next post will talk about this a bit more).

Here's the important information.

• Link to the May 4th Sermon on Acts 13:42-52 at MMM Mobile
• Login with the username Guest and the password mmmguest (both username and password are case sensitive)
• And just in case my device is down for some reason, a link to the discussion thread at the MMM Jaiku Channel.

Labels: Bible, community, N75, Nokia, sermon, software

This is the meat of the MMM Mobile Experiment Report, and also where it makes the transition from being just a review of software and online services to one of looking beyond the offering to the ability that it lends. Here's an outline of what is covered in this, Part Two, of the MMM Mobile Experiment Report:

• Additional Setup Items
• Day to Day Use
• Immediate Challenges
• Accessibility versus Versatility

Given the length of this, section of the report, it will be an extra day before publishing the third and final section. This report will also be made available as a singular download (debating on the format of that now). Enjoy Part Two, and please do not hesitate to give any comments to this or Part One.

Part Two:

Having set up the Mobile Web Server application on my device, and creating the Mobile Web Server website, I had to set up some initial pages so that in coming to the site, Mobile Ministry Magazine readers would be greeting with more than just a blank page. There are two parts to setting things up for day to day use; one part is on the mobile device and the other is through a browser (that can be on the mobile device or not; but most might choose not to go that route and just use a separate computer).

Setup on the Mobile Device

On the mobile device, one navigates to the Web Server application and is presented with a series of screens. First, you are asked to insert your user name and password that was set up on the MWS website. There are a few easy to figure out section of the application that is always shown when it is opened from here: Users, Status Message, Statistics, Access Log, Folders, and Settings.

The Users section was probably the one that I spent the most time with initially. There is a default Guest account where one can set Guest access to the MWS; and then from contacts in one's address book, you can set specific users to have ability with a user name based on their name in your address book and a password that you have set for them. I quickly abandoned doing this for a lot of people and just settled on making sure that I had a user group for my family to special sections of the MWS site, and everyone else just got the Guest account.

Truth be told, I spent a lot of time looking at the Access Log. I wanted to see how many people were hitting the site, and it was kind of neat the first few days of the experiment. We averaged about 10 unique users per day and for the most part people did not have issues with logging in (user names are case-sensitive; found that out halfway through the project).

Setup through the Web Browser

There is a setup wizard that one has to access from a device that has a suitable web browser while the mobile web server (MWS) is running. On my end, I used my Nokia N800 Internet Tablet connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot at a local coffeehouse while the MWS was running on my N75.

Two parts of this allow you to set up things like the welcome screen, offline page and message, and get a badge that can be displayed on several websites. After this wizard, there is a control panel that keeps the latter items, and allows for presence updates on the status page. One can change the theme to several types; however they are nothing more than color and banner changes. Unless you want to dig in the mobile device and play, there is no way to create custom layouts or fiddle with the CSS for more customization.

From the web browser one is able to set all types of options and create content and points of contact.

• Home
• Blog
• Camera
• Gallery
• Guestbook
• Contact Me
• Presence
• Web Chat
• Calendar
• Messaging
• Phone Log
• Contacts

By default, guests only see the Home, Blog, Presence, and Contact Me sections. The Gallery has to be setup to either show (share) pictures that are shared from the phone's internal memory, memory card, or both. I found that the Guestbook was a bit of a redundant feature, but it could prove beneficial in some applications. The Web Chat section is interesting as when someone starts a web chat, there is notification on the mobile device of the chat and then an IM-like interface is given. From there chat happens just as it would in any other chat room. The Calendar, Phone Log, and Contacts are pulled right from the mobile device and gives a browser-accessible means to see and edit content. I liked this feature, but wished that there was more granularities so that some users could see "Busy" instead of the specific event. Presence tells the state of the mobile phone such as how long it has been idle, battery life, and a status message. And finally Messaging allows one to send an email or SMS message directly to you as well as see all the SMS and MMS messages that are stored on your mobile device (Inbox and those sent).

One neat feature that is present throughout is the fact that all contacts that appear in various applications such as Calendar and Messaging are linked to their contact card. This contact card shows the last call as well as links to the address book entry. Simple, but really neat.

