• Official Google Blog: The Pope on YouTube

– Wow… even the Pope is getting into using viral media to get the word out! Great example!

• Mormons 2nd Most Likely Religion to Oppose Abortion
• The Bible and LDS Books Update

– This is the LDS Scripture App that has highlighting capabilities. They are working on Cross reference stuff. I look forward to seeing what they come out with!!

• Scriptures Online in Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
• YouTube – Mormonad: Wish You Were Here

– This MormonAd is GREAT! It really speak to a problem a lot of Technology folks like me have. I have been really working hard to make sure this isn’t me!

• Mormon Prophets – We Thank Thee O God For A Prophet
• Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon
• mdjensen: Uploaded new version of my Scriptures iPhone app this morning!

– Looking forward to the new version of Scriptures from Jensen.

• "Virtual" Guest Speakers at Firesides

– I just love to see folks using technology to connect and teach! Some ideas about doing this are in this thread.

• XML files for scriptures?

– Someone is looking to develop a scriptures app for the Android platform.

Let me start this post off with a little story. I started working in IT about 5 years ago. One of the downfalls of working with technology is that sometimes you think you can fix anything. Well… I knew I should be backing up my family pictures and made some paltry CD backups, but never really took it seriously. I told myself “I am a techie and can fix anything.”

Well… let me just tell you that there are some things I can’t fix. And hard drives DO FAIL!

Since my unfortunate hard drive failure and the resulting loss of pictures and data I have researched dozens of back-up options. I now have a complex techie solution I use for my pictures, videos and documents that involves a script and automated backups to my own personal off site server where it duplicated the data once more on a Raid network device. But that is obviously not for everyone.

That being said I have long looked for a good solution that I could recommend to others. I finally found it. It is the Mozy.com folks.  And as an added bonus, they are based out of Pleasant Grove UT and I think they have Mormon connections.  I personally love supporting my brothers and sisters and gospel in their business efforts.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have signed up for an affiliate program that gives me a little bit on money when people do sign up so if you are going to sign up, please consider going there from any of the links on my blog. I figure this can help pay for the domain name and space I use to maintain this blog.

Versions

• A FREE version with up to 2GB of data (enough to back up important documents!)
• A super cheap version for $4.95/mo with UNLIMITED DATA (pictures, videos, etc!)
• Even an Educational and Business Version with local institutional administration capabilities.

Check out this comparison page for more information.

They even have a Mac version! How awesome is that? I have it installed and running now and it is GREAT!

How it Works:

You install it once, leave it and you can sleep at night knowing you have a backup. The first time takes a while, but it uses slow network time. I could still surf and even watch streaming video while it did the initial backup.

Restoring Data – There are three easy ways to restore data with the Free version.

• Use the client version to restore it right on machine.
• Web version to restore
• DVD sent to your home ($)

Overall, I am VERY pleased with this and highly recommend it to everyone! Even if you only use it for the free version to back up the important documents… give it a try!

• Scripture marking & notating – LDS Technology Forums

– This is an old thread on LDS Tech that has been renewed by a brother from Tuscan AZ. He is talking about developing a scripture marking and annotating program himself. Keep an eye on this.

• Text Messaging Services

• MormonTimes – Quorum or posse?

– Man I love Orson Scott Card… he is like the Dave Berry of the LDS word. Here are some good quotes from this weeks article:

“It has happened more than once with young men that I know. They were doing fine in the Young Men program and Aaronic Priesthood. Then they turned 18, moved into the elders quorum and within weeks or months they were completely inactive.”

“Churchwide, on average, elders quorums may have the absolute worst teaching anywhere.
Of course there are wonderful exceptions. But by and large, the standards of teaching are astonishingly low.
When I was elders quorum president in South Bend, Ind., back in the 1980s, I was already aware of the problem. I had a serious case of Relief Society envy.”

It’s only funny because it’s true. He promises some ideas for a solution in his next column. I’m looking forward to it.

• LDS.org – Friend

– The church just upgraded their Friend site and it is amazing! Perfect for kids to browse through and play with. Hopefully they will get some morals into their heads while they are spending mindless hours on the computer!

Thanks to LDSMediaTalk for pointing this out.

One of the things that the LDS community is really good at is preserving memories.  Our keen interest in our ancestors helps us realize that we would like to leave a record for our posterity.

I know my family and MANY of my friends have all started a blog and write our family history as it happens on those blogs.  I have taken those posts and created books from them for my family.  (Technology makes it easier and I will post about how I did that in a future post).  But what about the past?

I ran across another start up today called “Remembering That.“  In their own words:

Our goal is to collect and present your memories and stories. Think of it as a bit of an historical archive and window to our past.

This is simply a site where you can share some of the stories about the past that you remember.  Some have to do with families.  Some just have to do with funny memories of the past.

What do you use to record your memories of the past?

I just came across a great new startup, Famplosion,  that helps you find family friendly activities in your area, or an area you are visiting.  Right now they only have the following locations, but perhaps they will expand one day.

• Atlanta
• Chicago
• Los Angeles
• Nashville
• New York City
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Tahoe City

Our local chamber of commerce also has a great website with local events that I use to find good and varied date nights with my sweet wife.

What do you use to keep up with local events?