I've been a fan of MacHeist for the past few years though I haven't always purchased what they offer, they do tend to offer some impressive apps at huge discounts.
Right now they are offering to give away 6 apps for free if they can rack up 500,000 participants over the next six days. I'd personally like a few of the apps on offer (Write Room & Twitterific to be exact), so I'm doing my part to spread the word.
By: mhkingsley | Friday, November 06, 2009 at 12:43 PM | |
Stephen is one of the students who has joined us on snowboarding trips. He's also a madman, eating fire. I found this testimony of his and thought I'd share it.
About a year ago I ran a search in the app store looking for a decent Bible application for my iPod Touch. I was shocked by how few resources were available. Much has changed. The app store now boasts more than 100,000 apps and a quick search for "Bible" yields more results than I care to look at. So what are the best Bible apps out there? Here's what I've used and what I've stuck with:
YouVersion Bible [iTunes Link] This Bible has become my de-facto app for one simple reason - It's easy. There are plenty of great translations available online. I tend to use The NIV, TNIV, NASB, ESV, NLT & The Message but the catch is that they're not downloadable. So, if you've got an iPod Touch or are out of signal with an iPhone the translations become limited. but it's hard to complain when the app is free. You can download the NET Bible which I've gravitated towards. There's a daily reading guide and a capable search engine. When you close the app, it remembers where you were reading for next time. What I'm looking forward to using is You Version Live which allows you to interact with events in real time (download sermon notes, ask questions, answer polls, take notes, etc) Very cool. Where this app is lacking is on cross-refrences, commentaries and study resources but then again that's not really the point of this app. Lifechurch.tv has put out an excellent companion to their You Version online Bible. It will be hard to debunk.
Bible Touch (NASB) [iTunes Link] This was the first Bible I purchased as I wanted a text that was permanently on my iPod. It does what it says on the tin but not much more. You can bookmark verses for later reference but there is again no cross-references or additional commentary which would be extremely helpful. The search is robust. I still keep this app on my iPhone as my good "old faithful."
Pocket Bible [iTunes Link] Here we have a port of a palm Bible over to the iPhone platform. I know a lot of people who like this app and it does have a lot of resources available to it though it's all a bit confusing to deal with. You have to download the app off the app store, then sign up on the Laridian website via the app. You can proceed to download free Bibles and resources such as the TNIV or the works of Josephus. You can't, however, yet make in-app purchases of any other resources. Instead, you have to go to the website and purchase them there and then download them in the iPhone app. Once you've done this you do get some great searching abilities and integration between the resources. I tend not to use this app however. I've already invested a lot into Accordance Bible Software and don't think I'm ready to re-invest similar amounts of cash into a purely mobile app.
The Voice [iTunes Link] I love this translation and was excited to find it for free in the app store. The translation is a collaboration of artists and scholars which brings about some interesting nuances in the text. That said, the app itself is pretty poor. It's basically an amplified PDF without any search function or the ability to read in landscape mode. And yet, I return to it often because I love the translation.
Logos[iTunes Link] This is an impressive app, especially if you've already invested into the Logos Library. Not only does the app provide complete integration between resources but if you use Logos 4 on your PC at home (Mac version is yet to be released), you can access all of your resources via your iPhone. I haven't invested into Logos but this app makes me wish I had. This app is made for studying the Bible and it allows you to do so in an intuitive manner. Tap and hold a word to search it throughout the Bible or in your additional resources. Swipe up to reveal even more in-depth study options like seeing the original Greek or Hebrew, cross-references, media resources, parallel texts, etc. The only think this app is lacking is in-app purchases of better resources and a broader selection of translations (no NIV?).
So, when all is said and done, I have four Bible apps on my iPhone all with separate purposes. It would be great to find one app to rule them all. I have hope that Accordance Bible Software will get moving on creating such an app, especially since they pride themselves on being Mac-only software. That being said, I haven't read of any plans for the company to release such an app and that's a pity because I have a lot of money invested in them already.
There are plenty of other options out there such as Olive Tree's Bible Reader or the Mantis Bible Study. I haven't tried either of those. Are there any that you in particular use?
