PC World does its only stress test on the iPhone

I'm glad to have seen PC World's stress test video on the iPhone. Apparently, the iPhone is quite durable and can survive quite a number of things. I'm really glad as I'm quite clumsy with my cell phones and I was worried as to what might happen when I drop my iPhone. Check out their video here.

My first post via my iPhone.

I'm typing this on my iphone and it's not as hard as I thought it would it would be . I will say that I will never go back to another device. It has won me over. The sharpness of the screen is exception and looks much better than any other device I have seen. It is quite nice to post while on the go.

I've got one.

Here is a post I made on Palm Addict today about my iPhone.

My first impressions of the iPhone

OK, it has been a very long time since I have written or contributed to Palm Addict and there is a reason. I lost interest in it and it's mainly because of the iPhone. When I first saw Steve Jobs demonstrate the iPhone, I could not believe how cool and amazingly well it worked. I began to read and read as much as I could about it. I had wanted to upgrade to a treo device, but the iPhone's coming, stopped me from purchasing a Treo device. My mobile device habits have changed much over the past year. I have relied less and less on my Lifedrive because of Google Calendar. My Macbook as enabled me to sync iCal with my cellphone and I only had to carry one device with me. So when June 29 neared, I knew the iPhone was the mobile device I needed and wanted. I arrived at our Apple store, in the mall, around 9am and left at 6:20pm. I would say that several hundred people were in line and I was number 12 in line.
My first impressions of the device is simply "WOW!" It's GUI is simply amazing and quite smart. It's taking a bit to get use to the keyboard and the onscreen touches as any brush or accidental contact with your finger counts as a tap. The shape of the iPhone is something I am not use to at all for putting a phone up to my ear. The display is bright, vibrant, and clear. Movies look beautiful on it and the music sounds great. The brightness is outstanding and makes my Lifedrive pale in comparison. The iPhone's intergration with my Macbook is wonderful as all my bookmarks, contacts, and calendar transfered over on the first sync with no problems and at no extra cost. It feels great in my hand and does not feel to light at all.
What I don't like is the non-replaceable battery. I've yet to have ample time to evaluate the battery life, but over the coming days I will do that. I've only have 7.27 GB of memory which is not a lot of memory for movies and music. The iPhone does not have a SD card slot or any other memory slot, so what I have I have. I'm not able to add 3rd party programs, yet. This is annoying, but as my mobile device usages have changed I do not need to worry at this time about that. I'm greatly worried about the screen and hope that I can get some sort of screen protecter for it soon (I think I saw some at the Apple store). The thing picks up finger prints quite easily and that is rather annoying.
Overall, I can simple say this is the best mobile device I have ever owned or seen in my life. It may not do all that I would like it to, but it is an amazing device and is quite easily an extension of my computer. People will find glitches and things to dislike, but what I see is a device that has raised the bar and made all other smartphones makers step up their products, which is definitely a good thing for all of us. As for Palm, I do believe they'd better hurry with Palm OS Linux, because if they do not, the iPhone will make their Garnet devices look like paper.

Live from the Apple Store in Buffalo, NY

The Apple store is now closed here and rumor has it that our store has about 1,000 iPhones. Everybody in line is quite excited and we've all been swapping stories and such. Apple folks are quite friendly folks and being a new Apple user, I must say that they really love their Macs. Surprisingly, there are not many folks in line at our store. I've counted about 50-60 people in line and the At&t store has only 6 people in line. Could mean the iPhone won't be selling like hotcakes as so have thought. Although, it may just be the Western New York area. We'll see tomorrow how well they have sold.

IPhone Launch Day Arrives

Here is a really good article covering the iPhone launch day and it also mentions Palm's take on "iDay". 

"SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- After six months of unprecedented hype, thousands of people Friday will get their hands on the iPhone, the new cell phone that Apple Inc. is banking on to become its third core business next to its moneymaking iPod players and Macintosh computers.
By early evening Thursday, short lines of eager customers were camped out at Apple and AT&T stores across the nation. The gadget, which combines the functions of a cell phone, iPod media player and wireless Web browser, will go on sale in the United States at 6 p.m. Friday in each time zone."

Live from the Apple Store in Buffalo, NY

OK, I'm here at the Apple Store in Buffalo, NY awaiting the iPhone's arrival. What can I say, I'm a geek and a pastor. One of my teens thought that I was crazy and so does my pastor, but I explain to them that I am doing it for my The Gadget Pastor blog and my readers. For some reason, they don't share my same zeal for gadgets. So folks, I'll be here until 6pm and then I'll be walking away with an iPhone and I cannot wait. It feels like Christmas day for me like when I was a kid.

There are about 15-20 people inline as of 9:41am eastern time. I've already met George, my line buddy, and we've already been talking about the iPhone. I don't think we'll start seeing a lot of people until later this afternoon. We drove by the At&t store on our way in and the same people I saw last night were the only ones there today. Lots of comments are being made as people pass by and security guards are walking about as well. So, I'll do my best to keep you inform and let you know any other details.

