I recently started blogging with WordPress at darylmcmullen.com. So here are the important things you should know:

I was in my bosses office today (that would be Kem Meyer) for an impromptu meeting when I came to the stunning realization that the planets were in alignment and everything felt right in the universe.

Today would have been my Mother-in-law's birthday. Cindy was taken WAY too early - especially considering the vibrant life she lived, the energy she had and the way she loved her family.

Sorry this took so long. I've had the new phone for over a month now and have had friends email me asking for the review. But with everything going on and the Fourth of July weekend, I'm just now in a good place to let it rip. So here it goes...

Most of us can remember Al Gore saying:

I got to thinking about technology this morning and came up with the following observations:

I was in an "uppity" restaurant the other day. When I asked for coffee, the response was, "Would you prefer the Ethiopian or Guatemalan blend?"

Actually, I was hoping you had Blue Mountain Coffee from the Blue Mountains of Jamaica.

I wasn't going to write this post at first because I knew the negativity, frustration and anger would come shining through.

I've been silent for over a week now, but not because I want to be. Truth is, we're in the middle of a very large project - one that will change the face of our team and how we do what we do.

Each team member starts with a few regular tasks and has the margin to go above and beyond in their sphere of influence. But over time - we keep adding tasks until that is all the team member does - no more above and beyond. They simply become a clock puncher...getting their stuff done and going home.

As of 1:00 p.m. today I became Android official by pre-ordering the HTC Evo 4G from Sprint.

Search Engine Optimization is the buzzword of the day. And while there are valid expressions of SEO in good web design - there is also the possibility of going too far and becoming something of a jerk in the web world.

Advances in web design and web strategy are often limited by the modern browser's ability to accurately render what we've created. Of course that's why we use hacks and a little elbow grease to make sure our sites look relatively the same in all of them.

Those of you that have read this blog before probably know that I obsessed over the Palm Pre for close to 6 months before its arrival. I stood in line to get it and have now had it for close to a year. So here is my final review of the Palm Pre on the Sprint Network:

• Sprint plans: Awesome
• Sprint coverage: Awesome
• Sprint customer service: Used to be the worst but is getting much better
• Palm Pre hardware: Not great at all. Plastic that cracks easily, hard to protect, slider is easily damaged, battery is easily jarred which restarts the phone, screen is highly finger-print sensitive, on/off button sticks on my phone, have to use Palm certified recharging products or recharging won't start immediately.
• Palm WebOS: Great idea. The future is: Cloud Computing and Software as a Service (SaaS). Hopefully HP will squeeze every ounce of usefulness out of this genuinely innovative concept and make it useful on a variety of platforms (like a tablet perhaps?)
• Palm WebOS functionally: My Pre has never felt fast. There has always been a lag in the responsiveness of the tough screen and the ease with which programs will start and run well. Games take relatively long to load and I've had a few that won't start due to their size. I routinely see the "Too many cards open" warning which basically means a restart.
• Palm Follow-through: Very poor. When I bought the phone it came with the promise of any number of things like flash compatibility, video recording, mobile document creation, etc. We just received video recording in the last OS update but the other two are still MIA.
• Palm Touchstone: Awesome idea and works well. I'm assuming this will be a feature accessory for many new phones in the future.
• Connection troubles: I've noticed that the Pre has a problem figuring out whether or not to use the Sprint Network or the Wi-fi at times. If the Wi-fi is available but hasn't been authenticated (like at a hotel or restaurant) certain Apps (like Tweed) stop working. You have to either authenticate or turn off the Wi-fi in order to refresh Twitter. Seems like the phone should know that and force the App to use the Sprint Network.
• Over the Air (OTA) OS Updates: Awesome - works well - can't complain.
• OTA OS Updates (actual content): Nothing to write home about. Palm has the perfect scenario - the ability to fix bugs immediately and push it to every Pre out there. But instead they wait months to roll out updates that on my Pre seem to do nothing. Small tweaks and slightly different functionality, but nothing major. AND! Half the time I have problems after the updates! Decreased battery life, camera takes 3x longer to take the picture and locks up the phone after the shot, Google Maps takes a lot longer to open and rarely works correctly now, etc.

