My brother Lockley and his family, who live in Phoenix AZ
Worship Tech Web Tools Blog
This is an ongoing blog of web tools and technology related to worship, music and church. The idea is to give you good web points and resources that you can go to. Some of it is just me cruising the net, others are favorites of friends.
Enjoy what you see here. If you find an interesting, useful and technology related site or resource that deals with helping worship or musicians in general, please send us a note and we will check it out. Perhaps we can feature it here.
WorshipTeam.com updated its service to add a nice new feature for those who love using chord charts and songs from WorshipTeam.com.
For iPad or android tablet owners, check out the new "perform" function now online in the new UI on the mobile site. The goal of the "Perform" button is to allow you to have a simple, clean interface with readable chord charts displayed allowing you to page through them, just like you would for a physical songbook on a music stand. Great for use on a stage, in a small group or at home practicing. Your service/set is ready to go without having to print anything off. Here is is how to try it out --
STEP 1: From your tablet or iPad go to http://m.worshipteam.com . Login and select the "Services" option to see your upcoming services.
STEP 2: Go to one of your upcoming services on your schedule and select the "Perform" button.
STEP 3: You will see the first song appear. Controls on the top right allow you to page through the songs. You can also use motion/swipe to move through the songs.
STEP 4: Formatting controls are at the bottom of the page if you would like different font and size properties. Note that you can turn chords on or off, depending on your needs (vocalists often only want lyrics displayed for example).
There has been a lot of conjecture lately about what Facebook does and doesn't allow regarding your pictures and advertisements. Here is the fact- if you have a profile picture, Facebook may use it to generate ads for friends of yours for 3rd party advertisements. There are a few details and specifics as to how that can/will happen, but you should know that it certainly can and does happen.
The core part of how that happens is your social interaction with various entities on Facebook. The more you "like" things on Facebook, the more likely you're name and image may be used in Facebook ads to your friends.
However, you can stop all of that simply by adjusting your Facebook settings. Like each of its other personal data intrusions, Facebook has eventually provided ways to close off their extraneous use of your personal information and image. In this case, here is the method for saying "no" to Facebook using your picture in their ads.
STEP 1- Once you are logged on to Facebook, locate the top right side of Facebook and click on the drop down (unside-down triangle) next to the word "Home". A dropdown menu will appear. Select "Account Settings" option.
STEP 2- On the "Account Settings" page, you will notice several tabs. You will initially be on the General Account Settings tab. Change this by selecting the "Facebook Ads" tab at left margin on the bottom of the list of tabs.
STEP 3- On the Facebook Ads page, the bottom half of the screen has a section called "Ads and friends". Select the link that says "Edit social ads settings".
STEP 4- On the "Ads and friends" page you can read how, why and when they may use your like and profile pictures in third party ads. At the bottom, use the dropdown menu near the label "Pair my social actions with ads for ". Change the drop down to "No one".
STEP 5- Click "Save Changes" at the bottom.
There you go! You have now updated your profile so Facebook won't decide to use your picture to sell your friends stuff. Well done you!
OK, so Facebook now gives you the option of talking to their site over an encrypted protocol. Cool. Well, sorta. But not really. I am not saying using HTTPS is not better than straight HTTP web browsing, but if regular (non-technical) users think it will make their use of Facebook safer, they probably really don't understand what makes Facebook (or any website) truly insecure to them as users.
First, Secure Sockets Layer is not new. Facebook didn't just discover it or something, it has been around since 1995 (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Layer_Security for more info). The purpose of HTTPS (the particular implementation of SSL that is being talking about) is simply so that when you are talking to a particular website that the communications directly to that site cannot be falsely interrupted, decoded, or mimicked without someone who has a very, very high level of acumen in digital security.
However, the problem with internet security is not HTTPS usage- it is almost 99% about leading legitimate web surfers to an illegitimate site. This means that there are people out there who try to get you to click on links that lead you to somewhere OTHER than where you expected to go. And once you are at their phoney site, they have you normally enter some personal data that they later use to exploit you or steal your identity.
It goes like this-
you get a link in email that looks like it is from Facebook
you click on it.
you go into the site, surf around and leave
you didn't realize that you had gone into a site that wasn't Facebook, and they stole your password and user login because you entered it to get into their fake site.
That above scenario happens in email scams with everything from Bank "notifications" (phoney ones) to Facebook updates to whatever.
The point is, SSL or HTTPS doesn't make that above situation any safer. If you followed your email links then nothing appeared to be wrong, and HTTPS operating on the real Facebook won't be of any help to you while you are logging on a phoney website that is only made to look like Facebook to steal your access.
There are really two main rules that will cover about 80% (making that figure up in my head) of your problems on Facebook or any site:
NEVER use a link that you get in email from an organization. Instead, almost all places (like Facebook or your bank, etc) allow you to log in to their website directly, then see the notifications or items they wanted to bring to your attention. This is the MOST important safety precaution you can make on any site.
In Facebook in particular, don't use Face Apps. Apps are developer access to you and all your information. Regardless of what the app is for, they can access EVERYTHING about your Facebook account once you approve an app. Of course, there are a few apps that people use anyways, but just know that an App can literally access any information in your Facebook context. You can see my other article on how to block Apps that may bother you.
The HTTPS thing in Facebook merely gives people a bit more safety while they surf facebook, but doesn't protect them from the above two items, which ultimately cause vastly more security and other problems. If you aren't careful enough to note click on emails from anyone that might look like Facebook in your email, then you likely aren't watching to see if you are locked secure while surfing Facebook either.
