I announced a while back that I’d finally taken the plunge to purchase an iPad2.  I confessed that it was much more of a luxury item than a necessity.  Now that I’ve used it for a couple of months, I’ve realized just how much I’ve missed by not having it sooner.

Here are 6 ways that I’ve used the iPad2 in the context of corporate worship and my job as a worship pastor.

1.  Planning Meetings:  this is a bit of a luxury, but I no longer have to haul my big MacBook Pro up the stairs and take up a lot of table space at our weekly planning meetings.  I show up with my iPad2 in hand, with quick easy access to my tunes and PlanningCenterOnline.

2.  Digital Music Stand:  there are numerous apps out there that let you store a library of .pdf files.  I haven’t even gotten that far yet, but I export our setlist from PlanningCenter as a .pdf into my DropBox account, and then open it on the iPad for a quick, easy digital music stand.  No more stacks of paper to shuffle through.  (DropBox is FREE, and if you haven’t created a free account there, you’re missing out.  Use my affiliate link so I can get more free space, please!)

3.  Remote Control:  with the “Remote” app, I can easily control my iTunes playlist from my iPad.  This has come in extremely handy when I’m at the piano or keyboard rehearsing a tune or charting out a song.  Where before I’d have to reach way over to my desk and press play w/ the mouse, scoot back to my keyboard, scoot back to stop and rewind, etc., I can do all of this with the iPad sitting on my keyboard.  From one seat at the piano or keyboard, I can load, play, rewind, repeat, scrub – making charting arrangements and learning new songs a lot easier.

4.  Yamaha M7CL StageMix App:  with this incredible, FREE app from Yamaha, I can actually connect via WiFi to our Yahama M7CL sound board and easily adjust the sound.  Granted, we’ve got an incredible tech team on hand mixing the sound, but being able to tweak my personal in-ear monitor mix from the iPad is genius.

5.  ProRemote:  ProRemote is a high-end, paid app (it’s got a hefty price tag of $99) that is a full-featured remote mixing/editing surface for all of the popular recording and looping packages, including Logic Studio, ProTools, Ableton Live, Reason, Garageband, and more.  This app is far more powerful than a simple on/off remote.  It gives you full access to almost every feature in the software itself.   Imagine being able to leave the studio console, walk into a vocal booth, record-enable a track, hit play, punch in and out recording, scrub back and listen, set location markers, and more …. by yourself, wirelessly, without an engineer sitting at the console.  All of this is possible through ProRemote.

In our studio, I’ve toggled back and forth between the iTunes Remote and ProRemote to create loops,click tracks, and full arrangements of songs.  On stage, I used ProRemote to not only control the Start/Stop of our click tracks in Ableton Live, but I also setup loop points and markers where I could easily loop or go back to a rehearsal marker with a push of a “pad” on the screen of my iPad.

6.  My Music – everywhere:  With the landing of Spotify here in the US, I can have my music, playlists, and even the playlists and music of friends available to me on my iPad instantly.  I’m not worried about syncing libraries, managing iTunes accounts, or even better – taking up precious storage space on my device.

Free Spotify accounts are by invitation only through Klout … but I have good news.  I’ve got a special link to get you in.  (Get a Klout and Spotify Account Here!)

This is a short-list of the way I’ve benefited from using the iPad2. If you’ve considered making a purchase, I hope this can help justify it.  If you already have an iPad, how do you use it in the context of your job?

Let the fun begin!

HOORAY!  After waiting a couple of weeks, my iPad 2 shipped from China and just arrived yesterday.  (Apparently, mine just left the factory in time before the factory exploded – that was a close call).

I blogged about why I finally caved in and spent the $ on this luxury a couple of weeks ago.

Well, I spent most of the evening ignoring my wife and kids (Problem #1) as I drooled over this new-found piece of electric glory … so my question to you is, “what now”?

I definitely want to get the app that allows me to control Ableton and Logic.  The Comcast Xfinity app is super cool as well, allowing me to watch TV and movies through my Comcast login.

I wasted no time downloading a good “Texas Holdem” game and of course, “Angry Birds” for the kids.

What am I missing?

Well, I did it.  I’m a gadget addict, I confess.  I’ve successfully starved off the craving to own an iPad since those sleek, sexy tablets came out.  It lasted for quite a while.  But now, I’ve caved.

Yes, I ordered an Apple iPad 2 yesterday.  They seem to be out of stock everywhere so I ordered from Apple.Com and it’s supposed to ship in 1-2 weeks.

My purchase was not without a good bit of prayer and research.  Prayer?  Well that’s a nice chunk of change for a gadget that is clearly more of a “want” than a “need”.  Am I being a poor steward of my finances in making the purchase?  Couldn’t those funds be better used by those in need?  Research?  Well, I’ve read numerous reviews both praising the iPad and bashing it.  I have trusted friends who gave theirs away and others who say if they had to do it all over again, they’d still make the purchase.

Here are 6 reasons I took the plunge:

1.  Portability:  I carry my 15″ MacBook Pro around everywhere, and I don’t carry it around without having my backpack.  There are so many times when I prefer a digital workspace but don’t want to lug the bag and laptop around.  I think of how portable and easy it would be to carry this (and only this) into my meetings for notes, sketches, ideas.

2.  Digital Archives:  I try to be as paperless as possible – if we’re handed a few pages of notes or outlines at our church staff meeting, I followup immediately afterwards with a request for the e-document and I throw away the papers.  Using a cloud-service like Dropbox enables me to keep my documents with me and easily accessible.  I am planning on creating an extensive database of lyric/chord charts that I can access on demand when leading more spontaneous, free-flowing worship times.

