Moe’s Blog

The first thing that needed to be perfect was the phone portion of the iPhone. After all, the primary reason the device is so wonderful is because the phone is the main function and all of the other goodies (iPod, browser, other apps) are the icing on the cake (the phone being the cake). Lets take a look first at what makes a great phone

Contacts List

The iPhone has a very good looking and feeling contact list. In it, you can add all of the data (phone, address, emails). In addition, you can assign a ringtone to your contacts and even add the birthday of the recipient. One big concern has been the number of taps that it takes to make a phone call. For example, if I’m at the home screen and I want to call my wife, I would tap Phone / contacts / wife’s name / number I want to dial. that’s 4 taps to get to a phone call. Depending on your annoyance meter, this can be a bit of a hassle. However, the iPhone has added a “Favorites” list. In it you can add any contacts numbers that you use the most. And all it takes is one tap to call (two if you are on the home screen).

Keypad

Since it’s a touch screen keypad, you may wonder if is gimmicky? The short answer is no. When I have used it, I have never misdialed or had a hard time getting the right numbers.

Voicemail

Apple calls it visual voicemail. This is one of the greatest features of the iPhone. No need to call your voicemail, or go through prompts just to know who called and why they called. Simply see the voicemails on the screen and tap once to hear them, in any order that you want. No need to be on the phone pressing “2” to skip or save, etc. This is a huge feature. One of my favorites

Phone Records

Missed calls, length of calls and all of the information you need is there in the recents portion of the phone. You can delete or keep the list as long as you want. You know, in case you talked to Uncle Charlie 2 months ago but never wrote down his number (and you know he’s the only one with a weird area code)

Sound

The calls are clear and crisp from the speaker. In a crowded and loud place you may have to hold the phone tighter to your ear. The speaker phone is not the greatest, but does the job at home or in the office. Not ideal for the car or noisy environments

To conclude, the phone portion of the iPhone, being the most important, Apple spent a great deal of time perfecting it and giving us what we need the most, an effective working mobile phone. Visual voicemail is awesome and the interface is delicious.

On June 29, 2007 I decided to get in line to buy the iPhone.  There are a few reasons why the hype of this device caused such a commotion.  For the first time we would have a phone that promised to be, first a good phone, second a music, podcasts, movie and TV shows playing iPod, and third an effective internet device that has a full-featured working browser (no corny minimized version of a browser that you get in other phones).  What made this so impressive was that, it all promised to work perfectly together.  Why should I carry my iPod, a mobile phone (which I hated),and if necessary another internet device, when I can just carry an iPhone? I have to admit… the product moved me.

Fast forward 8 months later.  I still get the same thrill using my iPhone as I did when I first opened the box to reveal this great looking device.  Even more now that there has been a few updates.  First, I can now purchase music directly with it.  I no longer need a computer and then sync my iPhone to it.  Second, they introduced web applications that work good with the device.  My favorite is Remember the milk (more about that in another post).  Third, they introduced the iPhone SDK (software Development Kit), which gives developers an opportunity to create applications natively on the device.  Over the last few months, the iPhone has grown up to be a mature little fella.  It’s not over yet… I believe we’ll see a few more updates which will make it better.

In the latest issue of Fortune Magazine, Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, gives us a glimpse of why the iPhone was created and why I believe in it so much:

We all had cellphones. We just hated them, they were so awful to use. The software was terrible. The hardware wasn’t very good. We talked to our friends, and they all hated their cellphones too. Everybody seemed to hate their phones…

It was a great challenge. Let’s make a great phone that we fall in love with. And we’ve got the technology. We’ve got the miniaturization from the iPod. We’ve got the sophisticated operating system from Mac. Nobody had ever thought about putting operating systems as sophisticated as OS X inside a phone, so that was a real question. We had a big debate inside the company whether we could do that or not. And that was one where I had to adjudicate it and just say, ‘We’re going to do it. Let’s try.’ The smartest software guys were saying they can do it, so let’s give them a shot. And they did

When you have a group of people that love and believe in a product, while using most of their resources (Apple’s latest operating system was delayed to borrow resources to finish off the iPhone development) to create the most amazing mobile phone yet, it is an amazing testament behind the passion they have to make it great and improve on it in the future.  I’m sold!