Now don't get me wrong, HTTPS settings on your login in Facebook does make that part safer. But for most users, it is the email and other links getting you to a "supposed" Facebook location that cause more problems. And once people are in Facebook, it is the propensity to use Apps (and even spoofed bad apps as well) that poses a greater risk than actually getting thread attacks into your browser during an actual session on Facebook, in my opinion.
When I first purchased my iPad I used it mostly as a temporary laptop substitute, checking email, perusing online calendars and doing searches. Occasionally, I’d to play a game or look up a movie with an appropriate app. But lately, my use of the iPad has expanded greatly. I now spend a few hours a day on the device, doing things I once didn’t even do online at all: watching movies (through Netflix app), reading books (through Kindle and Apple Bookshelf) and listening to audio books (Audible.com app). What this means is that I went from being a transitory user of the device to a functional user. Where I once spending minutes a day with the iPad, I now spend hours.
This additional use has made me realize that the iPad has a need for consideration of it as a physical device. It is much different than even a laptop, which you leave on a table or desk. An iPad is a personal device. It sits on your lap, or is held in your hands. This means you must deal with it as much on a tactile level as on a computing device level. It became obvious to me that I needed to get a cover for the iPad. As I started to look around at them, I found everything from book-style covers, fabric sleeves, even leather organizer styled covers.
I tried the leather, book-styled cover for a while. But in the end, the leather deteriorates quickly with too much handling from particles, oils from the hands. What I have settled on now is a great snap-on cover from a company called iFrogz (they are online here, although my 13 year old son had heard of their headphones already, before I had heard about them). To understand what I was looking for in a good cover, let me explain a bit of what you should consider . There are three things that became very important to me on my iPad cover:
Device Protection - you only have to drop your $500 tablet once to realize that it is a profoundly quick moment from having an iPad to having a piece of aluminum with a broken screen or cracked/snapped off edge buttons. Having a protective cover for my iPad, all of a sudden, was important.
Grip / Tactile Function - if you use a device a few minutes a day, most people will adjust themselves to handling something as seems best. But the more you use something, the more you want it to fit in your handles comfortably and securely. You won’t want it slipping out of your hand because it is too sleek, or feeling cold, clammy or greasy because of the material on the outside of the device.
Style - All things being equal, I like things that look good and still rock in regards to function.
The cover I have is called the “Luxe Lean iPad Skin” (you can see their product description here), which is a line of covers from the iFrogz company that focuses on a snap-on design that addresses the three things I mentioned above. First, the cover itself is a hard-shell form that the packaging says is polycarbonate. Not sure what that is exactly, but the material feels like a cross between metal and rubber. It is very strong, but has a tactile feel of rubberized surface. The hard-shell protects the buttons near the top right of the iPad by having edging come right up to the buttons without covering them. If I was to accidentally bump the corner of my iPad up against our granite counter top in the kitchen (where I can often be found stealing samples of my wife’s cookies), I am happy to know the plastic buttons of the iPad won’t get crushed and snap off.
But where I really liked the iFrogz snap-on cover the best is when I am sitting on the couch reading or watching a movie. Two things are crucial to me then- first, I don’t like the metal covering of the aluminum iPad. It begins cold, but becomes warm and slick so that the device is slippery if you are holding it a long time. Second, I am a guitar player. I use the iPad often times to practice along to chord charts on my WorshipTeam.com app. If I don’t have a cover on the iPad, the slick metal finish won’t allow the iPad to stay in place, even on the couch. With the Luxe cover, the iPad will stay where I place it, either in my lap on the couch. Finally, (I’m embarrassed to say) occasionally when reading an especially long book, I sometimes (heaven forbid) fall asleep with iPad in my lap. Turns out the rubberized material of the iFrogz cover makes the iPad stay put. The iPad doesn’t drop to the floor. I know these things might sound strange, but if you haven’t used an iPad, you might not realize how the convex back of the device is built to simply slide off any surface. It is kind of a sleek look, but in reality makes handling of the device less than optimal. The bottom line is that the iFrogz cover compensates for that issue by making the surface much more grippy and place-able.
I checked out other covers from iFrogz for the iPad, and if you are needing something more “stylish” etc, maybe you want to look at those “Luxe Original”, “Silicone Wrapz” and others (you can find those here), but I liked the Luxe Lean for my purposes listed above.
happy tablet-ing folks,
Kim Gentes
Update on Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 8:10PM by
Kim Gentes
Friends,
Please note that I have issued a followup review on this product after over 6 months of use. If you are considering this product, be sure to check my followup for details here:
Several years ago, I began to have carpal tunnel symptoms from working hours on a keyboard. I went to a doctor and he looked at what I had and recommended I look at better workplace /desk/typing equipment. As a solution, I asked my company to change my old flat keyboard to something ergonomic. The solution that I found (and used for years afterwards) was the old Microsoft Natural Keyboard Pro. It saved my wrists/hands literally from constantly daily pain. What really bothered me was not only the pain, but being a guitarist, my music was suffering from the incapicitation of some finger movements from the wrist pain. Let me tell you, once a problem hits a musician in their "music zone", it's serious! :) The Natural Pro literally saved my computer and music careers. I went on to years more of programming, and playing acoustic guitar. After almost 10 years of use, my Natural Pro keyboards (at work and home) both ground to a halt with billions of keys pushed :).
