Childrens Ministry Online

App of the week: Foursquare

Posted on25. Apr, 2010 by Kenny.

Most people who at least have a facebook account have heard of foursquare. For most people, they’re introduced to foursquare when several facebook friends seem to regularly post where they are at with a tiny URL pointing to exactly where they are on the map. Just a little bit annoying.

Foursquare came out in 2009 at South by Southwest. South by Southwest, commonly referred to as SXSW is a cool tech conference where new technologies like Twitter and Wordpress are often launched. Most people, including myself at first, don’t really get foursquare. The things people say about foursquare are almost identical to the thins people said about twitter when it first came out. “Why would I want to know where everyone is? I don’t get it. I don’t know how this is going to help me in any way.” I can’t say I have many good answers to these questions, but to a very small degree it feels the way twitter did in the early days.

To some degree, foursquare is more like a game than twitter was/is. Every time you visit any location, you can “check in,” literally letting the software know you were physically there. You’re given the option to make a comment about your check-in, leave a hint (maybe a recommendation that people who check in in the future will see… like don’t order the nachos) or tie foursquare to your twitter/facebook accounts so friends see all of your check ins. You can also “shout” which basically sends a message to all your foursquare friends. In your foursquare application, you can see the activity of all your foursquare friends. The game portion comes from badges and mayor-ships. When you check into a certain location two times more than any other person, you become the mayor. You can be de-throned if someone else checks in more than you. In addition, you can collect game “merit badges” for visiting specific places in certain orders or checking into the same kind of venue with specific frequency.

Although the game is fun, the interesting components are the parts about location based tracking of friends activities. If you have a lot of local friends on foursquare, it makes it much easier to simply meet up with someone for lunch. In addition, restaurants and venues get a better idea of who their best customers are. Some give special discounts or services to mayors. Last of all, people who leave tips often help create a better experience. At this point the user base is still small. I got to see a little bit of the power of foursquare at SXSW when hanging out with Matt McKee. We were easily able to follow and connect with some of Matt’s friends using foursquare. I see this being really helpful at Orange to know where friends are at any given time.

You may find this app a total waste of time, whoever I’m still intrigued. It’s like Twitter, we’ll see what happens at time goes by.

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App of the week: Orange Conference App

Posted on18. Apr, 2010 by Kenny.

How could I not feature this app? Only nine more days until the most anticipated conference for student and children’s ministry and now I have an app to get me even more excited. You can download the Orange Conference Countdown right here.

Have you ever been at a conference talking to someone and they ask you what breakout you’re in next, or you can’t remember what time the next session starts, so you begin digging through your SWAG bag for your official conference notebook with the schedule and the breakout information. Or maybe your conference has the schedule on your lanyard. Either way, you’re digging around through all your Jesus junk and scanning the 5 point font on the back of your lanyard trying to figure out where you were supposed to be like a conference nerd.

This app is your freedom from conference nerdiness!

Now you can know exactly where you’re supposed to be and what breakout is next while browsing this nifty little app. “Is he checking is mail? Is she checking facebook?” Nope, they’re trying to get a clue about what’s next at the Orange Conference. They look so cool, and you can too.

It’s a really simple app. It doesn’t do much more than give you standard information, but this is a huge improvement on anything else done in conference-land.

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My iPad prediction

Posted on03. Apr, 2010 by Kenny.

Okay, two months ago I posted my thoughts on the iPad after the announcement. It seems like this device was a lot more appealing before people knew exactly what it would be like. It’s the butt of a lot of jokes. I’ve really only met a few people who really, really want one. Actually, I think there are a lot more people who really want one, it’s just that there’s not as many people willing to fork over the cash for it. So, here’s my prediction.

I think the iPad is going to be wildly successful. I really think that once people get these in their hands and play with it a little, they’re going to want one. I do think that the 2nd generation is going to be the killer device and they’ll sell even more of them. Maybe the price will be a little better or maybe there will be a webcam built in for video chat. Whatever it is, it will have worked out some of the bugs from the first version and everyone’s really going to want it.

