Scientists Discover Subterranean 'Ocean' Under Eastern Asia

FOXNews.com is reporting that scientists have discovered a underground ocean in Eastern Asia. I couldn't help but think of the Genesis Flood when I read this as the Bible refers to the "fountains of the great deep broken up". I wondered if this underground ocean is part of those fountains the Bible mentioned in Genesis 7. Makes for an interesting read.

"In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights."

Genesis 7:11-12

From Lifehacker: Use Gmail to push e-mail to your cell phone

If you are every on the go or traveling out of town and you don't have a laptop or a smartphone, you could use your cellphone to access your email. Lifehacker posts about using your Gmail account to create a filter that will forward your emails to your cellphone. This could be the perfect help especially if you are a heavy email user. The messages arrive to your cellphone via SMS so you're kinda limited, but SMS is usually cheaper then a data service. Follow the link below to learn how you can make Gmail work for you!

Source: Lifehacker

Computerworld Editorial on Palm, Inc

I love my Palm Lifedrive, but I'm finding myself longing for an update/upgrade. I've had the device for 2 years. That's my longest time with one PDA. At this time, the Apple iPhone is looking like my next device. It's just hard waiting.
Palminfocenter is one of my favorite Palm oriented websites. It was one of the first I found on Palm devices and I check it almost everyday. PIC recently posted about Computerworld's editorial on the current state of Palm and a bit of looking back at Palm's history. I've taken a look at the article and it does do a good job covering Palm from the beginning to now. I hate saying it, but Palm has seen its golden years come and go. If they don't do something, I do fear that the Apple iPhone and others like it will crush Palm. The Treo is a great device and it has set the standard on many accounts, but it's reign could very well be coming to an end. Take a peek at the article, it's a good overview of what's happened at Palm. BTW, you might want to grab some Pepsi as this is a long article.

"The once-mighty Palm Inc., still successful on paper from the momentum of past glories, is doomed to decline and failure. It wasn't always thus. Here's my preemptive postmortem.

About 12 years ago, I met with a man I didn't know, who worked for a start-up I was unfamiliar with, to see a product I'd never heard of.

The man was Ed Colligan. The start-up was Palm Computing (though it had recently been acquired by modem maker U.S. Robotics). And the product was code-named Touchdown, later to be branded the Palm Pilot.

At the time, I was executive editor of a computer magazine, and Palm was just one of a dozen or so companies scheduled for meetings that week. Most of those meetings were forgotten minutes after they concluded. But the Touchdown one was a revelation. Colligan, now president and CEO of Palm, left me a device to test."

Source: Palminfocenter

Reading sermons.

Last week, I posted an audio sermon recommendation. This week I wanted to post about a publication called the Sword of the Lord. I'm not sure how often it comes out, but I've subscribed to it in the past and it is well worth the $15 yearly subscription. The Sword publishes several sermons and other useful preaching and pastor tips, illustrations, etc. It's perfect for anyone that teaches or enjoys reading sermons of yesterdays and todays preachers.

I really think it is important for preachers, teachers, missionaries, students to read sermons as well as listen to them. It will help you in your personal studies and even in your message preparation. With all the gadgets we long after and read about, it cannot hurt us to work on our spiritual health. I hope you take a look at the Sword of the Lord and if you have any suggestions of places that you read sermons online or another publication, please share it with the rest of us!

You can download a free preview copy of the Sword of the Lord here.

Advanced WindowsCare Professional for free!

Giveaway of the Day is giving away for free - Advanced WindowsCare Professional. I missed this earlier today, so your time is very short on this one. You must download install and activate the software in the next 6 hours at the time of this posting. I've used the freeware version of this software from IObit and it has helped my PC run a lot smoother. The best part about it is you can just about set it and forget it. Hope you get the chance to get this freebie!

iPhone Commercial (UPDATED)

Last night during the Academy Awards, Oscars, Apple released a commercial of their upcoming Apple iPhone. If you were like me and didn't watch the Academy Awards, you can view the commercial at Apple iPhone Review.

The commercial doesn't show much about the iPhone at all. So if you are hoping for new interesting specs or something along those lines you will be disappointed. I do want a Apple iPhone to replace my aging Lifedrive. While I most concern about the iPhone's battery life, I really think it could be my next mobile device. I am hoping that theblack area on the backside of the iPhone is a battery cover. While it's hard to know for sure, I cannot understand why Apple would not have a way to switch out the battery. I mean you have to have a place to put the SIM card, so it makes sense to have a replaceable battery as well. Time will time and I'll have to wait closer until June to find out.

UPDATE: Apple now has that commercial posted to their website. You can view it here.

How to pack lite/right when you travel.

This is a good tip and help when you are travelling. Lifehacker points to Travelite FAQ web site and their list of helping packing tips. Traveling in the ministry is quite common and I'm sure most of you are world-wide speakers. ;) You might be preaching out, on a mission trip, and other personal travel (i.e. vacation, weekend trip, etc.) To help make these trips less stressful and more enjoyable, it's good to have a system to your packing. It helps avoid forgetting things, know which bags hold what (this is great if you've lost luggage- been there done that! Several times even), etc.