When I started looking for a new keyboard, I looked at Logitech and MS to start. I kept seeing the New Microsoft Natural Ergo Keyboard 4000 being reviewed well, so I tried it out. I loved the improvement over the Natural Pro when it comes to button softness. Just softer and gentler on the finger tips, but still holding a good tactile feel so you know you've pushed the key. It is also considerably quieter than the old Natural Pro, as well. I was initially concerned with the lower placement of the wrist support, because I always liked the ability lift the wrist support higher to the point where it flattend my wrists out and took all the pain away. But when I "test" drove it, I found the new 4000 made my wrists totally happy.
Today, I love the softer touch, and love the black finish on the keyboard. It doesn't have the considerable dirt/grime gathering properties that the Natural Pro had. In fact, the 4000 wrist support is a bit of a fabric feel, which really feels good. Once I got one for work, I ordered a second for home. For a computer geek and musician, this keyboard is great!
How to disable Google Chrome’s annoying PDF Viewer:
Folks that are using Google Chrome, you will have noticed in one of their recent updates Chrome is now including a new plugin. This wonderful new addition is “Chrome PDF Viewer”. If only it were truly wonderful. As a tech support representative at WorshipTeam.com, I can tell you that a number of Chrome users over the last few days have contacted us asking why their PDF’s are no longer being displayed correctly in Adobe Reader. Users of Chrome will note that most websites using PDFs have this new plugin causing issues with printing from PDF’s, and PDF documents imbedded inside a webpage. When printing from a PDF, Chrome opens the file and puts a gray border around the document. At first glance it looks like this is not going to be an issue but once you print; you realize that the gray area on the edge is printed on the page with your document. This “gray area” ends up taking up nearly half your paper, leaves you with only half your document and burns through your expensive ink cartridge. What is the villain responsible for this dilemma? The answer is “Chrome PDF Viewer”. The plugin that has been set as the default in the latest version of Google Chrome is designed to prepare Google for their upcoming Chrome OS, where you won’t be able to install any PDF viewers. But instead of making a quiet and helpful update, they bungled all their current users. Nice move Google.
There are a couple options you have in this situation:
1 ) For those of us who want to revert back to Adobe Reader for functionality and features that Chrome PDF Viewer is lacking, I have listed some steps below. Please ensure you have the latest version of Adobe Reader installed before doing this, you can find it athttp://get.adobe.com/reader/
Open Google Chrome
In the Address Bar type “about:plugins” and click enter
Chrome will then load a page with a list of your plugins, scroll down to the “Chrome PDF Viewer”, and click “Disable”
Once you have disabled “Chrome PDF Viewer” you can now visit a site and Print to Adobe PDF and Adobe Reader will open the file in Chrome.
2) Use a different browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, etc.). There are many options depending on what OS you are running. For those of us currently running Windows Vista SP2, or Windows 7; Internet Explorer 9 (although still in Beta) is a very attractive option that will only get better once it is in a stable release. IE 9 (Beta) can be found at http://www.beautyoftheweb.com/
WorshipTeam.com has updated their latest revision of their iOS app to include support for iPod Touch. The update (v 1.01) allows for iPod Touch users to download and use the app with their WorshipTeam.com accounts. iPod users will need to make sure their Touch devices are updated to iOS v3.2 to allow for the app to take advantage of its technology for its song and planning tools.
The WorshipTeam.com app already runs on the iPhone, and iPad devices and allows users to get remote connection to their services, songs, people and communications needed for a fully robust experience with their worship teams.
The app is completely free to download and use. Users must have subscriptions with Worshipteam.com to access content in the app.
Sometimes you just need a reliable time keeper while you work on a tune. You don't always remember to bring your metronome with you as you go through your day. Now, you can have one with you, ready to work when you are. MetronomeOnline.com is an online web app that has tempo settings from timing, style and mode. You can change all the important parameters.
They also have purchasable cell phone versions available, but they charge for those. It's not necessary to pay, since either Android or iPhone both contain free metronome apps in their respective markets.
If you need an online metronome, though, this free, usable and well thought interface is a nice quick web answer.
Scripture lookup seems like an old hat these days for the internet. Or at least, it should be. But I find a lot of scripture searches to be too much junk on the screen, and not just easy searching. I like this new new search feature from the folks at the Common English Bible (CEB) who have made it nice and easy.
Check it out! I love the CEB translation, also. As a leader, writer and graduate student, I have found the CEB a very good translation for various applications, especially for practical reading.
Those that use Apple iOS devices will be happy to know that WorshipTeam.com (the online worship planner) has come out with a new app for those devices. I highlight it below, in a quote from the WorshipTeam.com recent announcement.
WorshipTeam.com is very pleased to announce the release of our new iOS app, for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch devices.
New Mobile/Device Interface: the new app is part of a new BETA look and feel to WorshipTeam.com's complete full featured operation. Highlighting the power of a sleeker user interface along with the iOS platform, this user engagement is taken to a new level.
Device Support for iOS: Great support for the new Apple apps platform.
Extending the planning and song access to your WorshipTeam.com account: need to check the upcoming set for the week on your iPhone? Want to contact members of your worship team now? Confirming invitations to your upcoming services? Need to listen to your songs stored on WorshipTeam.com from your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch? All this and more happens in the new iOS application from WorshipTeam.com .