3.  Worship Production:  Two of the applications that we use daily in creating, planning, and executing corporate worship services are PlanningCenterOnline and ProPresenter.  The iPad allows me to interact with either of these (as a music stand, a lyrics display, etc) from the stage with a minimal footprint.  If only the iPad ran Ableton Live, I could keep my laptop off stage completely.  I also understand that there is an app that may allow me to connect remotely to our Yamaha M7CL mixing console and adjust my monitor mix.  Travis would love nothing more than never having to tweak my picky monitor preferences again.

4.  Product Sourcing & Sales Data:  as I begin to get more involved in product sourcing for my e-biz, I find myself needing online access to verify a product’s sales rank in the marketplace, verify competitive pricing, etc.  With plans to visit some trade shows and expos where I’d need to make fairly quick decisions on bulk purchasing, this information is critical to me.  As I’ve been making arrangements to visit one particular event, I could only imagine negotiating with a manufacturer or vendor and having to say “could you wait for me to find an office somewhere around here where I can pull out my laptop and do some research”.  What I can imagine is having an iPad within reach where I can do quick research via the Wifi and web browser on the spot without having to setup a mobile office space.

In addition, we’ve recently migrated all of our e-biz sales data to FileMaker Pro.  Although we do have web access to our FileMaker databases, some of the functionality of the software is not available unless you connect with the actual software of their iPad app, FileMaker Go.  After previewing the FileMaker Go app on the in-store iPad at Verizon the other day, I was hooked.  FileMaker has a great promotion running where purchasing their iPad app gives you a $150 discount on their desktop app, which I am required to purchase.  This sweetened the deal for me.

5.  Entertainment:  well, c’mon let’s be honest.  Having an iPad will just be fun.  I look forward to de-stressing by playing some pinball, Angry Birds on bigger screen, or watching a movie in the car.  With 4 kids, all who are constantly asking my wife and I if they can “play my phone” … I’m sure it will become a family media device.  I’m OK with that.  Granted, that usage needs to be balanced, but I’m up for the challenge.

6.  Personal Study and Reading:  From everything I have read, the Kindle is simply a better device for reading.  Period.   I’m a gadget guy, absolutely, but I’m not planning on buying a gadget just for reading.  Enter the Kindle App and my ability to read books via the iPad.  I look forward to interacting with YouVersion.Com as well in my daily Bible Study.

I’m sure there are pros and cons to owning an iPad.  I would be the first to say it’s a luxury item.  Perhaps I’ll update you in a few months on how it panned out.

How about you?  Do you own an iPad or tablet?  How do you use it?

Just curious:

How do you primarily read this blog?

Do you receive the posts via:
RSS?
Twitter Links?
Facebook? (Networked Blogs)
Email Notice?

How ’bout letting me know – just click the comment link below and share!

So you’ve just come home from vacation (like us) and you’re ready to import all of your photos and videos from your Motorola Droid or DroidX into your Mac’s iPhoto application.  Unlike plugging in an iPhone, it’s not necessarily that simple.

Prior to December 2010 it seemed you could just plug in the phone and it would do everything you’d expect.  It seems like some operating system update changed this in late 2010, based on discussions in the Android forums.

In case you haven’t figured it out – here’s the short and simple way to make this happen.
(click the image for a larger view)

1. Make sure your DroidX USB settings are set to “USB Mass Storage”.
2. Plugin your DroidX to your Mac via the USB cable.  (this SHOULD mount the device on your desktop and may actually launch iPhoto automatically.  (My phone mounts as “NO NAME”.)
3. If iPhoto did not launch automatically, launch it to open the application.
4. In iPhoto, go to “Import to Library” which brings up a file selection box.
5. Your photos are stored on your data card.  Navigate to the following directory on your phone:
   /dcim/Camera/
6. You should see your timestamped photos and videos in this folder.  Simply click the “Import” button to begin.

That should do it!  Try it and let me know if it worked for you.

Anyone who follows my thoughts in this big cyberspace is quite familiar with my affection for Apple.  I love Apple products and have been a faithful Apple user since college.  (for those who are counting, that would be nearly 20 years)!  Despite my passion for Apple, I blogged a while back about “Why I’m Not Getting a Verizon iPhone” and “How This Apple Addict Fell in Love with the DroidX“.  Google stepped in and started changing the way my life was surrounded by Apple products.

With the recent announcement of the “Amazon Cloud Drive” and the “Amazon Cloud Player” I can’t help but wonder if Amazon is about to join Google in assaulting the massive market share of Apple’s dominance in the digital media world.

One of the most frustrating issues in dealing with my iTunes libraries across multiple computers is the lack of sync.  Sure, there are products out there that supposedly help you sync your iTunes libraries together across multiple computers.  I’ve tried some of this software and didn’t have a lot of success.

I have 2 primary iTunes accounts.  One account is for personal purchases and the other is for purchases I make through my Church account.  These get all mixed up and in my eagerness to get a new song over the weekend on my home computer I later find that it’s not on my church laptop.  Now, with the addition of a new studio computer at SSCC I have a 3rd location where I want to hear my music.  Having iTunes libraries from two separate accounts on 3-4 different computers is a real hassle … not to mention the issues of iPod syncing.