Over the years, I've improved as a traveler and for most part have developed my own packing method. It's called my wife. JUST KIDDING! She does pack our family or me when I travel alone, but I have a list of what I need when I travel. It's a help to her and it's a help to me eliminating any buying of things I forget once I/we get to where I/we are going. If you are flying, it's also important to checkout the TSA rules for fliers. It'll be a huge help.

Another attack on Christianity: Jesus wasn't resurrected.

As is common with Christianity, folks constantly attack it. We, Christians, know this is to be expected. For many centuries, Satan has attempted to discredit God's Word and foil God's plan. Satan tried this in the Garden of Eden and it didn't work. Despite knowing his very end, Satan continues to try and foil the will of God. While no man or devil can do this, some people are once again attempting to foil the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

James Cameron, a Hollywood movie director/producer(yes, I know what you are thinking), and his director, Simcha Jacobovici, are claiming that they have found Jesus' coffin and 9 other coffins that are part of Jesus' family. They say they can prove this through "DNA tests, archaeological evidence and Biblical studies." How they can figure out the DNA was Jesus' is beyond me? How could a poor carpenter family afford stone caskets for their family is once again puzzling? How they say Biblical studies has further confirmed their findings is also quite amusing. Not sure what Bible they are reading or referring to, but my King James Bible says Jesus died, was buried and rose again the third day. It later speaks of His accession into heaven. So, it stands to reason that much- OK all of this is hogwash. That said, we as Christians must realize that people will attack this way and it shouldn't shake our faith, but rather strengthen it.

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."

1 Timothy 3:1-7

Source: Time Blog and Drudge Report

Youth Activity: Snow Tubing

If you live in an area that has snow, some of the best activities for your young people is snow tubing, skiing, snow board, etc. Today, I took our youth to the Holiday Valley Tubing Company. The weather could not have been better for tubing. The sun was out and the teens had lots of fun. Some even complained about it being to hot! The temp out there was around 25 degrees maybe a little less. Unfortunately for me, I could not participate with the tubing as I'm still on the mend from my ACL reconstruction surgery. So, I had to watch them tube from a snack shop. Eating nachos and a hot dog. It was rough, I know! ;)

FireFox updated.

Mozilla has released an update to FireFox. The latest version now is 2.0.0.2. You can also view the latest known issues and other release notes here.

PC World's Windows Vista FAQ

Windows Vista FAQ from PC World is an excellent resource for all you Windows Vista hopefuls and those who have taken the jump already like me. Unfortunately, my video card is waiting for a new driver to be released so I stop getting stop errors. Vista is constantly telling me that I need new drivers, but nvidia says they will have them down the road. Hopefully they do.
In the meantime, I've read thru this FAQ and it does offer some clarification on Vista. I build my own PCs as it is a hobby of mine. However, buying a new PC would be the best way to go if you want Vista on it. I'd also recommend Vista Home Premium instead of Windows Vista Basic. Basic would be a waste of your money as it lacks the really neat features of Vista. If you do decided to build your own PC, be sure to check the manufacturers website to make sure that particular product does support Windows Vista. I've learned that one the hard way.

Wii Tips and Tricks

I was searching for tips and tricks for our Nintendo Wii yesterday and I came across the site Wii Chat. They have listed in their forums over 50 tips and tricks for Wii users. They tell of a freeware program that converts video that is playable on the Nintendo Wii, a place to pick up a game case for the Wii Sports game disc that will match other Wii game cases. I found most of them to be quite helpful and I think it's worth checking out if you are a Wii owner.

Nintendo's Wii top seller in January, beats out PS3 and Xbox 360

Nintendo's Wii tops both Xbox 360 and PS3 in the United States for January. Looks like a lot of people are warming up to the Wii. I know that it is quite hard to find in the Buffalo area. Many of the Wii's accessories are also sold out. You can usually find games just fine, but extra remotes, nunchucks, etc. are hard to come by. I'm sure the price of the Wii makes for a better sell and I think folks are really interested in a new way to "game".

"SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s <7974.os> Wii was the best-selling video game console in the United States in January, and the Japanese company also boasted four of the top 10 games, data released on Wednesday showed.

The figures from market research firm NPD showed that U.S. shoppers snapped up 436,000 of the Wii, which debuted in November for $250 and features a motion-sensing controller that has helped build buzz for the machine."

Source: Reuters

Apple, Cisco reach agreement on iPhone name

The iPhone name will be used by both companies. That's right- everybody is winner with Apple and Cisco! Well, I guess Cisco realized that their iphone looked nothing like the iPhone. I'm just glad this saga is over. Time to move on!

"NEW YORK (Reuters) - Network equipment maker Cisco Systems Inc. and Apple Inc. on Wednesday said they have reached an agreement that allow both to use the "iPhone" name, after Cisco sued the iPod maker for using it for a new multimedia phone."