No Extra Charge! that is right, we are extending your WorshipTeam.com access with this app at no extra cost. Any WorshipTeam.com subscriber now has iPhone/iPad/iPod touch access to their WorshipTeam.com accounts and workspace and its included in your current subscription!
WorshipTeam.com is still the only FULLY featured and legal worship planning site with thousands of songs included with your subscription fees at no extra cost. We hope this free iPhone/iPad/iTouch app helps you and your team with their planning and songs experience with Worshipteam.com. If you are on your iOS device, download and install the app for free right here: http://itunes.apple.com/app/worshipteam-com/id409144474?mt=8
blessings Kim Gentes
p.s. if you have never tried out Worshipteam.com, try it FREE for one month by simply going here: http://www.worshipteam.com/try ! See you there. And YES- your free trial subscription INCLUDES full use of the iPhone, iPad, iTouch app!
If you use generated reports from websites that contain important operational or reporting data, it is often important to bring that data into an Excel Spreadsheet. If you do that regularly, you might find yourself bringing that data into a spreadsheet on a regular basis. This can be tedious, because you have to do a repeated number of steps that require regular maintenance at all points:
Generate the CSV/Excel data
Download the CSV or Excel Data to your local computer
Delete the old data from your main spreadsheet
Import the Data into your main Excel spreadsheet
Reformat the data to fit your spreadsheet formulas and layout
If you find yourself doing this kind of thing on a regular basis, you might consider an alternate approach- connecting to your CSV/excel spreadsheet reports by a refresh-capable data connection. This means you don't have to download the data manually, you don't have to delete the old data version from your spreadsheet, and you don't have to import the new data and reformat your spreadsheet once again.
All this can be automated, once you setup your CSV/excel data to be an external data source. Below are some easy steps to doing this. I have included a lot of screen shots, but this process is really quite quick and simple. After you have done it once, you won't have repeat it on that data source again, and you should be able to remember it quite easily for other uses.
The following example below is done with Microsoft Excel 2010 on a Windows 7 OS. Most Windows OSes should work the same way, but I cannot get this same functionality using the Microsoft Excel product for the Mac.
Most importantly, MAKE sure you read STEP 1 carefully. Do NOT select "from Web", but use "From Text".
STEP 1 - Open up your main Excel Spreadsheet you use as the location where you import your data (this might be a final summary spreadsheet or such). Once your are there, on the sheet you wish to import the data select the Data Tab. Select "From Text" (strangely, do not select "from web") as shown in the graphic here:
STEP 2 - A file selection dialog will appear. Instead of entering a file path or searching for a local computer file, enter the website URL of your CSV or Excel spreadsheet file, as shown in the graphic here:
STEP 3 - Select "Open" file and the file will begin requesting to be imported via the regular text import wizard, as is normal for Excel. Enter the configuration of the wizard as you would if the file was local, configuring it to the fields and formats you wish. Shown in the graphic here:
STEP 4 - As per usual, choose the location of the data import placement on the current sheet. Shown in the graphic here:
STEP 5 - Your data will import on the current sheet. Once it does, select the "Properties" button in the "Connections" area of the menu. This will bring up the "External Data Range Properties" sheet. Shown in the graphic here:
STEP 6 - You can configure it to your liking, but I prefer the following settings that seem to work well in most settings- Unselect "Prompt for file name on refresh". I leave the refresh control buttons off as well, so that I must click the Refresh button to ask for updates. I also unselect "Adjust column width" so that the spreadsheet is not altered in format/layout by the new data each time. Look at the graphic below for the other settings I recommend in most situations:
The goal of all this is to provide you with a instantly refreshable CSV data source that is web based. No more downloading, deleting old data, importing new, and reformatting.
I hope that helps some of you who have projects that this applies to.
I own an iPad. I love using it. I use Netflix and stream movies when I am sitting on the couch. I check my mail, calendar, and even write notes in some meetings. I use a Bible application for following along in church and I access maps for quick references. I have already written two articles about the iPad- one a positive review of it, the other a critique of Apple's decision to exclude flash technology from the platform. Check either of those articles to see that I love the positive attributes of the device, but remain skeptical of some aspects of the device.
That said, nothing burns me more than to see someone fly completely against reason and logic with an outright lie. Apple recently did this with their new advertizement for the iPad. So that you can review it for yourself, I encourage you to view the ad on Apple's website here:
What you will see is a brilliant marketing and visual story. Compelling and fresh. I love it. Except that while it is listing the sparkling features of the iPad, at 0:17 through 0:20, the commercial says this:
"All the world's websites in your hands"
This is simply not true. Literally millions of websites run either completely or partially based on Adobe Flash. This is not a guess, this is a fact. Any website using Flash will not be able to function on iPad. In fact, a huge number or them won't even be visible at all, except for a "not supported" message.
According to several studies, approximately 1/3 of all websites will be useless on the iPad. In one of the largest online reviews of website technology, Opera Software surveyed 3.5 million web pages and about 33% of them used Flash. That number gets even larger in developing technology regions of the world, such as China (at 67%) and Turkey (at 60%). You can see the results of this survey data at http://dev.opera.com/articles/view/mama-key-findings/#flash
Admittedly the report is 1.5 years old, which is a long time on the web. But with the web following its trends, Flash implementation actually could reasonably be believed to be higher now than it was 1.5 years ago. With the iPad coming out just weeks ago, any change in that strategy would not have embedded itself in the majority of websites. Those websites that are working to accommodate both Flash and HTML5 (iPad's only online web media player solution, except iTunes and Quicktime of course), such as Youtube.com have done so only very recently and have provided both options (Flash and HTML5) in deference to the vast hundreds of millions of users who use Flash as their web media player.