OK, after a few hours of wrestling with Time Machine (Mac's built in data backup manager), I finally figured out the solution to my woes and just in case any of my fellow Mac users out there find themselves in a similar situation I decided to blog my findings.
Here's what was going on: Every time I went to back up Time Machine would take a really long time and then let me know that it failed to back up with the following message:
After a quick Google search I came up with this solution thanks to this post:
To get Time Machine going again, you need to remove the errant files with the following steps:
To get Time Machine going again, you need to remove the errant files with the following steps:
Ensure your backup device is turned on and connected to your computer (wirelessly or wired, it doesn't matter)
Turn off Time Machine using the big button in Time Machine preferences.
Access your backup volume in Finder (it should be named "Backup of your-computer-name..." or something similar) and double-click into the "Backups.backupdb" folder.
Next, click into the "your-computer-name" folder. You should see a bunch of folders with dates. These are all the dates corresponding to days you ran a successful backup.
At the bottom of the folder listing will be one or two things you need to move to the trash. You may see only one or both of these, but delete the file that starts with a date (it should be the date the backup failure started) and ends in ".inProgress." Also delete a file named "Latest" if it exists.
Return to Time Machine preferences and turn Time Machine on.
Initiate a backup using the Time Machine drop-down in the menu bar or wait until the next scheduled backup run.
A final but important step, be patient. Time Machine may sit in "preparing" mode for a while. It's important to at least let it run for an hour or so to see if the process will continue actually writing files to your backup volume.
Hopefully you never have to deal with this issue.
By: mhkingsley | Sunday, November 01, 2009 at 7:39 PM | |
Web 2.0 refers to websites and web applications that are designed around information sharing, community and collaboration. Web 2.0 sites have been around for a while now and some even posit that we're moving on to explore Web 3.0 (though there's not too much agreement as to what Web 3.0 is just yet). Some may have no idea what Web 2.0 is but still might use it from day to day. Others have saturated themselves in it so much their not sure where their digital lives and physical lives and and begin. I probably fall more into the latter camp though I've been working to define the lines much more diligently as of late. I've deleted accounts with some Web 2.0 services (such as Bebo & Myspace) as well as cut back on blogging. In the process of pruning, I've developed a list of quality Web 2.0 services I'm happy to be using and I thought I'd pass along the list to those interested.
Facebook - I've used a number of social networking sites and even though I've had my disappointments with Facebook, it is without a doubt the best service currently available, and one that will be extremely hard to de-bunk. Not only do you get to walk down memory lane, re-connecting with old friends, but you can actively connect and strengthen current relationships (though I could argue that too much superficial connection actually distances relationships - but that's another post). In a globalized world where my family is spread across three countries and my friends across even more, there's no better way to keep in touch than Facebook. Invite people to events, update them on what you're doing/thinking about, share photos and videos, chat, and a whole bunch more.
Twitter - I'm still new to twitter but I'm finally "getting" it. I've been a critical user for the past 6 months. For me, it's value lies in its ability to quickly inform and respond. Posts are limited in length to a couple of sentences at most. Some find freedom in this restriction, crafting some intelligent updates. Others don't. I tend to subscribe to a lot of deal/bargain tweets, news tweets and friends. A great way to keep updated at a glance.
Last.fm - I'm a music junkie so Last.fm makes sense for me. For others, it might be a bit excessive. Last.fm keeps track of the songs and bands you listen to. You can then receive updates for when one of those bands you've listened to are coming to town, you automatically receive a personal radio station which only plays the songs you've listened to, and you can share all this info with other Last.fm friends.
Aardvark - Ask and answer questions. Sure, you can google most things but some questions are too nuanced to be adequately answered by an impersonal search engine. With Aardvark, you ask a question and then that question is assigned to users Aardvark believes might know the answer. For example, I was curious about the quality of one clothing brand versus another. My google search wasn't producing any useful results so I took the question to Aardvark. In two minutes I had multiple opinions and was able to converse with a few users who'd used the products.
Del.icio.us - keep all of your bookmarks online. This is a great way to catalogue websites but it's also a great way to share those websites with others. My web browser doesn't manage my bookmarks, Delicious does.