From registration to setting up the welcome page and basic access rights it took about 30 minutes to get rolling. After that it was just a matter of running the MWS on my device and engaging with people as they visited MMM Mobile.

Day to Day Use

The Mobile Web Server is pretty much a set it and forget it type of application. I let it run most of the day, taking it down in the AM in order to use my mobile device as a modem for my Internet Tablet and desktop. During this time, I updated the status message to point visitors to the MMM Jaiku channel. In pointing people to the MMM Jaiku channel, it was my hope to engage the usual readers of MMM, and the new visitors of the breadth of content related to Mobile Ministry Magazine, as well as engage in some discussions across a social network in a slightly different function than what is normally done in blog-driven websites.

On the downside of the day to day use, the MWS was an inconvenience in terms of the other connectivity that I aspire to have on my mobile device. Usually, I run the Emoze email client and the Jaiku Mobile client. Because of the MWS, I was not able to run these and have a long functioning device. Either the MWS would take over the connections, or the applications would consume too much memory and cause one or all of them to shut down. During the experiment, I only suffered one total device crash, but this was an instance where the hardware specifications of my N75 (which has about 15MB of memory free for running programs at boot) was at the very bottom of what is needed to run the MWS.

Because of this limitation, I was not able to use programs such as widgets to keep me abreast of what was going on at the MWS without opening the application. That being said, it was quite nice to have the server running and not have to think about it unless I needed some kind of functionality that was a bit more than normal.

A small note: the Nokia N75 is a 3G phone, meaning that it has the ability to use a high speed data network called HSDPA. Because of the specifications of this network, the device is able to use applications that connect to the Internet at the same time as using voice functions. While running the MWS, there was no drop off in voice quality or phone functions except for occasional slowness for MMS message processing.

Immediate Challenges

While there were those hardware challenges, the large and more pertinent challenges to using the MWS was trying to keep the same kind of communicative presence that had been done at Mobile Ministry Magazine. Essentially, opportunities to post to the blog, upload pictures, and engage the reading community were all things that seemed a lot easier when connectivity was spread across devices instead of being centered on one device.

For example, whenever I needed to use the web browser on the N75, I had to shut down the MWS because the two applications were too large to run at the same time. This meant that I would have to create a status message saying that the server was down and point people to the MMM Jaiku channel; then initiate a discussion at the MMM Jaiku channel; and then I would be able to continue with using the web browser. Certainly, having a device with later hardware (more memory and processor speed) would have been great here.

Another issue that I found was that in order to publish to the blog, I needed some type of dual connection. Using the MWS made situations of traveling to WI-Fi hotspots a bit of an adventure as now instead of using them just as a rest place, I wanted to be strategic in making sure that I could create a conversation piece around the use of the technology. It was not until later in the experiment that I realized that there would be times that I would be able to use the web browser on the N75 in order to populate the blog. This stretched the mobile device, but creating a blog post where I was able to live blog a sermon and have my notes created on the N75 instantly appear online was quite exciting (mental note: taking a T9 typing class before doing this should be a prerequisite).

Accessibility versus Versatility

This challenge of balancing multiple devices, multiple input methods, and then just the plan fact that a web server can really go with you anytime makes one feel more accessible than ever. The granular level of being able to assign contacts or groups of contacts to various parts of one's mobile device presents a solution that is present already in some enterprise applications such as SharePoint and even commercial ones like Movable Type. But those are PC-focused solutions. Nothing wrong with that, but as mobile devices become more versatile, one should not just assume, but see that a lot more of what we do can be driven from a mobile platform.

The Mobile Web Server is an answer to a question that is not yet asked so loudly yet though. Its not so much an issue of how does one stay accessible, as many connected devices open to you; but it allows you to determine how you want people to connect to you based on the social network that you have built - your phone book. This is more powerful and empowering when combined with a communications strategy and a personality that invites people to want to connect to you. That being said, its not accessibility that is the focus of using the MWS, its versatility. Versatility meaning that you are empowered to take your social network with you, and how they connect to you is determined by you, not by the service that you subscribe to.