Back to the original point. Apple clearly says "All the world's websites in your hands". Why lie? Why not spin the commercial to say something complimentary about the browsing experience. Why lie blatantly in the face of undisputed facts? I won't answer the question, but I hope Apple does do something.
My hope is that Apple will listen to my request to them:
Apple, change the commercial. Advertise honestly. You didn't want to put Flash on your device. That is fine. Your call. But don't lie about the capabilities of the iPad in the face of the decision you made.
Here's hoping someone cares about "truth in advertizing" these days... we'll see.
Digital Worship News (DWN) is the electronic update from worship leader, trainer and innovator, Kim Gentes. Kim's background is a combination of local church worship leader, with an extensive technology innovation background. Combine that with many years experience in the music, media and internet industries, and you see why Kim has served to educate, equip, and encourage those from communities around the world that are needing insight in worship, music and technology.
DWN serves as Kim's voice to speak on these topics. You can subscribe for free, by simply filling out the form below. It comes in email format, and you must sign up to get it, as we do not spam or email anyone who does not signup for this unique electronic report. What does DWN include? News, information, resources, events, articles and insights from Kim and his friends. As an example of the kinds of information you will get in DWN, look around this website (KimGentes.com) and the DWN issues will be similar in style and content..
After posting my iPad review, I was surprised how many people responded to me thankful for the update on the new technology and my thoughts on it. I was also a little surprised that a small, but vocal group of Apple acolytes demanded that I rescind anything but love towards Apple's decision to block Flash from being allowed on the iPad platform.
I found it funny, and somewhat telling, of Mac proponents who defend Apple's demand that Flash is bad. As an application wrapper and GUI strategy for websites- they have a point. Flash games and applications add overhead. No argument there. However, Flash as a multi-media player is simply something that cannot be ignored. One friend of mine, who is brilliant in most areas of life, could not believe that I would blaspheme against the "word" handed down from the great prophet Steve Jobs. For those who missed it, Steve Jobs posted his completely "unbiased" review of the technical limitations of Flash. You can find that "letter" posted on Apple's website at http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/ . I encourage you to read it and consider his arguments. If you are a technologist, please put away your cynicism and sarcasm for a moment (I will save some for you for later, don't worry).
Here are the points that Jobs (Apple) seems to miss in the discussion:
The vast majority of web 2.0 audio and video is delivered on/within web sites via Flash. It is the defacto standard on hundreds of thousands of sites, including MOST of the major sites dealing with media.
Not supporting flash (as a media player) does NOT necessarily mean you are using less CPU! What it means is that you are running ANOTHER media player. Any site that uses flash for audio delivery (just about every one online) will now spew out mp3's that must be played by another application that can handle a stream, decode it and produce the audio. The same goes for video. What is going to happen- sites are going to just spew mp3s out, and they will be picked up (in the iPad) by Quicktime. Oh glory... imagine how much CPU load and battery life you will save using Quicktime instead of Flash for audio. And it gets even worse for video. Flash as a media player actually very good performance and load comparisons, that simply are far exceeded by Quicktime.
HTML5 is a nice thought, but when tested in scenarios of true "pear-to-pear" (hate to use the "apples-to-apples" terminology and biased our results in this particular discussion) it is not guaranteed to be faster, lower CPU load or better battery use than Flash. In some cases, it is actually slower and more cumbersome than Flash for media right now. A good comparison testing evaluation has been done and posted online, which you can review for yourself at http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/does_html5_really_beat_flash_surprising_results_of_new_tests.php Clearly, there are times when Flash performs worse than HTML5, and times when the reverse is true. Don't take my word for it. Go to YouTube. They now support viewing videos on either their standard flash or new HTML5 formats. Test it out yourself. In defense of HTML5, it is new technology and should get faster as browsers optimize their engines, but saying carte blanch that HTML5 is more efficient and lower load at delivering audio/video content than flash just isn't true.
Apple itself has purposefully handcuffed Flash on its OS platforms, so that the software can't compete fairly for performance against its embedded media presentation solutions. Simply put, one of the primary ways you gain efficiencies on media play on devices (laptop, desktop or mobile) is to utilize hardware acceleration for decoding. Apple allows its own Quicktime and Safari applications to access hardware acceleration through the OS directly, but does NOT allow access to the required APIs for that same hardware acceleration to be made useful by Adobe Flash or other media rendering applications. This is a simple technical issue, and since Apple controls it, they are blocking any other software companies from competing with them in the media play space to maintain their monopoly on the iPhone/iPad OS and advantage on the OSx/Safari platform.
The other significant problem with Apple's refusal to let Flash run on iPad is that Apple loses monopoly access to a huge revenue area- media streaming. If Flash is allowed to run on iPads, the access to Hulu, and other services negates the need to buy episodes of programming or video off of iTunes video. Oh really?! Ya, exactly. Strangely enough, Apple wants to make more money for itself. Maybe the "net neutrality" mantra doesn't apply when Apple can't take its share of the money that might be had. This point is well articulated on Cult of Mac's editor blog at http://www.cultofmac.com/adobe-theres-no-flash-on-ipad-because-apple-is-protecting-content-revenue/28564
It is about CONTROL and business strategy that Apple has started the conflict between Flash and HTML5, by not allowing Flash on the iPad. It is not a technical issue, and to say so flies in the face of both technical realities, and the obvious nature of free-market competition that drives all parties to improve. This is a brief summary claim, and please don't accept it without doing some research. I encourage you to read this good article from expert Jeremy Allaire at TechCrunch. http://techcrunch.com/2010/02/05/the-future-of-web-content-html5-flash-mobile-apps/ Jeremy has definitive understanding of both Flash and HTML5 that fuels his current work, and his explanation of the controversy is refreshingly non-partisan.