Flickr - I've been using this service for years now. For me it serves three main purposes. 1. It's a place to store images I use on blogs (like this one). 2. It's a means of sharing quality images with friends and family around the world. 3. Flickr acts as an online backup of all my photos. This last function is enough to justify the $25 a year fee I pay for the Pro version.
Skype - This app has saved me more money than any other Web 2.0 app. Every once in a while it still strikes me as odd that I can talk to my family in America via webcam for free. I also use Skype to phone landline and moblie phones throughout the world at a cheap rate.
Evernote - I'm new to Evernote but I'm loving it. I'm not sure I'd have as much love for it if I didn't have an iPhone. Take down notes, take pictures of business cards (the text in the image will become searchable text), record voice memos, etc. I find it really useful when I'm working on a sermon and am piecing bits together from multiple sources (online, pictures, videos, etc.) I also use it when I'm brainstorming ideas. I used to brainstorm and then all my great ideas would go missing on some piece of random paper. Now all those ideas are all searchable.
Google Calendar - Keeping our family organized (ish). Google Calendar not only keeps an online version of your calendar online but syncs multiple computers and phones at the same time. So, if a new meeting comes up and I input it into my phone, Hailey's calendar will make a note of it. Now, I just need to get Hailey into the habit of putting her meetings into the calendar...
So, what's your Web 2.0 poison? What apps or sites do you find helpful and valuable?
For one reason or another Heaven & Hell have been repeating themes in my interaction with teens over the past few weeks. The questions have led to some great discussions. "How bad do I have to be to go to Hell?" "Does God love people in Hell?" "Is Heaven boring?" The conversations have encouraged me to look at my own theology and re-engage Scripture. One of the passages we've looked at is John 3 where Jesus speaks to Nicodemus. It has that great, almost iconic passage in it - John 3:16 - which states,
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
While this passage is talking about Heaven, I don't think it's talking about the eternal life most Christians would be expecting. Often when people read John 3:16 they're expecting it to talk about the idea that if we believe in Jesus we'll get into Heaven when we die. While I don't dispute the necessity of God's grace through Jesus for attaining eternal life, I do think we've muddled up the idea a bit.
Let's take a look at it.
Really interesting in this verse is the idea that God loves not just Christians, or the elect, or those who love him. No, God loves the whole world. Everyone.
The next really interesting idea in this verse is the idea that God "gave" us his Son. Theologians call this the incarnation. What's important to note here is that God loves this world not from afar but so much so that he becomes a part of it. He gifts himself to the world. John isn't referencing Christ's death on the cross here.
The last interesting idea I want to mention (of course there are loads more) is this idea of eternal life. The verse reads that whoever "believes in Him will have eternal life." The Jewish understanding of belief was not to accept a bunch of propositional statements as true but to commit one's life to, one's actions and thoughts to something. Belief was about engaging not simply agreeing.
Eternal life in the book of John was not a future notion but a present one. It meant, "the life of the age to come," meaning that Heavenly life starts now. In John's gospel "the life of the age to come" is already here! I often ask my students, "If you become a Christian, when does eternity begin?" The answer I'm looking for is obviously, NOW! John repeats this idea in John 17:3. For John, knowing God is eternal life.
So, what changes?
Everything! If eternity starts now, and I'm a part of it then somehow I'm bringing Heaven to earth. Just like when Jesus is teaching his disciples to pray, he says, "Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." God's mission is not about getting us up into Heaven after we die, it's about making this world more like Heaven.
If God was so concerned with just getting souls into Heaven, why have this world at all? We serve a God who is Spirit but who is deeply concerned with the physical.
OK, there's an insight into some of the conversations we've been having as of late.
I also just came across an article entitled Exploring One Hell of a Place which is asking some tough questions about our understanding of Hell. Jason Boyett asks if our understandings and fears of Hell are not derived more from culture than Scripture.
So, some final questions. I've been asking these of our students as of late.
If we can bring Heaven to earth can we also bring Hell to earth?
We may all agree that Heaven is full of forgiven people but would we all agree that Hell is full of forgiven people?
One of the tragedies to befall me this summer was the loss of my iPod Touch. For those that knew me well, I used it daily as a planner/organizer, I used it to check emails and of course listen to music and entertain myself. Then in June disaster struck when I plugged it into the car power adapter only to see a spark and smell smoke. My iPod was fried.