This is if you where using the software and service makes a change from being just a piece of software or just another online service. It would be easy to just put the MWS into one of those categories and then judge it based on its benchmarks; but there is nothing to just it against. Nokia's Mobile Web Server is a canvas that if given the network and the hardware (and economies) becomes a canvas that enable the kind of personal computing that was dreamed about in the 1950s when the foundations of the Internet began, and now realized with the fast and (nearly) open wireless networks that most of the world has access to.

Flash Sideshow of MWS Screens, via Share on Ovi

Labels: accessiblity, browser, community, device, internet tablet, Jaiku, mobile, Mobile Web Server, mobiles, mobility, N75, Nokia, review, SMS, software, tech, usability

The MMM Mobile Experiment was one part a technological look at what is possible with mobile devices today, and a look at what is possible/can be done now with mobiles as part of a social strategy for inreach and outreach initiatives.

Just a review of what Part One of this report will contain:

• Reasons and Goals of Experiment
• Explanation of Nokia's Mobile Web Server and my Device
• Social Networking Component

As stated in our previous post, the experiment is looking at the technology as something doable now. But also why software and usage has relevance in this highly connected world. Part One of the MMM Mobile Experiment Report gives an overview of the technology used in this experiment and how it was set up for use.

Part One:

For eight days in April 2008, Mobile Ministry Magazine's Antoine RJ Wright conducted an experiment where the Mobile Ministry Magazine website was hosted completely on a mobile device using Nokia's Mobile Web Server. The goal of this experiment was to test the viability of such a mobile platform as a solution for running a community website, to investigate the capabilities of mid-range mobile phones and smartphones as a communications hub, and to investigate possible uses for such technology in various social and economic environments.

Backing up this software, Mobile Ministry Magazine used the Jaiku social networking service as an offline community component. The reason for this is that limitations in the phone hardware would mean that the mobile web server (MWS) would be offline, yet there needed to be some means for consistent with the MMM reading community. This channel of the Jaiku network contains aggregated RSS feeds of several websites that speak towards life and technology in Christian circles.

With these two aspects set, the MWS server was activated, and MMM Mobile began to live. In this section of the report, we will talk in detail about the technical and physical look of this MWS, and then how these worked in real-life.

Nokia's Mobile Web Server

Nokia released software based on the Python programming language called the Mobile Web Server (MWS). Expanding the methodology of their N-Series mobile devices being the "next stage of computers," the MWS is a project to demonstrate the ability of mobile phones today, and to explore the use of a server, or data and application hosting platform, on a connected and mobile device.

Setting up the MWS requires the registration of a user name at the MWS website (http://mymoobilesite.net). This user name will become the address of the website (username.mmymobilesite.net). After setting up the user name, you then set up information such as a profile, offline page, and then download the software.

The MWS software is compatible only with Symbian S60 mobile devices. While there are a few devices by Samsung and Motorola, only Nokia devices with Symbian S60 have been tested to work with MWS. Unfortunately, not all Nokia S60 devices will work, and many will have limitations based on their hardware. This limitation will show up later as a reason where a solution for its use is limited technologically and economically.

My device is the Nokia N75. This S60 smartphone is one of three 3G devices that Nokia currently has made available in the US. This device was featured on the Cingular/AT&T wireless carrier a little over a year ago and for most purposes is about at the end of its marketing life. This doesn't mean that it is incapable, only that better is here and coming. I purchased this device in December of 2007 in order to better learn about the S60 operating system and have something that would have ample value to my usage as a person who enjoys and lives on the web and mobile devices/applications.

The Social Networking Component

As a nearly-30 adult, much of my online time is spent on email and within social networks. While I do not have a presence on MySpace or Facebook, I do have one with Jaiku. A recent Google acquisition, Jaiku found favor with me because of its mobile client application, the ability to consolidate RSS feeds into one singular area, and a community of people from multiple background, faiths, and locations. In terms of social network services, Jaiku belongs to a subsection called lifestreaming applications. Lifestreaming meaning one can have several streams of their life appear in this service. From microblogging to sharing photos on services such as Flickr, to community channels, Jaiku is one part a community and another part a gate where you can allow people to come in and out of your life.