Let me be clear, I am not advocating for Flash *over* HTML5. I am saying, simply, support BOTH Flash and HTML5 on the iPad. The simple fact that websites often intend to deliver media from their pages means that any mechanism a user can engage to play that media will cause CPU/battery load on the system platform/device. Users won't be running Flash when they are doing other things with the device (ie. when they are not viewing media). But whenever media is being delivered, and it is on a site that delivers it in Flash, then the Flash player (or some other media delivery/play model) has to engage and use up CPU cycles. This is a requirement of presenting the media and will happen using Flash, Quicktime or HTML5. Stop defending Apple's angst against Adobe by pretending there is a technical reason for it.
To even go a step further, I hope to see a day when things such as HTML5 (actually open standards) do supplant the proprietary technologies & services/gateways such as Adobe Flash, Microsoft IE and yes, even Apple's app store. I would like it to be a wonderfully open world. But to have Apple purposefully block Flash is not a vote "for" HTML5. It is a clear competitive swing against Adobe. But worse, it tells the thousands of companies and providers who use the Flash technology right now this brilliant message from Apple and Jobs: "Screw you all you people with websites using media! We'd rather you dumped the competitor media technology, so that we can make money delivering media to your customers. Alternatively, if you want to play in our world please come on over to our proprietary app development world on the iPad. Either way, we control the flow of information and the exchange of money. Gotta love us!"
Ultimately, whatever other solutions, including HTML5, are employed to deliver and display media are going to use just as much CPU and battery as Flash, that has years of real-world engineering already behind it. Personally, I like Apple and I like Adobe. Both companies offer some great products. It would be nice if companies would take truthful positions based on technical reality, rather than use rhetoric to base their arguments in debate.
This last week, I returned from a vacation to find a package waiting for me. It was an iPad, Apple's new darling child product for the masses. Lot's buzz has been surrounding the iPad. My need for it, was not as a consumer, but related to my work in web and application development. That said, I opened the iPad and started to use it to see what I had.
Before I go into details, let me summarize it for you here- the iPad is a brilliant example of simplifying technology for the masses, giving a minimalist list of functions and doing just one thing well. It will create a new genre of lap-pad products from various vendors and OSes, and take interaction user computing to the futuristic world that science fiction has been promising us for the last 20 years. The iPad has many weaknesses in functionality, but hits a home run on design and simplicity. Now to the details.
First, the iPad requires a short description for those who might not know what it is. To the casual observer, the iPad appears simply as a computer touch screen- no processor box, no keyboard- just a single touch screen with an aluminum back. As an aesthetic tool, the iPad is simple, elegant and surprisingly strong. There are a few control buttons (volume, gyro-lock, sleep, and on buttons) placed around the edges of the iPad, but done so modestly to make it seem like it has one-button (which of course, wouldn't make it very functional). But Apple succeeds on packaging with this sleek "computer-on-a-screen" concept.
But seeing an iPad and using it are two different things. Before I jump into the details of its functional review, let me say that the user-interaction with the iPad is as compelling as any Apple product, maybe ever. Case in point- I sat down on the couch and set it down next to me. My wife reached over, picked it up, and started using it. I didn't tell her anything, show her anything, or coach her. Her first statement back to me was, "I like this. It is easier to use than my laptop". I had just gotten her a new Dell laptop for this last Christmas. In about 10 minutes she was checking her email, posting Facebook and surfing the web- the only three things she does on a computer. For her, it was the obvious, simple, brilliant interface for her web needs.
As a technologist, I began to use it trying to find ways it might actually help me in my work, my day and my pursuit of solutions for others. The iPad has literally 2 functional sets - built in Apple software (Safari browser, Email, Calendar, iTunes), and secondary apps. The iPad's best use will initially be a great web surfing tool. Easy to hold, quick to learn and surprisingly engaging with touchscreen typing, web use is the main function of the iPad. With the advent of truly application level web mail services like Gmail, (and other google web apps), the ability for the iPad Safari browser to successfully execute the AJAX/Javascript interfaces of most Web2.0 websites makes it the best mobile web surfing platform anywhere.
On the 2nd party apps, there is a limited, but expanding list of iPad specific apps rolling online. I used a cadre of apps to test the iPad out- Adobe Idea, iBookshelf, Marvel Comics app, YouTube, Need For Speed Racing Game and other apps. All of them ran very well and quickly. I didn't like the fact that I couldn't listen to my iTunes music while using most other apps (I noticed it did work for some apps and not for others, though it wasn't clear if it was audio conflict that was the problem or general resource sharing that wasn't allowed). Apparently, there are rumblings of more complete multi-tasking in a newer version of the OS that iPad uses.
Ok, you know I liked the iPad. But what is wrong with it? Here is a list of things I found weak or failed.
No camera- without a built in camera of any kind, the iPad starts off as weaker than an iPhone in many ways. It's hard to believe the iPad will be successful long term if it does not include a built in camera.