READ MORE

Install other operating systems on your PC with Virtual PC from Windows (Freeware)

Virtual PC is a freeware program that allows you to run other operating systems on your PC. It's kinda like Parallels. You can't run the Mac OS X with it, but you can run another version of Windows, OS/2, and some folks have certain versions of Linux running with Virtual PC. Now why would you talk about this on TGP? Well, it's not just because it's free.

Our school uses the ACE curriculum and some of the ACE software needs either Windows 95/98 which means I've got to keep older computers running and both those operating systems are no longer supported by Microsoft. So, I'm hoping to install Virtual PC on a Windows XP computer and then install Windows 98se on that computer to hopefully support the aging software. I'd rather see some updates to that part of the curriculum, but it could be a bit before we do. In the meantime I'm hoping this creative solution will work. I'll let you know hopefully later this week.

Coud this be the SlingLink Turbo?

Sling's upcoming SlingLink Turbo leaked? Engadget reports on the "next" SlingLink which apparently a eagle eye consumer caught on Amazon.com. It's still a rumor at this point, but a rumored release date is Feb. 27th.
If you are not familiar with SlingLink, it is a device that will allow you to watch your TV on your mobile device or laptop computer. So if you are away from home and watch to catch your local news, you can do that with Sling Media. I personally like the idea, but really don't see the reason to have this device as going on vacation or traveling, I usually don't watch much TV anyways. Nonetheless, it's a cool device and for those of you who would be interested in such a device you can check it out here.

Calendar Magic (Freeware)

Calendar Magic has several useful calendar features which could be helpful when you are studying or preparing for a lesson/sermon. You can compare the Hebrew calendar with our calendar. It makes for any interesting comparison, but there are a few odd things that come with it. Mainly to do with zodiac and biorhythm stuff, which most of us aren't interested in. However the other features I've found to be helpful and useful. Try and decide for yourself.

Here are comments from PC World. You can also download the app from them as well.

"There must be a lot of calendar geeks, because Calendar Magic is a perennial favorite, even though it's more of an educational tool than a scheduling tool. Any interest in calendars beyond the January half-price sales is amply rewarded by this program, which offers an astonishing 23 calendar systems for use, study and comparison. There are also numerous tools that calculate and convert data, from a global distance calculator to a pregnancy calculator.

Approximately 16 functions in the program deal with calendar- and date-related information. You can also chart the positions of the sun and moon relative to your physical location. Four tools deal with time: an alarm clock, a stopwatch, an addictive reaction timer, and another that reveals the current time almost anywhere on the planet. Five more tools manage your personal notes and event reminders, while another ten are primarily concerned with mathematical calculations and conversions. Kids in particular will enjoy the "Magic Square" calculator. One final button is mysteriously labeled, "For later use."

You could pay for other programs that provide some of the features in Calendar Magic, but you won't pay for Calendar Magic, because it's freeware."

Computer and desk stretching exercies

Computer and desk stretching exercise can help you avoid joint and other muscle problems when you use computers for a long time. These exercises can easily be done at your desk. You might even suggest this your secretary or other staff who use computers for long periods of time. Eye strain, carpal tunnel, and back problems are just some of the issues that plague frequent computer users.
Be sure to take a look at this and the next time you are at your computer make sure you take a break and stretch a bit!

Print your own PDFs for free.

On a weekly basis I send out a basketball standings report to the coaches in our boys and girls league. Once the report is done I email it to the coaches. Just to make sure that everyone could read the document, I print it off as a PDF document. How you may ask? With a simple program called PrimoPDF. It installs a virtual PDF printer on your computer. So instead of sending the document or spreadsheet to your paper printing, you select your PrimoPDF printer and it "prints" a PDF file for you. You can view it with Foxit PDF Reader or Adobe Acrobat Reader. The software is free and works great on my PC. I've even installed it at our church and school's computers. The secretary uses it to print out the church bulletin so it can be easily read by our website readers.
I also have used this to print off our yearbook pages so I could send it to the printer. Works great with my Publisher documents. Occassionally I have come across a format error with Publisher documents, but a little tweaking usually fixes the job. This is definitely a must if you send out documents from programs that others cannot open, but they need the information. Here are some features of the software.

• FREE PDF Converter - not a trial version.
• Print to PDF from virtually any application.
• Create PDF output optmized for print, screen, ebook, or prepress.
• No annoying pop-up ads, no registration requirement - no catch!
• High-quality, easy to use PDF creator for all users.
• NEW! Double byte character support, enhanced support for Microsoft Windows 98, ME, and NT, PDF viewing support for non-Windows environments, and full support for 64-bit machines (download separate installer here).
• Secure PDFs with 40-/128-bit encryption, allowing the highest level of security for your PDF files. Settings include password to open, password to change, disable printing, disable text/graphics copying, disable commenting, disable text editing, disable page addition.
• Add document information (e.g. title, author, subject, keywords) to converted PDF files, resulting in faster and easier searching of PDF documents.

We bought a Wii.

