We all could improve our listening skills.

Don’t you think?

[via James Vaughan]

It just makes sense!

Common Sense Kids began as an exercise in persuasive writing. Following Apple’s Education Event in January 2012, a group of 4th grade students at Jackson Elementary in Atlanta, GA were given an assignment to discuss and present their take on the use of digital textbook technology in the classroom.

Their persuasive arguments were so well-received that it resulted in the decision to capture and deliver their message through video. TINT was brought on to produce the short film, working hand-in-hand with their teacher from prep to post. Needless to say, the students were amazing, and it was an absolute blast and honor to help bring their vision to life.

This is the film:

I think most would agree that digital textbooks are the way of the future, but the BIG question is:

How do we get there?

To learn more about Common Sense Kids, visit their website.

If you’re not dead set on having video, ÜberConference is an awesome new online teleconferencing system.

Right now it’s completely free, and if you want to bump your call limit from 5 to 17, all you have to do is make some social network connections, etc … to increase your limit.

Even with premium version services that will include more features and different pricing options in the future, the current free state of ÜberConference looks great!

Check it out:

ÜberConference

Forget about those annoying PINs.

Nothing special required. You can dial into your ÜberConference with any phone, like other audio conference services. To schedule calls and use all the visual features, log in from any computer or Internet-connected device with a browser. iPad, iPhone, and Android apps are coming soon.

ÜberConference looks very promising.

To gain early access and learn more, visit the ÜberConference website.

I started doing video for churches when I was in seminary in 2000. Back then very few churches did anything with the medium. Those who did typically recorded their services to be played back on local television.

That’s not what I had in mind.

Fast forward to today when many churches now have projectors. I’ve been to quite a few that trot down the screen for the pastor’s message notes or to display lyrics, but that’s about it. Video can take these services to the next level with engagement and retention. It can dissolve barriers erected by years of indifference.

Uses for video in churches:

1. Television ministry

This is the thing that most people think of when they think of using video in church. The purpose of this is documenting and distributing the message of the church. From a technical standpoint, Lakewood Church is a great example of how to do this. It probably doesn’t hurt that their pastor used to be their video guy.

Some variants of television ministry are DVD recordings, video podcasts, and video streaming. Like television ministry, the aim is documentation and distribution. DVDs and video podcasts are inherently delayed where streaming video can be live, but the purpose is the same.

2. IMAG

If you’ve ever been to an event where live video was used to magnify what’s on stage, you’ve seen Image MAGnification (IMAG pronounced “eye mag”) in action. IMAG has one purpose — eliminating bad seats. This can be done by magnifying the image, but it can also merely improve sight lines and solve the same purpose. As far as I know there’s no term for the latter use, but it is a part of the IMAG process despite what the name says.

Done well, IMAG keeps people from shifting in their seats to get a better view of the action. Improving sight lines helps those in the front when something happens behind them. Magnification helps those in the back to see details. Keep both portions of the audience in mind when doing IMAG.

IMAG doesn’t shoot the audience. This would prove distracting to the audience. It can include the audience in the shot, but shouldn’t focus on the audience exclusively.

3. Sermon & Service Support

There are various genres of videos used in support of the service. These include video backgrounds, movie clips, click track videos, MOTS (man on the street), testimony videos, just to name a few. The purpose of this type isn’t to document the service or help people see. The purpose here is to augment what’s going on. A video background might add additional visual interest during a song. A movie clip or MOTS might show a place where the culture disagrees with the Church or an incident that operates like a metaphor for the pastor’s point. Testimony videos can show how God is working in the lives of ordinary people in the church.

Some videos support another element. Others are themselves an element, adding to the service as a whole. Like a good movie, they can elicit emotions that we normally keep hidden. They can ready a person for what God is saying in the service as a whole.

How have you used video in your church services?

I can think of at least one type of video I’ve left out (the walkup video). What are some others?

[Image via jaylopez]

• 81% of people misrepresent their height, weight or age.
• Women described themselves 8.5 lbs thinner, will ben lied by 2 lbs.
• However, many men liked about being taller than they really are.
• Men’s photos were usually within the last six months, whereas women averaged a year and a half.