The iPhone madness is among us.

Well, tomorrow is iDay and many folks will be standing in line to purchase their iPhone(s). I will most likely be one of them and I'm making plans as I write this to determine my best chance to get an iPhone tomorrow. I'm rather excited about this as I have never done anything like this before. Thankfully the weather will be rather nice and no rain in the forecast either. So waiting outside at an At&t store should be no big deal. I'm considering going to the Apple Store here in Buffalo, but I imagine most people will be doing the same thing. So hopefully, the At&t store lines will be shorter. There is quite a bit of madness going on tomorrow and even now. Let's pray all goes well and nobody gets crazy.

Bible Answers: Onward Christian Solider marching under stress.

We all get stressed out time to time and it can be a very difficult if not an unbearable experience. So what do you do when you are stressed out? The Bible has a lot to say about stress and how to overcome it. The website Bible Answers gives a good Bible study on stress and it might be good to use this for a Sunday School lesson or home Bible study.

"In today's world it is virtually impossible to avoid stress. Almost everyone is carrying some amount of it, in varying degrees. Many find it increasingly difficult to simply survive in the world we live in. In desperation, people are seeking relief for their problems through any remedy they can find. Our culture is inundated with self-help books, therapists, time-management workshops, massage parlors, and recovery programs (to name just the tip of the iceberg). Everyone talks about returning to a "simpler" way of life, but no one seems to even know exactly what that means, or how to attain it. Many of us cry out like Job, "The churning inside me never stops; days of suffering confront me." (Job 30:27).

Most of us are so used to carrying the burden of stress, we can scarcely imagine our lives without it. We think it is simply an unavoidable part of living in the world. We carry it like a hiker trudging out of the Grand Canyon with a huge pack on his back. The pack seems to be a part of his own weight, and he can't even remember what it was ever like to not be carrying it. It seems that his legs have always been that heavy and his back has always ached under all that weight. Only when he stops to rest for a moment and takes off his pack does he realize just how heavy it really is, and how light and free he is without it."

Choosing video games for your kids.

Focus on the Family has a good article on how to choose video games for your children. While many people would not have a problem picking the right game for their kids, I think there are many that would have a problem and probably leave it up to the kids to decide. That alone can be very dangerous. Focus on the Family gives some great helps for parents and even some tips when choosing a video game. My family owns a Nintendo Wii and we love it. Our boys enjoy to play it, but I'm careful to pick family friendly games as my boys are quick to imitate the action going on in the games. Video games can have a huge influence on your children and consume a lot of their time that could be better spent else where. Time limits to video games are extremely important. So here is an excerpt from the article, I hope you find it useful for yourself or your church family.

"Here are the facts: Total U.S. retail sales of video games, which includes console and portable hardware, software and accessories, grew six percent in 2005 over 2004. The video game industry generated $10.5 billion in record-breaking sales, surpassing the previous record high of $10.3 billion set in 2002. The healthy increase in sales was driven by the success of the portable game market.1

As a parent, what do you do when violent video games are atop your child’s list of must-have entertainment?

The vast majority of people who play games do so with friends and family. Almost 60 percent of frequent game players play with friends, 33 percent play with siblings and about one-quarter play with their spouse and/or parents.

This trend will only increase. Parents need to make an effort to educate themselves about video games so they can model appropriate choices for their children. Specifically:

Are there any real benefits to playing video games or is it all detrimental?
How do you choose family-friendly games? What types are there?
How can you control the way the games are used once they’re in your home?
The content of concern is graphic in nature. Hand-to-hand combat, shoot ’em up and blood-and-guts are just inappropriate for children and desensitize them to violence."

Make your Windows XP start menu look like Window's Vista's start menu

I really liked Window's Vista's eye candy. It made Windows look way better to me and I sure wished, I could have got it running right on my PC. However, if you have Windows XP you don't need Vista, but you might be like me and want that eye candy. Well, Lifehacker points to a freeware application that will turn your XP start menu into a Vista start menu. The application is called ViStart. With the app, you'll get a transparent menu, search functions, skins, and that feel of having a Windows Vista that works! Take a look at it here.

Source: Lifehacker

The verdict is in: iPhone the good and the bad.

While I write this, I have several actions going on at ebay right now of my gadgets trying to raise money for an iPhone. I want one really bad. So one of my most important items to know was about the service plans for the device, well, that was released today and they look great for me. The next thing I wanted to know was it worth the price and did it perform as Apple said it would, especially the battery life. Well, David Pogue and Walt Mossberg have reviewed and published their thoughts on the iPhone. There is also a highlight video of these reviews which you can view below:





Engadget has collected facts from the many reviews that have been posted. You can view them here. It does look like one of the biggest complaints will be the Edge data network from At&t. It sounds slow, as bad as dailup in some cases. 