In Summary

Palm was failing big time so they stepped out of the box and went for it all with WebOS and the Palm Pre. On the one hand they hit it big. New technology that made Apple, RIM and Google go, "Oh my word...we better get on that..." But I just don't think Palm had the time and money to completely knock it out of the park - which became even more evident this past month when HP bought them out.

In this day and age, you have to offer a product with the latest technology out of the box. Chances are the consumer will only have your product for 24 months. In my case I feel like upgrading in 10-12 months. So you can't put out a product that is lagging and say, "We'll roll that out in Q2 next year." That business plan just doesn't cut it any more.

So I want to commend Palm for their effort. And I wish them well in the future as they partner with HP and look for new innovative ways to use WebOS.

But for me, I think I'm ready to try something new. I've held off on the whole Android craze because just like everything else Google does, it starts in the roughest of beta and remains there for a while until all the kinks are worked out. But once they get the kinks worked out - they seem to be able to use the latest technology and stay at the top of the game.

Because of this I feel like the most recent Android phones to hit the market have the perfect combination of a stable/consistent Android OS coupled with hardware that takes it to the next level.

The HTC Incredible and HTC Evo 4G have caught my eye and in June I just might pull that trigger.

This in part because I don't think I have the patience to wait until December to see what Microsoft Windows Phone 7 phones will look like and be capable of. So for now I'll leave you with the HTC Evo 4G and it's rich feature set...

Feature Set Here

There's just something in me that wants to root for the underdog. I'll find myself watching a sporting event where I could care less about either team. And yet, before long I'm hoping that the losing team will stage a comeback so it will be a good game.

So apparently Noah's Ark was found in Turkey.

Think about it. Each new gadget does more and more - which means you are connected to more and more. Early phones allowed you to talk on the phone - which happened once or twice a day (unless you were a middle school girl). But today's devices allow you to monitor things like Twitter which update every few seconds.

Technology does NOT suggest connectivity. People are the filter through which connectivity happens or fails to happen.

"Shell!" Like that? My son watches the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles religiously so I couldn't resist...

So what are we doing with our websites and our web strategy to keep from enabling a love-hate relationship with those that visit us?

I have access to an iPod Touch for testing purposes since I own a Zune HD and need to see how development projects look on Apple platforms.

The Terms of Use have changed since your last purchase. Please review and accept them before proceeding.

Or maybe I should say, "What are they thinking?" since this isn't a past problem I had - it will be an ongoing issue until it is fixed...
I received a summons for jury duty. Not a big deal except for the fact that I'm going to be out of town at a conference at the same time.

So I started the process of getting an exemption.

The Problem: Not taking advantage of available technology to ease the pain of interacting with the court.

I called the courthouse and left a message. Next I had to wait for the Bailiff to return the call and let me know what I needed to do. Next she FAXed me an official court document - you know the kind - hard to read, copied 1000 times, written in legaleze so I had to spend the next 30 minutes trying to figure out which parts to fill out. Then I had to print off my supporting documents (conference registration and flight confirmation) and FAX everything back to the courthouse.

Needless to say - I'm not sure if it was right - and won't know if it was until I get picked up by the police for contempt of court. This, because they don't notify you UNLESS the deferral is denied.

The Solution: Catch up with the rest of society. Even the License Branch has started this process and you know that's progress!

We live in a new reality - people are connected and want to be able to take advantage of this option if at all possible. We'd much rather fill out a form online or submit paperwork via email than picking up a phone and using a FAX machine.

This gives me the opportunity to pimp an amazing online tool that we use at Granger. It has saved us hours of work and more than pays for itself.

