MBS' Press Release on Windows 7

We took a position on Windows 7 that has surprised many!

Get a free PDF download of the one-page press release by clicking here!

Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac

I've written a number of posts about Office 2008, and thought it could be helpful to list them for easy reference. Here are their links (I suggest right-clicking and opening them in separate tabs or windows):

• Entourage EWS Attachment Limits
• New Article on Mac Software Recommendations
• Mac Office Gets Essential Entourage Update
• Office 2008 12.2.0 Update Problem
• Office: mac 2008 SP1 Fix
• Office: mac 2008

Happy reading!

Amazing 1-1/4 Minute Video Worth Watching

We know that the media is distorting our perspectives in a lot of areas. This short video is a must see!

Click here to watch it.

New Article About Twitter-- Should Your Church Use It?

I just released a new article for publication on whether churches should be on Twitter. Click here for a free PDF download!

Gmail Hacked!

This morning I got an email from a church administrator forum I monitor. The email said it was from a church administrator that is traveling in England who got robbed at gun point and needs some money to satisfy his hotel bill and get home.

It was SPAM.

An email just came from the church administrator saying his Gmail account had been hacked by someone in Nigeria and the phishing SPAM was sent to everyone in his contact list.

I did a little research and found there are many articles and tools available to help people hack into Gmail accounts. My guess is that the same exist for Yahoo, AOL, and others. A word to the wise: be cautious about using online or hosted email systems! Check their website to see what you can do to protect your account with high-quality passwords and security.

Entourage EWS Attachment Limits

We've been wrestling through an Entourage attachment-size issue that's been maddening. Today we finally got to work with Microsoft's Product Support Services technical lead. He and his colleague were helpful, and we got through it, but it took more than an hour! It was about as straight-forward as San Francisco's Lombard Street, but here's what we learned:

• Entourage file attachment limitations are managed by the Exchange 2007 server in the EWS folder.
• There's no easy-to-use checkbox to say someone has no limitation on attachment file size.
• Assuming that when you don't impose an attachment size limitation on a user-- presumably because you don't want there to be a limitation on their attachment sizes-- is enough won't work. Exchange applies its default limitation of 5mb!
• When setting a higher limit to allow someone to send attachments larger than 5mb, don't base the new limit on the actual size of the attachment files. Mime will expand attachments about 1/3 larger than their original file size. But don't base the new limit on that size either, because Exchange expands the attachments even larger! Set the limit to about double the original attachments' file size.

Many Mac users work on media files. While email isn't the best way to send large files, some will want to quickly send large (25-50mb) attachments. Microsoft will be wise to simplify this process.

SmartPhone Bondage

A friend recently posted on his Facebook that his iPhone being broken that day was, "probably the single most liberating experience [he's] had in the last 5 years. Serious!"

That's not an uncommon comment! The reason, I think, is because we allow those SmartPhones to keep us over-connected, resulting in less time to focus on those around us or ourselves! It's a real problem! Those little devices that are supposed to make our lives better and more productive are sometimes more like a virtual leash! When I posted that as a comment on his Facebook, he responded, "They are more a bondage than freedom." He's right.

Who's In Charge?
My approach to technology has always been a little different than most. Just because technology can do something doesn't necessarily mean I want it to. So I rarely use every "feature", choosing instead to manage technology.

If we don't manage technology, it will manage us.

For Example
I don't turn on email synchronization on my SmartPhone. I can hear some reading this gasping for air at that thought, but it's true! So I am less interrupted and better able to focus on those who I'm with or on personal time.

I can still get to my email via the browser if I want to (me being in charge of the technology), but rarely do. If it's that important, I'll get a call soon enough.

Also, I don't run a Twitter client on my SmartPhone. (Those previously gasping for air may want to dial 911 for help). I only have Twitter notify me of direct messages. The rest I'll see when I check my Twitter 2-4 times daily... usually enough to keep current with my relationships there while still allowing me to have a life.

Encouragement
So let me encourage you to manage your use of technology in a different way too! If you're not sure whether this is a need, ask those closest to you how they feel when you're reaching for your SmartPhone to read email or Twitter. Relationships are important, and those God has given us that are closest to us (spouse, kids, neighbors) want our full attention. It might even make the difference in their sense of how God prioritizes them!