So, I quickly set about saving for a new one. When we got back home to Ireland I even started selling things around the house online. If it wasn't nailed down, it wasn't safe. With the money we made I then invested into an iPhone. Yes, I have swung to the dark side and am now an iPhone user. Happy days.
So, as a celebration, I thought I'd list my favorite iPhone/iPod Touch applications in case you too have swung or are thinking of swinging to the dark side.
Best Productivity Apps: Getting things done and done in a timely manner is one of the benefits of having and iPhone. These apps are the secret to the iPhone's productivity.
Google [iTunes Link] Not only do you gain the power of Google search in this app but you'll also find all the other usual suspects - Calendar, Docs, Talk, Reader, Gmail, etc. Perhaps my favorite feature though is the voice search. Simply swing the iphone up and the feature is enabled by the accelerometer. Say what you're looking for and Google searches it. I use this feature way too much.
QuickVoice [iTunes Link] Send yourself or someone else an email without typing a thing. Just speak what you want to say and this app will translate it into text. I've been really impressed with the accuracy. I even let the kids send emails to their grandparents! The email includes the voice recording as well.
Evernote [iTunes Link] If you use Evernote then having it on your mobile device is essential. Have an idea? Send yourself a note, record yourself or even take a picture of it. It syncs via the cloud to both your desktop version of the app and your mobile device. One cool feature is the ability to search text within a picture. So, if you take a picture of a business card, the text in that picture (i.e. the name & contact info) becomes searchable content. Pretty cool. The Hit List [iTunes Link] OK, OK, there is no iPhone app for The Hit List yet but one is set to be released soon and I can't wait. The desktop version is my go-to app every morning. I sort what needs to get done in that day and get great satisfaction from ticking things off my list. Can't say enough good things about this piece of software. High expectations for the upcoming iPhone companion app. Best Utilities: It really is impressive just how many little tools there are for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It's become my digital pocket knife. YouVersion Bible [iTunes Link] Lifechurch.tv has put out an excellent companion to their You Version Online Bible and the app is set to get even better with the anticipated release of You Version Live. While I still use my paper Bible, this has quickly become my go-to Bible, allowing me to quickly view many translations. You can even download selected translations (such as the NET Bible) for free to view offline.
AirSharing [iTunes Link] Turns your iPhone or iPod Touch into a thumb drive. You access it through wifi and can read iWork, PDFs, Microsoft docs and many more file types. Upgrade to the pro version of the app and you can even send docs in emails and print docs straight from your iPhone.
Google Earth [iTunes Link] All the features of Google Earth on your iPhone. Simply amazing.
Shazam [iTunes Link] Besides being useful, this is a great "show off your iPhone" app. Ever hear a song playing and wonder who plays it or what the name of the song is? Shazam listens to the song via the iPhone's mic, analyzes it and gives you all that info and more. I'm blown away every time.
SnapTell [iTunes Link] Using your built-in iPhone camera snap a picture of a book, DVD, or CD and SnapTell will use picture recognition to find you the cheapest price online. When this becomes useful is when you're at a shop about to buy a DVD and then wonder, "how much cheaper is this online?" One picture later and you have your answer.
The Weather Channel [iTunes Link] Sure the iPhone comes with a built-in, easy to use weather app but I've often found it to be quite vague. If you want all the details get The Weather Channel app which gives you up-to-date information as well as pretty accurate 36 hour forecasts. You can even view weather maps if you're into that sort of thing. This app sits comfortable on my home page.
AirMouse [iTunes Link] Makes your iPhone or iPod Touch a wireless mouse. Very handy. Even includes a keyboard for typing.
Yelp [iTunes Link] Looking for a cool place to eat? Yelp can help. By using your built in GPS it can find reviewed restaurants nearby and give you some suggestions. It also has a "monocle" feature that allows you to view places of interest through your camera. This is one of the first augmented reality apps available on the iPhone and it's pretty cool.
ConvertBot [iTunes Link] Convert kilos into pounds, Euros into Dollars, meters into feet. This app has a great user interface making it simple to use.