No USB connection - While the iPad has a Apple connector that goes to USB, it is only meant for Apple specific uses. There is no USB peripheral connection.
Useless Bluetooth service list - The iPad includes Bluetooth, but does not allow any useful services over that Bluetooth connection. I couldn't even configure it to use my cell phone bluetooth to bridge out to my cell phone data network. Again, poor decision by Apple.
No Flash - Another bad decision by Apple. I won't argue the situation, but a VAST amount of online media (video/audio) is enabled via the Adobe Flash player. Along with the iPhone, the iPad does not allow you to use any website that delivers content via Flash. From the system resource standpoint, Apple has a good reason for keeping Java off the platform, but Flash is another story. It is ultimately much lighter and there is only competition fear that is keeping this off of the iPad platform.
No Java - I can understand Apple not wanting to Java on the iPad, due to the CPU overhead of the Java runtime. From what I understand, the issue of resource load and battery life is the concern with Java. But again, they need to rethink this. CPU power has been increasing for literally decades. It can handle Java.
No Multi-task operation- I mentioned this already, but this will be an important item that must be broached by Apple. There are promises it will be, and I'd expect that to be tackled in an early rendition of the OS.
All that said, the iPad is a brilliant, simple web browser tool. It won't change business, since it doesn't address any business needs, at least not in its current form. But it will be astrong tool for the consumer. Once it has a camera and mic, it will be fantastic.
You may think it strange that I didn't say anything about not having cell network connectivity yet on the iPad (the 3G version is due out May 7). We all know its coming, but frankly, seeing what the iPad will be used for, I think the cell network connectivity will be less important than people think. The wireless network accessibility (home LANs, school LANs, work LANs, coffee shop wireless networks) has become so prolific that the iPad will be well-connected without the cell phone networks. Frankly, I am a bit afraid of having people trying to use their iPads as they drive down the freeway next to me, just because they can via the mobile network connectivity. That scares me.
Who should get an iPad? Anyone who is afraid to use a computer is the best first candidate. Older people who just want to browse the web, check email and such- this is your secret weapon. It's a great additional device to have around the house when everyone is scrambling for an open laptop to check their email or buzz up on their Facebook pages. Tech guru's and others who like functionality and power of laptops and desktops will not enjoy the iPad. It just doesn't do enough or connect to enough external devices to be that useful or productive.
As the iPad changes and matures, it has the ability to lead the way to a new world of technology, simplicity and elegance in computing devices. It is great now, but it must mature.
Happy web surfing!
Kim Gentes
p.s. if you think I was boasting too much on this review, watch the video below, where my son Jordan (I die-hard Windows guy) is seen "testing" the iPad---
One of the great things about today's software development culture is that competition has driven change to a feverish pace. If you watch Google, Apple, Microsoft and the biggies, you might think things plod along relatively quick. And for those companies they do. But with huge staffs of developers they can mitigate against quality issues by planning and throwing modern techniques (and hordes of people) to the technical challenges of keeping up with smaller, nimble companies who are focused on niche markets. The little developers have their pains- small staffs and tiny budgets mean they only have a few swings at the plate before using up the resources available will drain away.
The savior of all this was supposed to be open source. In the open source world, we would all be able to benefit from larger efforts shouldered by many, and let the specific applications be driven by those who cared about applying a great technology to a market. So those fundamental technologies became the backbone of open source development. Things like: Linux, PHP, (Apache/HTTP to a lesser extent), Javascript, Java, AJAX, and a cadre of other core technologies would let us all play nice and develop fast.
But what happens when one of those core technologies drops the ball? It lands on the consumers e-foot, that's what! The latest revision of lameness in technology land? None other than the mothership of ubiquitous programmatic lifeforce- Java! Java was lauded as the end-all-be-all language that would unite all platforms, hardware, OS, devices into a playground of loveliness for app developers. Java would bring us all together and unite our efforts to work everywhere. If Java proponents were to believed the Borg, Klingons, Ferrengi and Vulcans would be having tea parties and celebrating peace and harmony conferences to endorse Obama's nuclear disarmament agreements. Such is the hope.
Well, on March 31, the Java fiesta of loveliness was interrupted by a blip on the "what the!" radar. Turns out that Sun (the company that builds and releases the Java language, engine, clients and its updates) managed to release its update 19 of Java v6 with the profound ability to break literally every single applet that was signed by one of the largest authentication agencies in software credentialing. Tech geeks keep on reading for gory details, but for all you folks who already want to slap me, here is the short answer.
Java programs (called applets) need to be verified as "safe". The process of verifying them and "publishing" them as secure is done through a method called "signing". This signing basically places encrypted information on to the Java applet that verifies itself by announcing its identity and a secret code. When people use the internet and are about to use a Java applet that is "safe", their computer reads the identity and secret code from the applet. That code and identity is verified against a database at a "trusted" digital security company (companies that do this type of verification checking are called "authentication services"). If the identity and code don't match properly according to the standards at the security company database, it tells the web surfer that the Java program they are about to use is not to be trusted. Users, understandably, react by blocking the program from running. This is they way digital signing /security works on program applets for Java. Has for many years.
The problem is that Java recently released an update (both v6 updates 19 and 20 include this problem) that incorrectly breaks all the code signing certificates (the digital security) issued by Thawte. This is sad and funny, depending on who you are. Thawte is one of the largest digital security providers in the world. Having Java drop the ball on this is no small item. Thousands of applets all over the web are now reporting how unsafe they are! Thanks Java ! Thanks Sun!