With thew new Amazon Cloud Drive I can begin uploading all of my music to the “cloud”.  (Travis, those quotes were JUST for you).  This gives me access to my music via web and the Android-based Amazon Player on my DroidX.

Granted, you only get 5 GB of free online storage but that’s quite a bit of storage and the price to increase storage is minimal.  To make things even better, if you purchase your music from Amazon.Com instead of via iTunes (the pricing is typically the same with less sync/copy restrictions) the music can be stored in your Amazon Cloud without using your storage space.

Want that new album?

Buy it on iTunes and it’s restricted to a few places.  Even to get the music on a different computer at all requires physically copying the files.
Buy it on Amazon and it’s available on your computer, on your phone, and in the cloud – accessible from any computer, any time, with web access.

I could be wrong but I think this will pose a serious challenge to the way Apple manages our media purchases and storage.  In the end, it’s all about access and convenience.  By the looks of this new Amazon Cloud, they have a promising product.

For me, I’m uploading music RIGHT NOW to the cloud.

What about you?

Hey Gang,

Monday I posted on our “Worship Confessional” video that we’d introduced the new song by Chris Tomlin, Nathan and Christy Nockels & Company from the Passion 2011 CD, “All My Fountains”.

Although I wasn’t there for the live recording of Passion 2011, I was present at the “Lift” event last month and experienced this song for the first time and loved it.

Our debut of this song at SSCC was extremely well-received.  I’d like to share the click-track and loop that I made for this song with you.  Enjoy!

Details:
Our Arrangement in Key of D.

*acapella Chorus intro – then start loop
*Segue, VS1, Chorus, Segue, VS2, Chorus, Segue, Bridge (4x), Chorus, Acapella Chorus, Tag

Instruments we used “LIVE” that are NOT on the click:  Acoustic (open tuned to D), 2nd Acoustic, Mandolin and Hammer Dulcimer, Bass, and Live Drums.

Instruments in the Loop:
Click
Spoken Guide
Stylus RMX Loops
Tambourine Loops
Clap Track
Organ Track
Piano Pad Guide Track

CLICK and SPOKEN GUIDE:  Panned Left
INSTRUMENTS:  Panned Right

[See post to listen to audio at www.fredmckinnon.com]
Download the loop.

If you use it, let me know how you like it!

Hey Gang,

So, as of sometime last night or this morning … we’ve moved up.  Up to a new server.  Our own, private one.  Seems as if our sites were getting too much traffic so our web host needed us to kindly “move servers”.

The site has been sluggish and slow, I’ve been waking up to tons of mySQL database connection error warnings in my email box, etc … so I decided to take the plunge and get a private server.

So here we are.  Hopefully, this blog, TheWorshipCommunity.Com, and our other sites will be loading faster-than-ever.

So, can you hear me now?
Leave a comment and let me know!

Hey Gang,

I need your help.  We are updating our website demographics for our advertisers and have a quick survey.  This helps us establish our audience, reach, and gives important information for our advertisers.

We’ll be giving away $100 in iTunes Gift Cards so please take the survey!  Also, all responses are strictly confidential.  You are not required to enter your name (unless you want to be in the iTunes giveaway).

Would you take the survey and consider RT (retweeting) this, sharing the link on Facebook or your blog?
Thanks a ton!

There are some items in my digital toolbox that are qualified as “must haves”.  You know – the kind where you get a new hard drive or computer and after booting it up, this is one of the first things you install?

“Evernote” is one of those tools for me.  I use it to take notes during sermons, keep up with tasks, ideas, Bible Study thoughts, and blog ideas.  That’s fairly typical usage but I’ve surprised quite a few people when I tell them that Evernote is one of my primary tools in songwriting.

I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve had a song idea pass through my mind.  Usually, those ideas can leave my mind about as quickly as they came in!  That’s where Evernote comes in handy.

Because Evernote is installed on ALL of my Mac computers and on my Android-based Motorola DroidX phone, I have a digital “notebook” at my disposal all the time.  Since the notes sync automatically, my ideas are always available.

Case in point:

Village Creek Landing, St. Simons Island GA

The other day I was sitting in one of my favorite “solitude spots”.  (aka “Village Creek Landing” on St. Simons Island, GA).  I was reading in Titus and was inspired by the text.  I immediately had a catchy “hook” in my mind … “Glorious Grace Appear”.

Keep in mind, I’m sitting in my 1996 Ford Explorer with the windows down and moon roof open – soaking in the morning sun – studying the Word, praying, and meditating on what I’m reading.  I’m not in the studio.  I don’t have a moleskin handy (OK, I don’t OWN a moleskin) and I don’t think there is a pen in my truck at all.

I pick up my phone, launch the Evernote App, open my “Song Ideas” folder and tap “new note”.  Jot down the Scripture reference, a few phrases, and save the note.

Then, the most powerful feature yet – the voice memo!  I’ve lost more hooks than I’ve kept, so I edit the note, click the voice memo button, and start singing away.

Now I have my idea captured so that I can revisit it while in the studio or at the piano.

Here’s a peek at my “Songs” notebook in Evernote:

So, that’s my songwriting usage of Evernote.  You’ve seen a glimpse into my vault … and now, I’ve got to discipline myself to take these ideas to the next level – actually writing the song!

UPDATE:
The night before this blog entry was scheduled to be published, I had an interesting twitter exchange with one of my favorite bloggers, Michael Hyatt.  He’d just had a blog post about Evernote featured.  I replied and told him about my pending article and others chimed in about their Evernote usage.  So check out their articles as well!