However, I’m thinking beyond the iPad. I think that with the release of the iPad today, personal computing is changing in a big way. I think that 10 years from now, we’ll point back to this day as the day it all changed. The tablet has been around for more than a decade, but it’s never caught on. Why? Because the makers were thinking “laptop” when they created it and they tried to put a laptop in a tablet. Apple decided to rethink how a device like this would be used and went from there. As a result, Apple opened the door to a new way of personal computing, the tablet that everyone wants to use.

In the near future, Google will have their Chrome OS on a tablet. We’ll also find android on a tablet. I’m sure we’ll also see Windows on this new form factor styled tablet as well (and why wouldn’t we?). The competition will be stiff, but within a few years we’ll have so many options with the abiliyt to do so much more than what the 2010 iPad can do. It’s going to be really exciting.

Viva la revolucion!

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Recent innovations

Posted on01. Apr, 2010 by Kenny.

Wow, so many really great innovation products and services launched today. What a great time to be alive!

Forget the iPad, TechCrunch launches the CrunchPad. It requires a little work on your end, but it’s significantly cheaper and comes works with HTML5 and Flash. Eat your heart out iPad.

Google officially changes it’s name today. I never saw this coming and I think it might take some time to catch on, but I’ve got to give them credit for being out there like this!

In other Google news, YouTube has allowed you to stream videos in 360p and 480p, now you have the option to steam it in TEXTp. This new method of streaming not only promotes literacy, but it saves YouTube 1$ a second in bandwidth costs. Awesome, huh?

Lastly, Starbucks made a monumental move by offering two new drink sizes, the Plenta and Micra. This is a result of the company listening to what customers were asking. This is probably why Starbucks continues to be so wildly successful!

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If you’re going to get an app… R04R!

Posted on01. Apr, 2010 by Kenny.

So I’ve written a few posts about iPhone and other mobile apps recently. I’ve talked about what makes a good app and what would make me want to keep your app as opposed to deleting it right after I downloaded it. Rather than read my opinions about what would make your app awesome or lame, let me just share with you a great resource, possibly your app developer.

Check out R04R. Haven’t heard of them yet? Probably not, their official company launch will happen at the Orange Conference. Trust me, after you see what R04R can do for you, you’ll want them to develop both your app and an app for your church. They’ll knock your socks off.

So, how will R04R help you build a quality app that’s worth keeping? I’m glad you asked.

First of all, R04R is not a web development company that’s dabbling in this new “app development market.” R04R is a company dedicated completely to mobile apps.  Their mission is to get as much Christian content onto mobile platforms as possible. R04R will not develop a duplication of your website as an app, R04R will develop a quality application built on a solid platform. Actually, R04R’s platform is the same one that both Ashton Kutcher and and Taylor Swift’s apps are built on. It’s a reliable and quality platform that your users will like and feel comfortable with.

Second of all, R04R will build into your platform a clearinghouse of of your media content. Built into the app is a place to import your tweets as well as other people’s tweets or mentions of you, a place to import your videos, a place to play music, messages or other content directly from the app or a link to import music, videos or messages as podcasts through iTunes.

Thirdly, R04R takes advantage of the many features of your phone. The platform connects into location based services so you can find events, small groups or other local gatherings in relation to your current location. You also have the ability to enable push technology where you can message all your app users about updates or with key information they don’t want to miss. With push technology, you’ll get information to them even if they forget to open your app in a few days.

Fourth, R04R is versatile. Right now you R04R app will work on any iPhone and Android phone.  That’s right, you upload your content once and you can have both apps updated at the same time. A few months later your app will also be available on Blackberry and the Palm. Why shoot yourself in the foot with trying to get an iPhone app when you can have your app on every major platform. Inclusivity is what you want, right?