In the next few days, I will be adding posts on my experience with each of the iPhone applications and see how they stand up to day-to-day life.

In ministry, it is very important to keep organized. If you fail in that area you are setting yourself up for failure. As responsibilities grow, so do the list of task associated with those responsibilities. This also applies to students, parents and anyone who has a busy lifestyle. This is when a task list becomes an integral part of our daily lives. But how do you keep your tasks organized and how do you let your staff, family or friends know where you are or what you are doing? I found that I needed a task list that can be available for my wife (so that we know who is picking up the kids from daycare) and the leaders of the church (so they know what tasks need to be done by Sunday morning service). It is crucial that we are all in the same page regarding responsibilities. Well, after much research, I decided to go with an online service called Remember the Milk. You gotta love the name (and the logo). This online service provides you with a task list sorted by date, category, importance and can be accessed via the internet and your mobile phone. Here is an example of a simple task list for Church responsibilities (click for a bigger view):

The service also includes getting reminders via e-mail, SMS, Instant Messenger, use a map to see where your tasks are located in the real world (think, pick up kids from dance school at XYZ address), share, send and publish tasks with your contacts, remind your significant other to do their household chores (”clean your room by the time I get home kids”) and many more. The service is free and though it’s still in beta stage, its pretty solid and user friendly. If you need a good task list that can be accessed from anywhere, by your family, group, etc., I would recommend you give Remember the Milk a try.

The Word of God gives great importance to the contents of the book we called the Bible. In fact, the largest chapter of the Bible, Psalm 119, emphasizes the importance of reading, learning and living God’s word. It is no wonder why Christians were once known by the leather-bound book they carried with them under their arms. We have embraced the responsibility of carrying what the Bible lists as the Sword of the Spirit. We are even taught in our Sunday School classes that a soldier without a sword is not a “true” soldier. He won’t survive long in this war. That may have been true then, but it has changed somewhat today. Gone are the days of the leather-bound Bible carrying Christians. With the power of both computers and the internet, we can have access to God’s word with a few clicks. I no longer need to carry my Bible to work, since I can access the Bible online from my work computer. On the bus? I can whip out my mobile device and read the Bible. Technology has opened the door to communication and data. This is why I am glad that Christians who are wise, have taken the initiative to use this technology and embrace it. We have created tools that can bring great benefit to the kingdom of God. One example, is Bible Gateway. This is perhaps, the best online Bible in the internet. It includes various versions, languages and search tools that can help the Christian read, study and connect life to God’s word. This is the perfect example of using technology for the kingdom.

Some people may be afraid of the rapid change in technology. Others will embrace it. Yet, others have no choice, since their generation is surrounded by these advances in technology and will not know or embrace “the old way of doing things”. This is why I believe so strongly that technology can help us accomplish God’s will in carrying the Gospel to all parts of the world. Even if all that means is someone being so inspired by reading his daily bread on a mobile device. The Bible is God’s word, whether it is written on a piece of paper or on the page of a browser or mobile phone.

I’m a Diet Pepsi drinker.  I converted from Coke about 2 years ago.  I find that Pepsi has a better taste and is not as strong as Coca Cola.  So, you can imagine how happy I was to learn that Pepsi teamed up with Amazon to offer rewards towards MP3 downloads.  For every 5 points you collect in caps (1 point per cap), you can download a DRM-free MP3 from Amazon.  DRM-free means that I can transfer and play that song in any device or computers I see fit.  Great deal, if you ask me.  So far, I have collected 25 points for an equivalent of 5 songs worth of points.   Let’s hope I’m able to collect enough points to buy a full album.  What does this say about me?  Music fanatic or dangerous soda drinker?  Maybe I should stop drinking so much soda.  Perhaps when the promotion is over, I’ll change to water. 