Michael Hyatt:  “A Better Filing System for Public Speakers and Writers”
David Santistevan:  “Use Evernote To Help You Write Songs”

I have waited for a couple of years now for the announcement.  Finally … it came.  Verizon Wireless will have the Apple iPhone in February 2011.  Less than a month away.  Woo Hoo?

If you’ve followed me for any length of time you know that I’m an Apple addict.  I’ve had Mac-only computers since I graduated from college.  My first Mac was a Centris 610.  On yeah.  Then I graduated to a Quadra.  There are (6) Macs in my home right now, believe it or not.  (some are just stored in the attic, awaiting the day I take the time to sell them on Ebay).

So it’s only natural that I’d have an iPhone, right?  Well … not exactly.  The truth is, AT&T’s coverage in our location is spotty at best.  I can’t even make a call in my own home.  So I’ve stuck with Verizon who gives me signal in almost every place I’ve ever been in the USA. (and that’s a lot of places)  So I got tired of waiting for the Verizon iPhone and got the Motorola Droid X last Summer.

So here’s a few reasons why I’m NOT planning on buying a Verizon iPhone in February:

#1.  I’m in a new 2-year contract with only 6 months used at Verizon since buying the DroidX, so … checkout my price:

#2.  I actually LIKE my DroidX.  It’s not without it’s glitches, but the phone is only 6 months old.

#3.  I’ve gotten used to (and love) syncing with the Google Cloud – I really don’t even use Apple’s “MobileMe” anymore.  “MobileMe” is $99 … Google is FREE.

#4.  I can use my phone as an internet modem for my laptop or computer for no extra fee (thanks to PDANet)

#5.  So far … there are no must-have apps for my daily use that I can’t get on Android.

That being said – Let me say, I think the iPhone is one of the most amazing technological devices made.  I love it.  I still “want one” … but I don’t “need one”.

And lastly – my official disclaimer that I may eventually get the iPhone anyway.  I’m just not going to be rushing to the Verizon Store on Day #1.  For now, my DroidX does everything I need.  (with the exception of giving me the iPhone coolness vibe).

How ’bout you … will you be switching?

So … this online friend, Diane Goodwin (blog | twitter) has been making “paper me’s” … paper cutout versions of her online (and real) friends.  More and more folks have been changing their online avatars to their “paper me”.

Jokingly, I asked Diane where my “me” was and despite having a huge demand for them, she was gracious enough to make one.  Granted, we’ve never met.  She’s never seen me.  (well, unless you count online photos, right!?).  She’s in Belfast, Ireland.  (how cool is that).

The inside story here is that having these creates discussions … awareness, to a cause.  These avatars and pictures really “stand out”.  So when people ask about this, I can say that Diane did this, at no charge, for a cause – and that cause is “StandOut International“.

“StandOut International” exists to tackle the problem of child sexual exploitation head-on.  Read more about “StandOut” and consider making a donation.  I’ve just made mine!

So … here’s the “paper me”.  I never looked so good, right?

I’ve got a personal rule:
If you’re going to blast a company in public, you’d better be prepared to praise them.

A few weeks ago my internet speed at home took a drastic nosedive.  My upload speed was non-existent and it was taking forever for sites to load.  Dreading the automated phone tree and “Tier 1″ techs who, with all due respect, make me do everything I’ve already done … I made the call.  As expected, I pushed all the buttons on the phone tree only to hold for 20 minutes and finally get redirected back to the “main menu” for no reason.

Long story short … the Tech says that my modem is so old, it’s not supported anymore … it’s “end of life”.  His suggestion?  Go down to the local Comcast office and swap it out for a new modem.

So I get up bright and early so I can be in Brunswick (about a 30-minute drive, one way) when the local Comcast office opens.  And what do I discover?

“Oh, I’m sorry … we don’t have any modems here, they are all gone”.
“We will call you if we get any in”.  (still haven’t received that phone call)
“And we don’t have a number you can call locally to make sure we have them in stock before driving over here”.

As you can imagine, I’m pretty ticked off.  So I vent … publicly … via Twitter.

My tweet went something like this:
“Comcast, thanks for wasting the first hour of my day” #comcastfail

Let’s face it, folks.  Sometimes, things just go wrong.  I own a company, and I get the blunt of both positive and negative feedback EVERY SINGLE DAY on our Ebay, Amazon, and Buy.Com accounts.  Negative feedback hurts … really.  But … even if we screw up … even if we fall short … what really counts is this:

HOW DO WE RESPOND?  HOW TO WE RESOLVE?

It’s no secret that companies have folks whose job it is to search Twitter and Facebook for references to their names and trademarks. So what happened next is pretty fascinating.

About an hour after my tweet I get this @reply on Comcast:
from @comcastMelissa:  that’s terrible, how can we help?

In a bit of a sarcastic jab, I reply:
“I seriously doubt you can help, unless you want to OVERNIGHT a BRAND NEW MODEM to me since our local office has none”.

About 3o minutes later, I get this:
from @ComcastBill:  hey, please follow me so I can get your account info and dm you.

I followed Bill’s instructions, and within an hour, I have a UPS tracking number for a BRAND NEW MODEM, being sent NEXT DAY AIR to my home.

Comcast may have been lacking in the local office and their phone support was a bit frustrating … but as for the team of Comcast folks who are utilizing social networking platforms to monitor their brand and provide customer service, all I can say is …. HOME RUN.

