The TechnoPastor

Digging the Wii /Netflix Connection

Sat, 01 May 2010 00:18:12 -0400

A few weeks ago I heard that Netflix had worked a deal with the folks at Nintendo, and was offering it’s streaming video service via the Wii. For those who aren’t aware of it, Netflix, the DVD mail-order rental service, has been connecting to a variety of devices for live streaming of TV Shows and movies. The cost is reasonable — available with the low end $9 per month Netflix service (1 physical movie disk at a time), and so I decided to take advantage of a trial membership and check it out.

One accesses the service on the Wii using a special disk that Netflix sends you. It obviously requires that your Wii have a broadband connection, but WiFi access to most Wii’s is quickly becoming ubiquitous, so that isn’t a problem for most. Given the nature of the Wii, it isn’t streaming High De, but honestly it is the rare Wii that’s hooked up to a High Def set.

Once everything is set, the thing works great. It has given us smooth streaming with nary a blip. The selection of movies and programs is somewhat limited, but there are lots of legacy shows that it’s been fun to watch (can anyone say Buffy the Vampire Slayer). In fact, since we got this on Wednesday, no one has watched “regular” TV at all. It’s been great for me because the cheap satellite plan we subscribe to doesn’t include the Discovery Channel, but Netflix has a lot of the programs that I love and miss - The Deadliest Catch and Mythbusters.

One additional feature is that Netflix also allows streaming to a personal computer, and doesn’t limit the concurrent connections, so at one point this week the girls were watching a show on the Wii while I was watching another show at the same time on the computer. The computer streaming isn’t especially high quality, but it’s not bad and works well enough for me.

What is interesting is to think about the potential of this. What would be great is to see Netflix work a deal with Hulu to stream Hulu programming via the Wii, which would pretty much kill off my need for satellite service. It certainly paints a picture of the future of internet based television.

I give the Netflix/Wii streaming service a thumbs up.

3 Ministry Podcasting Options with Wordpress | ChurchCrunch

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:56:35 -0500

3 Ministry Podcasting Options with Wordpress | ChurchCrunch:

@gavoweb pointed me to this great article on setting up Wordpress for podcasting. The article assumes that you are using your own shared hosting with the Wordpress.org software rather than the hosted Wordpress.com service, which isn’t free but can be obtained very cheaply. Check out this great article.

Google Buzz Explained

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:51:33 -0500

Google Buzz Explained :

Google hasn’t yet pushed Buzz to my gmail yet, so I can’t confirm whether this is useful or not, but it does have some interesting possibilities. Here is an overview while we wait.

Churches Doing Twitter Wrong

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:14:53 -0500

Churches Doing Twitter Wrong:

Gavin offers some good insights on congregational use of Twitter. Enjoy.

Another Google Wave Ministry Use

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:11:31 -0500

Another Google Wave Ministry Use:

Here is another church group using Google Wave, this time in a youth ministry context. Thanks to Gavin for pointing me to this article.

Google Wave as Group Worship Prep Tool

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:12:07 -0500

Google Wave as Group Worship Prep Tool:

Tony Jones offers a great interview with the folks at Journey in Dallas on their use of Google Wave as a worship preparation tool. Wave is still very new and takes some getting used to, but the potential for group collaboration is great.

10 Tech Concepts You Need to Know for 2010

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:10:08 -0500

10 Tech Concepts You Need to Know for 2010:

Okay, these may not be the hot things in 2010, but they should sound good in a sermon. Click on the title to go the article at Popular Mechanics.

Sharing with Google Groups

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 11:36:13 -0500

Sharing with Google Groups:

I’ve been a long-time advocate of the Google Groups system for “listserv” e-mail applications. While there are several commercial e-mail blast systems (like Emma, Constant Contact, etc.) Google Groups is free and pretty much does everything I need it to do. What is happening now is that Google Docs, calendars, and other items can be shared with groups, not simply with individuals. Check out the article, for this could be helpful for you and your ministry.

The Complete Guide to Avoiding Online Scams (for Your Less Savvy Friends and Relatives)

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:03:23 -0500

The Complete Guide to Avoiding Online Scams (for Your Less Savvy Friends and Relatives):

Of course anyone who would be part of the TechnoPastor audience would certainly never need this article, but I include this as a public service for our friends, neighbors, and church secretaries.

Top 10 Ergonomic Upgrades for Your Workspace - Ergonomics - Lifehacker

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:54:54 -0500

Top 10 Ergonomic Upgrades for Your Workspace - Ergonomics - Lifehacker:

We pastors spend way too much time at our desks writing sermons, newsletter articles, and counseling via e-mail. The good folks at Lifehacker have put together a good article on making your space a bit more ergonomically friendly and is worth checking out.

Gavin Richardson: churches doing twitter wrong : churches can do twitter well

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:33:32 -0500

Gavin Richardson: churches doing twitter wrong : churches can do twitter well:

Gavin is a social media guru and makes many good points in this article about church use of Twitter. Enjoy.

Making Yourself “Future-Proof”

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:11:14 -0500

Making Yourself “Future-Proof”:

Technology moves fast. According to Moore’s Law, it doubles about every 18 months. This can be frustrating for those of us who try to stay on top of all the latest trends but don’t have disposable income. I have found myself in this predicament many times. The goal is to stay one step ahead of the game. This can be achieved by looking at current specifications and the history of specific technologies and companies. In short, this means the most for your dollar.

A few years ago I was lucky enough to land a Grandcentral...

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:59:18 -0400

A few years ago I was lucky enough to land a Grandcentral account just before it was sold to Google. Grandcentral was (and continues to be under the Google Voice brand) a service which allowed one to get a universal phone number which could then be forwarded to other phones and devices. It also included an expanded voicemail service for that number, and more recently, as Google Voice was rolled out, great integration of SMS messages, including transcription of voicemail messages which are then texted to your cellphone.

Today Google announced that they were making the voicemail available to ANY number, allowing one to use Google’s service rather than their standard phone company provided voicemail. I switched over, and so far it seems real cool, especially since my voicemails are texted to me, allowing me to check them under the table to determine their importance. I encourage you to check this out.

Official Google Blog: Use Google Voice with your existing number

Livebrush Makes Design Creation Simple - Design -...

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:01:11 -0400

Livebrush Makes Design Creation Simple - Design - Lifehacker

Looking for a cool drawing application? This is an Adobe Air program that does some cool things. I would lean toward the paid version, which allows you to export the images as vectors, but all and all this will allow you to do some things that only a professional artist could do in the past.

Building an iPhone App in 5 Minutes (or Less) for Your Non-Profit: Sweb Apps - ChurchCrunch

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:49:02 -0400

Building an iPhone App in 5 Minutes (or Less) for Your Non-Profit: Sweb Apps - ChurchCrunch:

I’m not sure this is really worth the expense, but it is very interesting for larger congregations that have a high percentage of IPhone users.

5 Plugins To Make Your WordPress Blog Blazing Fast

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:45:07 -0400

5 Plugins To Make Your WordPress Blog Blazing Fast:

Wordpress continues to be a great content management solution for churches. Here is a way to optimize your setup.