Retail for an app this powerful can’t even be touched for less than $1,500. With R04R, you can get your first app up and running in a matter of weeks for a decent set up fee of less than $1000 and $35/month. Sure, you can get an app for less. But does it work on more than just the iPhone? Does it include push and location based technology? Does it offer support? Does Ashton Kutcher know it exists? I don’t think so . If you’re really serious about having your own app, this is the best deal you’ll find anywhere for the features you’ll get.. Click here to order your new app.

If interested, type “Kenny Conley” in the referral code blank and you’ll get the best price they offer!

Wanna see a R04R for yourself? Click here to download the app for Northstar church which is a great example of what you could have. Know that you can get an app that looks a lot like this, similar to this or R04R can custom build an app to suit your needs.

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Why do I want your app?

Posted on01. Apr, 2010 by Kenny.

Yesterday I wrote about what I feel makes a great iPhone app, or app for any device for that matter.

It seems like now, getting your own app is all the rage. I’m not sure I blame anyone for wanting their own app. Do I want an app? Sure. Do I need my own app? Probably not. Why would I want an app? Because I can then say that I have an app and I can tell all my friends and my parents to download it. I’m sure that’s probably not a good enough reason to launch my own app.

So, I know several people who have recently launched new iPhone apps. Some I’ve kept. Others I’ve deleted after opening once. What makes for an app that I’ll keep versus and app that I’ll delete?

1. If it’s a good app, I’ll keep it.
2. If you’re a good friend, I’ll probably keep it on my screen for a few months, even if I never really open it.

If you’ve already created an app or are thinking about it, I’m really just trying to help you here. Why waste the money and time if people don’t keep your app or continue to use it. Although I said a lot of this in my previous post, here are things to consider.

• If your app is just a “app-like” version of your website, I’m probably not going to keep it. I probably don’t hang out on your website all that much, so why would I need the app.
• If your app is just a place to get your twitter and blog feed, I’m probably not going to keep your app as I already have apps to download twitter and blog feeds.
• If your app doesn’t feature engaging features or regularly changing content, I’m probably not going to keep your app.
• If I can do everything on your app that I can do on your website that I don’t visit more than once every day or so, I’m probably not going to keep your app.

So, as you’re thinking (or rethinking) your app, consider some of the things I mentioned above and in my previous post. I want to like your app and I want to keep your app. However, if it doesn’t engage me or have something that will draw me in every few days (minimum) that I can’t easily get from any of my other apps), then I’m not going to keep the app.

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What makes a great iPhone App?

Posted on31. Mar, 2010 by Kenny.

“There’s an app for that.”

It’s a famous phrase that’s commonly used now days. I’ve been accused by someone on my staff of saying it too much myself. Yes, I love my iPhone and I love finding great new apps to enhance my live/experience. However, I’m going to challenge this famous phrase. Just becasue there’s an app for that doesn’t mean there should be. Right?

I’ve downloaded many apps that I’ve deleted immediately after opening it. Either it was broken, didn’t do what I thought it would do or I thought to myself, why do I really need this one? Seriously, there are some apps that people invested way too much time and resources on.

So what makes a great app?

This is purely my opinion, but since this is my blog, I guess I’m free to share it.

Here’s two things that I believe make for a good app.

1. It brings content that would normally be found on the web and puts it in a more device friendly environment, maximizing the features of the device.

Let’s take a look at some of the apps out there that do this really well. The Facebook App for the iPhone is amazing. It didn’t start out that way, but it is there now. It’s super easy to navigate between updates, photos and my inbox. You get around facebook differently on the iPhone than you would on your computer, but it’s easy to figure out. Also, you can’t do everything you could do on the computer, but what you can do works really well, possibly even better than on the web. Take a look at IMDB for the iPhone. You have the entire movie database at your fingertips in a very easy to navigate way.

What about other apps like foursquare or games like Super Monkey Ball. They take advantage of the accelerometer and the GPS to do things you’d never be able to do with your computer. These apps take advantage of specific aspects of your device to provide a better experience. Yes, you can have a great facebook experience without ever using it on your phone, but you’ll never quite experience a cool location based game or accelerometer enhanced game without a mobile app. These aspects make for good apps.