There is a new web-friendly way of managing your finances. Mint.com offers an elegant solution for free. The catch? Ads that are sent to the user offering better financial solutions (such as lower rates for credit cards, mortgage, etc). What’s the first thing that comes to mind? Do I really trust an online company to keep my data (especially financial data) safe from hackers? Well, apparently, they don’t have any personal information from the user. All they have is your email address and some linking information from the banking and credit card companies. They use the same technology that is in use by most (if not all) financial institutions when you access your account online. So, in other words, if you go online to check on your savings account, you are using the same technology. I’m not sure how I feel about this. Something about an all-online-solution gives me the shivers. I’m all for technology, but I am just not ready to pull the trigger on this. I’ll keep a close eye on this one and report on it.

I really admire beauty. And to that effect, I have always had a soft spot for beautiful photographs. I would sometimes browse through Flickr and other online photo sites to look at amazing photos of people, animals, bugs and landscapes. For Christmas I got enough money from work to buy a nice SLR camera. I bought a Canon Digital Rebel XT. It is a great, light semi-professional camera that does all I need it to do. Now, all I do is take pics of the kids, family, nature etc. However, I have realized that having a good SLR does not guarantee great pictures. You have to know how to work it. So right now, I am in the process of learning everything about exposure, aperture, ISO, shutter speed, etc. I know, I am still learning the terms myself. I bought a great book called “understanding exposure” by Bryan Peterson. He explains all of these terms in easy to understand language. Since I have this new passion, expect to see some photos on this blog soon. Don’t expect great photos. But do expect amateur photos of someone learning the ropes. Creation is too beautiful to be left unphotographed.

When it comes to computers, I am a Mac user.  I think they make stylish computers with great hardware and software.  I own both a Mac mini as a family desktop and a Macbook Pro for my personal laptop.  I think both computers are wonderful and stylish.  Windows computers are known to be more mediocre in terms of style and fashion.  However, that has changed ever since the Gateway One was introduced a little while ago.  This is an all-in-one desktop computer with much style and fashion.  This is the type of computer you are not ashamed to put somewhere where everyone can see it.  Its shiny black body and wide-screen display are beautifully designed.  Add a nice looking wireless keyboard and mouse and you are set to spend hours in front of this baby.  I would say the only drawback is the software (Windows Vista).

I tip my hat to Gateway for making such a good looking computer.  This is how it should have been years ago.  The days of the ugly gray box are over (at least I hope they are).  Let’s just hope that HP, Dell and the other makers are taking note.

* I just learned that Dell also has a good looking all-in-one pc.  It’s nice, but I still like the Gateway One better.  Let me know what you think:

Gateway One

Dell XPS One

2007 was a tough year. Many things happened that caused grief, anger and disappointments. I didn’t handle things too well. I forgot to smile and laugh often. For 2008, I want to laugh. I’m going to take life a little more lightly. I know there will be many times where I need to be serious, but I will remember to smile. I will remember to just laugh. And to remind me of that, I have included a picture I took of some funny looking dinosaur I won for my daughter in a bowling alley. It’s colorful, funny looking and every time I look at it, I crack up.

Think Christian has a post about the Bible in Lego Form.  I have seen my share of creative masterpieces made out of legos, but this one is both creative and motivational.  What a perfect way to illustrate the Bible to children of all ages.  My favorite story is “Joseph is ambushed“.  Very creative and funny.  Take a look at the Brick Testament site and see for yourself.

