Blog
Archive for: November, 2009
Is a Google Phone a good idea?
Posted by: Frank Ableson in General Business, Technology, Android, iPhone on November 30, 2009
Clint Boulton makes some interesting commentary on the what an Android device from Google themselves would mean for the Android marketplace. At a time when Android needs to strengthen its sales and momentum, rumors of a new device don't necessarily help things.
I have been contemplating switching back to Verizon to try out the Droid phone, however the silence around a major AT&T Android device is deafening. Could it be the Google phone will be like the iPhone -- an AT&T exclusive? That would work for me personally. Looking forward to finding out.
Share this post:
Mobile Web Application Development
Posted by: Frank Ableson in Linux Magazine, Software Development, Technology, Android, iPhone, Palm on November 24, 2009
I have been doing a bit of mobile web development of late for iPhone, Android and Palm webOS. I wrote about it over at Linux Magazine this week.
Share this post:
Where is your hope?
Posted by: Frank Ableson in General Business on November 23, 2009
We are just a few days away from Thanksgiving -- a good time to reflect on what has taken place this past year.
Lots of stuff is happening in the news: we've got troops in harm's way fighting for liberty in lands far away, we're heading towards nationalized healthcare, we're facing unprecedented debt levels in our nation, some people close to us are very ill, and it seems that just when you thought you couldn't get taxed enough, business gets harder as we have more burdens to bear. But there is hope. God didn't place us here to merely complain and "get by" -- I believe we are meant to thrive where He has placed us, thought it doesn't always look the way we would have preferred. We are to use the time, talents and treasures He has entrusted us with to inspire and encourage others -- in short to do His work; to be a part of His plan.
Sometimes we walk others through a hard time. It might be a job loss, an illness, or just a broken computer (not to minimize that of course!). Other times we walk through the hard time with others. Either way, we each need to be diligent in our work, showing up day by day to do the work appointed to us and provided for us.
One of the things I get to do in my role at MSI is to work with students for a couple of "extra" non-academic sessions. Sessions that can really change your life if you let them.
We had a great session today with the November QuickBooks and MS Office Certification students. Today's afternoon session was on Communication Styles -- DISC assessments. It was great to see the students have a few "ahha" moments as they gained new clarity on how they communicate with others and how people in their lives communicate with them. We had a great time of laughing and sharing as we learned together.Will these skills help them gain employment? Very likely, yes. But even bigger than that, these skills will help them learn more about themselves and add quality to their lives - both personally and professionally. That is our goal -- to contribute and be a person, or a team, of value to everyone we come in contact with.
Wherever you find yourself today, count your blessings and look to share what you have.
I heard a great sermon a couple of weeks ago. The theme was stewardship and "living for the line, not the dot".
In our lives here on planet earth, we are but a breath, a gasp, a very short and momentary blip on the radar of eternity. As we age, we move closer and closer to our eternal destiny. Are we storing up treasures here on earth, or are we making deposits in heaven? As we move down the "line" of our lives, are we moving away from our treasure, or towards our treasure? In a phrase, are we living for the dot or are we living for the line?
Live for the line.
Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless you and your family.
Frank
Share this post:
MSI exhibits at the NJ League of Municipalities show in Atlantic City
Posted by: Frank Ableson in General Business, Company News on November 19, 2009
MSI Services participated in this year's New Jersey League of Municipalities conference held at the Atlantic City Convention center. The three day show draws thousands of attendees ranging from vendors, government workers and elected officials.
MSI was sharing with attendees our various Web design, programming, and hosting offerings as well as our flagship product, Proventiv managed services.
Share this post:
Thanks in the Marketplace
Posted by: Frank Ableson in C12, Economy, General Business, Company News on November 19, 2009
This past Tuesday, November 17th, I had the privilege to join other business owners at an event in Ambler, PA called "Thanks in the Marketplace". It was a time for us to gather and share what the Lord has done in our businesses over the past year. Approximately 30 men and women were in attendance. We also heard an inspiring presentation by Tim Wampler from Shoes2Share International. Shoes2Share is a missional organization that gathers new and "like new" shoes and distributes them to needy children around the world.