Best News & Entertainment Apps: Keeping up to date and having fun are two of the core values of an iPhone. Here are some apps to let you explore those virtues. News Junkie [iTunes Link] I used to have a USA Today app, a NY Times app, a BBC app, an Associated Press app and a Wall Street Journal app. Now I just have one app for all my news.
Remote [iTunes Link] Apple released this app which integrates seamlessly with iTunes allowing you to control the media player remotely. Very handy.
Simplify Music 2 [iTunes Link] So you have a large music library but somewhat limited space on an iPhone or iPod Touch. Simplify Music 2 allows you to stream your music from your home computer no matter where in the country you are via your 3G mobile connection or wifi. What's more, if you have a Last.fm account (I do) then your songs will be scrobbled automatically. When the song plays you can find information on the artist as well as read the lyrics to most songs. The only down-side to this app is that here in Ireland we're limited to 1GB of data transfer a month. I'm not sure how much data is being transferred but I would be cautious using it constantly outside of wifi.
TuneWiki [iTunes Link] If you want to find the words to a song just play it in Tune Wiki and the lyrics are displayed as they're sung.
Last.fm [iTunes Link] Play infinite songs tailored to your listening tastes. Great way to discover new music especially if you already use the Last.fm service.
GigBaby [iTunes Link] Turn your iPhone into a 4 channel audio recorder. Great for recording song ideas on the fly. Even has a metronome and limited drum machine. Very fun.
Best Ireland Apps: The iPhone has taken Ireland by storm. New Irish apps pop up every day. I'm excited to see what they come up with next. Dublin Rail [iTunes Link] Lets you know when the next few trains are set to arrive at your selected station.
Dublin Bus [iTunes Link] Lets you know when buses on your route departed from their main 1st stop.
Ireland's Phone Book [iTunes Link] Look up anyone's number. Very handy.
Flight Watch Ireland [iTunes Link] Keep track of flights landing in and taking off from Dublin Airport.
Byki Irish [iTunes Link] Learn to speak irish via your iPhone. Has flash cards and will even speak the pronunciation of words. Especially good for vocabulary.
Dublin Bikes [iTunes Link] You may have noticed those bikes in Dublin city center that you can rent from one station and drop off at another. This app lets you know how many bikes are available at any given station and how many spaces there are. Best Photo Apps: The built in iPhone camera still isn't the greatest camera in the world (there's still no flash) but it's come a long way. Here are some apps to make it that much better.
Camera Bag [iTunes Link] Some great camera effects. My personal favorite is the polaroid look.
Postage [iTunes Link] Take a photo, add some effects and frame, then email it as a digital postcard. Great for when you're traveling and want to share the moment with people back home. Photogene [iTunes Link] Crop and adjust photos on the fly with this mobile image editor. Best Social Networking Apps: The iPhone makes it really easy to keep in touch, not just by allowing you to call people but by keeping you connected to your social networks.
Facebook [iTunes Link] If you use Facebook at all, then this is the app for you. The latest version (3.0) allows you to upload photos and video as well as chat with other Facebook friends. I use this app as much as I use email and I use email a lot.
Twitterrific [iTunes Link] If you use twitter (i do) then again this is a great app. It lets you snap and post photos, check nearby tweets based on your GPS, search tweets and of course just check in on what your friends are thinking. I've also heard good things about TweetDeck [iTunes Link] but haven't tried it out. There's also a paid version of Twitterific but all it does is cut out the ads. Other twitter apps I use that deserve a mention are TwitVid [iTunes Link] which lets you capture video and then upload it as a tweet and TweetMic [iTunes Link] which does the same for audio.
Skype [iTunes Link] Skype has saved us hundreds in phone calls all over the world. Now we get to use it on our iPhone. If you have a 2nd generation iPod Touch just buy the headphones with mic built in and you're set. If you use more than one instant messaging service (like MSN or AIM) then I'd recommend using Fring [iTunes Link] as it incorporates all of these instant social networking apps into one.
Mobile Fotos [iTunes Link] I bought this app two days before Flickr decided to release their own app. While the Flickr app is free, Mobile Fotos has been a pleasure to use. It integrates well with my Flickr account, allowing me to view sets and photos as well as upload pictures and videos. You can also search for photos taken near you using the built in GPS.