That’s how you keep a customer for life, Comcast.  Great job.  Thanks a million.
By the way – my internet is FLYING fast!

Hi.  My name is Fred McKinnon, and I’m an Apple-holic.

Since I was first introduced to Apple computers at Georgia Southern University in 1989 … it’s all I’ve used.  We’ve got multiple Macs and iPods … but the one Apple product that we’ve stayed away from was the iPhone.

I’ve wanted an iPhone for a couple of years.  The reality is, AT&T’s service in our area is less-than-reliable.  In our home, it’s essentially nonexistent.  That won’t work for us.  So I didn’t just want an iPhone.  I wanted a Verizon iPhone.

So earlier this month, I finally accepted the fact that maybe another phone could be as powerful as the coveted iPhone … at least, until an iPhone was available on Verizon’s network.  (the latest rumor is that this will happen in January 2011 … emphasis on the word, “rumor”).  So Joy and I both got ourselves the brand new “DroidX” from Motorola, sporting Google’s “Android” operating system.

In my business, Google is a constant companion.

Google Checkout
Google Base/Shopping
Google Analytics
Google Adsense
Google Adwords

Earlier this year, at the prompting of Travis Paulding, our Tech Director at SSCC, I migrated all of my email accounts to Google Apps.  After utilizing the powerful Gmail engine in Google Apps to power my multiple domains and email accounts, I asked myself why I didn’t do that a long time ago when Tony Morgan was talking about it.

So the courtship begins.  I have a Google-based phone, a business that networks with Google, and an “all-Apple” computer system, utilizing all the Apple apps like Mail, Address Book, and iCal.

And somehow, all of these have to not just get along … but be in love.

Well, a few weeks into my Google/Droid/Apple courtship, I am proud to say that “love is in the air”.
Stay tuned for Part 2 for details on the courtship, including my Apps, and how I brought my Google Phone into a beautiful union with my Mac Address Book, iCal, To-Dos, Email, Music, Photos, and Videos.

Part 2 … coming soon.

Nerd that I am, I thought It’d check to see if there was an app for wordpress on the android marketplace.  See i got this new DroidX from Verizon and its an android phone.

Well, I am typing this post from within the app.  Full blog on the DroidX and how we’re getting along is forthcoming.

Social Media.  It’s changed our lives, forever.  From teenagers to senior-citizens, indie bands to mainstream news channels, social media is a permanent fabric in our society now.

How has it impacted you?  Are you a “Social Media Junkie”?  Take this test to find out!

Social Media Junkie Test:

1.  Give yourself 5 points for each of the following profiles you own:
Twitter
Facebook
MySpace
YouTube
Vimeo

2.  Now, if you have MULTIPLE accounts at any of the above (ie. multiple twitter IDs) that you control, add an extra point for each EXTRA account.

(example:  if I have @fmckinnon on Twitter, that’s 5 points, but I also have @mckinnonoutdoors, so that’s an extra point, etc.)
(facebook:  I have my personal profile, but also a fan page – that’s a total of 6 points for Facebook)

3.  If you have an account with PeopleString, SUBTRACT 20 points.  (sorry, I just had to!)

4.  Give yourself (10) additional points for every 1,000 Twitter Followers you have.  Round UP.
(so if you have 2026 Twitter, followers that would be 30 points)

5.  If you have updated your Facebook Profile today (prior to reading this), give yourself another 10 points.

6.  If you have “tweeted” today (prior to reading this), give yourself another 10 points.

7.  If your last Facebook OR Twitter update was within the last 1-Hour of reading this, give yourself another 10 points.

8.  If you have not updated your Facebook Status or Twitter Status in the last 24 hours, subtract 20 points.

9.  If you have ever checked your email, twitter feed, or social media status while sitting on the toilet, give yourself a pat on the back, and add 25 points to your score.

10.  If you are on a date with your spouse or partner and pull out your phone to check your social media streams (twitter, facebook, etc) while your date has gone to the restroom … look in the mirror, shake your head in amazement, and add another 25 points to your score.

11.  If you go to bed with your laptop within reaching distance, add another 25 points.

12.  If you have ever “tweeted” back and forth with your spouse or best friend, while sitting in the same house, at the same time … add another 25 points to your score.

13.  If your blog is hosted on blogger.com or blogspot.com, take 25 points away from your score.  (sorry, I’m a WordPress fanatic, and this is my test, so I can create the curve).

14.  If you have NEVER been accused of “being online too much”, subtract 25 points.

15.  If you’ve never used a RSS reader (bloglines, GoogleReader, etc)., subtract 10 points.

How did you do?

If you scored over 100 points:  Social Media Junkie … get a life!
If you scored between 75-99 points:  Your a Saavy Social Media guru, dangerously teetering on being an addicted Junkie!  Be careful!
If you scored between 25-74 points:  Your not as old-fashioned as you look.  Keep it up, young grasshopper.
If you scored less than 25 points:  Time to fish or cut bait.
If you have a negative score:  There’s really no hope for you.  Sorry.

—————————–

(Copy/Paste this Scorecard into the comments section below and share your score!)

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Total Score:

Giveaway, Giveaway, Giveaway.

That’s what’s been happening here all week long.

Still to giveaway:  3 more copies of Vicky Beeching’s new “Eternity Invades” CD.  Enter here.
Still to giveaway:  1 FREE registration to the “AllAboutWorship” retreat in May (Kansas City).  Enter here.
Still to giveaway:  a free copy (instant download) of my 1st ever instrumental, “QuietTimes” Keyboard Instrumental.  Get it here.

