At Mass on Sunday, Father Hoye told us about a new technology that helps Catholics in the confessional. This app, available through the iTunes store offers "a personalized examination of conscience for each user, password protected profiles, and a step-by-step guide to the sacrament". It is designed to help Catholics prepare to receive the sacrament.
There was some confusion that this app would REPLACE the sacrament of reconciliation. The Daily Caller claims that the app "erases all sin" but know, absolution can only be granted by a priest in the confessional.
Many are saying that the Catholic Church is finally entering the 21st century with this new app, but what many don't know is that there are many other apps to aid Catholics in the faith. Divineoffice.org and iBreviaryPro help Catholics pray the liturgy of the hours on their iPhone, Blackberry, or Android device.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/confession-a-roman-catholic/id416019676?mt=8#
http://dailycaller.com/2011/02/09/confession-theres-an-app-for-that/
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ibreviarypro/id373543658?mt=8
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Tech Blog 5: St. Valentine's Day
For my tech blog this week, I decided to look at how technology is affecting Valentine's Day. In my experience, I think of e-cards that are passed around, online gifts or gift ideas. Personally, I find all of these very impersonal. I would prefer to have a gift that had a personal touch, or at least handwriting!
I found an article from The Telegraph, a magazine from the UK in which the author argues that technology is killing romance through text messages and emails, and as for my old-fashioned self, I agree. Who REALLY wants to get an email or text message over a handwritten note or card? Or even worse, in my opinion, who wants a Facebook post or tweet expressing your feelings?
An article by Sarah Kline says that Facebook and Twitter are "fostering a sense of “faux intimacy” among couples. All that texting and posting doesn’t teach people how to develop genuine relationships. “You let your fingers do the walking and you can forget that you need to do the talking,” "
These ways of communication are fitting for today's fast-paced world, but maybe it's time for us to slow down and celebrate our relationships in the real world.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/4568243/Valentines-Day-Technology-is-killing-romance.html
http://www.theonlinemom.com/secondary.asp?id=1463
I found an article from The Telegraph, a magazine from the UK in which the author argues that technology is killing romance through text messages and emails, and as for my old-fashioned self, I agree. Who REALLY wants to get an email or text message over a handwritten note or card? Or even worse, in my opinion, who wants a Facebook post or tweet expressing your feelings?
An article by Sarah Kline says that Facebook and Twitter are "fostering a sense of “faux intimacy” among couples. All that texting and posting doesn’t teach people how to develop genuine relationships. “You let your fingers do the walking and you can forget that you need to do the talking,” "
These ways of communication are fitting for today's fast-paced world, but maybe it's time for us to slow down and celebrate our relationships in the real world.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/4568243/Valentines-Day-Technology-is-killing-romance.html
http://www.theonlinemom.com/secondary.asp?id=1463
Monday, February 7, 2011
Tech Blog 4: Super Bowl
As a Packers fan, I'd say the Super Bowl was a success, but also as one who loves to watch the commercials, I would have to say otherwise. Although I did like Volkswagen's "The Force" I was left confused and downright flustered at some of the ads I saw last night.
As it turns out, the ads I disliked the most were all for some sort of technology, and I was not alone. According to an article on techcrunch.com, the top three disliked ads were for saleforce: chatter.com and godaddy.com. I read through the comments to see what others were saying about this topic, and I was surprised to find that even those who knew what salesforce was disliked the ads as well because they attempted to mass market a product that only a select few know about. Many thought that the shock factor of the godaddy commercials has worn off. Others thought that the ads weren't serving their purpose because people are more likely to remember the girls than the website itself.
The commercials that upset me the most were those for groupon.com, which I just blogged about the other day. I couldn't believe that they mocked real-life crises in order to market their site. One comment put it perfectly:
"These ads boil down to "the world is suffering, but who cares what happens to the world as long as I can indulge myself." Says quite a lot about the human condition."
I am sure whether people liked the ad or not, it is causing a stir and groupon.com is receiving a lot of attention for it, attention that they do not deserve after such a stunt.
http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/07/tech-super-bowl-ads-didnt-hit-home-salesforce-and-go-daddy-most-disliked/
http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/06/save-the-money-groupons-super-bowl-ads-may-spark-faux-outrage/
As it turns out, the ads I disliked the most were all for some sort of technology, and I was not alone. According to an article on techcrunch.com, the top three disliked ads were for saleforce: chatter.com and godaddy.com. I read through the comments to see what others were saying about this topic, and I was surprised to find that even those who knew what salesforce was disliked the ads as well because they attempted to mass market a product that only a select few know about. Many thought that the shock factor of the godaddy commercials has worn off. Others thought that the ads weren't serving their purpose because people are more likely to remember the girls than the website itself.