Remember the days when you were running late and you had to call your significant other to let them know? You ran around the city frantically while most phones were occupied by business man or chatty teenagers. Those were the good old days. Well, those days are no more. With the advancing of technology and the creation of affordable cel phones, most people don’t use pay phones any longer. In fact, I read a report that last year almost 1 billion mobile phones were sold worldwide, 164 million of them in North America and 175 million of them in Western Europe, according to market analyst Gartner. What kind of impact does this have for the good old pay phone? Well, just yesterday there was a report on the Wall Street Journal that AT&T will be exiting the pay phone business. The days of the old pay phone may be numbered. The report states that AT&T operates 65,000 pay phones in the13 states formerly served by the local phone company SBC Communications, which acquired the old Ma Bell in 2005 and took its name. I expect other pay phone companies to follow AT&T’s steps. We have to admit, cel phones are convenient and gives us the opportunity to chat while walking or heading to a destination (no driving while on cel phone please). I welcome the technology with open arms and think it’s good. However, with every advance in technology come it’s disadvantages. What annoys me more than anything with cel phones are the cel phone conversations in places like restaurants, movie theaters or places where you would prefer silence. In those cases, I would prefer that they were outside, quarter in hand, heading to the good old pay phone.

I like cartoons, especially since they always have a way of making you laugh.  Reverend Fun is a Christian cartoon website that is updated daily.  Some of the cartoons are really funny, especially when you link them to the scripture passage they are associated with.  The best part of the website is that you can provide feedback by rating their cartoon.  They have a “faces” rating system.  The happier the face, the better the cartoon.  I would encourage you to take a look at their best rated cartoons.  They are very funny.

ThinkChristian has a good post linking to a very detailed digital image of Davinci’s Last Supper painting. I guess I no longer need to go to a museum to see it face to face. I can get as close as possible via my web browser. I know it doesn’t do it justice, but in the meantime, it’ll do.

Most people know that the baddest girl in the Bible was Jezebel. Her name had the type of reputation that made prophets run for cover. She was a Biblical queen that had incredible influence over her husband and led him and the people of Israel to become idol worshipers. Her name is synonymous with prophet murderer, sorcery, prostitution and for being devoured by dogs. In fact, the Bible claims that the “spirit of Jezebel” still roams in the latter days ( I know, spooky).  Just recently they discovered an ancient seal that is suspected to belong to the evil queen. According to an MSNBC article:

The seal confirms that Jezebel, who eventually met a gory demise, was a powerful figure in the ancient world who conducted business independent of her husband.

Here is a picture of the seal:

It almost makes a great collectible. However, I stay away from anything “Jezebelish”. I guess that name still has that kind of reputation.

In the left pocket of my pants, I carry with me this week’s weather, stock information, a notebook, a phone, an internet communicator, an iPod, video player and much more. All in a palm sized iPhone. I’m not going to give it a “review”. I just want to share how this device has helped me. Here is an example of a day for me:

6:45am: iPhone alarm wakes me, I snooze
7:00am: 3 year old daughter wakes me, wants cereal.
7:05am: Shower, get ready
7:30am: Prepare breakfast and check calendar and weather on iPhone (it has a weather widget)
7:35am: Log my meals on-line (diet program) on iPhone
7:45am: Check email on route to the bus
7:50am: on bus, read my “daily bread” online on iPhone
8:00am: Go down to subway, Listen to my “Let my people think” podcast
8:30am: Arrive to work and put my iPhone on silent
5:30pm: Leave work, put some music on while walking to train station
6:00pm: On way to bus, listen to my audiobook on iPhone
6:15pm: Arrive home, put iPhone away.
6:30-8:00pm: spend time with Family
9:00pm: put kids to bed
10:00pm: Read & comment on some blogs
10:30pm: Write down random notes (things to do, people to call, etc) on iPhone, sync to computer

As you can see, my little pal helps me keep organized and on top of things. Other times, if I’m in Starbucks or on a wi-fi connection, I browse the iTunes store and purchase some songs from the iPhone. The best part of it is that it does it all in style and with simplicity. However, as much as I love my iPhone, on Sundays, it must go off when I put foot in church. During my time in church is when I get “disconnected”.