It's called FormAssembly and allows you to create, implement and manage forms online. It has a sweet form creation tool and allows your submissions to be held in data so you can easily manage, archive or export them as needed.

When stuff like this is available - why wouldn't you take advantage of it?!

Prior to becoming a web geek - I went to school for and worked as a therapist in the mental health field. It was both rewarding and stressful at the same time. But it was definitely a part of my life that helped mold me and make me a better person.

I've come to the sad realization that life is short and opportunities will NOT always be there for you.

Well, it has officially begun here at Granger. Our Executive Pastor, Tim Stevens was the first of many to move his blog to WordPress. And there are at least 5 more in line to do the same.

The other day I was caught completely off guard. I was driving down Douglas - a road I was familiar with, but hadn't been on in a while.

There are many things in life that suffice for the original. In other words, I'm not a "brand man" when it comes to every little thing.

Are we simply being the alternate to something people already use - or are we the original - giving people something they just have to have from us?

I just love cool tools that are free and useful. Meet CSS Border Radius

I'm not a HUGE stat lover, but I definitely understand the power behind numbers.

Leave it to Google to take their incredible search capabilities and put it to good use.

One-day workshops: Friday, March 19
Register your team now at WiredChurches.com.

First Impressions Workshop
Presenter: Mark Waltz, Granger’s Pastor of Connections

Learn how to make great first impressions that last. Discover ways to:

Comcast pokes fun at those who still have dial-up connections and has even created a website dedicated to The Slowskys (those famous turtles that love the slow pace of their lives and Internet speed).

I'm typically NOT a fan of third party plugins that are pasted directly into your website with little customization. But this week we installed one that has changed my mind and made me reconsider my position.

I'm currently sporting the Palm Pre - and believe me, I obsessed about it for months before it's release. But that doesn't mean I'm a fanboy that will keep buying Palm products. I'm definitely not brand-centric when it comes to phones. I simply want the best possible mobile experience I can have no matter what platform. I'd even buy the iPhone if it wasn't through AT&T and if Apple didn't require you to use them for support and repairs...

So I was definitely interested when I saw that Windows Phone 7 (Engadget writeup here) was on the way.

Based on the Zune HD user interface, Windows Phone 7 will hopefully be a far cry from Windows Mobile 6.0 (the last version I was familiar with since it came on my Motorola Q9c).

I currently own a Zune HD, so when they talk about the interface and the new, innovative navigation, I'm chomping at the bit to see it in action.

Looks like we won't see it on phones until later in the year, and who knows what carriers will pick them up. But hopefully Sprint will be on the top of the list...

My 3 big concerns so far:

• Hardware: Who's going to make the darn things? I want a solid phone that doesn't feel like plastic. Can you deal with that?
• Multiple Applications: So far it doesn't look good - but maybe by December they'll reconsider and reconfigure.
• Flash Support: I should be getting flash support on my Pre this month. To go backwards would not be fun... And for the record Microsoft - Silverlight is NOT a viable alternative to flash! I don't care that the phone has Silverlight on it. I want flash! How many streaming videos have you watched in Silverlight? How many have you watched in flash? Enough said...

If you're like me - you love the fact that you can learn just about anything online.

Anyone out there use wireframing consistently in the design process?

Earlier this year I pre-ordered Windows 7 for a fairly good deal ($49.00). I installed it on my wife's laptop and then on the desktop the kids use to play games online.

See where this is going?

Sure enough - a few weeks later I get the message on the desktop that the product key is invalid (since it was on my wife's laptop first) and that I had 28 days to purchase a new key (for the low low price of $119.00 of course).

Needless to say, I was a bit irritated, but I got out the Win XP Pro disk and started a fresh install of that - only to remember the painful process it is to install XP and then have to hunt down drivers, Comcast Internet information and all that jazz...

So I threw up my hands and prayed for a way out of the mess. And when I opened my eyes my browser had changed to the Ubuntu website (no, not really...). But Ubuntu did pop into my head. So I got my friend Matt Metzger on the line and he walked me through the setup process.