So far much of the reviews have been postive and the iPhone sounds like it will live up to its hype. Undoubtedly, the consumers will have the last say and it will be those early adopters that will be voicing their thoughts over the next days and weeks to come and as they do, we will know more about the iPhone in real life experiences.

I'm off to check my ebay auctions... by the way, take your time to view my Google Ads as they too are helping me raising money for my iPhone. ;)  

My printer is up and running.

I just got home and in about ten minutes I'm now able to print via my wireless network. It's rather nice to be able to print wherever I'm at. I only wish it would pop out the side of my macbook instead of me going to the printer. Oh how lazy I've become!

Looking for family craft ideas, games, recipes, etc.?

With all the tech we have in our lives, it's fun to get back to basics with our families. Playing Monopoly, Candyland, or some game outside can be a great way to build strong relationships with your family. My wife likes to go to the website Family Fun to find crafts and other ideas for family fun. I think this website has some great ideas for family fun and is worth checking out (and also VBS, Sunday School, etc.) As a teenager, my family would go to local lakes, state parks, and hike, have a picnic, or fish. I have so many memories from those times in my life. Our families need that too. My family will go hiking, have a picnic, and take walks as a family to help build strong relationships and great memories. It's also a great way to talk about creation and God as you are in the outdoors. Teenagers will be sometimes quite difficult when it comes to family fun, but it's so important to keep at it with them as you will see a return in that investment in the months and years to come. My children are still young and they get excited over anything, but in time that excitement will pass and I'll have a teenager that will be less enthusiastic for family nights. Don't give up on family nights, you'll need to be creative with what you do. Your family will appreciate it!
So when was the last time your family had a family night? What was the last time your family made a memory? Why not try something new this summer and make one night a week your family night? This summer get back to basics with your family and leave the tech alone.

Dell offering new laptops today.

Looks like Dell is adding some new laptops with new colors to their lineup. The name of those colors are a bit odd, too. 

"SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Dell Inc. (DELL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) introduced new notebook computers on Tuesday available in eight different colors with advanced features as it tries to grab a bigger slice of the consumer PC market.

The world's second-largest personal computer maker also launched its first consumer PC to use flash memory instead of a traditional hard-disk drive to store data. The lightweight laptop comes with a modest 32 gigabytes of data storage space.

Dell's new notebooks, to be unveiled at an event at Macy's flagship store in Herald Square in New York, come in colors with names such as flamingo pink, sunshine yellow, alpine white, ruby red, jet black, midnight blue and espresso."

Source: Reuters

Our new printer comes today.

Last week, our toner went bad in our laser printer. I had bought a cheap toner and it only lasted half as long in our laser printer. On top of that, a new toner is roughly $70-80. On top of that, the paper tray is broken and it does always pull the paper correctly causing paper jams. On top of that, it was not compatible with our MacBook. It was time for a new printer.

I checked out several printers that would be compatible with our new MacBook and finally setted on the Brother HL-2070n laser printer. I had read several good reviews on the printer and it seemed many people were happy with it and reported that it works quite well. It also allows you to connect it to your home network and printer via WiFi which will be rather nice since we have a laptop now and not a desktop. I purchased it from Amazon for the price of $99 which included a $50 instant rebate. So $100 for a new laser printer that can print via a network, I thought was a good deal. I'm thankful that the Lord had it on sale when I needed it. So sometime today, UPS will be knocking on our door and I'll be setting up our new printer. I've got a ton of things I need to print so it will get a good test.

Ringo- photo sharing website.

For the last year or so, my friends we telling me to join Ringo, a photo sharing website. I'm really not big into these things at all. I normally email photos to friends and family, but apparently this site is suppose to make it easier. I've spent some time learning the site and it works well. I've also been able to send out invitations to old college friends that I have not seen or talked to in a long time. So that will be cool to catch up with them. Would I recommend it? I guess, if you are into that sort of thing. It does make it easier for folks who don't have highspeed to look at your pictures rather then emailing a huge group of pictures. 

I think a missionary could use a site like this to communicate and keep churches updated with their mission work. I really see that as a huge bonus to picture sharing websites like this. I know there are others out there, but it seems most of my friends have chosen this site to share their pictures, so I will to.

In case you missed it: Apple iPhone Demo video.

Apple has published an Apple iPhone demo video that is about 25 minutes long. It shows how to use the iPhone and what it can do. Let's just say, I was quite impressed and all that video did was make me want it more. A pretty cool device that should appeal to the masses. I have yet to see so much excitement over a new product like this. As popular as the device has been, there are still some people who have not heard of it. I was talking to someone this last week who is very computer minded, more Windows side, and she had not heard of the iPhone at all. I was suprised to say the least. I'm sure by the end of this week most everybody will know about the iPhone.

Regular posting starts today!

OK, so last Friday and Saturday, I didn't post and that is because I was out of town on Friday and then Saturday, my family had our first every garage sale. An exciting time to be sure! My boys chipped right in and helped with selling stuff and arranging it. We (really, I) had kept a bit too much of useless stuff, so I was determined to get rid of it. Overall it went well and my wife was quite happy to see the stuff go. So I'm back posting today and will be for this exciting next week in technology.