And today?

“QuietTimes” Volume 2 Instrumental

Building on the success of the first instrumental (granted, these are 16 years old!), I went into a real studio and recorded this with my buddy Dutch Heidler on saxophone.  This album was spontaneous, meaning … we didn’t rehearse and write themes … we just went into the studio and started worshiping … with the “record” button on.  This is great music for prayer, meditation, and reflection.

Please giveback by doing the following:

1.  Click the green “Tweet/Retweet” button in the top RH corner of this blog post and spread the word about this giveaway to your Twitter followers.
2.  Go to my Facebook Profile and click the “Share” link underneath this entry on my profile page (it will appear as a “Networked Blog” post on my Profile.
3.  Leave a comment below letting me know you are participating.
4.  Don’t forget to register in all the other giveaways (each day had a different giveaway and a different page, links above!
5.  Enjoy your new music – Download “QuietTimes” Volume 2 Keyboard/Saxophone Instrumental now.  (if you burn a CD, be sure and set your software to allow no seconds of space or “gaps” between tracks so the music flows continually)

Since I was first introduced to the beauty of Apple with the Centris 610 in the Music Lab at Georgia Southern University, I was hooked.  I think my first purchase was a Centris.  I’ve had 4-5 Macs since.  I’m an Apple-Addict.

You know what else I really like?  Google.

Google docs.
Google search.
Google base.
Google Apps.

And now Google is getting into hardware?

This past week I started moving my hosted email over to Google’s Gmail servers via their Google Apps.  I still keep my @fredmckinnon.com, @theworshipcommunity.com (and a dozen or so other online identities!) but with the uptime and service standards that Google’s Gmail servers can provide.

Today I installed Google Chrome browser – wow, it’s super fast.  I like it better than Firefox (which now gives me daily trouble) with the exception of the fact that when you choose something in a popup field of a form, you have to hit the “enter” key to lock it in.  (Safari does the same thing, though).

Then … there is the huge question that keeps lingering …

Do I hold out in hopes that Apple will finally make their incredible iPhone available on Verizon?  Rumors said that would happen in June 2010 but those rumors have disappeared and the prospects look pretty bleak now.  Yet, most everyone I’ve talked to loves their Motorola Droid powered by Google and Verizon is definitely getting the Google Nexus soon.

I heard someone recently make a comment that “you know it will eventually be Apple and Google fighting it out”.  I can’t think of two greater competitors.

So I’m facing an identity crisis.  I’ve always been an Apple guy.  (and always will be).  But am I becoming a Google guy, too?

What are YOUR thoughts?  Let me know – comment below!

2009 was a fantastic year.  I thought it would be fun to dig into Google Analytics and see if anything significant stood out for the blog during 2009.

Top Search Keywords:

fred mckinnon (duh)
palm vs blackberry (I should really write more tech posts, huh?)
nick saban arrested (haha, I love it!)
kate mcrae (keep praying for this little girl)
palm treo vs blackberry (did I mention I should write more tech compare entries?)

As for the Top 50 keywords, I’m disappointed to report that there was nothing super hilarious in there.  I always see these funny keywords and phrases people see in their stats.  My Top 50 are riddled with palm, blackberry, “bad O holy night singer”, and “how he loves us, sloppy wet kiss” references.

Visitor Loyalty:

Well, there are about 40,000 of you who visited my site once, and never returned.  Ouch.

Top Referring Sites:

Twitter, Facebook, and Google make up the Top 3.  No surprises there.

Other blog/site specific top referrers are:
1.  theworshipcommunity.com
2.  sojournmusic.com
3.  sscommunitychurch.com
4.  billychia.com
5.  mikeymo1741.blogspot.com
6.  mandythompson.com
7.  jimdrake.blogspot.com
8.  church.alltop.com
9.  withoutwax.tv
10.  richkirkpatrick.com

Top Posts:

1.  Palm Treo Versus Blackberry
2.  Sunday Setlists
3.  O Holy Night
4.  About Me
5.  How He Loves Us
6.  My Blog – Live Video Feed
7.  Who Are We Kidding?
8.  Loops:  Hosanna by Paul Baloche
9.  Hillsongs:  Faith+Hope+Love Blog Tour
10.  Healer:  Mike Guglielmucci Exposed

So there you have it!  Let’s see what happens in 2010!

It’s no surprise, but the folks at LifeChurch keep raising the bar, making YouVersion.Com one of the coolest resources on the planet.  If you’ve been hiding in a cave for the last couple of years, YouVersion.Com is a free website where you can read the bible, share contributions and commentary, network, and do private journaling.  It’s my “place of choice” to read the Bible online or via a mobile device.  I will add my own commentary or thoughts on various passages as I study. The majority of those are never published here on my blog, so feel free to “follow me” on YouVersion if you’d like to see my contributions.

The folks behind this resource are always cranking out new updates and features and have recently announced 20 different Bible Reading Plans.  I’m excited about this, as I couldn’t really connect with the default plan offered by YouVersion this year.  The 20 plans are online and ready to go.  You can start a plan and track your progress throughout the year.

For years, my favorite Bible reading plan has been “The Victory Bible Reading Plan” by Dr. James McKeever.  Unfortunately, I lost my print copy of it and have neglected to purchase a new one over the past couple of years so I’ve been using a Daily Reader plan by Laridian.  I googled the “Victory” plan and found several links, mostly store links where you can buy it.  This link is a review at about.com and the writer does  a great job of summarizing why I always loved that plan.