2. It draws you back into it again. To some degree, it changes your life where you must open it up and use it again and again.

This is what makes an app good. It’s useful or it’s engaging. We’ve all downloaded those silly apps that got a good laugh, but we never really opened again after that first time. Creative idea, but not really that great of an app as it didn’t last. To me these are apps like facebook, tweetdeck, foursquare, the Bible, Pandora and some of the games I’ve downloaded. They’re either really useful versions of an online application that I use on a regular basis or they’re just down right creative and cool that could never really be done on a traditional computer. This is what makes for a great app.

I know that most of you are probably iPhone users, but what makes for a really great app is one that’s available on the iPhone, Palm OS, Blackberry and Android. The more platforms, the better.

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Googe Docs tips and tricks: Forms

Posted on30. Mar, 2010 by Kenny.

I wrote about this two years ago. A lot of you weren’t reading this blog that long ago and those of you who were might want to take a second look at this. It’s just way too cool of a feature.

Let me throw out the situation you might have found yourself in.

• You’re putting together a volunteer meeting and you want people to sign up to come. You want to ask them if they’re coming, what they’re bringing and if they have kids who will need childcare. You don’t want to use Evite because quite frankly, too many people avoid Evite due to it’s add plastered pages and you don’t want your invite to get lost among the other evites you’re volunteers tend to ignore. Your check in software offers registration, but you don’t want people to have to sign in, register or anything like that. You want easy.
• Or what about when you want to gauge interest about a possible curriculum, and event or retreat? You could send an email out to everyone, but then you’d have to sort through all the emails that come back. You’d like a quick way to sort your answers and see the results live as they happen in an easy to manage system.
• What about when you’ve got 50 kids coming to camp and you realize you forgot to ask what T-shirt size the kids need. Again, you could email, but then it would be a hassle to sort through all the emails.

Have you ever found yourself needing a tool that will do all those things? Yeah, I know there are tools out there that do this, but not a lot that can do all of these pretty well, and for free. It’s called Google Docs.

Yep, it’s “forms” from Google Docs and I’m going to demonstrate how beautiful it is right here, before your eyes.

When selecting what kind of Google Doc you want to create, you can choose a form. You just build the form with the questions you want to ask and how you want them to answer them. You can create sections with headers and all that stuff. Once you’re done, you have several options. You can email the form to someone (they can answer the form right from your email… although I’ve had some complications with this before). You can send them a link to the form (it lives at it’s own webpage you can point people to). Or, you can embed it on your own website or blog and just direct people there (which is what I usually like to do).

All the results populate a Google Doc spreadsheet that updates as people complete the form. I can share the spreadsheet with multiple people so they can see it in action as well. I’m just so amazed more people aren’t using this, I use it all the time! So, I’ve created a form so you can see how it works. Click here to leave this page and visit the form that Google is hosting. You don’t have to have any web/blog skills to do this.

Below, I’ve embed the form in this blog post so you can see what it looks like. I can change the dimensions of the embed code so it fits perfectly. Last of all, I embedded the spreadsheet the form populates below the form. This way you can see how the form populates the spreadsheet. Is that freaking cool or what? Try it out. Leave a comment to say how cool this is!

Don’t forget to look at the results below the form. You may have to refresh the page or wait a few seconds to see your results, but they’re pretty quick.

Okay, never mind. The embedded spreadsheet doesn’t seem to want to update the results. You can look at the results here. Sorry it’s not as totally cool as I hoped it would be, but this should keep you form wanting to use the forms, right?

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Googe Docs tips and tricks: Embedded docs

Posted on29. Mar, 2010 by Kenny.

Yesterday I featured Google Docs as my app of the week. Let me show you another reason why, a prime example of why you might want to start using Google Docs in your ministry today.