For Mobile Ministry Magazine, Jaiku is used as an RSS feed aggregator and community window. Through discussion and the RSS feeds, our community focus is seen and shared. Because of this ability to be a window made it a suitable back-chatter component for this experiment.

In Part Two, we cover the day to day use of the Mobile Web Server, some initial and lasting challenges, and the difference between accessibility and versatility as I began to dig into using MMM Mobile.

Labels: community, device, mission, mobile, Mobile Web Server, mobility, N75, Nokia, review, software

Image via Wikipedia

A friend of mine has been debating when to get the Nokia N810. He basically wants it to replace his laptop for the lighter ministry tasks that he does. He's been doing his homework, looking at his budget, and basically learning all that he can about it before he makes the jump, but the question that he has is "when?" You see, for him it is not so much that its there, but when should he get it is the more important question.

For those who follow technology of any kind, you know that there is planned obsolescence for all of it. Nothing seems to be meant to last forever, and in some cases, not much longer than the 5 minutes that passed since your purchased it. However, being a good steward over our resources means that we have to take a proactive approach towards attaining mobile technology, and for many of us that leaves us in a constant wait pattern.

So how do you decide to pull the trigger? Here are some things that have helped me in the past on this side of decision making:

• Have you prayed about it or just told God that you wish that you had it?
• In investigating the device or software, have you noticed complaints for basic functionality or advanced features?
• Has the device had a major recall during its product life? Or is there a standing glitch that has not had any communication from the manufacturer that it will be addressed at some point and time?
• What devices/services are planned to come after this? How long from this point until that new device/service is released?
• Have you checked the Buy/Sell threads at the fan sites for this item (usually used, but the price is a lot lower than purchasing new)?

What about you, what kinds of decisions do you go through before making a purchase?

Labels: mobile accessories, mobiles, mobility, N810, Nokia, purchasing, tech

I was sitting here thinking about the Nokia N-Gage platform and their new Get Out and Play campaign and how it takes the online aspect (think X-Box Live and World of Warcraft) and brings that community to mobile devices. I wonder, much like some ministries have gone into virtual worlds to start ministering to people there, could the same thing be possible within N-Gage?

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Labels: community, mobiles, mobility, N-Gage, Nokia, software, Video game

I am one part a member of Nokia's Blogger Relations team, and have recently been invited to be an S60 Ambassador. Essentially, I speak about Nokia's products to people when I see that there's a need for them. In some cases, I'll get devices or services to try out and then report those findings back to Nokia. For them, it's an effort to see how people are using their devices and services. For me, it's a chance to see how mobile technology can enrich and empower lives.

The better part is that there are relationships that happen. Being able to live in Christ around them makes having opportunities like these presented by Nokia and other companies kinda neat. Here are a few of the recent reports that I filed to Nokia's S60 Ambassador's program. For those of you looking at ways to see how mobile tech fits, this is how I go about learning and applying.

Episode 1: The Young Mother

I went to visit a friend of mine on the other side of Charlotte as she has a 1yr old kid who has provided for several great photo opportunities. She and I talked about her e-learning class that she is taking and some directions that she could go with content for her blog. I recommended the idea of the phone as the literal center of the Internet for the school by using the Mobile Web Server.

First, I had to explain to her what the Mobile Web Server is and what kind of functionality that it opens up. Then, I told her that I could show her what it would look like. So I pulled out my N75 and turned on the Mobile Web Server. We navigated through each of the pages on her laptop that was in front of us, and I showed her how such a setup would make for a different take on distance learning ventures.

She was amazed that my phone could do that and asked why it was that her 3555 was not able to do the same things even though it was a Nokia phone as well. I explained to her that while they were from the same company, that they used different operating systems. One of the applications that she'd become a bit intrigued about is Jaiku; especially its ability to link with the address book for presence notification. That was something that she wanted for her phone. I led her to Yahoo, and there she learned about Yahoo's oneConnect service. Unfortunately, she does not have a mobile [data] plan, and does not see getting one; so downloading that was out of the question.

he problem that she posed to me was how to get more out of a phone like mine without being online. Considering that I do so much online via my N75, that really left me without many words. Other than the Bible, voice, and SMS, the rest really is the Internet. Making my phone compelling towards those who don't need that functionality will have to become another search of mine.