Unfortunately, the “Victory” plan is not one of the 20 listed in YouVersion (I’ve submitted a request for it to be added, though!).  However, I’m am intrigued by a couple of the plans by M’Cheyne, specifically, his “M’Cheyne One Year Reading Plan”:

This plan is based on the M’Cheyne reading system, featuring four different readings for use in both family and personal devotions. Each day has two passages from the Old Testament, one from the New Testament, and one from either the Psalms or the Gospels. In one year, you read the Old Testament once and the New Testament and Psalms twice.

What do I look for in a Bible Reading plan?

* breaking it up so I’m in both the OT and the NT simultaneously
* chronologically reading in OT when possible
* covering the NT twice
* a daily dose of either Psalms or Proverbs, regardless

This plan does all of the above except I don’t think the OT readings are in chronological order.  I can deal with that.  I’m looking forward to a fresh plan that moves around.  I love the fact that I can read online or with my “real” Bible (some days, I just need to hold that heavy book in my hand!) and that I can journal and collaborate online as the passages speak to me.

Have you ever used a Bible reading plan, and if so, what did you use?  Click below to comment!

So I’ve been kicking this idea around for a long time … and I believe I’ll just launch right into it this week.  I want to do a series called “My Toolbox” … and share with you some of the tools, resources, gadgets, and services that are my regular “go-to” items in my life … personal, ministry, professional.

You’re bound to discover some great resources and I hope to learn about what you use as well.

I’ll start it tomorrow, but for today … what are some of the tools, resources, services, gadgets, etc ., that you just can’t live without, and why?

What’s in your toolbox?

Hey Gang,

Worship Leader magazine has invited me to teach my “Worship + Web 2.0″ class on their live “webinar” next week.  Here’s the details – please consider tweeting this, sharing it on Facebook, etc.  It’s basically the same class that I’ve taught the last two years at the National Worship Leader Conference.  To register, click here.

Worship + Web 2.0
taught by Fred McKinnon

Monday, November 9, 2009
11:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time (duration 1 hour)
(that’s 2:00 PM EST)

Facebook, Twitter, Blogs – can all these web-based technologies really enhance our worship services? Do you ever hit a creative “dead end” in your efforts to plan an impacting worship service? Join Fred McKinnon as we discuss how worship leaders and service planners are using the web to network, share, and collaborate on service planning through these tool

(Fred McKinnon is the Worship Pastor at St. Simons Community Church on St. Simons Island, GA. He is the founder of TheWorshipCommunity.com and blogs daily at FredMcKinnon.com about worship, leadership, faith, and ministry. Fred has been using social media as a tool in worship ministry and has been a guest speaker at the National Worship Leader Conference for the past two years.)

If you haven’t attended a Worship Leader Webinar yet, this is a great place to start. Offering the most accessible high-quality training available in the skills worship leaders need to lead their congregations, all you need is an Internet connection and a telephone. For only $39.00 a session, individuals or entire teams can attend.

REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR
(limited to 100 attendees)

I hear it several times a week from friends, co-workers, and others …

“You must be on Facebook all day – how do you get any work done”?

So this blog post has been “brewing” in my toolbox for a couple of months now.
(my toolbox, and what’s in it – coming soon)

Here’s the deal.  If I were on Facebook all day, I would NEVER get my work done. If I didn’t get my work done, you’d notice.

So here’s how I seemingly stay connected throughout the day (and even throughout the night, or midair during flight!) to Facebook.  (go to my Facebook Profile)

1.  Twitter
Plain and simple.  I have “Tweetdeck” on my Mac, and incredible application that allows me to view multiple twitter accounts simultaneously, including my Facebook feed.  (which I have turned off, by the way).  When I take 30 seconds to post a quick update (ie. in planning meeting with other staff folks), I will usually select my @fmckinnon twitter account to post this in addition to the “facebook” tab.  This makes my update go to Facebook.  All without logging in or “playing around” on Facebook.  If I’m not using Tweetdeck, I can opt to include the hashtag #fb at the end of any pics or tweets I may send from my cell phone to also be included on Facebook.

2.  Adium
Adium is an Instant Messaging client that I use to connect with co-workers, friends, and family.  It allows me to have my AIM/AOL/iChat screenname account as well as my @yahoo, @msn, @google, and yes …. @facebook accounts online simultaneously.  So, if Adium is open (and it usually is) – this gives the appearance that I’m “online” at Facebook.

So if you’re one of those who sees me as “available” on Facebook all day, I’m probably not really there … it’s probably my Adium software telling Facebook that I’m online.  If you send a chat via Facebook, Adium will notify me.  Typically, I’ll answer if it’s work-related, or if I have time.  If I don’t I’m sometimes forced to just ignore the chat request.  (sorry!).  Or, I’ll often go off to a meeting and totally forget I left Adium turned on.

3.  Facebook Connect
Many 3rd party websites now use the “Facebook Connect” application.  For example, my blog uses “Facebook Connect” to allow people to leave comments via their Facebook login.  PlanningCenterOnline now interacts directly with Facebook.  TheWorshipCommunity.Com has a huge interaction with Facebook.  Any time I leave a blog comment, a reply to my own blog, or engage in a discussion on TheWorshipCommunity.Com (all of which usually are actions which would 100% fall under my “job description”) – it pings Facebook, and you see “Fred McKinnon has just replied to  ….” in your newsfeed.