Find free WiFi hotspos with WeFi (Windows only)

Here is a great little Windows application that will find free wifi hotspots in your location. The application relies on users to upload known free hotspots in their area. Several malls and parks here in Buffalo offer free wifi hotspots. So one could submit these free wifi hotspots so other users can be made aware of them. I think many would be surprised at how many free wifi hotspots are available to them. Since I have wifi on my Macbook, I've found quite a number of free hotspots. It has proven to be quite helpful for me. By the way, this is a freeware application. No cost for you! Mac users have a version coming soon.

Source: Lifehacker

Somewhere Forever

There is a really good video presetation on salvation done by a pastor friend of mine. It is entitled "Somewhere Forever". They have it online, VHS, and DVD. Pastor Jim Schettler walks viewers through the Gospel message. I've given this out before to unsaved friends and church visitors. It is a good witnessing tool and I'd highly recommend it. 

"Do you have feelings of fear or inadequacy in presenting the gospel? Somewhere Forever is a 17-minute video/DVD in English, and La Eternidad is an excellent 22-minute Spanish version, you can give to your unsaved friends and loved ones. They present the Gospel in a powerful, biblical manner, detailing clearly what a person must know to get to Heaven. Made available, these videos and DVDs can be used to reach unbelievers when other efforts may not have been successful!

Given the opportunity, MOST EVERYONE WILL WATCH SOMEWHERE FOREVER.

Pastors everywhere agree that Somewhere Forever is one of the most effective tools for evangelism today!

Please browse our web site where you can view our two videos (English and Spanish versions) in 56K or DSL/Cable RealVideo. Also, our web site has testimonials, pastor recommendations, ideas on how to use the video or DVD, our newsletter, ordering information, and how to contact us."

Mac OS X updates to 10.4.10

Apple today releases an update to the Mac OS X. The latest version is now 10.4.10 and makes several updates. You can read more about the latest updates at Mac Daily News. What they've updated I've listed below. I updated my MacBook just before this post and everything seems to be in working order. Nothing negative to report and no notable differences for me.

- RAW camera support
- Mounting and unmounting external USB devices
- Support for 3rd party software applications
- Security updates

The i-Spidey Dog for your iPod!

I'm a big Spider-man fan. So when I saw this gadget today, I really wanted to get it! But I knew that it was kind of silly, but still I thought it was cool. It is called "I-Dog i-Spidey". The dog basically moves to the sound of your music by moving its ears and also there are some LED lights that move with the music. Again it's the Spider-man factor here. Any other cool or design and I'd probably not even post about it, but since it resemble ol' Webhead, I just had to!

Bible Answers: Could Adam hurt himself prior to the fall?

Here is a question that I ran across today while visiting the newly redesigned Answers In Genesis website. To be honest, I have never considered the possibility of this. Nobody has ever asked me, but if you would like to hear Ken Ham's response to this question, it is available as a mp3 download. It's only 30 seconds long or so and it's a good response. I'd definitely jot this down or bookmark it for later reference.

By the way, I will post more Bible answers as a help to preachers, teachers, missionaries, evangelists, etc. so that we can always be ready to give an answer about the Hope within us! Be sure to look for the label: Bible Answers.

The Palm Foleo will have real 3rd party applications developed for it.

Software for the Palm Foleo has been announced by Astraware and now MotionApps. Astraware has released a version of their Sudoko and Solitaire games for the Foleo. Both games are loads of fun and I highly recommend them. MotionApps has announced a PIM software suite that will be developed for the Foleo. Palm has not announced any PIM software on the Foleo, so one can assume that there is none. I'm hoping that Palm is taking note of Apple's upgrading the iPhone here in the last few days and that Palm will do the same with the Foleo. I mean imagine Palm saying they've upgrade the memory for a tiny 128mb to a 4 GB flash memory. That would be great! 

Side thought

Why should you consider a Foleo? Well, as a pastor, missionary, evangelist many do not want nor need a full featured laptop. For example, a missionary may just want a internet and email capabilities to keep in contact with their supporting churches. A Foleo can do that without all the extra bulk. With its instant on, sending an email to your supporting churches can be done quickly enabling your to be more productive and spend less time at the computer. Palm products have the "just works" feature. You use it and it "just works". As of late some may argue that is not true, but overall Palm products just work. So, this could be a useful device if your needs are simple. You want more than that, well you need a MacBook.

Source: Brighthand

Better battery life and screen for the iPhone.

OK, I'm really excited about the iPhone. I'm even thinking about camping out-- alright, so maybe not. Today's press release from Apple sure makes things interesting. If the battery times are truly correct, a lot of people will be extremely happy with the iPhone. Even the critics of the phone will have less to say about it! I'm in need of a new phone, but with out more details of the plans for the iPhone I will be waiting this one out. I think...!