While everyone is lying about who they are are what they look like, the Internet has brought many new tools to help dig up dirt on new dates.

[Click for Larger]

Would you do a background check on a new date? For yourself or loved one?

I never thought about running background checks on any possible gentleman callers looking to court my daughter — hmmm ….

What would you do?

[via Background Check]

But even with all of this fun facts, it does not mean that Google+ has been a success.

RJMetrics did a study on the engagement of users on Google+ that reveals an unfortunate truth, they may have a lot of users registered, but they are not integrating into the online lives of people. Here is an excerpt from their blog post of the study:

Here are some of our most interesting findings:

• The average post has less than one +1, less than one reply, and less than one re-share.
• 30% of users who make a public post never make a second one. Even after making five public posts, there is a 15% chance that a user will not post publicly again.
• Among users who make publicly-viewable posts, there is an average of 12 days between each post
• A cohort analysis reveals that, after a member makes a public post, the average number of public posts they make in each subsequent month declines steadily. This trend is not improving in newer cohorts.

The question is how can they seem successful, but actually not be doing well? I have a few thoughts on that.

• People were curious. Google is great at the tease. Google+ was released to the right people, the geeks and nerds that absolutely wanted it. To get in, you had to have the invite and everyone wanted to be included. Google typically has great products, how are they going to make social media great? Well, they did create a great product, but Facebook already has a great one and it has felt a lot like Facebook since the two became social media competition. The product differentiation just is not there, why would I want to leave Facebook or Twitter for something that does not have the user capacity and community that I already have here?
• It was easily integratable, but boring. Google did a good job of making it only one click for current Google web app users to sign up and so probably most everyone did, but it was boring. Take a lesson from UNO. The original game was fun and no doubt has sold tons of decks of cards. The next logical step is to make another product with the UNO name. People were curious about the new games like UNO Flash and UNO Stacko, but the game just did not hold the same appeal… Facebook is amazing, Twitter has it’s own place too, but what does Google+ have for the average user that does not care about SEO techniques, +1ing everything, and Google+ Hangout?
• They are making it worth it…. slowly. For all of us nerds, you need to have a Google+ account that is tied into your blog, it impacts the Google search results with every +1 you get. At the same time, they do have things like Google+ Hangout that we love to geek out on and have integrated it into our businesses.

Maybe eventually the world will catch up, but for now, there are too many options and Google+ was too late to the game.

What do you think is the long-term future of Google+ compared to its competition?

Oh, yeah.

We waited and it’s finally here.

Coda 2 dropped last week and made quite the splash with a 24hr 50% price break.

Have you taken Coda 2 through the paces?

What do you think of it? Likes? Dislikes?

I’ve found the code folding great, but there are a few features that immediately blew me out of the water:

• Built in MySQL Editor
  Seriously! This is amazing! This takes the whole “one window editor” to a new level. Absolutely blew me away.
• “Revolutionary New CSS Pops”
  This is what the website called them. “Revolutionary” seemed a little dogmatic, but it is really slick! I clicked around a bunch to watch it!
• I Don’t Know What the Heck It’s Called
  I don’t know what the heck you call these, but they’re slick:

Like I said, I’ve just toyed with it at this point and have yet to navigate through a project with it (later this week, maybe). What I’ve seen so far has really made me squeal.

Tell me, what do you think about Coda 2?

What do you like and/or dislike?

Would love to hear it!

It breaks down Facebook status updates and categorizes how friends are doing according to Facebook.

As most great things are, this infographic was developed in the real world by the real Shawn Groves and his real friends.

For reals.

I’m still chuckling …

How about you?

[via Shaun Groves]

Now that all of the photos have been submitted, it’s time for voting!!!

The winner of ChurchMag’s Most Memorable Moment Memorial Day Photo Contest will win a $20 credit to their favorite app store, so choose wisely.

Here are the contenders:

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

Which photo is your favorite?

Here’s where you can vote:

• Vote in the comments below. Just tell us which photo is your favorite!

The polls will close and the winner will be announced on Friday, June 1st.

Let the voting begin!