4.  Automation

The beauty of technology and automation is another thing that gives the impression that I’m “online” all the time.  (well, I’m online a LOT, that’s for sure).  But here’s a few examples of how I’m “online” when I’m really not, thanks to the beauty of scheduled posts and automation.
* all of my blog posts are scheduled to “import” as “notes” and then later as “networked blogs” onto Facebook – with no action from me.
* many of my blogs are written and then “scheduled” to publish automatically as certain, designated times
* I use TweetAdder software daily.  In addition to allowing me to search and follow certain Twitter users based on keywords in their tweets and/or profile bio (ie. “worship pastor”), I can schedule “tweets” to post in the future.  It’s incredible software and well worth the small price if you are serious about leveraging Twitter to build your follow base, fight spam, manage followers, and schedule tweets.  (disclosure:  links to TweetAdder are my affiliate links)

5.  Communication
The reality here is that I’ve found myself “logging in” and actually clicking around in Facebook more than ever recently.  I’m seeing a pretty dramatic shift in communication preference, and to tell you the truth – I’m not sure what to do about it.

Over the last week, I’ve had a huge amount of “back and forth” emails between two worship artists who were in town this weekend for a concert, a new bass player from our church, a drummer who plays for us who has been sick, etc.  All of that interaction has been happening in my “Facebook” inbox.  So the trend I’m seeing is that I’m getting less direct emails, and more “Facebook” emails.

Summary:

So can Facebook be addicting?  You betcha!  Can people waste too much time there?  You betcha!  Have I let it happen to me from time to time ….?

YOU BETCHA.

I suppose this article could be viewed as a “defense” to those whose ongoing remarks seem to whisper “we don’t think you are getting your work done”.  And deep down, I guess that’s part of the intent.  But the truth is – all of these technologies that I mention are ways I’ve been able to broaden my ability to be accessible, to communicate, to lead, and influence others.  And if I’m living my life correctly, that influence should ultimately be something that honors the Lord and brings glory to Him.

Your Turn – what are your Facebook issues?  Please leave your comments below.

Hey Gang,

I mentioned a couple of days ago in this post that we were going to be debuting Christy Nockel’s “A Mighty Fortress” this Sunday at SSCC.  It has some huge stuff happening and I didn’t want the sound to be anything less than “epic” so I decided to create a loop that we can use in Ableton Live.

Of course in Live, I will use individual audio files and can choose what I will and will not have playing.

Many of you asked, so here’s the .mp3 version of the mixed loop.
This loop assumes:
4-bar intro
Click in Right
Assumes live drummer to supplement loops, guitarist, and bass player.
(those instruments not included)

[See post to listen to audio at www.fredmckinnon.com]
(download)

Let me know what you think.  I’m still pretty new at this whole loop-creation process.

TRUE STORY

Ok, so my headline is a bit dramatic, I admit.  But seriously, yesterday was one of those days when you are so glad you discovered technology like twitter, facebook, and the internet.

SETUP:

Thanks to Randy Elrod’s  giveaway on the re:create conference website,  I got my pre-release of Matt Maher’s new “Alive Again” CD.  I was super-excited to once again here “Christ Is Risen” … a song Matt had performed LIVE at the National Worship Leader Conference back in July.  After hearing this song again I decided that I’d surprise our church by introducing it as a “grand finale” at the end of this Sunday evening’s “Night of Worship”.

PROBLEM:

I had trouble discerning a couple of lyrics.  Especially the first line of the first verse.  Now that I know the actual lyrics, I’ve no idea WHY I had trouble hearing it … it’s perfectly clear.  But regardless, I thought I was hearing something else.  It’s brand new and the lyrics are nowhere to be found on the internet – not even at CCLI.

ENTER … GOOGLE, TWITTER, FACEBOOK

Google the lyrics – found a Facebook page from a Catholic Church somewhere.  Clicked on their address in Facebook which brought up a Google Map, proudly displaying their location and phone number.  Quick phone call to the church (yeah, the old-fashioned way, a telephone) gets me on the line with “Brittany” who loves the song and is going to try and figure out the lyric.

Meanwhile:

I use both my @fmckinnon personal twitter account and the @theworshipcomm twitter account (for TheWorshipCommunity.Com) and ask if anyone knows the lyrics.

Who replies?  None other than Matt Maher, the co-author and artist himself:

Meanwhile, I’m remembering the guy who works for Media Shout, Nate … Nate and I worked together at the National Worship Leader conference and met while we were figuring out the best way to display the “live blog/twitter” feed on the screens.

I send Nate a “DM” (direct message) via Twitter.  The conversation goes something like this:
@fmckinnon:  “Nate, hey Fred from the NWLC … do u still have Matt Maher’s setlist in your MediaShout library”

@MediaShoutNate:  yeah, I think so, what do you need?
@fmckinnon:  1st verse of “Christ Is Risen” from Matt Maher’s set.  Let no un-cod …??? sin remain???
@MediaShoutNate:  “Let no one caught in sin remain inside the lie of inward shame …”

CELEBRATION:

In less than 30 minutes, I had everything I needed to finish preparing that song for our band.  Oh yeah, Brittany CALLED ME BACK, too – a couple of perfect strangers on the phone … she figured out the verse, and we walked through the lyrics to the rest of the song to make sure we had it right.

Some days the internet can be a total distraction … but some days … I LOVE THE INTERNET.