"CUPERTINO, California—June 18, 2007—Apple® today announced that iPhone™ will deliver significantly longer battery life when it ships on June 29 than was originally estimated when iPhone was unveiled in January. iPhone will feature up to 8 hours of talk time, 6 hours of Internet use, 7 hours of video playback or 24 hours of audio playback.* In addition, iPhone will feature up to 250 hours—more than 10 days—of standby time. Apple also announced that the entire top surface of iPhone, including its stunning 3.5-inch display, has been upgraded from plastic to optical-quality glass to achieve a superior level of scratch resistance and optical clarity.

“With 8 hours of talk time, and 24 hours of audio playback, iPhone’s battery life is longer than any other ‘Smartphone’ and even longer than most MP3 players,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’ve also upgraded iPhone’s entire top surface from plastic to optical-quality glass for superior scratch resistance and clarity. There has never been a phone like iPhone, and we can't wait to get this truly magical product into the hands of customers starting just 11 days from today.”

Is not allowing 3rd party apps on the iPhone a good idea?

Apple has recently announced that they will allow web applications on the iPhone, but they have yet to open it up to applications specifically designed for the iPhone. In short, all your "applications" you will access them thru a web browser, Safari, and they will reside online in cyber-space. While this should assure a more stable iPhone, it has become a negative point for many detractors of the iPhone.

First off, I find myself asking how many applications do I really need? On my Palm Lifedrive, I must have a hundred or so applications on it. They range from hacks to enhancements to applications. In general, I only use the datebook, todo list, contact list, and occasionally I watch a video or play a game. I do from time to time read the Bible or a commentary on my Lifedrive. Overall, the basic applications are all I need. I think many people that use devices like Treos, Blackberries, etc. only use the basic applications in them. We, power users, tend to push the capabilities of our devices and have found them to be a more useful and powerful tool. Unless you are in a professional field (doctor, lawyer, sales, etc.), you probably don't use your device to its fullest potential. I'm sure there are some exceptions to this opinion.

Second, not having 3rd party apps can offer a stable device, perhaps more stable then a Treo device. Speaking from my Palm experience, I've had many resets, sometimes at inconvenient times. Grant it I have minimized them greatly on my Lifedrive by adding fixes and hacks to it. Still, a device that would not reset like a Treo or Lifedriv? Some would be quick to point out, a Palm device doesn't reset when you use the built-in apps. However, my Lifedrive would reset with no applications on it, which drove me nuts. Still, I want the ability to choose what I want on my device and I sure hope Apple will allow it, but I can understand that having a device that minimizes resets and troubles like that would be a real crowd pleaser to the masses. As the old adage says, "Keep it simple stupid."

Will a semi-open platform work? Short-term, yes I think it will. Long-term, no I don't think so. People will learn to use their devices and want to increase its usefulness, especially when they see other non-iPhone users editing documents, spreadsheets, reading Bibles, books, etc. People do want a device that can do more and Apple would do well to listen.

I am seriously considering the iPhone as my next cellphone. I believe it will be able to meet my mobile tech needs. It's definitely not a device for everyone, but for the less tech savvy it could prove to be a huge hit. If Apple allows 3rd party development, undoubtedly, more people will buy the device, in the meantime, we will have to wait for the reviews and the first adopters to report on it. I think the iPhone will be a hit and while its not for everybody, I think Apple is on the right track with this device.

Brighthand's take on the Foleo

While Palm's latest device, the Foleo, is not receiving the best of remarks from the Palm community, Ed Hardy from Brighthand shares why he likes the device. I'm a bit neutral on the device myself. I can understand the need for the device as many times I had wished to have a larger keyboard and screen when using my Lifedrive. Since my Macbook, I'd rather carry it, then a Foleo. Still, I think it has potential if Palm would tweak it up a bit with more memory and some excellent software.

"A few weeks ago, Palm, Inc. unveiled the Foleo, the first product in its new "Mobile Companion" category.

This won't be a handheld, smartphone, or laptop. As its name suggests, it will be a special-purpose device intended to act in conjunction with a smartphone and not replacing it, letting people view the Web and their email on a larger screen and enter text with a full-size keyboard

Even though Palm doesn't want to admit it, it's not the first company to develop something like this. The first one I can think of that that attracted worldwide attention was the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet, which was recently followed up by the N800.

Whether you call the device a Mobile Companion or an Internet Tablet, this is a class of devices that I believe has a great deal of potential."

Great Military and Chaplain Support Sites

A friend of mine who is a chaplin in the United States Air Force, emailed me these some links to organizations that support chaplains much like supporting our troops. As pastors of churches here in the States, we don't have to deal with death on a daily basis as do our troops over seas. These chaplains can experience a lot in a short amount of time and our troops are under pressure immensely. A chaplain helps the troops and their families cope with death, loneliness, doubt, depression, etc. I hope you take the time to support our troops and support our chaplains. Here are the links:

http://www.adopt-a-chaplain.org/

http://www.amillionthanks.org/

How to record audio of your sermons using your computer.

