Youth Ministry Geek » Mac

10 Favorites from 2011

Chris — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:49:47 +0000

Here are some of my favorites from 2011:

1. Apple MacBook Air MC969LL/A 11.6-Inch Laptop (NEWEST VERSION)">MacBook Air - I love this little computer. Great for travel, and super fast.

2. Sticky Faith - These books have really made me think a lot about youth ministry and being a parent. I highly recommend them. Plus check out StickyFaith.org for more insights in their articles and blog.

3. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson – I found this book to be a difficult read. He could be so harsh with people. It really made me think about leadership, success, and family from someone who did great things, but failed at so much too.

4. iPad 2 - This continues to be a device that changes the way I interact with content. I love it.

5. Kindle Fire - You probably didn’t expect to see this after I listed the iPad, but it’s a different device for me. It’s a great reader that also does some tablet functions. Plus, I love that there’s someone pushing the iPad to be better.

6. YSnetwork - This one is personal, but we launched it this fall at YS (where I work). It’s a great way to connect with other youth workers, join a network or build your own. It’s free to join, and if you sign up join the Youth Ministry Geek network to stay connected.

7. Flipboard - This is probably the app I use the most, and with the addition of the iPhone version a month ago, I just use it even more. It’s by far my favorite news reader.

8. GoPro - I got one of these cameras to take on our vacation to Hawaii this year, and it’s so much fun. We use it under water, on water slides, in the pool, the beach, on the trampoline. It’s a great camera to take when you don’t want to risk you full size, expensive one. Sure it has it’s limitations, but you get an amazing picture that can go anywhere. It’s my Flip Camera replacement.

9.Timbuk2 Control Laptop Case - After about 7 years, my old shoulder bag finally wore out. This was my replacement. Things I love about it: separate sleeves for laptop and ipad, TSA compliant so I don’t have to take my laptop out, not too big, but big enough.

10. Tech News Today - I love podcasts and increasingly over the last year, this has been my #1 to go to. It’s about 45 minutes every week day covering the lastest in the world of technology. Entertaining and informative, perfect for this geek.

What were you’re favorites from the last year?

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Sixth Grade iOS Developer Speaks at TED

Chris — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:17:39 +0000

This was super cool seeing this kid talk about what he loves. It was a great reminder to me to encourage kids in their interests, you’ll never know where it will take them.

RIP Steve Jobs

Chris — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:05:10 +0000

It’s a sad day in the tech world. Steve Jobs has passed away at the age of 56.

His impact on the world of technology is undeniable, and the products (Macs, iPods, iPhones, Pixar) he championed have helped shaped the world we live in.

I had the opportunity to go to his keynote address introducing the iPhone in 2007. It was an experience I’ll never forget. In his honor, here’s a video of that presentation:

Part 2

Steve, you’re vison and innovation will be missed.

Favorite iPhone / iPad Apps Part 2

Chris — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:00:09 +0000

Here’s part 2 of my favorite iPhone / iPad apps for ministry and everyday life.

1. Bible – LifeChurch.tv - This is my go to Bible reader on the iOS platform. I’ve tried others, but I always come back to this one. The team at LifeChurch just keeps making it better and better.

2. AppShopper - As a app junkie, I’m always looking for new apps and AppShopper is a great way to find out what’s new. One of my favorite things about this app, is creating a wish list, and you’ll receive and email when the app is updated or on sale. I’ve saved a ton just waiting till the app I wanted was on sale or even free.

3. Kindle - This is my go to book reader. I think iBooks is prettier, but I love Amazon’s pricing and I love being able to access my books on all my devices. I always look to kindle first for ebooks.

4.GarageBand - This one is iPad only but if you are interested in making music, this is an amazing app. It’s the touch version of the popular app on OS X. You can play piano, drums, or guitar and record them. It’s also been so fun watching my kids make music of their own and get into it. I love this app.

5. iMovie - This is my favorite quick video editor for iOS. Again, the touch version of another of Apple’s desktop iLife apps, but it works so well on iOS. It’s great for simple videos on the go that you can upload directly to YouTube or Flickr. Easy to use and fast.

6. OmniOutliner for iPad - Another iPad app here, but it’s so useful. I often organize my thoughts in Outlines, and this is a great tool for that. I use it for projects, teaching, writing, and just organizing. It also works with the desktop version which I also really like. Like all Omni apps, it’s a little on the expensive side, but I always feel it’s worth it in the end.

