Mobile Ministry Magazine

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

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, usablity

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, usablity

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?

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, usablity, 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)

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

As much as I harp on my Internet Tablet and what doesn't work, I like to also talk about when things come along that are just neat, and have the benefit of having a positive effect on ministry pursuits.

Here's the news, in a few posts, we'll chat about how this has implications for one particular area of ministry where mobile tech and affluence tend to leave behind.

Here's the snippet from Internet Tablet Talk:

The opposite trend has started in the Smartphone world. The desire is to have more content, more details, thus more pixels on the display. The human eyes, especially of elderly people are limited in useable pixel-density. Thus, the size of the display increases. The physical dimensions of mobile devices are not allowed to increase further due to the pocketability constraint. Therefore the display resolution of the built-in display will remain limited. This leads in comparison Smartphone to PC to a disappointing feeling: Overview is still too limited! Alternative form factors such as rollable, foldable and any other kind of flexible display still need to mature for future deployment.

noBounds demonstrates the optimal way out of this dilemma to have a tiny Smartphone, AND utilize high definition (HD) displays by introducing a versatile and highly efficient interaction with external high resolution displays!

Read the rest at Internet Tablet Talk and watch the video below.

Labels: internet tablet, mobile, mobile accessories, N800, N810, Nokia, tech

Not being a programmer in the sense of developing applications, I have a large appareciation for those who can stand to listen to hoards of feature requests and feedback that comes on the heels of a popular application. This is something that I've realized first hand as the webmaster for Bible+.

Now again, I see the need to just put out there that a developer is in need of help, not only in terms of development, but also in terms of what could be done with the Rapier Bible reader application.

Over at Internet Tablet Talk, there has been a thread started asking for help and feature request for Rapier. One can also sign up for the mailing list and submit items that way as well.

Much like Bible+, this is a single person who is devoting some spare time to enable those with an alternative device to read the Word. Let's encourage him in prayer and feedback where possible.

For more information about Rapier, or to download it for your Internet Tablet, visit the Rapier page at the Maemo Garage.

Labels: Bible, community, N800, Nokia, Rapier, software

A bit ago, we talked about Tim Samoff and his giving away of a second Nokia N810 Internet Tablet to a prorgammer of his choice. After reading about the person that was chosen and the reason why, I have to say that I am throughly impressed, and humbled at the choice, the process for the choice, and the action that the recepient will be undertaking.

That is, in my opinion, mobile ministry as what it should be.

Labels: community, gifts, internet tablet, N800, Nokia

In keeping with speaking about those things Symbian and Nokia related, a review of the N81 8GB that was given to me by Nokia Blogger Relations has been published at Brighthand. Here's a snippet of that review:

...The N81 8GB is a mobile that sometimes let me down, and others times delightfully faded into the background. Just the design of the device screams of something needing a touchscreen and touch-sensitive controls, and I was let down where I could not do so. Even still, the buttons and controls were well placed and for the most part easy to figure out...

Labels: N81, Nokia, review

I've recently received a Nokia N81 8GB from Nokia Blogger Relations and have begun putting it through its paces. I've detailed a first impressions review over at Brighthand and have more to come soon. Here's a snippet of that review:

...Build quality is generally impressive. The N81 8GB is the same thickness as my N75 when the slider is closed, and not much longer when opened. It's a heavy handset, but not ungainly so. It feels like it was crafted from a brick of metal, even though it's entirely plastic. The only noticeable creaks after a few days use are with the slider when the N81 8GB is pressed against my head while talking on the phone. There was some wobble there that can be a cause for concern for some...

Labels: N81, Nokia, review

Having gotten back into using the Nokia N800 Internet Tablet, I have wanted to move into one of the main reasons that I have for getting it - to invogorate how I read, study, and journal the Bible. That being said, there has not been a lot done in this area on the Internet Tablet, and part of it is probably because no-one really knows what to do.

Let's start with a few simple situations, and then go from there:

- You are at a cafe on a nice day, and would like to read the Bible. There is wifi and so using it would be preferred. Services such as iPocketBible, eBible, and YouVersion are available, and so you read and do. While they are different in what they offer, the key thing here is that you have the ability to read while online, and do a few things on top of that.

- You are in the car as a passenger, and would like to continue your reading that you started at the cafe. Being that you are not near a hotspot, the only options for connecting online would be through your mobile phone. However, that could get expensive quickly. So you decide to fire up a bible reader and go from there. And yes, that works too, but the notes are a seperate application, and you just lost your place that you had in the online version you were reading.

- You are at home, away from the fuss of a day and want to dig in a bit deeper to the passages you were reading before. So you fireup the browser, the bible reader, and the notes application. And then have at your side a few additional references that you use when studying. This only lasts for a few minutes though before you decide to move completely to paper and pen because of the constant switching that has to happen.

In looking at the situations described above, one can see the benefits and the disadvantages of reading a Bible on an electronic device. When the Bible is so seperated from the tasks of reading, studying, and sharing, what should be a convience becomes a chore.

So my proposal/question is to make a better Bible reader for mobile devices that takes these situations into account. One part of this is the Bibles, another part of this notes, and yet another part is the user interface of it all.

I see a good platform on my Internet Tablet in terms of the Notes application. But I am not yet sure if it is something that can be extended by the way of plugins to other programs. Because being able to plug in the Notes app to the browser would make for an easy way to bookmark and annotate passages.