This past week, our family bought a Nintendo Wii. While I'm spending more time on it then my boys, although they chomp at the bit for their turn, I must say that it is a cool device. I love the interaction of the device and that you have to move in order to play games. It's a lot better then sitting in a chair or on a couch mashing buttons.
The price of the Wii is a whole cheaper then the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. I paid only $250 for the Wii. I see that as being affordable for more families. If you have a Game Cube, your Game Cube games can play on the Wii. The Wii also supports parental controls which means you can control what kind of games that are played on the Wii based on the games rating. I think this should give parents more comfort over what their child is playing. You are also able to download older Nintendo games from past game systems like Sega, NES, Super NES, Nintendo 64, etc. While not all games are available from those systems many are and cost from $6 to $10. Again not a bad deal at all in my opinion. The Wii also comes with Wi-Fi which helps you download the games and surf the internet. I'm just impressed that the device only cost $250.
To me, it seems that Nintendo is attempting to reach families with this new game system. Learning to play the Wii wasn't hard at all and my wife who doesn't play a lot of video games found it fun and easy for her to learn. Even my oldest who is 5 has been able to play the Wii. It could definitely offer some family fun.
I would recommend the Wii. It's graphics are good and I like the I have more control over the games on the Wii. The Wii also gives a report at the end of the day how much time was spent on the Wii and it's broken down by activity as well. This is store in a message inbox and cannot be deleted as far as I can see. Which means you see how much you child is really playing on the Wii. Games are still expensive for it in my opinion, but compared to other gaming systems not so much. The Wii is still hard to find and you might do well calling around before you go out shopping for one.

iPhone's latest rumor, leaked information, or faked info?

Well, this sure does look interesting. Apple iPhone Review is reporting that the Apple iPhone might be discounted with a 2 year contract. The 4 GB model would sell for $300 and the 8 GB for $400 respectively. While this may sound too good to be true, it may just be. The picture that this information is based on looks fake. It looks like a very bad photoshopped job. However, according to Apple iPhone review the image has been pulled at the request of the Pinecone Research. Macrumors also had to pull the image from their site. Engadget Mobile still has the image up at the time of this posting.
Could this mean that the image is true? Possibly. It would be nice to have an iPhone for $300. Also mentioned is the rate plans of the iPhone. Of particular interest is the cost of the data plan at a mere $19.99 with 200 messages plus unlimited Internet and Visual Voicemail. Now if this is true, you'll find me lining up with other iPhone wannabes. My biggest hope is that the cost of the data plan is true. I'm not interested in paying $40+ a month for a data plan.
As this could be a rumor and a photoshopped job, please take this with a grain of salt. True or false, it would be known in the next few months I'm sure.

Watches lose ground to cell phones - Yahoo! News

As a kid, I loved a good watch (my favorite was the calculator watch). In college a watch was essential to making classes and other social events on time. But now, I never wear a watch. My cellphone has been my "watch" and apparently I'm not alone in this trend. According to an article in Yahoo News, watches are being left behind for cellphones.

"CHICAGO - Allison Elliott occasionally wears the delicate gold windup watch that belonged to her grandmother. But it's really just for show.
Elliott, who's 27, is much more likely to get the time from the clock in her car, the one on her cable TV box or cell phone or from the bottom right-hand of her computer at the University of Kentucky, where she works.
Paul Dryden is much the same. "To be honest, I can't remember the last time I wore a watch — I'm guessing early in high school," says the 21-year-old senior at Connecticut College. The busy student's cell phone often doubles as an alarm clock because "it goes everywhere I go."READ MORE

Will Palm use Accesses ALP OS for the future devices?

ACCESS ALP hits 1.0 and with that comes more details and specs. You can follow the link and read all about it at Engadget. I keep wondering what Palm will use as Garnett, while still a decent OS, is old and needing a fresh look. Will Palm use ALP? I really don't know. Since it does offer support for Palm applications, one would think that Palm could easily put this on their devices. Many have also speculated that Palm is developing their own OS. Whether or not this is true is also unknown. Palm has probably one of the best smartphone designs out there and one that is being copied by many manufacturers. Palm could be around for a few more years, but I think that only will be in the next Palm OS can compete will Windows Mobile and Mac OSX, if it cannot then we will surely see Palm rapidly decline.

Foxit PDF Reader

For a long time, I used Adobe PDF reader to view PDF documents. It was all right, but I did experience frequent crashes and it always seemed to want to update itself. I finally found a decent alternative to Adobe PDF. It's called Foxit PDF Reader (freeware). It doesn't do everything that Adobe does, but in my experience it has worked great with FireFox and Internet Explorer. It's also a lot smaller in size then Adobe. Foxit's download is only 1.5 mb while Adobe is 20.8 mb.
There is a paid version of Foxit PDF Reader that has a few more features, but the freeware version has sufficed for me. I even used Foxit PDF reader once to type my name into a rebate form and print it off. Since I was using the free version it did also print a watermark at the top of the page, but I didn't care.
It's a definitely warrants a test as it help me avoid my frequent crashes with Adobe. Did I also mention it is free?