It’s raining today in New York City. It was frustrating getting to work under such heavy downpour. However, before we clench our fists in the air and mutter harsh words, lets see what it takes to “create” rain:

“Moisture from the oceans evaporates, condenses into drops, precipitates (falls) from the sky, and eventually returns to the ocean via rivers and streams to repeat the cycle again. The water vapor from plant respiration also contributes to the moisture in the atmosphere” (Wikipedia)

Rain has its purpose and it’s wonderfully designed. Just read that sentence and ask yourself who would design such perfect “art”. Maybe we should think about that next time we are caught in the rain.

Sometimes I am lost in thought about how God really feels about me. In my constant battles with my flesh and the world, I consistently feel that God looks at me with disappointments. Then I remember about the simple name that God has given me when I became His. He calls me, “my child”. When I really think about the significance of that, I can’t help but wonder about my own relationship with my children. Let’s take for example, my son. He is six months old and cute as a button. Now, I say cute and awesome, because I have a bias, since he is my son. Whether people agree or disagree, it doesn’t change the fact that I still see him as cute and awesome. I can’t help but wonder that God sees me in a similar way. Not cute and awesome, but he looks at me with favor regardless whether anybody else thinks otherwise. There is a special favor and connection that I as his child have with him. I can’t help but look at my son’s eyes and love him and want to be with him. He is weak, sometimes he falls when he sits and I’ll pick him up. He cries when he wants food, or needs changing, or just simply a hug. When God sees me he loves me, he wants me to be with him (relationship). When I am weak and fall down (imperfections), he picks me up. When I cry because of some great need, he provides it to me. When I need a companion, he is there. I am his, and he is mine.

A godly man once told me, when my wife and I were expecting our first child, “you will learn alot about God’s relationship with you through your children”. I laughed and half agreed. Now, I can’t help but fully agree with him.

As soon as I open my eyes in the morning, my mind is flooding itself with countless information. What time is it? what day is today? What do I need to accomplish? What should I wear? There is a constant barrage of questions that reveal the unavoidable presence of time and duty. You can be the busiest person in the world (aren’t we all?) or not, and yet both are chained to the constant presence of time. Even someone who is trying to escape the business of the world and enjoy a stint at home still manages to comply to time. What time does that TV show come on? Where is my Chinese take-out I ordered 25 minutes ago? In the business of everyday life, we age, we need to cut our hair, nails, brush our teeth, buy new clothes, etc. Here in America, we have perfected the act of business. We find excitement in our calendars, our to-do lists, memos, emails that need to be sent. When does it all stop, even for a few minutes? When we sleep? Sometimes even in our dreams we have things to accomplish. What are we doing with our lives? Where does God fit in?

Isn’t it wonderful that God is not a slave of time? That time itself must submit to the lordship of the almighty? Joshua (Israel’s leader after Moses) wanted to defeat his enemies and by his request, God stopped time and allowed Joshua and his army to overcome them. I find it amazing that God, while not being constrained to time, often “steps in” to reveal himself and his plans for us. It is a constant reminder in the Bible that we should make the best use of time. We are encouraged to pray “without ceasing”, to “always” live in the spirit, to not let the sun go down while angry. But more importantly, to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. One day, our time will run out. No more calendars, to-do lists, list of accomplishments, or the worry that comes from these things. We will finally step out of time and enter into the “eternal” presence of God where there is no worry, fear, or disappointment. This has to be one of the “perks” of God’s Kingdom in heaven… we are free from time. What a blessing.

“those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” Isaiah 40:31

The only thing that keeps me going nowadays is hope. Hope that even if things will not be good, there is a sunrise at the end of the road. I long to see it.

I just read a great post by Dr. del Tacket at his blog, Truth Observed. This post was of interest to me because he was explaining how he was watching an air show, when a little bird grew jealous and outperformed multi million dollar airplanes. I’ll leave the explanation to him. Read it HERE.