Favorite iPhone / iPad Apps – Part 1

June 29, 2011 in iOS, Software with 0 Comments

I often get asked what my favorite iPhone / iPads are, and I thought I would share my current list with you guys. I’m a total app junkie so it was difficult to narrow this down, I tried to make it a top ten, but there are a few more than that so I’m dividing it into a couple posts. Some are favorites because they help make work easier, some make everyday life more enjoyable and some are ministry focused. Also these are in no particular order.

1. Evernote – This is my go to note taker. I use it on my phone for quick photos or audio notes to myself. I also use the iPad version to take notes in meetings or at conferences. It also works great as a desktop app. There’s also the ability to email notes or do web clippings into your notebooks. The best part is they all stay in sync. I find new uses for this all the time.

2. Dropbox – We’ve talked about this before on this blog. This is another one of those services that I use all the time. The Dropbox service allows you keep files in the cloud and keep them in sync across your devices. This app is how you access your files from your iPhone or iPad. Having access to my files anywhere is a life saver. I also love that you can play media files from the app directly.

3. Flipboard – This is my favorite news reader, and sorry, but this is iPad only. I love the way it looks and the way it works. It turns my twitter, facebook, google reader into a dynamic digital magazine. Plus you can read from their curated topics or add your own RSS feeds.

4. TomTom U.S.A. – I have a horrible sense of direction and I do a fair amount of travel, so always being able to find directions to where i need to go is great. I find the built in Google Map to be difficult to use, that’s why I love TomTom. It has a great built in search for locations and then will give take you there. This is a lifesaver.

5. Angry Birds – I don’t feel like I need to explain this one. Love it or hate it, it keeps my kids (and maybe me) occupied.

6. Keynote – This is my go to presentation software on my desktop and the mobile version is a great way to review and make quick changes to a presentation. I actually like the iPad version so much I often start my presentations there.

7. Pages – If I need to do some writing with more formatting than Evernote will let me, I use pages. It’s the best word processor I’ve used on the iPad.

Stay tuned for more apps in part 2.

Friday Fun: Conan’s Team Loves Final Cut

June 24, 2011 in For Fun, Mac, Software with 0 Comments

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

June 21, 2011 in Mac, Media with 0 Comments

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.

Never Tie a Water Balloon Again

June 20, 2011 in For Fun, Gadgets with 0 Comments

I saw this on Facebook today (I wish I could remember who, sorry for not giving you credit) and it is a must have for any youth pastor.  It’s an essential tool for any of the water themed activities you might have this summer. It a water ballon fill and tie tool all in one contraption. This would have saved me hours when I worked as a Jr High Ministry intern.

If you want to pick one up they are only $10, seems worth it to me, you can get it at Vat19.com.

Postagram

June 20, 2011 in For Fun, iOS, mobile, Software, Web with 0 Comments

I love taking pictures with my iPhone and Droid X.  I always have one of them with me, and at 5 and 8 megapixels they take pretty good pix.  My favorite photo app is instagram (FREE) and a close second is Halftone. Both of these apps are only available for iOS (sorry Droid fans) but that is not what I am here to talk about.  I found a great app that takes those digital pictures and turns them into something a grandmother can enjoy (that sounded better in my head).  Drum roll please (enters stage right, crowd Awwws, cameras flash)…POSTAGRAM!!! Ok, I guess it is not that big of a deal but it is pretty cool.  Postagram, for Android and iPhone, was created with instagram in mind but a recent update allows you to use any photo in your phone and create a postcard.  Still not that impressed?  Well I tried it out and I was really impressed and so was my mother-in-law when she received a custom postcard with her grandchildren on it. Postagram allows you to create, personalize, and upload, a picture, note, and address.  Then Postagram prints a postcard on glossy paper, and mails it out for you.  The down side is that whole process took about 5 days, the app told me 3 to 7 days so I guess it could have been worst and each postcard from start to finish costs $1.00.  Don’t just take my word for it download Postagram the app and you first postcard are FREE!

I was thinking this app could be useful catching students doing good things, snap a picture and mail them a card with a note from you saying “Thanks for serving!”  Or take a picture of a kids face during a sloppy game and a note from you saying, “I love that you are in our ministry.”  Or get a pic of a staff person being with students and a note saying “You are making a difference, Thanks!”  People love mail and pictures, comment below with how you think you could use this app to better your youth ministry.

Green Screen Video Tips

June 14, 2011 in For Fun, Mac, Media with 0 Comments

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.

  1. 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).
  2. 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.
  3. 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).
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

Save 40% at SimplyYouthMinistry.com

June 13, 2011 in Resources with 0 Comments


Simply Youth Ministry 40-40-40 Sale

Every year in June we have a huge 40 40 40 sale over at SimplyYouthMinistry.com.  There are tons of resources for 40% (and some for 20% also), it’s the best time of year to stock up on student books, curriculum, and other resources.  It’s never too early to think about next fall and what you’ll need.