GPS sneakers locate with press of a button - CNN.com

GPS sneakers could help parents have a peace of mind when their child is out and give the authorities the upperhand in finding a child who has been abducted. I'm sure many parents would appreciate something like this, but unfortunately, it does seem to be quite expensive and there is a monthly service fee as well. Some parents will probably have a hard time convincing their kids to give up their Nikes for this shoe.

"MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- Isaac Daniel calls the tiny Global Positioning System chip he's embedded into a line of sneakers "peace of mind."

He wishes his 8-year-old son had been wearing them when he got a call from his school in 2002 saying the boy was missing. The worried father hopped a flight to Atlanta from New York where he had been on business to find the incident had been a miscommunication and his son was safe.

Days later, the engineer started working on a prototype of Quantum Satellite Technology, a line of $325 to $350 adult sneakers that hit shelves next month. It promises to locate the wearer anywhere in the world with the press of a button. A children's line will be out this summer."

READ MORE

Bearing Precious Seed Bibles

First Word Publishers, a "division" of Bearing Precious Seed, sells high quality leather Bibles, pocket sized New Testaments, and hardback pew Bibles at really good prices. I know that Bibles can be very expensive. I think my Charles Ryrie Bible cost over a $100 and it was a gift to me when I graduated from college.
These Bibles are of very good quality and the price won't break your bank account. Their wide margin Bible with genuine Moroccan leather sells for $42 plus shipping. Their pocket sized New Testament with bonded leather cover sells for a mere $10 plus shipping. If you are looking to get a Bible as a gift for someone, I'd start here first.

Sermon Highlight: Why Won't They Listen? Reaching A Lost Culture

It can be a very difficult task in ministry: reaching the lost with the Gospel of Christ. If the truth be told, we can get discouraged when our pews or Sunday School classes don't grow. Ken Ham, Answers in Genesis Founder, has a message entitled "Why Won't They Listen? Reaching A Lost Culture". I think this message will be a help to you and especially for those of you struggling to reach that lost culture.

I plan on mentioning a sermon once a week that would encourage or challenge all of us. I will be listening to this messages and then recommending them to you. I do not plan on having several out in a week, rather just mentioning one a week. The reason is I know many of you are busy with your ministry, so it would not be a help to you at all recommend several messages a week. Sometimes they will be in the audio format and other times they may be in a written format. I truly hope that these messages will be a help for you.

Some pictures of the best cellphones coming shown at the 3GSM conference

If you are interested in seeing some of the latest phones to soon hit the mobile market, you can over at Wired News. They got pics of some of the hottest phones to be coming to a cellphone market new you. A lot of phones will be more of the smartphone nature and I think consumers will begin buying and using smartphones over the basic cellphone. Personally, I'm looking at buying a smartphone so I don't have to carry around my Lifedrive and my Motorola v557. While they work together well, I think having a device that could do both would be more practical. I've shun a convergence device for some time, but I've been changing my tune lately after seeing some of the upcoming devices in the next few months. (i.e. Windows Mobile 6, iPhone, etc.)

Source: Wired News

"I'm sorry I lost my 160th laptop... can I have another one?"

160 lost laptops in last 44 months ? It sure makes you wonder about some of the folks at the FBI doesn't it? I couldn't survive if I lost just one laptop from my church. I'd be paying for it out of my own pocket book. I sure hope someone tightens it up at the FBI. It's funny, but sad all the same.

"How many laptops does the FBI lose? The Office of the Inspector General (or OIG; it's a part of the Department of Justice) sought to find out back in 2001, when it did an initial audit of the Bureau's losses of both weapons and laptops. The findings of that first audit were bad enough that the OIG began a follow-up on it, the results of which have just been released. The good news is that losses are dropping. The bad news is that they're still happening, and the FBI doesn't know if secure information is entering the wild."

Source: Digg

3GSM-UPDATE 2-Phone,software makers urge cheaper Web mobiles | Tech&Sci | Technology | Reuters.com

3GSM conference is going on and it is basically a huge gathering of manufactors latest designs in mobile phones. I must say that some of the phones look rather amazing and should compete quite well with the iPhone.

"BARCELONA (Reuters) - Wireless operators need to make mobile Internet much cheaper if they want it to become a success that can generate extra revenues, major mobile phone and mobile software makers said on Monday.

The telecoms industry in developed markets has bet the farm on wireless broadband networks, sinking 100 billion euros in licenses and more than the equivalent amount in infrastructure, but the popularity of phones that take advantage of these new networks is sinking.

Sales growth of the more expensive and high-margin phone models slowed in the third and fourth quarter, especially in Western Europe, hitting mobile phone makers such as Nokia, Motorola and Samsung."

FunnyGadget.com

If you like to read and see some of the funniest and oddest gadgets around, Funny Gadget is the place to check them out. I went over and visited the site and I really like the "One touch pressing Robots for your Pants." That could be a huge help for many a pastor and missionary. Definitely something I would want and I'm sure that my wife would too! Be sure to make the jump and give them a look-see. They offer a English and a Spanish version, too.

