Mobile Ministry Magazine

I had this thought... how do you (pastors, teachers, layleaders of small groups, etc) share your outlines and notes for your sermons and studies?

I've been playing with the idea of making my notes in HTML, and then using a combination of my website, Google Docs, and email to share these items. In this way, I'm doing some digital enablement, and for many folks, I'm leaving the cost (and admin) of printing and additional annotations to the listener.

Just wondering as I'm having some reasonable success doing this, and in some cases, its been an effective tool towards opening the door for other conversations that have led to better studies and discipliship situations.

Labels: annotating, notes, software, study

A bit late on mentioning this, but it should still hopefully catch you in a good mood. Laridian has released PocketBible 4. This is a major update to the PocketBible franchise and includes several improvements in performance and user interface and a host of new features. Here's a rundown on what's new:

• Open multiple windows/books then maximize any window for full screen reading.
• Flick Gestures while Maximized
• Auto-Scroll Reading
• View a verse in all Bibles.
• Enhanced Searching (with last 20 searches saved)
• Customizable Toolbars
• Save/Restore Layouts
• Synchronize Notes, Bookmarks and Highlights with PocketBible for Windows (sold separately) /li>

In addition, there are a few news features for Windows Mobile 6 Standard (non-touchscreen) users such as the ability to view Commentaries, Dictionaries, Devotionals, and other titles; create and edit notes/highlighting; and synchronize Notes, Bookmarks and Highlights with PocketBible for Windows (sold separately).

How to Get PocketBible 4

Quoting this from the Laridian website:

PocketBible 3 owners can upgrade to PocketBible 4 for a limited time for only $7. Check your email for a special offer from Laridian. When placing your order enter the priority code from the email to receive 30% off PocketBible 4, plus 20% off of any additional Bibles or books you order at the same time.

PocketBible 4 is available via several bundles from Laridian. Since you need to have some Bibles and other resources in order to use it, this would a good thing to take advantage of. See this page for a list of Bibles and bundles for use with PocketBible 4.

PocketBible 4 Review

Ed Hansberry has been a popular user and reviewer for PocketBible in the past and has already done a full and detailed review of the new PocketBible 4 application. Here is a snippet:

...There are other nice features like the ability to save and restore preferred layouts if you have different screen layout preferences for reading versus studying, etc. The Find feature has also been beefed up a bit including a "NEAR" search term, allowing you to find two words within so many versus of each other. For example, if the Near setting is at 3, searching for Moses NEAR Aaron will yield 409 results. This new search parameter can be combined with the existing AND, OR, XOR and NOT to make some pretty complex searches. The NEAR term only works in bibles, not other books...

Read the rest of Ed Hansberry's PocketBible 4 Review.

There's Already Been An Update

And if that isn't enough, Laridian has already released an update to PocketBible 4. This update just fixes some issues with syncing highlights and restoring history from a previous session. More details on this update are stated on the Laridian Blog.

So...

We've already recommended Laridian's PocketBible software as a sold investment for your mobile reading needs. Just jump on over to Laridian's website and see for yourself. There's a trial version available, but I can say that many of you will be very convinced that it would be worth the purchase.

Labels: annotating, Bible, Laridian, mobile, reading, review, software, updates

There have been a few items sitting starred in Google Reader that I've been meaning to post. Sharing some of those, and hopig to spark something that will get you and I to think a bit more as the week goes on the place of mobile and tech in faith.

• ESV and NJKV for MS One Note (Bible Studies nad Technological Tools)
• When Should Parents Purchase a Mobile for their Children (Just Another Mobile Phone Blog)
• Research and Note Taking Tools, and the follow-up article Bonus Items for Research and Note Taking (Bible Studies and Technological Tools)
• Mission Field Money Crisis (Chruch Relevance, Charlotte Observer)
• Blogging Ministries (Church Communications Pro)

Got any news that would be of value to the Mobile Ministry Magazine community? Use our Contact page to send it to us.

Labels: annotating, Bible, church, device, education, mission, reading, review, software

This is what happens when I sit down and begin to think a bit more about how a Bible Study Notes application can/should work. Feel free to offer your opinions, and if you are a developer, think of this as a project analysis of what I've been thinking about.

Bible Notes App/Web App

Short Description Note taking application for mobile devices, internet tablets, etc. that uses a plug-in based architecture to connect to local and online resources.

Why and Who: The reason for this program is so that casual Bible readers, students, and sermon attendees can take notes in a format that follows alongside their natural ability to take notes in a notebook whether they use a digital or print bible.

Goals

• Create notes that extend beyond the context of one particular reading to the various points of information that exist online and/or on the user's device
• Create a point of intersecting the APIs of several Bible programs, formats, and sources so that the user has choice in how to use the resources available
• To encourage the development of plugins for commercial and non-commercial resources so as to not to slight the publishing industry's licensing rights for resource materials
• To address the semantics behind studying, by putting to work the semantics of the web

What Does This Program Look Like:

• Start with the Notes Application on Nokia Internet Tablets
  • Addition of a button that adds functionality
  • Finger typing friendly
  • PDF, HTML, and XML export
  • Upload to Google Docs (download then reupload possible?)
• Title/Initial Actions Screen
  • Create, (3-5) Recent Notes, Delete, Manage Plugins, About
• Notes
  • single screen
  • bottom bar with Bold, Italic, Underline, Color Selector, Bullets, Link (Plugin), Save, Save/Upload

Limitations

• Simple formatting options
• Initially no ability to draw on screen or insert images
• If a web application, needs a server; would be better as a web application that can be launched from a bookmark in an offline mode then save when connected

Workflow

• Two screens: title/actions and notes
• Dialog boxes to confirm actions such as 'link to resource' and 'saved to local/web'

Document Structure

• XHTML
• In page CSS (initially no custom styles for users)
• BibleRef Tagger
• Semantic Bible

Program Structure

• Language: unknown, depends on native or web app
• MySQL on local machine for indexing tags and references
• UI based on writing first, tagging second
• Will NOT tie into any Bible reader program directly, plugins only

Plugins

• Must use API defined by source resource to access content
• search plugins will only pass information via a search string and open in local client's browser
• Plugins that point to local apps should be done with the GPL for user/developer customization
• Plugins that point to licensed material need to be checked for possible licensing issues
• Can plugin point to native app
• Plugin to add ability to highlight, draw on page instead of build into app (possibility)

Plugin Limitations

• Cannot create content
• Cannot pull in content from websites applications to paste into document (later functionality possibility)

This is somewhat detailed, but gives a clear idea of what I was speaking about in Sunday's post. What are your thoughts? Place them here, and let's get a push to make an application that will have some far reaching effects.

Labels: annotating, Bible, mobility, notes, software, study, tech, web application

I got an email the other day about an update to the PhatNotes Windows Mobile application and it got me thinking about a friend of mine who was using his Windows Mobile smartphone at Bible study, but didn't write one note because the process was just too cludgy between his Bible reader and paying attention to the lesson.

This is not an uncommon problem to many. Annotating is something that we do internally pretty well (usually), but when it comes to transcribing, there just doesn't seem to be enough programs that do it "right." That's not to say that PhatNotes does it bad, but its a solid solution for any of you looking for a notes solution for things such as sermon notes or Bible studies.

A suitable notes solution seems to be something in a few of our wish-lits. That being said, there are solutions, what do you use?

Labels: annotating, Bible, notes, PhatNotes, software, tech