Episode 2: The Church Admin

Monday night is usually bible study at It's a Grind Coffeehouse and that is where I was again this Monday. Having had a successful demonstration of the Mobile Web Server running on my N75 earlier Monday, I decided to pique the interest of one of the administrative workers of my church and get her idea on such a solution.

First, I gave her a small demonstration of the software on my device, and then used my N800 Internet Tablet to show what the site actually works like in a web browser. At that she was impressed, but I could see not convinced at its usefulness. I then changed modes to talking about how there is always some information that one wants to keep personal, but other things, like pictures and availability that would come in handy for some people to know.

I then set my Gallery to show the pictures from my memory card and showed her how that page could be set with permissions. I then showed the Contact, Presence, and Calendar screens and showed that these can be controlled with a simple group that is created on the phone.

She looked at the phone and said "that's interesting. Your phone is a powerful little thing." Powerful indeed, but as a device that connects, its hard to beat.

Related Items:

• Nokia's S60 Ambassador Program
• Nokia's Mobile Web Server
• N75 Live-in Review Update
• MMM's N95 (via Nokia Blogger Relations) Review
• Yahoo's oneConnect service

Labels: Bible, church, community, device, family, Jaiku, mission, mobile, mobile accessories, Mobile Web Server, mobility, N75, Nokia, phone, software, tech, urban, usability, Yahoo

Last night, I downloaded Nokia's Mobile Web Server onto my N75 and have to say that its am impressive piece of work. Besides being a web server, aka I can run a website off my phone, I can also use it to extend things like my calendar and contacts to friends and family and essentially have a website for direct communication.

That, of course, got me thinking about Mobile Ministry Magazine (MMM) and a route that could be taken with it. Essentially, I was thinking of taking a week to host the site on my phone, and then use the MMM Jaiku channel to supplement things when I need to take it offline (ya know , to turn off the phone or use it for something else).

But before I go off the deep end and really make MMM mobile, I wanted to ask you all of your thoughts. Here is the poll, please place your responses in the comments.

• MMM should stay as it is and the mobile MMM just be an aside
• MMM should go mobile as described above
• Something else entirely (please describe)

Please understand, I am totally mobile and so doing this for a short time is mostly a test of the technology and my abilities to be productive with it. My phone will certainly have a fit with it, but this is part of the reason I get the devices I do, I like to push.

Thanks in advance, and I hope your week can start off with some innovative ways at addressing life and tech.

Labels: browser, community, device, Jaiku, mobility, N75, Nokia, phone, software, tech

I have been sitting in my usual coffeehouse office for this afternoon, and in reading announcements about the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet with WiMax, I started thinking a bit more about how possible it will be for believers to take computing and the task of [managing] ministry on the road.

Much like I chatted about last week with my pastors seeing the N800 as a viable ministry solution. The addition of WiMax networks takes this to more attainable possibilities.

Let me explain a bit about WiMax. Think of it as WiFi (hotspots) but instead of confined to a small area (300ft) this is something that can cover miles and miles, similar to a cellular connection. Except, unlike a cellular connection, the ability to do rich media is greater because the "pipe" that info is carried on is much bigger.

Now, that being said, imagine a situation where one can have their "office" in their pocket. When WiMax is official (mostly in larger metros initially) and more devices hit, this is something that will not just be a possibility, but could be an option.

Related Articles:

• Internet Tablet Talk Announcement of N810 Internet Tablet WiMax Edition
• N810 WiMax Edition Demo at Nokia
• N810 WiMax Edition Specs from Nokia

Labels: internet tablet, mobile, mobility, N810, Nokia

This "conversation" is actially a report that I've filed recently to the Nokia S60 Ambassadors Program. While this fits their purposes, I hope that it sheds some light as to the conversations that mobile technoogy can involve us into, and if we be willing listeners, we can learn something that would help shape mobile use and community engagement on Gospel levels.

This Monday even started out similar to ones in the past where I met members of my church for Bible study. They have become accustomed to me using mobile technology during the study. This week, I had the Sony Mylo along with the N800 and was using the Wi-Fi and coffeehouse environment to compare the user interfaces towards using public Wi-Fi connections and what kind of web-usability is possible with the Mylo compared to what I know with the N800.