Just what the world needs: A world-wide lottery

Don't know how many of you feel about state lotteries, but I wouldn't mind seeing them gone forever. I do not believe for one moment that they help education or anything thing else. Their negatives far out weigh their positives. Here's a clip about the push for a world-wide lottery.

"A "world lottery draw" with a possible £250 million jackpot could be available within five years.

The proposed game forms the centrepiece of Camelot's submission for the next lottery licence, while its rival bidder is pledging better terms for corner shops and other retailers.
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Dianne Thompson, Camelot's chief executive, unveiled plans yesterday for the "biggest lottery on earth" as she pitched for a third successive licence. So far 48 countries have expressed an interest.

Under the proposal, "up to 100 millionaires" will be created every month, with one annual game that could bag a winner up to £250 million."

READ MORE

Weekend Thought: Are you spending too much time in your "Second Life"?

It is quite common for people to want to escape the life that they are living and sadly, many people find their escape in drugs, alcohol, television, music, etc. They are not happy with themselves physically or socially. I've seen this quite often among the teenagers I have encountered as a youth pastor. Some I have been able to help and others I haven't.
Recently, I learned about an online service called Second Life. Second Life is exactly what its name implies. You have the opportunity to create a online "Second Life". You can choose your looks, personality, and much more. There are ways to earn materials and wealth in this "game" and one could easily find themselves draw in by the ideal of a better life. I've read reports of many people spending unreal amounts of time playing Second Life. While I'm sure its designers would say their intentions of this service is meant to be fun, some people have taken this service to the extreme and have made Second Life a huge part of their real life.
The dedication of Second Lifers amazes me. Grant it, I believe a lot of us would love from time to time to escape from our problems and our troubles. Yet when we, as Christians, think this, I believe we have forgotten our real purpose. Our time on Earth is our "Second Life". We are pilgrims in this world, strangers passing through. Eternity ought to be on our minds and not the draw of our "Second Life". I'd be the first one to tell you it's not easy to live life that way. I'd be a fool to say I've got it mastered or it's not a problem for me. It is a struggle and I believe it's one we all will face from time to time.
Yet, what will you do? As servants of the Lord, we are to do our part for the Kingdom of Heaven. We've chosen a road that many do not take. "Many are called, but few are chosen." Am I do what I ought to be doing? Are you?
Blogging is a lot of fun, but if I allow my blogging or anything else take away from that work, I'm spending too much time in my "Second Life". If we together as Christians spend too much time in our "Second Lives", the cause of Christ will suffer. So take some time tonight, tomorrow, or whenever you can, examine your labor and see where you have put in the most effort and time. If your heavy ended on your "Second Life" then it's time to make a few changes.

God bless you and your ministry. I trust that you will continue to stay by the stuff!

Resources for Christian Teachers

Resources for Christian Teachers is good place to find ideas for your bulletin boards, Sunday School classes, and more. I was looking at their bulletin board or door decorations which had some good ideas. They even provided pictures so you could see what they were telling you. Some of the stuff on the website is free and some of it does cost, but overall, it may give you some fresh and new ideas for you ministry.

Microsoft presents new Windows Mobile version from Reuters.com

Windows Mobile version 6 has now been unveiled and will be available in the second quarter of 2007. I've seen a few screen shots and it looks really good. Whether it will function well and be practical will be a different story. I'm sure the update will work with Vista's new sync center and you'll no longer have to use ActiveSync, which many folks have despised.
If you already have a smartphone with Windows on it, you may not be able to upgrade. It seems when new versions of a mobile OS come out, you cannot upgrade to it. So if you are looking for a new smartphone, hang in their until early summer. That way you can look at Windows Mobile 6, the iPhone, and maybe one of Palm's latest devices.

Checkout Engadget's gallery of Windows Mobile 6 Standard.

Finding books to read in ministry.

Now most pastors, missionaries, teachers, etc. I know tend to read a lot of books. One of my professors in college had somewhere around 4,000 books of his own. I've got a more modest library of about 400 books. Sometimes finding a good book to read can be difficult and/or costly. So what do you do? Well, here are a couple places you could find paper books and digital books.

Christian Book Distributors - probably one of the most well-known catalog and online bookstores. You'll find just about any current book and many of them at decent prices. I've ordered from them a few times and they've done me right.

Amazon - Surprisingly, Amazon can have really good book deals. I've also been able to find hard to find copies here.

eBay - While ebay can be a great price to find books and usually at good prices, you need to remember the phrase "buyer beware." I've shopped from ebay many times over, but I'm very careful from whom I buy. Look at their feedback and read the reviews. Overall, you'd be surprised at how many folks are selling their books.

These are the places I go when I need a new book. If you have some secrets to finding books for your studies at good prices or other sites you have shopped at, please tell us in the comments below.

Two hundred and counting...