Share this post:
Customizing BlackBerry Applications
Posted by: Frank Ableson in C12, Linux Magazine, Software Development, Technology, Android, Blackberry, iPhone, Palm on November 18, 2009
This week's Upwardly Mobile column at Linux Magazine demonstrates a simple, yet powerful technique of extending the built-in BlackBerry applications with custom menus. We use this technique for some of our client's applications with success.
BlackBerry is perhaps not the most glamourous device, but it is the choice of long-time mobile "power users". Virtually everyone in my C12 group carries a BlackBerry, though there is at least one confirmed iPhone sighting -- but that is excusable as that fellow's company actually does some work with iPhone related hardware.
iPhone, Android, BlackBerry -- all viable and growing platforms. Palm... that is another story. They just launched the Pixi. Hopefully it proves magical for them to win the right to proceed to the next product. Time will tell -- most likely the Christmas shopping season this year.
Share this post:
A Real Google Phone
Posted by: Phil Beach in Technology, Android, iPhone on November 18, 2009
It's official.
The news has been popping up all over the blogosphere, but wasn't confirmed until recently.
Somewhere in the hallowed halls of Google, developers are working on an Android phone that will be branded with the powerful Google name. Don't get me wrong, there have been many Android-based devices released to date, with notable examples being the HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1) and the Motorolla Droid (Verizon Wireless). However, Google has yet to release a phone/mobile computing device of its own.
It is rumored that HTC will be the principal hardware contractor, with the 1 Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor at its core. All this does seem to pose the question of why Google would seemingly turn its back on its marketing strategy for Android so far. It will be interesting to see how the major mobile carriers, all of which have at least one Android device, will react to this news.
Perhaps the most pressing question in our minds is "Which carrier will actually 'get' this device?" Engadget offers an interesting take on the question:
"Our most interesting theory here is that AT&T -- which has gone totally radio-silent for all things Android in the past six months -- is responding to the probable impending loss of its iPhone exclusivity by scoring a coup on a gorgeous, aspirational device with the Google logo all over it."
There are a handful of different takes as to why Google has chosen to release its own device in such a round-about-after-the-fact way. Perhaps Google has been setting up the market all along with less-than-perfect devices. However, until the phone is actually released sometime near the beginning of 2010, we won't really know anything.
Share this post:
It’s really about the people—is Virtualization a crutch?
Posted by: Frank Ableson in General Business, Technology on November 14, 2009
Before working with MSI, I spent a number of years working at SeeBeyond (which was subsequently purchased by Sun Microsystems... which is now Oracle...). During my time in the EAI world, I always considered what we did to be "solving the technological manifestion of people problems" within an organization -- or in more simple language - "Making systems talk together". Barry Weber - a two-time client and long time friend, has made an interesting couple of observations in a similar vein on his blog.
Share this post:
Will fragmentation kill Android, or will it help Android over-take the iPhone
Posted by: Frank Ableson in Linux Magazine, Technology, Android, iPhone, Palm on November 10, 2009
I wrote a piece for this week's Upwardly Mobile column @ Linux Magazine that has gotten under the skin of some readers. Android just made its 2.0, Verizon and Motorola debut this week with the launch of the Droid device. Aside from a rather non-original name, the device looks pretty promising.
Share this post:
Industry Giant looking to make waves
Posted by: Frank Ableson in General Business on November 09, 2009
Media mogul, Rupert Murdoch is looking to charge for news stories -- concerned that advertising alone cannot finance traditional news sources. Will it pay off? Time will tell. Mr. Murdoch didn't make it to where he is by being dull -- so this is something to watch.
Share this post:
Recent Blog Posts 