Churches today are almost expected to have audio recordings of all services. Yet, not every pastor has the know how or the equipment or the time to do so. I thought I'd setup a little, simple guide to help any pastor setup in recording the audio.

With Sound Equipment/Sound Board
Computer OS - Windows

Recommended Recording programs - Mp3 My Mp3 Recorder 2
I've used this program on several occasions and have found it to work the best for me when I needed to record audio from one of our church services.

Recommended Audio Editor programs - Audacity
Audacity is a popular audio editor and it is quite simple to use. It offers several effects that will allow you to amplify, remove noise, change speed, pitch, etc. of your audio file. You can also export it into the mp3 format.

Recommended CD creator program - Windows Media Player
You've most likely already have it on your computer, so it's the simple choice when it comes to burner your CDs. There are other alternatives, but for simplicity's sake will stay with Windows Media Player.

Setup instructions:
Begin by connecting your desktop computer or laptop to your soundboard. Usually, you will need a cable (like this one) to connect your computer to your soundboard. Our church's soundboard has a audio out that uses RCA jacks. With the cable mentioned before, I use these connections and plug the other end into my computer's Mic input. At this point, I open Mp3 My Mp3 and make sure the input is set to Mic input. Start recording and let the services begin!
Afterwards, you can open the file that you just made with Mp3 My Mp3 with Audacity and edit out dead spots, remove announcements, etc. to help make a more professional production. Once you are done you can export the file to the mp3 format and you can save it to be burned onto a CD disk later after you've recorded enough messages for one disk.
Use Windows Media Player to burn your CD as you probably already have it on your computer. It would probably help to create a playlist before your burn as your can easily set the order of your messages.

I don't have a sound board what should I do?
Try finding a digital voice recorder. I have used my Palm Lifedrive and an attachment for my iPod called TuneTalk from Belkin. Both have worked effectively enough for me when I travel and speak out. They are not perfect options, but again you don't have a sound system.

I have a Mac computer what programs would I use?
While I have not personally tested this method, I will be soon. I recommend downloading Audio Recorder 3.1 which is a simple audio recording program that I have found. If simple is not for you, you can use GarageBand to record your service and with this program you can add special sound effects and what not to create a professional recording.

When you have completed your recording, you can use iTunes to burn it to a CD. Once again, I recommend building a playlist for your CD.

So that's about it for this tip. If you have any suggestions or better ways, then please do share. I have found this method for Windows to work well for me. As for the Mac, it will be tested and I am sure soon. Enjoy!

iGoogle allows more tabs.

Today, iGoogle allowed me to add more tabs. In the past, I was only allowed 6 tabs. While that did the job for the most part, I wanted a tab dedicated solely for Mac related sites. Well, today I noticed that I could add another tab and I was thrilled. So I clicked on "Add a tab" and then I named it "Mac sites" and I then saw an option, which I had not noticed before, to let Google automatically add websites based on the name of my tab. I allowed Google to do that and the nine most popular Mac sites were added without my having to do it myself. A very convenient time saving. If you haven't checked out iGoogle, you really should. I like Google reader, but I've been using iGoogle so long that I don't want to change for the moment.

A DVD tour of your church for your guests.

I am wondering if any of your churches or you pastors, create a DVD presentation of your ministries. I am sure many missionaries already do this when they are on deputation. However, I think including a DVD in your church's guest welcome packet. When I was looking for a youth pastorate, a church gave me a welcome bag that included a bag of cookies, a small bag of coffee, and some material on the church. They wanted me to sit down and take some time to look thru and see what kind of church they are. I thought this was a classy idea and something that I would try to do in the future. I have been thinking of creating a DVD that explains and highlights the church's ministries. If done right, this could be an excellent tool to help people in finding the right church. Right now, I'm working with iMovie HD in creating DVDs and I think I try working on such a DVD for my church now. I've got a lot on my plate at the moment, but I'll try to crank one out if I can. This would be a great way to promote our Christian school, daycare, bus ministry, and Seniors ministry.

So does your church employ such a method or something similar? Has it been a help or a project that has not shown any profit?

A healthy spiritual appetite.

Do you remember when your mom said you couldn't eat that candy bar because you would spoil your dinner? Mom knew that if you ate that candy bar, you'd not be hungry for your dinner. Who wants to miss those great meals that Mom makes?!
My point is rather simple. We need to have a healthy spiritual appetite. Well, what would spoil our appetites? Sleep, work, ministry, the internet, TV, hobbies, etc. can all take time away from our spiritual feedings or rather our personal devotions. I am sure we would all be amazed at how few people in our churches actually spend an adequate amount of time having personal devotions. Sometimes, we just don't have the time because we've allowed other things to take away and spoil our devotions. The devil loves when you and I spoil our spiritual feedings, because it makes us sick and weak as believers.
It is high time as servants of the Lord that we make sure our personal devotions take 1st place and not 3rd or 4th place in our schedules. Stay spiritually healthy this week and you'll be amazed at what it will do for you!