I stand amazed at the fact that something can be so easy to install, so easy to use and free all at the same time. No 3 hour install process like Windows products. No searching for drivers. No nothing but load it up and go.

Now I know there are limitations to Ubuntu, but for the kids at home to jump on the Internet and play a few games it made all the sense in the world. And it looks incredible. The UI and menu structure are clean, well designed and straightforward.

Welcome home Ubuntu...

The Problem: I recently received an email from The TypePad Team asking me to fill out a survey. Here is what it said exactly:

Hello,

Yesterday you should have a received an email from me telling you about an upcoming survey for TypePad. This is your official invitation to participate in this survey.

We want to make TypePad better by understanding more about you, what you blog about, and your experience with TypePad. The survey should take about 5 minutes to complete and your answers will be treated with the utmost confidence.

I realize your time is valuable and your participation and feedback is extremely important to helping us improve TypePad. If you could complete the survey by Wednesday, February 10th, we would greatly appreciate it.

To take the survey, please click here: (I won't put you through the pain)

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly at: (not necessary)

Sincerely,

The TypePad Team

Lack of Excellence: My problem with this was two-fold.

First, the survey itself is NOT a five minute survey. I thought I'd be nice, so I decided to fill it out (even though I'm not really using TypePad any more). But 8-10 minutes in I was so frustrated that I dropped out and never finished the survey. I suppose if you checked boxes wildly you could be done in 5 minutes, but I was trying to check the correct boxes and give explanations that would add value.

Second, (and maybe this was at the end) there was no real assessment of the negatives. Questions were more along the lines of, "How would you rate this totally excellent and awesome feature in TypePad?" instead of, "Do you feel TypePad does a good job by offering this feature?" or "Do you feel TypePad offers the right features?"

I've never been a big fan of TypePad in general and I'm in the process of moving at least three long time staff bloggers from TypePad to WordPress. But that doesn't mean I wish TypePad ill will. I simply don't understand the philosophy they operate under and hope that they course correct quickly for the sake of those that are still using their platform. I think they truly believe they have one of the best platforms out there - when from everything I've experienced, they charge a lot of money for something that is behind the times, poorly themed, and locked down so tight you'd have to move a mountain to try and customize it. All making me ask, What were they thinking?

I'll be honest, aside from using Blogger for blogging and Google as my search engine, I typically overlooked Google as it grew - writing them off as a bunch of web junkies having fun cloning stuff that already existed in the marketplace.

But each year they grow, and add new SaaS (Software as a Service) offerings for people to use - most of which are free. And in the past six months I've really started paying attention. Here's why:

• Google Apps: My hosting company is directly connected to Google Apps - making it simple to set up corporate email for clients using Gmail as the engine. More on the power of Google Apps here (specifically how churches can leverage Google Apps).
• Google Voice: I recently added Google Voice to my life so I could manage voicemail visually on my Palm Pre.
• Google Chrome: I recently switched over to Google Chrome as my default browser. Screaming fast and very light. It still have some glitches when it comes to functionality and extensions working like they did in Firefox but it can only get better.
• Android / Nexus One: Are you kidding me? A mobile operating system and their own phone? Android came in like a lamb but is already roaring like a lion. I can't believe I'm actually looking forward to the Nexus One coming to Sprint. It could quite possibly replace my Palm Pre - which I AM happy with at the moment.
• Google OS: I guess this was a no-brainer. If you offer a myriad of Saas tools online - why not make an OS that seamlessly integrates those on your computer and mobile devices?

I don't know exactly when the switch went off in my brain, but I'm suddenly a big Google advocate, and I watch my tech blogs closely to see what they'll think up next.

How about you? Anyone moved to Google for everything? Given up MS Exchange for Google Apps? Switched to an Android phone with success?

I'd love to hear stories.

I must say, I never saw this coming...but Mashable reports the war between the standard browsers and the new guy is heating up.