Google Hangout for a Snow'd-in RE Class

The Northeast was hit with another snow storm this past weekend, which resulted in accumulations of close to a foot or more (depending on location). Though the roads were cleared by Saturday morning, church service was cancelled. However, that didn't stop one RE class from having the lesson and activity sessions. The students and teachers of the J1 class utilized Google Hangout, with video and collaboration technologies via the Internet, to connect with each other and to learn about praying for strength.

RE teacher leading the lesson via Google Hangout

We had a pretty good turnout, as most of the students were able to attend and participate, whether it be that the students interacted via audio/video or just via chat. Later, we had some fun with Google Effects and other games (i.e., Scoot & Doodle).

I've always been an advocate for technology and have been (fairly) an early adopter of it. But it still never ceases to amaze me how applications of technology like Google Hangout allows us to connect together even though we are so far away from each other. Seeing the students' smiles and excitement to see, talk, and laugh with one another makes this type of application even more attractive as a tool for serving God, especially in the RE ministry.

May God remember the teachers' love and efforts in arranging this blessed gathering online and continue to guide His sheep!

Google Voice for Voicemail on my Android Phone

I know this post is a year or two late, but I just wanted to weigh in my 2 cents on Google Voice for voicemail.

I switched over from an Apple iPhone 3G (which lasted me 3 years!) to an Android phone. Before switching over, I had a huge dilemma whether I should switchover or stay with iOS. I still don't know if I made the right decision, but I can do with what I have.

One of the major drawbacks that I saw with switching over to Android was that I lost the visual voicemail feature that iPhone had. I loved not having to dial into my voicemail to retrieve it. After 3 years of not having to do it, it felt odd having to do it again.

But I (finally) remembered that I had Google Voice, something that I rarely used, which I could set up with my phone to handle voice messages left by callers. It's better than visual voicemail because:

• It could transcribe the voice message (that is, if Google transcribes it somewhat correctly) so I can read it from my phone.
• It has a Google Voice widget that I can add to my home screen so that I can see excerpts of the messages that were left for me without having to load the Google Voice app. If I wanted to see the whole message, I would have to open the app.
• If I'm at my computer, I could always read/listen to the voice message from my computer.

I'm sure there are more than the three advantages that I've mentioned above, but these are the major pros I have with Google Voice.

There is one issue I have with using Google Voice is that all my voice messages will be saved on Google's servers, which can be seen as a slight privacy concern. Since most voice messages I receive do not contain sensitive information, I'm not too concerned; however, if I do receive one, Google would have it. I guess that's peanuts to the amount of information Google already has about me from my email, Android device, blogger posts, and all the other Google applications I use.

So for those who jumped off the iPhone bandwagon like I did, here's an alternative that you can use for enhanced voicemail features. It does help if you have a smartphone with a data plan. Oh, and also a Google Voice account.

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving

It's the Monday after Thanksgiving. After a full four days of eating and enjoying the company of friends and family, it's back to reality - work, school, and life in general.

Thanksgiving, by far, is my favorite holiday because it's the time when I can be with my family. In the last few years, there was at least one member of the family who has not been around due to studying or working out-of-state. Of course, there are other times throughout the year when everyone would be at home, but there's always something special about the gatherings during the Thanksgiving holidays.

This year is also unique because we have additions to our family!

For me, it's a time to catch up with family that I haven't seen in a while. It's a time to talk to get to know the new extended family better and build bonds with them through small talk at the table or while playing Mario Kart Wii or Risk (the Onyx Edition). It's about calling family members and relatives that are on the other side of the world, to say hi and asking how they are doing. It's about exercising with friends and the brothers, pushing each other to our limits so we can eat as much turkey as we want afterwards. It's about cutting our friends in Uno to save them from drawing extra cards or laughing at each other while we get demolished by the CPUs in beach volleyball with PS3 Motion. It's about having fellowship with church brothers and sisters and singing hymns to praise the Almighty God that we worship. It's about being with the one(s) you love, watching them smile at you, and being especially grateful that they are in your life.

With that, I hope Thanksgiving comes again soon!