Then I also see the good stuff in terms of web applications for reading the Bible, but there has to be a way to save content on the device (even if for a short time) so that one could read when there is no Internet connection.

When I think about reading effectively on mobile devices, motivation to read is one part. But having a tool that works effecitvely is another that is usually the stumbling block.

Labels: Bible, community, internet tablet, N800, Nokia, reading, tech, usablity

Its been the better part of a few good days with the N75 and I am somewhat comfortable with it. IT does a few things different than the N95 that I looked at last year, but all in all isn't a bad device.

One of the problems that I ran into with it was using the Mail4Exchange software with it. For some reason, it would not recognize the hostname of my mail server and so I ended up going with DataViz's RoadSync. Currently using its 30 day trial, its ok, but a bit more than I need. Battery life has taken a considerable hit with it on "push" mode for most of the day though. I'll need to figure out something there, as that is one mail account that needs to be active all the time.

I am finding though that other parts of the device are solid, and even praiseworthy. The keypad is probably the best that I've ever had on any mobile phone. The buttons are big and give great feedback. I type pretty fast with T9, and have not had a problem with getting out messages or typing web page names.

The music player has been a solid accompanyment as well. Music comes thru nice and clear (except at the highest volume range). And being able to use it without opening the flip has been something pretty neat too. I only wish that the side buttons were as finger friendly as the internal ones were.

I have been using it teathered to my desktop for internet and that too has been quite favorable. Besides getting about 3hrs of a connection before a low battery warning, connecting has been seemless with the Nokia PC Suite software. And yes, 3G speeds are here and accounted for.

So far what needs to get better, change, improve:
- Battery life could be better. But I am a heavy user, so this is something that can be given a pass on.
- Definitely a phone first. I see where many people like Nokia's user interface. I don't. Its not very good, and its easy to get lost in looking for a setting for the phone or a program. Also, simple things like replying to SMS messages or refreshing a web page takes too many clicks.
- The idea fo controlling the phone without opening the flip is great, but could use some refining in aspects such as viewing text messages, not just being notified of them.

Overall, its ok. Outside of sending a mass-run of Christmas text messages with the Treo 680, I have been on the N75 a lot. Its cool, and I could see a lot of people using one (or an updated one, or the N76) and being happy with it. In terms of mobile computing though, it needs a device like the N810 in order to be totally mobile-useful. That is not to knock it, its a nice day to day device. More phone than communicator, and for a lot of people, that will be just fine.

Labels: internet tablet, mobile, N75, Nokia

I've got a new Nokia device to talk about some. This one didn't come from Nokia Blogger Relations, but I'll blame them anyways for getting my appitite wet for something even better ;)

I now have the Nokia N75. The N75 was the first 3G enabled Nokia phone to hit the US. It is about as speced out as you can get, except for wi-fi. But unlike my Treo, it does not have a QWERTY keyboard. It will be an adjustment towards getting used to a number pad, but I can tell you that T9 will have to learn quickly else this phone goes to the side, heheheh.

A few apps that are going on here:
- Jaiku Mobile
- S60 Bible Reader (2GB MicroSD card with that)
- Mail for Exchange (for connecting to MS Exchange)

There are a few more apps that I am sure that I'll want to get, but I like to keep things light.

One of the other reasons for going with this is that I want to be a bit more applicable to the 70+million people who this year have chosen a Nokia Symbian device, but want to learn how it can be used for mobile ministry. There's a lot, and just watch us pour it on this coming year towards what we can do.

Happy holidays all.

Labels: Bible, Jaiku, mobile, N75, Nokia, tech

When I was rolling with MMM in the summer of 2006, there was a person that I had been going back and forth with on some tech emails at the time. He found me via MMM, and asked for my assistance in setting up a PDA for one of his members (he was a pastor) who was bed-ridden and elderly. I can remember the energy that he had as he spoke about how delighted she was that he would visit with her, and even more than she had something to do when in the bed that was more than the normal crossword puzzle.

This Monday, I was reading about the new N810 at InternetTabletTalk when I clicked on a link to a poster's personal blog. At the time of writing this, I had not gotten past this post, but what I read there was pretty encouraging, and yet showed me in another light an area where mobile tech could be effective in keeping one encouraged when not-so-mobile.

Here is a piece of the post:

...I know I talk about my Nokia N800 Internet Tablet a lot, but I must tell you: It is a life-saver. (In fact, I'm blogging from it right now!) While in bed, I have internet, email, IM, games, FM radio, music, video, etc., all in the palm of my hand. If I had nothing else, my N800 would probably be quite sufficient...

Labels: internet tablet, N800, Nokia, tech, usablity

This is one of the news items that came across my eyes today, and while it doesn't speak towards mobile ministry in the sense of how many think of ministry, I learned from the SilentImages.org website that many times, giving a voice to those who do not have one is indeed a ministry effort that deserves to be taken up.

...Nokia
(NYSE:NOK) Research Center (NRC) and Reuters are working together on a mobile journalism project that could transform the way journalists file news reports when on the move. The new mobile application is the first project to be showcased from a long term research collaboration that has been established between NRC and Reuters. It centres around a lightweight toolkit that provides everything journalists need to file and publish stories from even the most remote regions of the world.

Through an ongoing trial that started this summer, select Reuters journalists around the world made use of the mobile journalism application in their everyday work to edit, combine and file text, images, sound and live and record