Aardvark [iTunes Link] Sharing knowledge is what makes the aardvark community so appealing. Have a question? Ask Aardvark and you'll have an answer soon. The app even uses push notifications to alert you when someone's answered your question.
myDelicious [iTunes Link] I guess I can't say that this is one of the "best" apps out there because it's missing many features I'd love to use such as adding bookmarks from the iPhone Safari web browser and viewing tags from friends. I bought this app over a year ago and since then many more advanced Del.icio.us clients have become available. myDelicious does, however, what it says it will do - namely, allow you to search your tags and bookmarks. For that reason, I do tend to use it quite a bit. Best Games: Not many people realize that the iPhone and iPod Touch are quite powerful gaming machines on par with a Nintendo DS or Sony PSP.
Real Racing [iTunes Link] Amazing graphics and precise responses to the built in accelerometer makes this a really fun game to play. Also, if you happen to meet a friend who also has Real Racing on their iPhone or iPod Touch you can do a multiplayer over wifi.
F.A.S.T. [iTunes Link] A great fighter-jet simulator where you battle others online. Graphics and controls are both excellent.
Real Soccer '09 [iTunes Link] I've probably played this game more than any of the others. Very addictive. Take your team through a season. You can again play with others if they are on the same wifi network as yourself and have Real Soccer in their iPod Touch or iPhone. Real Soccer 2010 is set to be released in October.
Assassin's Creed [iTunes Link] Great graphics and game play as you explore the medieval Middle East and kill a few bad guys along the way.
iMech [iTunes Link] You control a mech as you pit it against others online. Again, great graphics and loads of repeat play online as you constantly meet people of varying skill.
Scramble [iTunes Link] It's a slight variation of the board game boggle. You can compete online or just with your own personal score. I'm training with this app in order to one day beat my brother in boggle.
Lux Touch [iTunes Link] It's basically the board game Risk without all the mess and the small plastic pieces that hurt your feet every time you step on them.
Well, there they are - some of my favorite apps for the iPhone. If you own an iPhone or iPod Touch, what are some of your favorite apps?
A while back a friend of mine asked me to join him and some friends for a bit of basketball. I took him up on his offer and showed up expecting maybe five or six others. What I forgot to consider is that my friend is Filipino. As I entered the gym I realized two things. One, I'd never seen my local gym so packed. There must have been eighty people squeezed in there. Two, I was the only white person around. I figured I'd made a mistake but then I saw my friend and he quickly called me over and introduced me to a few of his friends. Most of the conversation was in Filipino but I felt really welcomed. Before I knew it I was on the court playing a game.
As we finished up, my friend informed me that there was actually a Filipino basketball league in South Dublin and would I be interested in joining. I'd been looking for a team for a while but most of the Irish leagues are pretty serious. This seemed ideal. So I signed up.
Yesterday my friend dropped by my uniform. It's basically the New Orleans Hornets uniform. Literally. The factory that makes the uniforms for the NBA is based in the Philippines. One of the guys we play basketball with is friends with on of the factory workers. A few phone calls later and design changes and we have some sweet kits!
Our first game is today but it's only a friendly. Can't wait.
These last few weeks in August are pretty quiet around here. Many are away on holidays and teens seem to huddle in fear of the looming school year. For Hailey and I these weeks are all about planning and strategy. I'm taking on more responsibility with the basketball program at our local secondary school, now coaching three boys teams. It's been a dream of mine to really develop the basketball program there and this year looks like I may have the sway to pull it off. I'm really excited for the year.
We are also going to be teaching a course on Jesus in modules to 4th years at the school. I've decided to read Re-Jesus by Frost & Hirsch to get the brainstorming juices flowing. 1st chapter down and the ideas are already flowing.
At the same time we're planning for this final transition year, putting some thought into how to best transition out of GEM-K Ministry. We want it to be as smooth as possible for the GEM-Ks, parents & ourselves.
Our transition back to Ireland has been really good and encouraging. There's nothing like reconnecting with friends and neighbors, hearing their stories and sharing yours. It's even more fun watching your kids do the same. Eoin and Moia are in high anticipation of their upcoming school year. For them, it can't come soon enough.
Hailey and I are pretty excited for this up-coming school year too.