You can also grab 40 FREE Backgrounds while you are there.

Just incase you need a little more reason to go, we made a fun little video to help promo it. And it involves one of my favorite games, Angry Birds.

Simply Youth Ministry 40-40-40 Sale. Starts June 14th at 12 AM PST, Expires June 16th at 3 PM PST. No code needed.

Apple Camp 2011

June 9, 2011 in Mac, Media, News, Software with 0 Comments

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.

 

 

 

Guest Post: 3 Beginner Mistakes Using Social Media

June 1, 2011 in Administration, Web with 0 Comments

For many companies, freelancers, pastors, and non-profit organizations,Twitter and Facebook might be one of only a few marketing tools at your disposal because of the fact that it is a free resource and your audience might already be participating in these social networks. It is important for companies to come across as professional, but there is conflicting advice out there on how to create a social media personality that will get your company the kind of professional attention you want.

So the question is, are you using these tools effectively or are you making a few beginner mistakes? Here are our top three mistakes made by people when they are trying to interact with customers, clients, and others interested in your company:

Not Engaging Your Followers
Do you read what people are saying about you or your products? Have you responded to comments they leave you? Do you even care about their thoughts? You should and if you are not, you are missing out on a golden opportunity to build relationships.

How should you be engaging your followers? Comment on photos they post on your Facebook page, thank them for comments they leave, respond to their @replies. Use Facebook’s Question app, poll followers on Twitter, and create a community built your account.

The lines of communication with those that follow you and you follow should be two-ways and it should start with you. Take the time to reply to your followers and let them know you’re listening to what they have to say. Engaging with this community can have long-term and lasting benefits.

Ignoring Negative Comments
One specific way of not engaging that gets its own point is that you don’t ignore negative comments directed at you or your company on social media sites. Treat every comment, positive or negative with your full attention, but in negative comments even more so should you engage the customer. One negative comment that is handled quickly and poorly could exacerbates the problem and make a fed up customer into someone who will publicly renounce you or your product. And ignoring them simply validates what they’re already feeling: that your company doesn’t care about their business.

Realize that if handled correctly, you could still come out with a new customer and even show others that you really care about their wants and needs. In some situations, a public comment followed up by a private message may be necessary, but inaction is the worst thing you could do. Sometimes just reaching out can be enough to turn a negative experience into a positive one.

Not Having a Plan
A few weeks ago I talked about the idea of having a Twitter strategy, but this can easily be applied to other social media tools with a little tweaking. Rushing into marketing with social media without a plan can cause confusion, frustration, and possibly lose customers and bad reputation.

Remember, what is posted on the Internet is there permanently. If you make mistakes in your social media marketing, they can come back to haunt you. This does not mean a strategy will make you flawless, but it will be the guidelines for how you proceed with social media. A few hours of time spent now on revising your strategy to be the best it can be can prevent many more hours or days of frustration and struggling to correct mistakes in the future.

About Jeremy Smith
Jeremy Smith is a 26 year old youth worker at the Air Force Academy chapel, working for Club Beyond, and attending Denver Seminary for his Master”s of Arts in Counseling Ministries. He has been involved in Youth for Christ for eight years and absolutely loves sharing the life of Jesus with teens.  You can read more from Jeremy at seventy8productions.com.

 

Goodbye David Crowder*Band

May 24, 2011 in For Fun, Media, News with 1 Comment

This last weekend I got an email from the David Crowder*Band announcing that this falls tour and new album will be their last. From their announcement:

Now, another reason we are sure this will be one of the most meaningful tours we’ve ever been on is because it will be our last as a band. This is why we so cleverly named it The 7 Tour. We’ve always hidden this little number here and there in our music and artwork, sometimes it would appear in the sum of the numerals 3 and 4, and other times it would be sitting there outright, but it’s always been with us. As you know, the number 7 has often been used to represent completion, and that feels exactly where we are as a band.

You can read their whole announcement here.

Needless to say I was super disappointed, they have been one of my favorite bands for over a decade.  I remember the first time I saw them live.  I think it was 1999 at a youth workers convention and not only did their worship catch my attention, but they also played a cover of Down Under; one of my favorites from the ’80s. Over the years I grown to love their music more and more. They have the rare talent of writing poetic lyrics, but also incorporate fun in what they do (Keytar anyone?).

I will miss them, but can’t wait to see what they have in store for us with their last album and tour.

Here are a few other posts I’ve written about them over the last few years:

Thanks guys for all the great music through the years, I’m so glad you shared so much with us.

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