The Community Life pastor first asked me about the devices in seeing both tablets. He mentioned that something in the size of an Internet Tablet was appealing to him because he notices that he doesn't so much need the laptop as much as he needs access to the information. I gave him the Mylo to play with first and just looked at some general impressions he had while using it. After some play with it, and a few bits of frustration, he then moved to playing with the N800. He remarked that the N800 had a better feel and felt more polished in the touchscreen and user interface. The conversation with him then moved towards speaking about open source software - as that is an area that he is learning about - and how the Internet Tablet fits in this philosophy, especially in ministry settings with small churches.

The senior pastor came in and also took to trying the Mylo first. Like the first pastor, he had difficulty in navigating the user interface. However, because he had not had any type of hands on with the tablet devices before, he was filled with more questions (cost, availability, applications, etc.). After some frustrating moments in looking up some information with Gmail, he then moved to the N800. Like the first pastor, he said that he felt more comfortable. During the course of the conversation, he asked about the cost of the wireless service. He also wanted to know some websites that he could take advantage of (Google Apps being the most important). The conversation then led into how we could better use our church website and where a device like the Internet Tablets could come in handy.

Both said that they came away with a better understanding of how handheld tech could fit, but they were both looking at things from different vantage points. The first pastor was familiar with the Palm M125 and liked that kind of simplicity, but wanted the free-form of the Moleskin notebook that he uses for writing notes. The senior pastor was more impressed that such technology was available and said that it would be something that he would look into purchasing as it would fill a connectivity need.

Labels: community, internet tablet, mobile, mobile accessories, mobility, Mylo, N800, Nokia, tech

Last week I visited a youth center in Charlotte that was being outfitted with 16 new computers. The executive director is a friend of mine and I told him that I would visit the facility now that I have the time to get there during their working hours. I saw a place that is right on teh verge of having a major impact in East Charlotte; but also wondered where aspects of learning and understanding mobile tech would come into play in a venue like this.

Use and Sustainability

While it is true that mobile tech has become more and more a part of our lives, it is still something that is an accessory, rather than a need. That being said, I always want to look at how something can be used and maintained in an effective context when speaking of introducing or reteaching technology in a particular area.

For many urban communities, managing finances is a big issue. From the allure of "the greener grass" to the media's depection of rags to riches for just about everything, many of those who live in urban environments have a skewed sense of how to manage their resources. Its in this context where I've sesen pre-pay mobile phones and SMS related services as means for helping to disciple responsiblitiy, and also change the perception that money in is always slower than money out.

Community Involvement

What I noticed about the youth center that I visited is that it sits near a TV station, a radio station, and has a cellular retailer right across the street. If there is ever a means to teach and enable people to reach higher, there are the assests that can do such. In some cases, there might even be other opportunities such as schools, colleges, or local businesses in which their investing of consistent time to teach and mentor can open upthe entire community to start building a solid base for social and economic change.

Spiritual Leadership

One thing that my friend and I agreed on was that for things to change in Charlottte's commnities, the Body has to be a leader in providing those services and points of empowerment that enable and entire city to action. Charlotte is like man places where their is a church on ever corner. When the Body gets together and begins to work in the wisdom and understanding of 'parts and sum' then the kind of leadership that changes communities happen.

And Then the Fun

I had this idea once that students with mobile handsets and some free time could document and change their world. I see this happen more and more as the years go on. Nokia, MTV and Reuters getting together for Super Tuesday is one example of mobile tech doing something different. Taking that action a step futher, using that same mobile tech to give households with no access to the Internet that access. Linking schools, communities, the Internet, and mobile tech to create a community communication net where life is shared appropriately, and generations withining that community are enabling one another to see that the blessings that Christ speaks of in Matthew 5, are as close as us serving one another.

Additional Information

• The Digital Sanctuary also spoke recently about equipping leaders for urban ministry in this post.
• MobileActive.org is a site where one can find out more about engaging their community with mobile technology efforts.

Labels: community, mobility, Nokia, tech, urban