The commercials that upset me the most were those for groupon.com, which I just blogged about the other day. I couldn't believe that they mocked real-life crises in order to market their site. One comment put it perfectly:
"These ads boil down to "the world is suffering, but who cares what happens to the world as long as I can indulge myself." Says quite a lot about the human condition."
I am sure whether people liked the ad or not, it is causing a stir and groupon.com is receiving a lot of attention for it, attention that they do not deserve after such a stunt.
http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/07/tech-super-bowl-ads-didnt-hit-home-salesforce-and-go-daddy-most-disliked/
http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/06/save-the-money-groupons-super-bowl-ads-may-spark-faux-outrage/
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Tech Blog 3: TeacherTube
In classrooms from kindergarten to college, teachers are trying to find ways to incorporate technology into their lesson plans. TeacherTube is a video sharing site that allows teachers to upload and view classroom-appropriate videos to enhance the learning process. With a convenient search tool, teachers can find videos, documents, and articles, and lesson plans related to whatever topic they choose. It is a free service and can be used for any grade level.
What I found interesting about TeacherTube is that many of the videos are made for students BY students. It has been found that much learning is done by teaching others, so the idea of having students create informational videos to be used in the classroom is beneficial to both the students creating and the students watching. They are learning how to use technical equipment, digital presence, and the classroom content, all in one project!
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120649011463564023.html?mod=pj_main_hs_coll
What I found interesting about TeacherTube is that many of the videos are made for students BY students. It has been found that much learning is done by teaching others, so the idea of having students create informational videos to be used in the classroom is beneficial to both the students creating and the students watching. They are learning how to use technical equipment, digital presence, and the classroom content, all in one project!
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120649011463564023.html?mod=pj_main_hs_coll
Tech Blog 2: Groupon
www.groupon.com was created in 2007 to offer deals for "the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in more than 150 cities around the world". Groupons are awesome for the consumer, who gets to save money, and for the business, because large groups of people come in to save 50-90%. Consumers purchase the groupon online and take it in to receive a service. The deal of the day today in the Kansas City area is a two-hour photography course, which usually runs for $100, for just $45.
I recently used a groupon with some friends at an ice cream shop in Lee's Summit. My friend's sister purchased the groupon for us and all we had to do was go in, show the groupon, and we got ice cream without paying anything additional. We even had enough left over to buy some chocolates to take home.
Now, in addition to printing groupons, there are iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps that allow users to keep track of their purchased groupons by location and expiration date. They are redeemable just like the paper copies.
Check out the deals in your area!
http://www.groupon.com/learn
Tech article found:http://www.crunchbase.com/company/groupon
I recently used a groupon with some friends at an ice cream shop in Lee's Summit. My friend's sister purchased the groupon for us and all we had to do was go in, show the groupon, and we got ice cream without paying anything additional. We even had enough left over to buy some chocolates to take home.
Now, in addition to printing groupons, there are iPhone, Android, and Blackberry apps that allow users to keep track of their purchased groupons by location and expiration date. They are redeemable just like the paper copies.
Check out the deals in your area!
http://www.groupon.com/learn
Tech article found:http://www.crunchbase.com/company/groupon
Tech Blog 1: Pagemodo
In order to "help small businesses develop an online presence across the web" Webs has added Pagemodo to their list of online solutions. Pagemodo uses Facebook as a marketing tool for those companies that can't create their own website and Webs, a website creation service, is offering Pagemodo among other third party applications such as Picnik, PayPal, and Youtube.
Webs is making online marketing much easier, and many businesses are benefiting from it. Now that there is a way to utilize Facebook to access millions of users, more businesses will be able to reach more people, without much effort.
http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/01/webs-buys-pagemodo/
Webs is making online marketing much easier, and many businesses are benefiting from it. Now that there is a way to utilize Facebook to access millions of users, more businesses will be able to reach more people, without much effort.
http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/01/webs-buys-pagemodo/
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