I cannot believe it, but I'm writing my 200th post here at the Gadget Pastor. I've covered a lot of different things over the past few months focusing on ministry tips, tech news, and useful freeware for the home and the church office. I'm working on some ideas on content for the site and will hopefully have them implemented soon.
It's been about six months since The Gadget Pastor posted its first post. For those who might be curious, the reason I started this blog was I wanted to help others and be able to have a place to share my thoughts on technology. I'm truly a Gadget geek. I love reading about them and I love going to my local electronics store to try them out. I blame my dad for it, because he always had me close by while he repaired a TV or VCR. I learned it all from him. I've constantly looked for ways to use gadgets in my ministry to make me more productive or speed up my work. While this has not always worked perfectly, it has shown me that technology can be helpful and at times it is a necessary evil. ;)
I really appreciate all of you that have been visiting The Gadget Pastor and for the emails and comments you have left. I count it a real privilege to be able to communicate with you and talk about gadgets and the ministry. I pray that the Lord will bless your family and your ministry.

Thanks,
Joshua

P.S. Enjoy the fun facts below about 200 from Wikipedia.

Two hundred is also:

• A common ISO-standard film speed for photographic films. However, 200 speed film is being phased out in consumer films in favor of faster films.
• A denomination of the euro note. The 200 euro note was designed by Robert Kalina.
• The size of one side of the main square in Kraków, Poland (200 m×200 m)
• 200 MeV is the temperature of quark-gluon plasma phrase transition.
• The name for a car made by Rover, called the Rover 200.
• An HTTP status code indicating a successful connection.
• The sum of dollars given in the classical Monopoly game to a player passing Go.
• A cholesterol level of 200 and below is considered "Desirable level corresponding to lower risk for heart disease"

Another reason Christians need to take a stand.

In Ephesians 6:13, Paul writes, "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." I believe that some Christians are not doing their part in the "good fight". They have chosen the road of comfortable Christianity and a philosophy of let's-just-get-along.

The Bible tells me that "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." It inevitable that serving the Lord will be an irritant to others and we cannot allow ourselves to put the armor down. We must continue the "good fight".

The reason I ranted is because I feel many Christians could do more to fight the "good fight". There is a battle going on right now in the state of Washington that all Christians, not the ones living in Washington, but everywhere should take a stand against. Other battles like this happen a lot in our nation and when they do I hope you do stand and encourage those around you to do the same.

"LYMPIA, Wash. - An initiative filed by proponents of same-sex marriage would require heterosexual couples to have kids within three years or else have their marriage annulled.

Initiative 957 was filed last month by Washington Defense of Marriage Alliance. That group was formed last summer after the state supreme court upheld Washington's ban on same-sex marriage.

Under the measure, marriage would be limited to men and women who are able to have children. Couples would be required to prove they can have children in order to get a marriage license, and if they did not have children within three years, their marriage would be subject to annulment.

All other marriages would be defined as "unrecognized" and people in those marriages would be ineligible to receive any marriage benefits."

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Everybody's going digital

Recently, a Sweden newspaper, claimed to be the oldest paper in the world, went from newspaper to digital paper. I find this interesting myself, because I do get most of my news from the internet, and yet I still like reading a newspaper. I'd be surprised to see all papers go this way, but I guess it is quite possible.


"STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) - For centuries, readers thumbed through the crackling pages of Sweden's Post-och Inrikes Tidningar newspaper. No longer. The world's oldest paper still in circulation has dropped its paper edition and now exists only in cyberspace. The newspaper, founded in 1645 by Sweden's Queen Kristina, became a Web-only publication on Jan. 1. It's a fate, many ink-stained writers and readers fear, that may await many of the world's most venerable journals."

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Kodak launches new printers that have long lasting ink and cheaper ink cartridges

Kodak has announced a new line of printers that will certainly save many folks lots of money. Kodak claims that a 4x6 picture will only cost you about 10 cents. That's cheaper then what I pay at Sams Club. The ink that these printers use also lasts for 100 years (now how did they figure that one out?!). Black cartridges will sell for $10 and color cartridges for about $15. That could mean big savings for home users.

"Eastman Kodak Co. (EK.N: Quote, Profile , Research) is introducing a line of desktop printers and low cost replacement inks on Tuesday, as the photography company takes on a market dominated by Hewlett-Packard (HPQ.N: Quote, Profile , Research).

For the camera maker, the long awaited launch of inkjet printing products kicks off a year in which it hopes to end the tough and expensive three year transformation that has seen the company shed tens of thousands of workers.

Kodak said it will in March start sales of 3 EasyShare All-in-One printers, ranging from $150 to $300, which will print, scan and copy document and photos. Black replacement ink cartridges will sell for about $10, and a color one for about $15, about 50 percent less than its rivals, Kodak said, adding that it will profit on sales of both printers and ink."

Source: Reuters

Walmart's new movie download service

New York Times is reporting that Walmart has secured a deal with several film studios to offer movie downloads. Walmart is the first retailer to start such a service. Interesting as I do believe this will be the next big thing for the entertainment industry.