7. Documents To Go® – Office Suite - I’m a big fan of Google Docs and do a lot of my writing there, and this is best Google docs editor I’ve used. I can access all my google docs there so I can edit or write on the go. It also can access microsoft office docs stored in dropbox so you can edit or access on the go.

Bonus Pick: Live Curriculum - OK this one is a little selfish, but I’m pretty proud of it. It’s the first app I helped design and produce. It’s the app to access Simply Youth Ministry’s LIVE Curriculum. Click here to learn more about it.

There are so many other apps I use all the time, but I’d love to hear about some of your favorites. What ones did I miss? Tell me in the comments.

Friday Fun: Conan’s Team Loves Final Cut

Chris — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:28:57 +0000

Earlier this week I let everyone know about the new Final Cut Pro. It’s been met with controversy for some of the changes that it made. Not to let that controversy go unnoticed, the Conan staff let’s their feelings be known.

What did you think of the new Final Cut?

New Final Cut X now Available in the Mac App Store

Chris — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:01:51 +0000

The wait it over, all you video geeks (you know who you are) can go download Apple’s latest video editing software, Final Cut Pro, from Mac App Store.

It’s only $299.99 which sounds like a lot, but considering it wasn’t that long ago that this product was $1000, it’s pretty good.

You can also pick up Motion and Compressor for an extra $50 each.

I can’t wait to try this out, I’ve been a Final Cut Express user, and I’m excited to give Pro a try.

Green Screen Video Tips

Chris — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 05:24:43 +0000

I don’t know if you saw the 40 40 40 Angry Birds video I posted yesterday (Watch it HERE), but i wanted to share a few things I learned about shooting a video with a green screen. We worked with Ian at Halfway Bridge making it, so he helped guide us through it, and here’s a few things I learned.

Green Screen Material – there’s really nothing magic about what you use to make your green screen and there are a number of options you can use. There’s material(which we used), paper, and if you want a permanent setup there’s paint. If you think it’s something you may be doing often there are kits that come with the material and lights (more on these in a minute).
Smooth – the only magic about your background is you need to make sure it’s smooth. Our background was folded fabric, so we had to take time to iron it first. If you are planning a shoot on a schedule, make sure you take this into account. This is important because folds and creases can interfere in the chroma process you’ll do in your software later (That’s the process of replacing the green background with something else). Nothing like going through your entire shoot only to find out the footage isn’t going to work.
Lighting – I learned from Ian that this is really the most important part. Any variations in color interfere in the chroma process. It also helps the subject of the video to really pop from the green background. Making sure the lighting is consistant and even also took a little longer than I expected. (I was such a rookie).
Wardrobe – Make sure any actors aren’t wearing green. We had to scrounge up a new shirt for Riley so part of his torso didn’t disappear against the green backdrop. Lucky we are a bunch of youth workers so there’s always a left over event t-shirt in our office.
Plan the shoot – Make sure you know what you need to shoot. If you are shooting off a script, make sure you have your shot list written down so you know you’ve got everything you need. It’s a pain to go through the entire setup twice. If you aren’t sure, shoot it anyway, it’s better than missing the shot.

I also didn’t know you can do green screen editing right in iMovie (Ian was a little more advanced than that), but editing your green screen footage is easier than you may think. If you’ve never done it before you may want to experiment a little before jumping in.

Here are some ideas for youth group videos with a green screen:

Promo: If you are going somewhere put some students or staff in front of a photo or video of where you are going. You could ham it up and make it really funny.
Announcements: make people look like they are in a funny place while they give announcements. Maybe with a movie in the background and pretend your actors are interacting with the film characters
Skits: put just the right background behind a skit you might be doing

There’s probably a bunch of other uses, share yours in the comments.

Apple Camp 2011

Chris — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 19:53:17 +0000

It’s that time of year to sign-up your 8 – 12 year olds for Apple’s free day camp held in their retail stores. I’ve sent my kids that last few years and they’ve had a blast. This summer, like last, focuses on movie making.

Description from their site:

A fun, free workshop where kids become filmmakers.

At Apple Camp, kids aged 8-12 learn how to shoot their own footage, create an original song in GarageBand on an iPad, and put it all together in iMovie on a Mac. This free workshop, held at the Apple Store, spans three days and ends with campers debuting their masterpieces at the Apple Camp Film Festival. Space is limited and workshops fill up quickly so sign up now for a super creative adventure.

