Internet tips and tricks
If you’re like me you’re always on the look our for a shiny new toy. Well today Google is releasing it’s own web browser, named Chrome (how’s that for shiny?). It’s based on webkit, the same technology under the hood of Safari. They’ve released a comic book to describe it.
The PC version is suppose to release today, with the Mac and Linux version coming soon.
Project home. (as I write this, it’s not live yet.)
I was constantly envying the big-budget ministry across the street’s awesome t-shirts, logos, etc. I know it’s hard to believe, but I was breaking one of the commandments because of another ministry. Then I discovered iStock, and was delivered.
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I just downloaded a great free CD from Phil Wickham. It’s called Singalong and was recorded live at a recent concert. I really like Phil’s music, and thought I would pass along the opportunity. Just head over to PhilWickham.com, you’ll need to give them an email address, and they’ll send you the link.
Enjoy.
Every time I ask students if they got my email, they tell me they never check it. They might check their facebook or myspace, but even that is it or miss trying to communicate with them. The one thing they all seem to do is txt message, and they do it a lot. If you’ve ever wondered how you could use text messaging as a way to communicate with your students, here’s a little video demonstrating a new service from Simply Youth Ministry. I stated using this a little while back and it’s super easy. I’ve also found that my students are actually getting my messages now.
If you want more information, go to SimplyYouthMinistry.com/TXT. They even have a free 30 day trial you can sign up for.
It’s no secret that I like techy sites. I just read about this new one especially for teens, run by teens. It’s called TeensInTech.com. It’s a place for teens that are involved in new media (blogs, vlogs, podcasts). It’s in alpha and it definitely felt that way poking around, but it looks like a great place to send your teens that are helping with these in your ministry or just interested in the area.
YouVersion.com calls itself a revolutionary online Bible, and I it definitely lives up to the claim. It’s part social network and part online Bible. At the base of it, it’s an online Bible that allows you to post your own notes and thoughts on a passage. You can use this to organize your own study notes or even links and pictures, but the real power is you can share it others. This is where the social part comes in. You can have “friends” that you can share your thoughts and notes with. I haven’t really gotten into this yet, but it’s really cool. (My user name is crd55 if you want to be my friend)
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It’s summer and movie going season is in full swing. I’ve had some great conversations with students about some of the popular movies. I have been thinking about all the different angles you could take on a lesson about The Dark Knight, but one of the hard things about using a movie illustration in your talk is find the movie clip. Sure if it’s out on DVD you could always rent it and just show it off the DVD, but often times I want to use a clip from a film that not out on DVD yet. That’s where WingClips comes in. They have a ton of movie clips that you can download and use. The do offer subscriptions that give you higher quality clips and outlines, but I’ve used the free level and it’s been great. They also have a great search tool if you are looking for something on a specific topic. As a Youth Worker I’ve found it to be a great resource.
A bonus for me, they are featuring a few clips from The Dark Knight now, I just might have to use them.
Has anyone else used it? What are your thoughts?
OK, this doesn’t have much to do with technology, but it is summer many of you still have summer camp or mission trips ahead of you. So I thought I would share a post I read at Stuff Christians Like. It’s “Making Purple: 11 Ways to Stop Camp Kissing.”
Here are some of my favorites:
2. Encourage bad breath
In the eighth grade I used to date a girl named Sue. After every school dance, during which boys sat sweatily on one side and girls on the other while listening to Ace of Bass, we would walk to a local pizza joint. It used to kill me when Sue would eat Cool Ranch Doritos. Those may taste great, but it makes your breath smell like warm garbage. And Smartfood white cheddar popcorn has the same effect. It tastes good but makes your fingers and your mouth smell like throw up. So instead of having a well-stocked snack table or snack booth at camp, only offer bad breath items after 5PM. Call it the “garlic pickle rule.” Don’t sell gum or mints or other things that are going to make kids’ mouths like Alpine ski resorts of freshness. Focus on things like Swiss cheese, beef jerky and other unpleasantly-flavored delights.3. Know your enemy.
Weeks before camp or a retreat begins, go over the roster of people that will be attending with your staff. Put a check by the name of everyone you think is likely to at one point kiss someone. Go ahead and put a check by any of the pastor’s kids. Don’t be fooled by the dorks either. You might think the kids playing world of warcraft 82 hours a day aren’t going to make out, but they will. As Sun Tzu says, “if you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt.”5. Get an informant.
You need an inside man. Someone that can feed you information, like when someone is sneaking out or where the sneak out spot is. You’ll be tempted to play this role yourself, but don’t. Teens can spot a youth minister trying to act cool a mile away. Instead, find someone that will do the job for you if you give them an important sounding title like “assistant to the regional manager of no kissing.”
It’s a really funny post, I encourage you to ahead over and rest the rest. And for those with summer camp, trips, or retreats still ahead of you, now you know, and knowing is half the battle.
It’s no secret that Apple’s new iPhone 3G will be available this Friday around the world. And I’m still trying to decide if I’m going to get one. There are a lot of factors to consider, but this post isn’t about my personal gadget journey. Even though I’m not in the iPhone club, I do have an iPod Touch, so I can pretend, but I know a lot of youth pastors that do have iPhones so I thought it would be good to highlight some of the iPhone friendly sites that I use most or think are helpful:
1. Hahlo.com – a really nice twitter client
2. Facebook.com – I think the Facebook iPhone interface is better than the real thing. You don’t get everything, but it gives the basics in a really usable way.
3. YouVersion.com – I think this is best online bible for iPhone. A great mix of translations, and access to the notes that others have made on the passages. Plus, they are planning an app for the iPhone as well.
4. Evernote.com – I’ve been using Evernote for a few weeks to organize and capture little bits on information. It really deserves it’s own post, but their iPhone version is really nice.
5. YouthMinistryGeek.com – That’s right, this very site is iPhone friendly. Maybe you are enjoying that feature right now.
What are your favorites?
Who doesn’t like free software? I certainly do, and that’s why I check out what is the free offering at GiveAwayoftheDay.com each day. I have gotten a lot of good stuff from them over the last year. They give away a lot of media tools and computer administrative programs that I find helpful. They also mix in some games and screen savers on the week ends. Sorry Mac friends, it’s PC only, but those running Bootcamp, Parallels, or Fusion may want to take a look also.
Today’s Pick:
