Selected by cindyk

• 
  PCMag: Breaking News

• Unboxing the Nokia Booklet 3G

  Nokia's Booklet 3G hit the PCMag labs Friday. Take a look as we unbox this sleek new netbook.

• 5 Ways To Improve Your Motorola Droid's Features

  So you just got your Motorola Droid. The Droid is a powerful, flexible, and fun-to-use smartphone, with 12,000 apps available, but you can make it yours within a few minutes. Here are five ways to make your Droid even better, quickly.

• WIPO Rules in Favor of Glenn Beck Parody Site

  An intellectual property organization has denied a request by Glenn Beck to take down a Web site with a domain name that the talk show host claimed improperly used his name and defamed his name.

• Slacker, Photoshop.com Join Android Apps Parade

  Just in time for today's big Verizon Droid releases, Adobe has announced the available of its mobile version of Photoshop.com for Google's Android. Slacker has also released a version for the Android platform.

• Flickr Accepting Public's Photos for Getty Images

  Think you've got what it takes to be included in the Getty Images collection on Flickr? The Yahoo-owned photo site on Thursday announced that users can now submit their own photos for consideration.

• 
  PCMag: Computer Security

• Analysis: Google's Dashboard Tackles Transparency

  The fact that Google opted to lead the announcement about its new Dashboard feature with the word "transparency" speaks to a fundamental concern about the company's current position in the world.

• Analysis: Google's Dashboard Tackles Transparency

  The fact that Google opted to lead the announcement about its new Dashboard feature with the word "transparency" speaks to a fundamental concern about the company's current position in the world.

• SSL Man-in-the-Middle Attack Exposed

  Researchers have discussed publicly a generic MITM (man in the middle) attack against SSL 3.0 and TLS 1.0 connections. These are widely used to provide secure and authenticated connections across networks, including the Internet, and are the basis of HTTPS.

• Is It a Game? Is It a Virus? Mac Game Kills Files

  Symantec has written of a video game for the Mac that has real-world consequences for your computer. For every alien you shoot in the game, a file is deleted from your home directory.

• Lavasoft's Ad-Aware Plays Well with Gamers

  On Tuesday, Lavasoft released Ad-Aware Game Edition. Sure, just about every security product these days offers some kind of gaming mode. But Lavasoft is the first company we've seen that actually gets inside the gamer's head.

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  PCMag: Tips and Solutions

• Your Chart, In the Cloud

  The Web offers an answer to the conundrum of digitizing medical records.

• Kill Your Phone Remotely

  Many of today's most popular smartphones can be erased remotely if they are lost or stolen; here's how to do it.

• How To Print From Your iPhone or iPod touch

  You don't need a computer to print photos or notes from your iPhone.

• DIY Bloopers: iPhone Screen Replacement Gone Wrong--Twice

  Despite fierce determination and the best of intentions, repairs to today's disposable electronic gadgets are sometimes better left to the pros.

• Build It: AMD Gaming System

  Yes, it is possible to build an all AMD-based gaming desktop. We show you the step-by-step.

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  PCMag: Security Watch

• iTunes Turns the Volume Down on Windows Autorun Security

  Larry Seltzer

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:04 pm

  Microsoft recently made an extraordinary move, unusual for any company, but especially for them: They removed features from Windows. Specifically, they removed support for Autorun on writeable media. Windows 7 shipped with this new lack of functionality and it was back-ported to Vista and XP. This was done, of course, in the name of security, after whole families of malware emerged to take clever advantage of Autorun in order to execute themselves on removable media and across networks. The most famous, and probably the last straw, was Conficker, which added Autorun support in the C variant…

• Malwarebytes Claims IObit Copied Code

  Mark Hachman

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:02 pm

  Malwarebytes said it plans to file suit against IObit, a Chinese antivirus vendor, for allegedly copying code used in Malwarebytes products. In an IObit forum post, Malwarebytes claims that it came across an antivirus signature for a keygen used to illegally unlock Malwarebytes' paid software, coded as Don't.Steal.Our.Software.A"Why would IOBit detect a keygen for our software and refer to it using our database name?" the company wrote in a blog post. "We quickly became suspicious. Either the forum post was fraudulent or IOBit was stealing our database. "So we dug further. We accumulated more…

• What do AVGFree, Natalie Portman and John Cenas Have in Common?

  Larry Seltzer

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:25 pm

  Roger Thompson of AVG is blogging about fraudulent Twitter IDs, one of which (AVGfree) uses their trademarks. The others include NataliePortmanS and JohnCents5. Some of these Twitter IDs have links that send you to sites that push malware, some to harmless, but unrelated sites. It's all dishonest, especially when they are besmirching someone else's name. Thompson says that AVG has been trying to get Twitter to deal with the AVGfree problem for a while, but no dice. I just checked and it's still alive. Beware. Make no assumptions on Twitter that someone's looking out for you.

• Sophos Tests Show Windows 7 Still Needs Anti-Malware (Duh!)

  Larry Seltzer

  6 Nov 2009 | 12:38 pm

  Test results published by Sophos show that Windows 7's (UAC) User Account Control does not prevent execution of 8 of 10 malware samples they chose. The conclusion: Windows 7 still needs anti-malware protection. I hesitated to write about this for a while because it's such a phony story. Nobody ever claimed that Windows 7 didn't require anti-malware or that UAC, per se, stops malware from executing. Furthermore, details of the tests and the malware selected are lacking in Sophos's write-up. Clearly, at least some of the malware samples are rogue anti-malware of the sort I wrote of recently,…

• Mossad Hacked Syrian Official's Computer Before Bombing Mysterious Facility

  Larry Seltzer

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:25 am

  There's an old truism about computer security: If you have no physical security, you have no security at all. A story in Der Spiegel, described here in Wired, illustrates the point well. According to the story, in late 2006 a senior Syrian government official was staying at a hotel in London and left his notebook computer in his room. This gave Israeli agents the opportunity to plant malware on the computer. It was this malware which gave the Israelis the information they needed to locate and destroy the Al Kabir complex in eastern Syria, said to be an illicit nuclear facility. The computer…

• 
  PCMag: Editor's Choice

• ABBYY Finereader 10 Professional Edition

  ABBYY's Finereader 10 is the best all-around OCR application available.

• HP ProBook 5310m

  The trendy-looking HP ProBook 5310m SMB laptop comes with benefits that will make you forget about legacy features such as the optical drive and VGA port.

• Adobe Premiere Elements 8

  Adobe Premiere Elements 8 offers plenty of tools that automate content creation, and it delivers professional looking results to boot.

• ASUS UL80Vt-A1

  The ASUS UL80Vt-A1 14-inch CULV-equipped laptop packs in 3D power and phenomenal battery life.

• Droid by Motorola (Verizon Wireless)

  The first Google Android 2.0-powered phone is the most exciting thing to appear on Verizon's network in quite a while.

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  PCMag: Wireless Networking

• Unboxing the Nokia Booklet 3G

  Nokia's Booklet 3G hit the PCMag labs Friday. Take a look as we unbox this sleek new netbook.

• Aruba, Motorola Settle Patent Dispute

  Wireless LAN vendor Aruba Networks Inc said it will pay Motorola Inc $19.8 million to settle two-year-long patent disputes.

• Lawsuit Would Pull B&N Nook E-Reader From Market

  The California-based company suing Barnes & Noble over its e-reader wants the court to stop the sale of the Nook, according to court documents made public Tuesday.

• Barnes & Noble Sued Over Nook E-Reader

  A California-based company filed suit Monday against Barnes and Noble, accusing the retailer of stealing its ideas and using them for the Nook e-reader.

• Atheros Launches 802.11n Chip for Smartphones

  On Monday, Atheros announced its AR6003 chip, an 802.11n/Bluetooth radio designed for smartphones and other portable devices. While it's months behind a rival device from Broadcom, Atheros claims that its power savings will provide it with a significant advantage.

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  PCMag: Tech Commentary

• November 6th: The Day Android Broke

  Android is now having its iPhone moment—thanks to Verizon's new Droid line.

• Google Dashboard Knows Too Much

  Google has finally revealed all it knows about me--and it's a lot.

• Solving the Mobile Megahertz Mystery

  It's time for mobile manufacturers to start taking power seriously.

• Where Have All the Single-Purpose Devices Gone?

  TwitterPeek and its ilk may mark the last gasp of non-conversion devices.

• Don't Fear the GPS Revolution

  Today's GPS devices are only the beginning. Upcoming products will soon make them—and privacy concerns—a distant memory.

• 
  Ars Technica

• Week in gaming: Modern Warfare 2 PC, Torchlight, Dragon Age

  7 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am

  This week we take a look at just how much content and choice is missing from the PC version of Modern Warfare 2, and the news is not good for fans of the PC as a gaming platform. We also take a look at how to score some cheap consoles this weekend, why you should be playing Torchlight, and what one Marine thinks about the controversial content of Modern Warfare 2. It was a busy week in gaming, so let's take a look at what people were talking about.

• Aftershocks from slow faults may arrive centuries later

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:01 pm

  I have a deep and rather personal interest in earthquake and volcano prediction. This comes from spending most of my youth within a few kilometers of an active fault line and less than 100km from a volcano that has, in the past, left a layer of ash over most of the surface of the Earth. In fact, events in just the last year (nevermind the last decade) have convinced me that accurate earthquake and volcano prediction would probably be a bigger lifesaver than any other single scientific development. So it was with interest that I read a recent Nature paper reporting that scientists might have…

• HTTPS, SSL attack vector discovered; fix is on the way

  6 Nov 2009 | 11:33 am

  A security flaw that has been identified in the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol could open the door for man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks against HTTPS communication. All implementations are said to be vulnerable because the flaw is in the protocol itself. Security researchers are taking steps to resolve the problem. The flaw was originally found in August by researchers Marsh Ray and Steve Dispensa from security company PhoneFactor. They chose not to widely publicize the issue and began working in secret with other security experts and industry leaders to develop solutions. The flaw…

• More successor than sequel: hands on with Assassin's Creed 2

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:04 am

  "It doesn't really feel like a sequel," Ubisoft's Charles Randall told me as I sat down to play Assassin's Creed 2 for the first time at a recent press event in Toronto. "It feels like a whole new game." And that should be welcome news. Because while it wasn't a terrible game by any stretch of the imagination, the first Assassin's Creed certainly had its problems. At times it felt like the game's ambitions were far greater than what the developers were actually able to create, leaving gamers with an ambitious but somewhat disappointing experience. And that's something Ubisoft has worked very…

• Big cable: move millions from phone subsidies to broadband

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:24 am

  The cable industry is proposing a sweeping measure to simplify the nation's subsidy system for rural phone service providers. Make it tougher for providers to get Universal Service Fund High Cost program subsidy money, the National Cable and Telecommunications Association recommends, in areas where an unsubsidized wireline service is available via a cable company or similar provider. Paying USF support to carriers who compete with unsubsidized wireline competitors "is both inequitable and inefficient, and can easily be addressed in a targeted fashion," the NCTA wrote to the Federal…

• 
  PCMag: John C. Dvorak

• Don't Fear the GPS Revolution

  3 Nov 2009 | 2:22 pm

  Today's GPS devices are only the beginning. Upcoming products will soon make them—and privacy concerns—a distant memory.

• Lost Productivity Lament

  31 Oct 2009 | 9:50 pm

  BlackBerry users are glued to the screen 24/7 looking for new e-mail from anyone as if life and death depended on it.

• Windows 7 is a Winner, Mostly

  26 Oct 2009 | 10:00 pm

  Win 7 is good, but it has factors working against it—including Microsoft's track record

• Windows 7 Vodka and the Microsoft Hangover

  19 Oct 2009 | 3:56 pm

  Microsoft can't change perceptions if it doesn't get its marketing and PR acts together.

• Microsoft Blows Up the Cloud

  12 Oct 2009 | 10:00 pm

  The EULA is the problem; it lets companies be lax about their products and services.

• 
  ReadWriteWeb

• Weekly Wrapup: Mega Content Sites, Gen Y on Twitter, iPhone App Recommendation Services, And More...

  7 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am

  In this edition of the Weekly Wrapup - our newsletter summarizing the top stories of the week - we analyze a new breed of content site that is rapidly gaining momentum, look into recent statistics showing that Gen Y is using Twitter more, compare five recommendation services for iPhone apps, review the new-look MSN, and more. We also check in on our two main channels: ReadWriteEnterprise (devoted to 'enterprise 2.0' trends and products) and ReadWriteStart (dedicated to profiling startups and entrepreneurs). Sponsor Subscribe to Weekly Wrapup You can subscribe to the Weekly Wrapup by RSS or by…

• Straw Man Argument About Enterprise 2.0 Doesn't Fly

  6 Nov 2009 | 2:05 pm

  Dennis Howlett got the attention of the Enterprise 2.0 community today, with his continued skepticism about "social" technologies and their place in the business world. Here's a quote from his post entitled Enterprise 2.0 - the non-debate: "Why am I not surprised? I've argued for years that the notion of anything that has 'social' attached to its moniker is about as welcome as breaking wind in a spacesuit." Sponsor While Howlett makes a few good points in his post, we think that he's making a straw man argument - that the Enterprise 2.0 community is somehow involved in a big lie. The reality…

• Clicker: A One-Stop Shop For Online Video (1000 Invites)

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pm

  Finding specific online videos from TV networks and independent producers can often be a daunting challenge. Some TV shows are on Hulu, some can only be found as paid downloads on iTunes or Amazon and some are only available for streaming on the network's and producer's own sites. Clicker wants to change this by making it easier to find shows from TV networks, music videos, and web videos from across the Internet. Clicker is currently in private beta and only available in the US. The company gave us 1000 invites for our readers. Read on to find out how you can get yours. Sponsor Clicker…

• Layar Tells CNN: Augmented Reality Will Be Second Only to Voice On Phones

  6 Nov 2009 | 12:17 pm

  When you've got a global audience, maybe it's good to make sweeping, ambitious statements. Maarten Lens-Fitzgerald, co-founder of Augmented Reality browser company Layar, was interviewed by CNN today and took the opportunity to claim that AR on phones is going to be so big in the future that only voice will be more popular. Maybe. Many people in the Augmented Reality world are rolling their eyes at Layar's incredible media exposure. They worry that relatively simple implementations of this technology paradigm will create such a bubble of hype that software developed over decades will suffer…

• Remixing Via iPhone: 5 Tools for the Pocket DJ

  6 Nov 2009 | 11:00 am

  In 1906 John Philip Sousa criticized the gramophone saying, "These talking machines will ruin the artistic development of music in this country." Nevertheless, because Sousa did not forsee user-generated culture proliferating alongside "mechanical music" he could not have been further from the truth. Not only have machine technologies aided in musical development, but there are a variety of mediums to choose from. While audio engineers may scoff at the idea of making music on the iPhone, there's no denying that a number of options exist for the pocket DJ. Below are a few tools to get you…

• 
  Gizmodo

• Gigabyte BIOS Update Fixes iPhone Syncing Issues [IPhone]

  Chris Jacob

  7 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am

  Gigabyte's been listening to all of the iPhone syncing issues from motherboard owners using Intel's P55 chipset. They've put out a beta BIOS that addresses the problem. Unfortunately, that doesn't...

• Dealzmodo: $100 Xbox 360 at Amazon, More Electronics Deals All Day Long [Dealzmodo]

  Chris Jacob

  7 Nov 2009 | 5:30 am

  Remember that Walmart ad featuring a $100 Xbox? Well, Amazon is matching the offer, so you can skip the crowds. There'll be other electronics deals running all day starting at 9 a.m. EST. [Amazon via...

• 10 Terrible Tips for Longer Battery Life [Humor]

  Wilson Rothman

  6 Nov 2009 | 11:00 pm

  Nowadays, everything comes with a rechargeable battery, but who knew that getting long battery life could get soooo confusing? Here are 10 expert-backed tips to keep you from running low on the...

• This Inflating Bra Commercial Left Me Confused Yet Reaching For My Wallet [Nsfw]

  Rosa Golijan

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:03 pm

  Based on my non-existent Chinese skills, I managed to understand that this inflatable bra makes boobs big, BIG, BIG. And I guess it comes with odd sound effects included? Can someone watch please...

• Office Building Or Home To A Super Heroine? [Architecture]

  Rosa Golijan

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:25 pm

  Switzerland gets all the cool offices. This particular one's dubbed "Cocoon" and acts as headquarters for an architecture firm. I prefer to imagine it as home to a super heroine who zoom-zoom-zips...

• 
  Lifehacker

• From the Tips Box: Multiple Dropbox Accounts, Twitter Notes, and Cloud Billing [From The Tips Box]

  Whitson Gordon

  6 Nov 2009 | 5:00 pm

  Readers offer their best tips for running multiple instances of Dropbox at once, using Twitter to jot down notes and ideas for yourself, and using Google Docs to manage money between friends. Don't...

• This Week's Most Popular Posts [Highlights]

  Adam Pash

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  This week we showed you how to really browse without leaving a trace, rounded up a handful of media-center-boosting apps, uncorked a bottle of wine with nothing but a shoe, and oh so much more. How...

• Make a Hand Truck Out of a Shopping Cart [Weekend Project]

  Whitson Gordon

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm

  So you need to move some large, heavy stuff, but you don't want to throw out your back? Instead of renting or paying two hundred dollars for your own moving dolly, DIY web site Instructables details...

• Keep Dishonest Landlords at Bay with Your Camera [Apartments]

  Sarah Rae Trover

  6 Nov 2009 | 2:00 pm

  Even if your landlord seems happy-go-lucky upon moving in, there's always a chance they won't be so nice when you move out. Keep all parties accountable and in check for a hassle-free lease with a...

• Boxee to Launch Beta Early Next Month with Loads of New Features [Media Center]

  Adam Pash

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:30 pm

  Boxee has taken the media center world by storm in the last year, which is why it's always a surprise when we're reminded that it's still only an alpha release. Until December 7th, that is, when...

• 
  CNET News.com

• Video: A new workout for the Wii

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:56 pm

  Ubisoft's upcoming fitness game, YourShape, promises an experience a step up from Wii Fit. In the process, can it help revitalize the Nintendo console?

• Popular iPhone movie app flops on BlackBerry

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:57 pm

  Flixster's Movies app just isn't up to snuff on BlackBerry.

• Mobile: Still waiting to see what sticks

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:53 pm

  As businesses try to capitalize on the growing mobile software market, open source can offer a way to encourage adoption and build products in the image of the prospective buyer.

• Reporters' Roundtable 9: The business of app stores

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:15 pm

  The App Store business model, nearly perfected by Apple, has changed the way software is made, sold, distributed, and priced. Join Rafe Needleman in discussion with CNET's Maggie Reardon and GigaOm's Sebastian Rupley.

• EMI to offer instant concert recordings

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:21 pm

  An initiative called Abbey Road Live will enable concert attendees to buy CDs, DVDs, or flash cards with recordings of the show they just heard.

• 
  Church Marketing Sucks

• Church Marketing Lab: Message Series, Winter Retreats & More

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:23 pm

  As Christmas approaches, the Church Marketing Lab is heating up. One of the busiest times of the year means lots of mailers, web sites and more as churches plan for Advent, Christmas outreaches and candlelight services. But not everyone is on track for Christmas yet. Plenty of churches are thinking about this weekend, not a holiday over a month away. Here are some of the pieces we've seen swirling through the Church Marketing Lab lately: Overcome is a graphic for an upcoming message series.

• Familiar Story

  5 Nov 2009 | 6:53 am

  The Covent Garden district in London traces its roots back to Roman times. For most of its history, Covent Garden has been a cultural center including shopping, dining and the arts. In the 1960s and 70s, the Greater London Council wanted to flatten and rebuild the district because it had become impractical for modern life. At first, it seemed the plan would happen until residents of the district came to their senses and began to seek historical classification for many of the buildings, ultimately thwarting the plan to raze and rebuild. Familiarity had caused residents to lose site of the…

• Church Logos: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

  4 Nov 2009 | 1:44 pm

  COLLIDE magazine covers church logos and has a boat-load of good advice. We already mentioned it on Twitter, but it seemed worth the extra attention. Some of the advice is obvious, but it just needs to be said: "Your church’s logo doesn’t have to look like the typical church logo. You don’t have to include a cross, dove, steeple, or flame if you don’t want to." Amen. For more help on creating your logo, check out a logo project from start to finish, the top 33 church logos and our classic post, how to design a church logo. As always, you can venture over to the Church Marketing Lab…

• Consuming CMS Poll Results

  3 Nov 2009 | 8:44 am

  Last week we asked how you most frequently enjoy receiving Church Marketing Sucks content. We have a number of different delivery systems, and we were curious to see which ones are used the most. Of course there is a bit of bias, since the poll only shows up on one of those methods--and I think we see that in the results. The most popular way to get CMS is right here on the site. More than half of you do that, though it may have something to do with the fact that the poll is right here on the site. If the numbers aren't skewed, it's quite a statement that nearly half the audience of a web…

• Vision Correction

  2 Nov 2009 | 6:48 am

  On August 30, 2009, 79-year-old Jud McKinney was driving a white pickup truck along a rural road in Winterset, Iowa. Riding a bike on the same road was 54-year-old Mark Grgurich. In a tragic turn of events, McKinney steered his truck into Grgurich, killing him. McKinney suffered from a vision problem known as macular degeneration—a blind spot in someone’s central vision. I wonder how many of us are a wrong turn away from devastating consequences because of a vision problem? Vision is a picture of an unrealized future. It’s where or what you’re headed toward (how you get there is what…

• 
  djchuang.com

• how a conflict played out in social media

  djchuang

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:21 am

  “Conflict is something that will always be. It is neither good nor bad, it simply is.” [cf. Sam Chand] The incident regarding Deadly Viper had set the online world ablaze, and very uncomfortable words of pain festered in the open space. My prayer was that the key leaders at the core of the conflict would resolve it privately, walking through their respective pains together with each other. This direct conversations has since happened offline in private, and an appropriate resolution is in the works. A public statement has been issued. I commend all involved for giving of their…

• How to raise up minority leaders

  djchuang

  5 Nov 2009 | 8:22 am

  Asian and Latino. Techie and Non-techie. Conference junkie and conference rock star. DJ Chuang and Rudy Carrasco. We’ve been friends online and offline. Now we’re thousands of miles apart. Web technology has kept us connected. And one of the burning issues we often banter about is raising up minority leaders. People and organizations say they want to collaborate and have more diversity in their leadership, but it’s so hard to find qualified leaders to work with. Why is that? We had a conversation about that in this wetoku-powered video. Watch it: I have a feeling this is…

• Impact matters more than intention

  djchuang

  3 Nov 2009 | 10:25 pm

  Wow. These blog post comment threads at here and here about unintentional racial stereotypes is blowing up. Big. Time. I think that discussing highly-emotionally charged issues in an asynchronous public forum like the online blogosphere is mostly ineffective. One party describes the pain of the impact from the (alleged) offense, while the other party tries to describe the original intent, all sincere and good. To quote Sam Chand, “The difference between reality and expectation is conflict.” Both sides have unmet expectations. Both sides have different perceptions of reality.

• How much leadership can a person have?

  djchuang

  2 Nov 2009 | 8:21 am

  Swimming in a sea of leadership books, blogs, and programs, I’m frankly quite conflicted about what exactly is leadership. Sure there are a ton of aspects to developing and being a leader: skills, competency, character, knowledge, attitude, chemistry, discipline, passion, vision, relating, motivating, persuading, deciding, planning, ad nauseum. In the pithy words of John Maxwell, “Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.” Very good. Everyone has influence. Everyone can impact and influence another person or even a group of people, for good or for bad. But does…

• Finding resources for Church Planting

  djchuang

  30 Oct 2009 | 7:30 am

  Let’s take a look at my inbox and see what we find… Question: I am student, studying ministry. Am at the end of the third year and I would like to start my ministry after I graduate. How would you be of help to me — to find material about church planting ? My Answer: There has been a growing number of resources about church planting in recent years. A quick Google search has many links that’ll get you started. 3 of my favorites are www.churchplantingnetwork.com + www.church-planting.net + www.rcpc.com . As you can see, there’s lots of information online. The best…

• 
  The Digital Sanctuary

• Story Inspires Us To Become Historytellers

  Cynthia

  30 Oct 2009 | 8:48 am

  Special thanks to Tim Schraeder for his impressions / interpretations of some of the concepts / dialog / challenges our session raised at Story 09.  And thank you to the participants who came to our breakout.  Were you there?  You’ll see some of your comments and input here in Tim’s notes. Social Media Pulse What are churches current social media patterns? We are living in a world people dreamed of. There used to only be a computer at work… then it went home… then to your lap… now to your hand. Mobile ubiquity, where everyone has a phone, presents challenges and…

• Cultivate Conference This Week

  Cynthia

  26 Oct 2009 | 9:39 am

  This week I’m headed for Chicago and Cultivate 09.  Then on to Ben Arment’s Story Gathering. Cultivate will be streaming live and I’ll be doing the interviews with facilitators all day. Who do you wanna see? Kem Meyer Dawn Nicole Baldwin Matt Knisely Tim Schraeder Maurilio Amorim Blair Farley Drew Goodmanson Jon Acuff Phil Cooke Michael Buckingham Brad Abare Kent Shaffer JR Kerr Sarah Hatter Jeremy Scheller Terry Storch Carlos Whittaker Gabe Taviano Cynthia Ware Tony Steward Michael Forsberg Brad Ruggles Clint Runge Justin Wise Tiffani Barnes Bobby Gruenewald Katie Moon…

• SimChurch - Being the Church in a Virtual World

  Cynthia

  22 Oct 2009 | 7:27 am

  Since we are still evaluating the reality & potential of church online the question just keeps coming up: “Of course, [virtual church] is possible. But is it biblical?” The following is a response to me from Douglas Estes, author of SimChurch regarding his reflections on this post by Drew Goodmanson - Is Online Community real community; Questions about the virtual church? A virtual church is just as biblical as a Baptist church, a house church, a Lutheran church, a megachurch, a Pentecostal church, a contemporary rock church or a traditional American fundamentalist church. Why?

• Zondervan Launches the SimChurch Blog Tour

  Cynthia

  21 Oct 2009 | 6:35 am

  I get sent 4 or 5 books a week.  I have form letters both for authors & publishers saying “unfortunately, I cannot review your book because this space is reserved for discussions about the Church & media technologies”.   Sadly, there haven’t been many publications that fit well in this zone.   But recently, Zondervan sent me the book SimChurch by Douglas Estes.  I sped through it marking up every page, and realized how helpful it was to have a new set of observations about online church.   Now there’s a blog tour and a bit further into this post…

• Google Wave = The Death of Email?

  Cynthia

  15 Oct 2009 | 6:21 am

  Click here to view the embedded video. As you likely know, I have a particular aversion to just throwing up videos for the sake of “instant” blogging. Yet, for the first time, I’ve done it twice in a row.  Not really sure why.  I guess I’m more observing and absorbing rather than being in a place to provide any reflections.  I’ve only been a Google Wave participant for a week but, well to quote Fergie, “I’ve got a feeling….”  I think Google Wave could really be a communications game changer. I’m swimming in the newest…

• 
  Holy Experience

• weekend wanderings: fun with the kids

  Ann Voskamp @Holy Experience

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pm

  ~ A free customizable - printable chorechart for kids (and it doesn't say "chores" -- it says how one "contributes" to family. Beautiful!)~ organization of art supplies -- home-education inspiration (I recollect you can buy those galvanized buckets at Ikea?)~a Thanksgiving Centerpiece(Child-Made, God-Glorifying, Easily-Beautiful!)~ Instantly Preserved Leaves -- Wax them! (Oh, can we do this too? A walk first... and then a dipping into wax... and then string the colored garlands. Might be a way to hunt for beauty this weekend?)May you enjoy the beautiful people you are spending your weekend…

• How do Christians Seek Beauty?

  Ann Voskamp @Holy Experience

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:30 am

  The cold came for the color, drained summer brown, and the furniture vases, they’re open mouths, waiting for petals and I go looking for beauty in November.And when I fill them with tassels of broom corn from the garden, stalks grown from heritage seeds of the Shakers at Pleasant Hill, I trim each woody stalk and think how seeing beauty in the obvious and apparent isn’t perhaps really seeking at all.The Real Words read: "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” and my thoughts line up like an echo:“For if you find beauty…

• Beauty Challenge: Seeing Through

  Ann Voskamp @Holy Experience

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

  Reframing the mess, seeing through to the Real.......He rewards those who earnestly seek him. ~Heb. 11:6Lord, when I seek... when I seek. The Beauty of You... You. This week: Beauty Challenge #1 ::: Beauty Challenge #2Photos: seeing through to the Beauty of GodShare your thoughts?...Would you like Holy Experience delivered to you quietly via email?...

• Eating Bread: The One Habit that's Most Changed Us

  Ann Voskamp @Holy Experience

  3 Nov 2009 | 10:54 pm

  (You were asking? Several notes to the inbox with questions, so a revisitation on how our family quietly eats this book...)Words are always dessert.I was sixteen when I first I ate dinner at his house and when the plates were cleaned, forks laid down, when it'd seem commonplace to nod thanks to the cook and push back the chairs, his family bowed their heads and his Father opened a Bible, thick and tattered, a multitude of bookmarks sticking out from all the pages and he read a chapter of Scripture in an even thicker Dutch accent. Chapter finished, he'd close the book, look around the table,…

• The Beauty Challenge: Beauty Inspiration

  Ann Voskamp @Holy Experience

  3 Nov 2009 | 4:29 am

  In the space of a few days, oldest son breaks his right arm working in the barn, youngest son twists his left ankle on trampoline, and the sunflowers droop brown and heavy in the garden, blooms withered. We elevate and medicate and supplicate, and yes, there are tears. November winds blow and it rains.Do I have eyes audacious enough to see beauty, courage to declare the lovely in days that wail of the ugly, the boldness to fill the hollowed out places with surprising grace?The true artist enters into work of Father and makes the ordinary material of the world new. Inspired to pick the common…

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  Bible.org Women -

• Heaven’s Natural Response to Disappointment and Loss

  Lael Arrington

  5 Nov 2009 | 10:19 pm

  "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, in my life, as it is in heaven." Wouldn't it be a relief to respond to God’s will as joyfully and immediately as the angels in heaven? Too often, by the time I think to rely on his Spirit, everything is already in flames. How long, Oh Lord, before my natural response, the words that come tripping off my tongue, the subtleties of my body language, the surface tension of my emotional tidal pool, will be quite naturally those of Jesus? read more

• That Gift From God: Open If You Dare

  Jamie Lath

  5 Nov 2009 | 5:44 am

  Have you ever feared your gift? Well, you’re not alone. I have a theory that at some time in our lives, we have all feared our God-given gifts. Silly when you think about it, but that doesn’t stop us from doing so. Why do we fear? Well, I’ve got a theory on that too. A few of them. read more

• Redemption Poem

  Sharifa Stevens

  3 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  redemption love lost and found hope once bouyant seemingly drowned baptized through the inferno gold-forged now shines eternal phoenix rising for the nations stunning bird and spotless silent lamb in eternity the great I AM yet baby clothes and baby cries witnessed by Simeon and Anna's eyes Redeemer Savior Word redemption song chorus widely heard some still don't know the words love sin sacrifice resurrection unworthy - praise God for His affection read more

• How to Break into Publishing

  Sandra Glahn

  2 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  Want to break into publishing? read more

• Keeping first things first!

  Gwynne Johnson

  2 Nov 2009 | 6:02 am

  Last evening we enjoyed dinner with a group of former young marrieds from a class convened in the early 1980s. In those days one key aim for the class was the development among the couples of authentic and lasting friendships.  The evening provided a glimpse into God's blessing of that intention and the value of it.  read more

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  Out of Ur

• Video Venues and Multi-Sites: Can We Please Move On?

  by David Swanson

  4 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  May I vent for a moment? If I stumble onto another blog, article, or conference advertisement for anything having to do with video venues or multi-site models of church growth, I just might lose it. Everywhere I look within our odd little subculture these days I’m barraged by debates and diatribes about the glorious merits or awful shortcomings of venues and sites. On one side are proponents who seem to believe that only really good sliced bread can compete with their innovative ministry models for the title of “greatest thing ever.” Opposing these trendsetters are Marshall McLuhan’s…