Day One (1.5 hours)

Introduction to the basics of moviemaking, including creating a storyboard.

Create an original soundtrack by making a song in GarageBand on an iPad.

Prepare for shooting footage outside the store overnight or inside the store at the end of the workshop.

On day one, Apple Camp also includes an optional, one-hour Parent’s Workshop that focuses on using and setting Parental Controls on the Mac. Registration is not required.

Day Two (1.5 hours)

Introduction to iMovie — simple-to-use moviemaking software.

Use a Mac to import and edit collected movie footage, incorporating stills and music.

Create a film.

With guidance from Apple Camp Counselors, kids will use iMovie — part of the iLife suite of creativity applications built into every Mac — to create, edit, and produce their films.

Then on the Saturday following camp, there’s a film festival where all the kids get to show the movies they’ve made.

Registation opened the morning, and in the past, spots have gone fast. Not a bad free summer activity. And if you don’t have kids of your own, it may be a good way to get some of those younger middle schoolers in your ministry excited about movie making and they can help make videos for youth group.

Click here to go to the Registration link, and see if there’s one near you.

Presentation Clock iPhone App

Chris — Thu, 05 May 2011 14:15:42 +0000

I heard about this app on the last episode of MacBreak Weekly, it was Andy Ihnatko’s pick of the week. It’s called Presentation Clock and it’s just a super simple speaker timer for your iphone or ipad. I don’t know about you, but I always have trouble keeping on time when speaking, and I’ve tried to use the clock on my phone, but when it’s on the podium sometimes it’s had for me to see when I’m walking around the stage. The thing I love about this app is that it changes colors as you get closer to your time being up. Just that visual should help me a lot.

Here’s what the developer says on his site:

This app does one thing but it does it extremely well. If you give presentations, training, tutorials, or speak publicly, this app is for you. Beautifully animated, with large, easy to read numbers that change colors at thresholds you determine. When the timer hits 0:00, the colors invert (black on red) and continue counting up indicating how long you’ve gone over. Fully customizable options and simple touch controls

Create and save as many timers as you want from 0min to 99 min 59 sec
Set time limits for color warnings to change the clock to green, yellow and red
Timers can be configured to give audible and/or vibration alerts when crossing a time limit threshold — but if you want a completely silent countdown, thats ok too

The best part, is it’s only .99 cents, and the reviews are great. Totally worth it in my book.

Is the iPad 2 a ministry expense?

Jeremy — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:35:27 +0000

Yesterday Apple announced the second version of their game-changing iPad product. It is another product for us to drool over and desire, but the question most (usually under paid) youth pastors are asking right now is can I justify this as a “ministry expense.” To that I answer a definite maybe.

That is to say that I would have told you no this time last year about the original iPad. Apple’s M.O. is to initially release a revolutionary product that is a bit more simple than their final intention (think original iPhone with no app store, copy / paste, or 3G). Which means that unless you are uber-wealthy or have some other justification, you always wait for the second version.

This is no exception. We now have an iPad with a stout processor, front AND rear facing cameras, multi-tasking and a robust number of apps (60,000). That means that you will have no problem justifying whether the hardware is going to be made totally obsolete in a year the way this has pretty much done with the original iPad.

Now that we’ve justified the hardware as a legit expense, we need to turn our attention to the apps. This is what will make or break your proposal. Here’s the question you need to ask: will these apps increase the effectiveness of your ministry and/or save you money? There are several interesting things you can do with apps now. You can video chat with a missionary you are supporting, you can control keynote and ProPresenter, you can record your praise band with garageband (8tracks), you can edit movies with imovie, you can have a virtual whiteboard run into the projector, and you can show HD movies off of netfllix or other streaming services through the new HDMI attachment. On the saving money front, you can use this as an ebook reader which has saved me as much as $30 on a single book.

What do you think? Justifiable? Maybe. The clincher may be using this to replace your laptop or desktop, but that is a bit trickier. While this is incredibly powerful for a tablet, it is lacking in that department when compared to a notebook. Though, if you don’t do a TON of serious video, graphics, or audio work, you might be able to make this work. It will allow you to connect an external keyboard and mouse via bluetooth which makes it a bit more credible, but BE careful. If you are looking into using this to replace a traditional form-factor computer, I would suggest borrowing one for a couple of days to see if it does everything you need.

So, go ahead and run the numbers, write a proposal, and let us know how you end up using this to connect with teens!