Google Complains About Microsoft's Vista

Isn't this funny? Google complains about Windows Vista. Apparently, Google states that Vista is hampering desktop search applications, like their Google Desktop. So they have filed a lawsuit against Microsoft. I really cannot imagine being Microsoft with all these lawsuits. It's no wondered they turn out mediocre products. Their time and money is being spent in lawyer services!
If you are thinking of going with Vista, it doesn't beat out Windows XP and there are still many drivers that are not yet available for it. I'm sure in time it will be a better operating system, but for now, it's got some issues. I know I been there and done that. Wasn't fun, needed drivers and was told sure later this year. Not cool!

"SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Internet search leader Google Inc. is trying to convince federal and state authorities that Microsoft Corp.'s Vista operating system is stifling competition as the high-tech heavyweights wrestle for the allegiance of personal computer users.

In a 49-page document filed April 18 with the U.S. Justice Department and state attorneys general, Google alleged that the latest version of Microsoft's Windows operating system impairs the performance of "desktop search" programs that find data stored on a computer's hard drive.

The Vista operating system, which became widely available in January, includes a desktop search function that competes with a free program Google introduced in 2004. Several other companies also offer desktop search applications."

Read More

Apple iPhone's compromise.

Yesterday, it was announced that software developers would be able to write applications for the iPhone that only Safari could open. That means Web 2.0 apps and AJAX apps. What does this really mean? We're not getting a device that would have 1,000s of applications for it like a Palm or Nokia device. I like to have the Bible on my handheld devices, but if I cannot do that with my iPhone or I have to go to a website to open the Bible, I'm not likely to get an iPhone. OK, so maybe that is going to far, but I would really think that Apple could do better here with 3rd party developers. I think the iPhone will be a great extension of your Mac or Windows computer, but think of it as a glorified datebook/cellphone/iPod. So that customizing of software on your iPhone will be limited at best. For a really good read on this, check out CNET's article "Apple opens iPhone to developers- kind of."

Safari 3 beta is now available for Windows and Mac

During yesterday's Apple keynote, Steve Jobs announced that Safari would now be available for Windows. They also released a beta version of Safari 3 that is supposedly faster than Internet Explorer 7, FireFox, and Opera. I've tried it myself and it does seem to be faster although, I cannot official test it. Still if you are looking to save yourself some time and be more productive, a faster web browser could be very useful. I'm sticking with FireFox for right now, but I may switch once Safari 3 is in its final version. Here is a list of the improved features:

1. Blazing Performance

   Safari is the fastest web browser on any platform.

2. Elegant User Interface

   Safari’s clean look lets you focus on the web — not your browser.

3. Easy Bookmarks

   Organize your bookmarks just like you organize music in iTunes.

4. Pop-up Blocking

   Say goodbye to annoying pop-up ads and pop-under windows.

5. Inline Find

   Search any text on any website with the integrated Find banner.

6. Tabbed Browsing

   Open and switch between multiple web pages in a single window.

7. SnapBack

   Instantly snap back to search results or the top level of a website.

8. Forms AutoFill

   Let Safari complete online forms for you, automatically and securely.

9. Built-in RSS

   RSS tells you when new content is added to your favorite sites.

10. Resizable Text Fields

    Resize text fields on any website: Just grab the corner and drag.

11. Private Browsing

    Keep your online activities private with a single click.

12. Security

    Apple engineers designed Safari to be secure from day one.

Two saves today!

Today, my wife was the wedding planner and I was the DJ for one of our church member's weddings. She did a great job as always with the wedding everything went quite smoothly and most hiccups we were able to easily overcome. I wanted to share two things that I used my Macbook for. (I'm trying not to turn this into a Mac fanboy site, so please bear with me as I go thru this new toy stage!)
First off, I was able to hook up a digital camera to my Mac and fire up iMovie and record the wedding with no problems at all. Everything worked right away and I could not believe it! Honestly, I thought I'd have to do something like install drivers or something else, but all I have to do was plug in the firewire to the firewire port. Very nice. Now I'm going to try and create a DVD with the program and see how that goes.
At the reception, the CD deck was not working with the burned CDs. So out came the Macbook and once again we had another save. Of course, I failed to remember that I was plugged into the sound system when I started to play frozen Bubble and the game music played over the speakers. Kinda of embarrassing to say the least.
Now, I cannot say that this was the benefits of owning a Mac. I'm sure a Windows laptop could have done the same thing albeit with a few more steps perhaps. For me, it worked without all the formalities and timely installs. Plus all the software was already on my computer. Definitely having a laptop has proven to being the biggest plus of my Macbook. It really has opened a whole new world for computing and using technology in ministry.