To get the detailed skivvy on this, I went to my friend and web/developer guru Kevin Lott for the nitty gritty details. Lott says,
Java SE 6 update 19 was released on March 31. Java SE 6 update 20 was released on April 16th. Unfortunately, both of these updates are botched releases that will break all code signing certificates issued by Thawte. The algorithum on the Thawte Premium CA is MD5withRSA, however Sun released the update with the wrong algorithum - SHA1withRSA. This will cause the browser to prompt you with an ugly message saying "Java has discovered application components that could indicate a security concern" with the option to block unsafe components. Naturually customers will want to protect themselves and agree to the block breaking your Java Applet application. (Kevin Lott, April 16, 2010)
What does this mean? Well, if you are using any Java applets on any of your favorite websites and they suddenly say "Java has discovered application components that could indicate a security concern"--- you might contact the company before assuming there is anything wrong. There is a good chance that Java itself is causing the problem.
The fix? Well, for users and web surfers, your best bet is to uninstall Java and go back to v6, update 18. For companies who develop applets? Encourage your customers to revert to update 18, or hope and pray that Java releases a fix before the whole web GUI world decides to move permanently away from any use of their technology.
Well, now that you have had your juicy tech update... back to the grind stone people!
Let's be honest. We all love Facebook. We all hate Facebook. What's not to love about one place where all your various friends, family, acquaintances, work associates and relatives that live in far-away locations can all be within 15 seconds of your mouse clicks. What's not to hate about a data collection website that knows literally more about you and your behavior than just about anyone else (except maybe Google), including yourself.
But the one thing that finds the most heated angst from users is the pervasive and intrusive nature of the applications that are built into Facebook by third party developers (FB apps). Facebook apps have a particular kind of charm and power that make them exceedingly viral, and spread quickly when they are designed to catch the weary eye of users who have already spent 4 hours longer on Facebook than they should have in one day. If you think Facebook apps are all fun and you love them, you might consider this well-written (though a bit dated) article that is 99% dead-on regarding the problem with FB apps:
OK, after taking a look at that, do you still want to keep those apps on your page? To be honest, the thing I hate most is NOT the privacy invasion (although I despise that, it is part of using the internet). The more evil thing in my mind is the constant annoyance of the APP posts to my wall- people throwing pillows, kisses and gifts that demand I respond back (which means I have to give them all my info to do so- since all APPs require it). That alone makes me wish I could band apps from my page forever. Well, it turns out you can. Almost. Here is what you can do.
Blocking FaceBook Apps That Post To Your Wall
First, each Facebook app has its own set of protocols and settings against those protocols. You can't ban all APPs in one fell swoop (Facebook knew that would be a deathknell of beautiful responsibility to its 3rd party apps-- far too user centric a move!). However, each time an APP posts something to your wall, you do have the ability to block it from ever doing that again.
Here is how to block an unwanted app:
STEP 1. When an APP makes a post to your wall or newsfeed, hover of the top right area of the region where the app posted to your wall. As you hover, you will notice an "x" appear. Click that "x", as you can see from the Family Tree post to my newsfeed below.
STEP 2. Once you have selected the "x", notice and select the "Block Application Name..." The phrase "Application Name" will be replaced by the name of the application you are dealing with- for example in our example here, it is Family Tree.
STEP 3. Of course, the app (Family Tree is our example) wants to be certain you really don't love their excessive spam and e-vomit all over your screen, so they ask you for the obligatory confirmation.
STEP 4. Now you have blocked the app. You will note that POSTS from the app are now also gone from your newsfeed. No future posts will appear in your newsfeed either.
STEP 5. Repeat. Each time a new app appears on your wall or newsfeed in Facebook you can repeat this process to block that app. Though there are hundreds of apps being used out there, only a few are used extensively, so you will find it takes just a few days and you will have encountered 99% of the apps that you will want to ban from your pages. Yahh! for blocking! Yahh!!
You are free! Free at last! Thank God! Free at last!
Some people prefer using sheet music over chord charts. Now when adding a song or creating your custom view of a song in Worshipteam.com, you no longer need to go to "Advanced Mode" to upload your PDF. After entering your song title or view title, simply click the “Upload PDF/Sheet Music” tab and drag and drop your file.
Easy Is Nice!
Adding this easy drag and drop of PDF/sheet music is another thing Worshipteam.com has done to just make life easier for worship leaders.
For more information on this new feature, go to the blog at Worshipteam.com here:
android, 
. It saved my wrists/hands literally from constantly daily pain. What really bothered me was not only the pain, but being a guitarist, my music was suffering from the incapicitation of some finger movements from the wrist pain. Let me tell you, once a problem hits a musician in their "music zone", it's serious! :) The Natural Pro literally saved my computer and music careers. I went on to years more of programming, and playing acoustic guitar. After almost 10 years of use, my Natural Pro keyboards (at work and home) both ground to a halt with billions of keys pushed :). 
being reviewed well, so I tried it out. I loved the improvement over the Natural Pro when it comes to button softness. Just softer and gentler on the finger tips, but still holding a good tactile feel so you know you've pushed the key. It is also considerably quieter than the old Natural Pro, as well. I was initially concerned with the lower placement of the wrist support, because I always liked the ability lift the wrist support higher to the point where it flattend my wrists out and took all the pain away. But when I "test" drove it, I found the new 4000 made my wrists totally happy. 