• Not a Christian, But a Christ-Follower?

  by Jason Byassee

  3 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  Anyone can understand the desire for an alternative to the word “Christian.” There are plenty of “Christians” I’d rather not be associated with. I’d much prefer to maintain my relationship with Jesus while making clear to others I am not in relationship to Pat Robertson or Jack Spong. Lisa Miller, true to form as an excellent religion journalist, has brought attention to efforts to follow Jesus without calling oneself a “Christian.” Non-Christian Christ-followers even seem to have some scripture on their side. The first name of the Jesus movement in the book of Acts is…

• Ur Video: The Prosperity Gospel

  2 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  Christianity Today International, Out of Ur's publisher, and The Lausanne Movement, a worldwide movement of evangelical Christian leaders, present The Global Conversation: a year-long series of essays, short films, and photo essays about issues facing the church worldwide. These videos highlight topics to be addressed at the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization being held in Cape Town, South Africa, in October 2010. In November the Global Conversation focuses on the prosperity gospel—the teaching that true Christian faith results in material wealth and physical well-being. While…

• Catalyst, Liturgy, and Innovation

  by Andy Rowell

  2 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am

  According to data from the National Congregations Study (2006-2007), 38% of people in the United States associate themselves with liturgical churches (Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopal, etc.); while 46% associate themselves with free churches (Baptist, Pentecostal, non-denominational, etc.). The 14% of people associated with Methodist and Reformed/Presbyterian churches sit atop this watershed—some sliding down the liturgical slope, others down the free church slope. Liturgical churches emphasize historical and global continuity in their worship services; whereas the term “free church”…

• Are Small Groups Just for White People?

  by Sam O'Neal

  29 Oct 2009 | 11:00 pm

  I came across an interesting interview in the recent issue of Leadership Journal. The subjects of the interview were from River City Community Church—a multi-ethnic ministry located in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago. Leadership talked with Daniel Hill, who founded the ministry, along with several key leaders of the church. Here's a brief excerpt of their conversation: What kind of person is attracted to River City? Hill: Most of our new people are white. But there's a revolving door with the white community here. They have a romantic notion of being part of a multi-ethnic church,…

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  Holy Kaw!

• 25 wackiest NYC Marathon costumes

  6 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pm

  Running 26.2 miles while sucking down polluted urban air wasn’t quite difficult enough for some jogging fools competing in the New York City Marathon last week, so a handful of creative folks decided to extend Halloween an extra day and run the race while donning costumes. Photogs spotted clowns, super heroes, Uncle Sam, nuns and even an apparently alive Michael Jackson. Lucky for you, you didn’t have to travel all the way to the Big Apple to check out all the shenanigans because Buzz Feed has collected images of the 25 best costumes at the 2009 NYC marathon. Enjoy (and feel lazy…

• Tech that refuses to die

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:26 pm

  Call them the Jason Vorhees of technology—gadgets that just won’t die, no matter how many times you kill ‘em with a chain saw. Tech moves fast,—remember, like 10 years ago you probably had a pager in your pocket—but why is it that some technology seems completely resistant to kicking the bucket? From cables that remain tangled under your desk to the hipsters’ audio format of choice, vinyl, CNet highlights eight tech items that refuse to meet the Grim Reaper. Even Twitter makes a surprise entry on the list. Check out the full list, including why the sans…

• How to change

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:09 pm

  Want to change? Then, according to Peter Bregman, just change one thing. In his case he stopped consuming large amounts of sugar. For me, it would be carbohydrates. But the article isn’t really about dieting—it’s about how to become a better business person, so read it and reap. More Lifehacks. Permalink | Leave a comment  »

• Guess who is a Glamour woman of the year?

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:56 pm

  It’s going to be a long time before I post about anything in Glamour, but this is a special occasion. The magazine named Google’s Marissa Mayer as one of the women of the year for 2009. Joining her is “refuse to use Bluetooth” Maria Shriver and others. The only reason Matt Cutts didn’t win is that he’s a man—despite the concerted efforts of SEO consultants around the world to game the voting.. More, albeit less glamourous, news about Google. Permalink | Leave a comment  »

• Generation Y flocking to Twitter

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:37 pm

  In 18 short months, Facebook has aged seven years. No, Zucks and crew didn’t spend too much time crisping at the tanning salon; new data from Pew says the median age for Facebook users has gone from 26 in May 2008 to 33 today. So, where have the late 20-somethings started hanging out online? Look around and you’ll find them tweeting away. In December 2008, only 20 percent of people in the 25-34 age bracket used Twitter, but now 31 percent can be found DMing and @ replying. Twitter now claims the second youngest users with a median age of 31. Only MySpace has a younger fan base at…