Open Source Mac

I stumbled upon this website while looking for some applications for my Mac. Of course free is much better for me ;) , I did find CashBox, a financial manager, and Frozen Bubble, a fun game that I played on Linux. There were some other apps, but I will save those for later. It's a great summary of open source software for macs and you would do well to check it out.

A marriage tip.

In this corner we have the money maker, bread winner, provider, it's Husband!!!! Facing him today is his counterpart, the home maker, mom, and chauffeur, it's Wife!!! Let the fight begin! Ding!

Does that said like you and your spouse when a fight or argument is coming? If so continue reading for a little tip that I have learned.

OK, I've only been married 6 years, but I understand that I don't know it all and that's why I look to other people wiser than I that can be a help to me. Whether it's my pastor, an evangelist, a mentor, authors, etc. these are the people that I learn from to have a better marriage. Let's face it we all fight and argue from time to time and it's not always easy to deal with those fights. It's better for us to get prepared for those moments rather then wait to deal with them when they happen! One of my favorite articles that I have kept is called "Fighting Fair" and it is from Focus on the Family's website. Here is just a portion of the article below.

“I am soooo sick of picking up after you!” I said through clenched teeth at my husband, Tom. “You just leave your stuff everywhere like I’m your maid or something!” I had just picked up from the floor his umpteenth pair of dirty, balled-up socks where he left them — next to, but not in, the hamper.

He looked at me in wide-eyed disbelief. “Laurie, there are many mornings where I come out to the kitchen and do the dishes from the night before that you decided weren’t as important as watching a movie! And how about your endless projects on the dining room table?”

Every couple does it … you and your husband and me and mine. While we may not be proud of it, our differing points of view can lead to arguments. But arguments can be constructive if you stick to some rules for fighting fair.

In one of my first fights with Tom — I don’t remember what it was about — I broke most of the rules for fighting fair. I manipulated the subject away from myself and my responsibility and piled it all onto him. I called him a name. I left the house and stomped down the street. I used the “nuke him before he gets me” approach. It left him with a tight knot in his gut and me red-faced with shame. Looking at our different upbringings, it’s easy to see why our approaches differed so much."

I hope that this article will be a help to you and your spouse. Satan loves causing problems in marriages and he will definitely do his best to make a wreck of it. We need to make sure that we don't allow that to happen!

My unboxing pics as promised!

This is just a fun post of my unboxing of my MacBook. So far, I'm very pleased with it as I've spent quite a bit of time using it. So here are the pics.

Enjoying my new Macbook

Well, it's a refurbished one- still I'm quite excited about it and have found it to be quite fun. I did get a DVD stuck in the drive somehow, but I was able to get it out with telephone support help from Apple. Today at school, several teaches and students spent sometime playing with Photo Booth and the many effects. They were laughing so hard at the "twisted" pictures they took. I've installed a few programs and they are iStumbler 2, NeoOffice, FireFox, and Handbrake. That's it for now, but thought I'd share my first experiences with you. Tomorrow, I'll post my opening the box pictures. Until then, I'm going to familiarize myself with my MacBook!!

Out of town for a few days.

I will be out of town for a few days and any posting will be limited. We are traveling to Indiana, PA to preach at a church. Please pray for us as we travel. I'm planning on being very limited in my internet so any email will be slow. Thanks again for supporting the Gadget Pastor blog and be sure to take the time to look over some of our previous posts.

My MacBook is coming!!!

Sometime next week my new black Macbook is coming. Well, it's not actually new, it's one of Apple's refurbished Macbooks, but it's new to me! I'm excited as I've been talking to my wife now for sometime about making the jump and she's excited as I'll stop talking about making the jump! So, I'm hoping to be using it soon and when I do, I'll let you know what I think about it and how my transition goes and if the Mac OS X can be more useful to a pastor then Windows. That should be interesting!

Working on yearbooks...

Well, I'm working late tonite as I'm collating our school's yearbooks. This year we are printing them in-house rather then shipping them over to a printer. Although Office Max will be binding them for us, we have decided to print them ourselves. The reason we do an in-house yearbook is because we have a small student body and it works out to be a great lesson in marketing, creative writing, photography, book layouts, and much more for the students. For the last 4 years, I have been in charge of the school's yearbook and each year we have manage to out do ourselves.

This year is no exception as we are printing our yearbook in full color on a Xerox Work Center 7132 printer/copier/fax/email station. It's an amazng device and the color pages look beautiful. Most of the students have no idea that the yearbook will be in color this year. Normally, we only have a handful of pages that are color, but having the whole book is quite an achievement for our little school!

In case you are wondering how we do this, we use MS Publisher to create our pages and then we used Primo PDF to convert them to PDF files to ensure everything works and looks right. After that we print away. The students have been using their own digital cameras through the year and I have been using my Panasonic Lumix DMC-F27. Overall, I highly recommend this process for schools that may not be able to afford a traditional yearbook. It's a great experience for the kids and it's a satisfying experience. Nothing beats seeing the looks of the students as they look through their yearbooks!

By the way, the picture above is our yearbook front cover.