Do you ever have to manage any kind of volunteer schedule? In the past I remember having created the schedule and then sending it out to all my volunteers. Now that we live in the digital age, one mass email and I’m done. Not too shabby. However, how long until that schedule is obsolete? Hours? Minutes? Volunteers call and email with their changes making the schedule you just emailed to everyone outdated. It would be pointless to email everyone with a new schedule every time it changed. Luckily several options exist.

1. Create the schedule in a Google Doc and simply share the document. I’ve done this before. It’s really not a bad idea. You can manage everyone’s rights and it allows everyone to see what the most current schedule looks like. There are some downsides though. Not everyone has used Google Docs. Some will be confused. Some will never look at it. In addition, you have to paste in everyone’s email to share the document with them which can be time consuming. In addition, you have to keep track of who you’ve shared the document with. If they’re no longer a volunteer, you may want to remove them from viewing rights. It’s good solution, but there’s still a hassle.
2. Here’s my favorite and the simplest option. Click on the “share” button and choose to “publish as a web page.” Essentially you can create a live page on the internet where people can always come and see the most up to date schedule. When sending out the schedule, rather than attach it like you’ve done in the past, sent them a link. The can go to this link at any time and see the most up to date schedule. If you manage your own blog or site, you can even embed your doc to one of your pages. For instance, I can permanently display my elementary schedule at mywebsite.com/elementary/schedule. My volunteers can simply bookmark that page and always go there to see when they’re working.

Want to see it for yourself? Below is the embed of of a spreadsheet I created several months ago. Before I left for Colorado, I was doing a little research into other mountains I might have climbed if I had enough time. Check it out.

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App of the week: Google Docs

Posted on28. Mar, 2010 by Kenny.

You should have expected this from me, right? At times I’m still puzzled when I encounter people who haven’t yet used Google docs. I know it’s not the only or the first online/collaborative tool for documents, but its probably the most pervasive.

First of all, you don’t have to have gmail to use Google Docs. That’s a misnomer. Literally you can go to docs.google.com and set up an account using any of your email addresses to create an account. From this account you’ll have access to spreadsheets, documents and presentations which all come with Google Docs. If you already have a gmail account, you won’t need to register for Docs, you can simply log in with your gmail credentials and have full access to docs. If at some point you decide that you want to make the move toward a gmail address, you can convert your account to gmail. That means you can log in at yourname@gmail.com instead of yourname@otheremail.com. This way you can access all Google services from one account. Brilliant.

I know some people really don’t like Google Docs. You say, “why would I use Google Docs when I’ve got Microsoft Office?” Or you say, “Google Docs doesn’t have all the features I have in word or excel.” Those are really good points. At this point, I wouldn’t be satisfied with Google Docs as an office replacement. It’s not as feature rich as Microsoft. There are things that I do in excel and word that I can’t do in Google. So, I still use excel and word. However, every time I’m working on a project, spreadsheet or document that multiple people will have input with, I use Google Docs and share it. It may have started off as a word or excel document or it may end up as a word or excel document, but while it’s in the collaborative stage, it lives in Google Docs. Edits happen in real time, revision history is kept and it saves so much TIME!

I’d say that Google’s openness is what makes this work. I can easily import my word or excel files into Google Docs. When I’m done with the collaborative part, I can export very easily as well. If Google tried to lock everything down into a Google proprietary format, this wouldn’t have worked.

So, if you haven’t really played much with Google Docs, log in and play around with it. Unlike gmail, you can actually put things in folders.  Organize away and know that every word in every document is easy accessible through a Google search (don’t worry, others can’t search and find our documents). The applications are endless. I use them with my staff and volutneer teams all the time, especially since my volunteer teams don’t have access to files that may reside on the server. I have a spreadsheet that tracks my weight loss (it even has all the formulas to calculate percentages), I have a word doc for my bucket list, Sara and I have a simple budget in a Google spreadsheet and I sometimes draft blog posts or articles in google docs so they’re always accessible.

This week I’m going to share a few tricks with Google Docs that have made my life better. If your not already using them, perhaps you will after this week.

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