"Wal-Mart Stores may have lost the online DVD rental battle, but it has no plans to lose the higher-stakes video downloading war.

Wal-Mart’s video download site will offer movies and television shows. The new service enters a field already crowded with competitors.

Today the company will introduce a partnership with all of the six major Hollywood studios — Walt Disney, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Sony, 20th Century Fox and Universal — to sell digital movies and television shows on its Web site..."

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Google Calendar.

Keeping track of appointments, meetings, and other important dates can be difficult to do. You could use a smartphone or PDA to assist you or maybe a paper daytimer. Any of those methods can be vary useful to help you stay afloat with your personal schedule.
Something new that I have been trying as of late is Google Calendar. I know some may shy away from posting all of your appointments to an online website, but I have found it quite convenient and a time saver as well. I'm already a Gmail user, so it's rather simple for me to adjust my schedule as I need to or put in new appointments from my emails as there is a link to Gmail in the upper left hand corner of my Gmail screen. At this point, it has replaced the Palm Desktop calendar software for me.
You can add appointments via your text message cable cellphone and also receive notification of an event from your cellphone. You can send a text message and receive that days list of appointments and events. This could be helpful for those who are a bit busy and forget about promised appointments to have an automatic reminder sent to their cellphone. Grant it, you better have a decent text message package with your cell company or you could wind up paying thru the nose.
For mobile device users, there is a free service called GooSync (they also have a paid yearly subscription version) that will sync your calendar with your mobile device. I use it on my Palm Lifedrive PDA. I can add appointments to my PDA and then later I can sync that appointment to Google calendar. Many cellphones are supported by these service as well, but you'll need a good data plan for your mobile device.
There is also support for multiple calendars (i.e. personal life, work, church events, etc.) It is also possible to set a calendar for public viewing and giving your church members an easy way to check out the church's calendar for the year or month. Having your church calendar readily available wherever you go would be very useful too. On the road or at home, you could easily make changes or add events with ease.
If you really think about it, having access to your email via Gmail and your calendar via Google Calendar would be an excellent way to stay productive in your ministry. Automatic reminders to your phone and you'll never miss another important meeting again! Well, unless you forget your phone...

BTW, if any of you would like a Gmail email address, please email me and I will send you an invitation to join Gmail. You could also use your cellphone to do the same thing by visiting www.gmail.com .

Keeping your desk clean and organized.

WikiHow gives some wonderful tips on organizing and cleaning your desk. My desk seems to always have clutter on it. It starts with a few pieces of paper, add some junk mail, some computer parts and cables, and finally a few books and presto! You've got a messy, cluttered desk. Some take some time to get organized and clean that desk.
A clean desk with help you be more productive in your ministry. I've found that I do work better and am less distracted when my desk is organized. Plus, if you have folks visiting your home or church office, it portrays a better example with a clean desk then a messy one.
Now, I'm off to practice what I preach!

Bill Gates on Vista and Apple's 'Lying' Ads

MSNBC has done a interview with Microsoft's Bill Gates on Microsoft's latest release of Windows Vista. It's an interesting article and kind of gives a bit more of the thinking behind Windows Vista. My favorite part is Gates response to the Apple "PC vs. Mac" commercials. I've always found the commercials funny and entertaining. Gates doesn't like them at all. Go figure.
I'm, so far, enjoying Windows Vista on my PC and I'm glad I upgraded to Vista. The install was a bit scary, but everything is running quite smoothly now. (knock on wood). If all stays and goes well, I'll be a very happy user of Windows Vista. I do believe though that if you have Windows XP or Professional, you don't really need to upgrade to Vista. You'll really not miss much. If you do decided to upgrade to Vista, I'd recommend purchasing a computer with Vista already on it. It'd will be a lot easier and less headaches for you.

10 foods for a good night's sleep

Lifehacker pointed out some great food items to help you get a good nights rest. I don't know about you, but my brain doesn't seem to shut down at night at all. I have so many things running through my mind and all of them are important. I'll struggle to fall asleep right away. Grant it, the Lord might be trying to get my attention... anyhow, I hope you check this out and it maybe a help to your especially if you have troubles falling asleep at night.

"What is the secret to getting a solid 7 to 8 hours of sleep? Head for the kitchen and enjoy one or two of these 10 foods. They relax tense muscles, quiet buzzing minds, and/or get calming, sleep-inducing hormones - serotonin and melatonin - flowing. Yawning yet? "

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I'm now running Microsoft Vista

Well, I decided to take the plunge and install Vista on my custom built PC. The install was a bit rough, but in the end I did manage somehow to get Vista installed on my PC. Right now, I'm still getting use to it and learning more about this new OS. So far I'
like what I see. I've even installed a new HDTV tuner that will pickup over the air (broadcast HDTV).
I do see some similarities to Mac OS X. I would recommend installing vista on your older PC as Vista does require some serious hardware and installing a new OS can be frustrating, I'm speaking from experience here.
Overall, I'm liking Vista more and more. I'll be sure to share my experiences as I have them.