by Bret Capranica | Aug 8, 2009 | Personal, Technology
UPDATE: Check out THIS article that says what I liked about the store is really not all that good. Hmm. Apple is an awesome experience in my book. Since recently converting to exclusively using Macs in my work and personal worlds, I have continually been amazed at the ease, simplicity – well, the enjoyment of working with them. I haven’ had a downside yet (I would like a little more RAM in my iMac – but that will be soon, and I’ll write about the experience). One experience, yesterday, had me wowed with Apple. It was a first for me and I left enjoying the Apple experience all over again. It is simple, not particularly important; but it did leave an impression on me. While waiting for my wife and kids to arrive from a train ride, I was contemplating how to use the extra time. Find an Apple store, of course. So, while driving, I opened up Google search on my iPhone and said (I love the voice capability of that app) “Apple Store Oceanside, California.” It found it “presto,” and with one click I had it pull up a map to the store from my current location. Great, 8 miles from where I would meet up with the family. When I walked into the store I was immediately greeted by one of the “blue shirted” dudes who welcomed me to “Apple.” I really wasn’t looking for anything in particular, just wanted to look around, which they encouraged me to do. As I was considering the plethora of car kits and carrying cases for my iPhone, I came across exactly...
by Bret Capranica | Jun 19, 2009 | Featured Articles, Personal, Technology
[YouTube video blog] What are you favorite iPhone apps? In honor of today’s release of the new iPhone 3Gs (of which I do not own . . . yet), let’s talk about which apps you like most on your iPhone. What? You don’t have an iPhone? O.K., well you need to ask for one for Christmas. So, to indulge in the truly meaningless, here are my favorite apps on my phone – some of which make me more productive and others that balance out my time wasting: Out of the 81 apps on my iPhone here are the ones on my Home Page – my most used and most favorite apps: Address Book. All of my contacts reside here. The iPhone is great with its address book. Searching for names among the hundreds of contacts is very easy. Integrating maps with the address for a one tap step has helped me on many occasions to figure out how to get to someone’s house for a visit. One failing on the iPhone that I had with my Palm Treo (didn’t have it with Balck Berry either), is with one tap I could assign a single ring tone to everyone in my address book. Meaning if someone in the book called, they had a distinct ring. If someone outside the book called, they had another distinct ring. I didn’t even have to look-just listen to know who was calling. Apple is still behind here – though I use the address book very often. Evernote. I can’t say enough about Evernote. It is the best electronic notebook I have ever used (ct.,...
by Bret Capranica | Jun 15, 2009 | Technology
This video captures it so well doesn’t it? AT&T won’t let me do it without charging me a whole lot more than I’m willing to pay. What do you think, will you upgrade this week? HT: Michael...
by Bret Capranica | Jun 14, 2009 | Miscellaneous, Reading, Technology
Uber blogger Tim Challies suggests that my using my iPhone Bible while listening to a sermon is not really a good idea and may have a detrimental effect on my actually deepening my understanding of and dexterity in using my Bible. I confess, I like using the Bible on my phone (I’ve done it for many years) while listening to a sermon. It is easier for me to take notes. I also use Bible software while studying and preparing for sermons. Most of my intake of Scripture is with a physical copy of the Scriptures. I do think there is something to be gained by using a physical rather than electronic Bible in regular reading, studying and teaching of Scripture. But times and people seem to be changing in the way they take in information. The electronic world seems to be utilized more and more. A good friend of mine does all of his devotional reading with his computer and even sends out his devotionals electronically to a e-mail subscription group. He has done it for many years and does not seem to be any the worse for it. I wish I had his discipline and depth of devotion. Give Challies’ article a read and let me know what you think. Do you do much reading online or through a PDA, smart phone, Kindle, etc.? Don’t Take Your iPod to Church! :: books, reading, technology :: A Reformed, Christian...
by Bret Capranica | Jun 12, 2009 | Featured Articles, Ordinary Pastor, Pastoral Ministry, Technology, Twitter
Should an ordinary pastor get involved in the latest social media extravaganza? Drawbacks and benefits abound. Like most things the devil isn’t in the device as much as in the one using it. To each his own, but here are five temptations to avoid and ten reasons why I use Twitter. Twitter Temptations 1. Narcissism. Twitter assumes not only that others care what you are doing, but that you should have a group of followers enamored with what you are doing. Who can know a person’s motives for Twittering, Facebooking, or involvement in any other social media. But if you lust for a following Twitter (or social media in general) may bring out the worst in you. 2. Wasting Time. This is obvious. If you have Twitter tools to interrupt you on your computer, or perhaps have it text you when someone sends you a Tweet, you can be continually interrupted, checking in and responding, that you will inevitably neglect the important issues of your life. 3. Too Much Info. Twitter is not a place for confrontation of sin or a place to air out your disgruntled feelings. Some tell us too much about what’s in their hearts. Not everything we think or feel needs to come out of our mouth or from our keyboards. 4. Not Enough Info. Some don’t say much when they Tweet. “Eating cereal” may be significant when you are an avid 140 character Twitter-bug, but if such is the sum and substance of your comments, it is hardly a benefit to anyone. 5. Avoiding the Face-to-Face. As with virtually all electronic media, it is...
