Pet Project: Giant Photo Stream

The goal: Create a way to view photos after they are removed from the iPhone, (that is larger than the 1000 photo cap of Photo Stream)

I have tried a few cloud storage options. (there are some great ones) Mega seems to offer the most space for free (50GB), Google Drive and G+ are solid options as well- but the problem with iPhone is that in order to actually backup your photos you need to either

A. have an app running in the background constantly watching your camera roll (not a great option for an already battery hungry phone.

B. Remember to start an app that claims to backup your camera every so often. Problem with that is if you forget to for a few weeks, you have one giant upload waiting for you. (if you are like my wife, and take many photos! :)




There are two ways to go about this. The very involved, mostly web-based, super-nerd way. And the less involved, desktop app way. We'll look at the mostly web service way first.



Things needed (all free)


Dropbox account
Flickr account
Icloud on PC (or mac)
ibeam.it account 
Belvedere File Manager (or alternatively, create a .bat file that Windows Task Scheduler can run that will delete files in a folder..more on this later!)



Setting Up iCloud

In order for any of this to take place, PS (photostream) has to be brought to a comp first. Sadly, even though PS is somewhere in the interwebs, Apple doesn't appear to provide access to it other than an iDevice or a PC/Mac iCloud client.

Assuming everything is setup and good to go, first step is to change your PS folder to a dropbox folder in windows. (anytime photostream is updated- it will automatically go to dropbox)

Sidenote: delete folders to shared streams (if any) as they are unnecessary to the process, and take up a lot of space.

PS will only update on WiFi, also, I had some issues with it at first (wouldn't really start syncing on the windows side) until I took a photo on my phone- that seemed to kick it into gear.

Once your PS is consistently going to dropbox on your pc- move on in the process. (Don't worry about dropbox running out of space, this will be addressed later)

Setting Up IBeam.it

I was initially using an ifttt recipe to move any file it saw come into dropbox, over to flickr. Unfortunately, it has an upload limit of 15 files per upload, and runs on intervals of 15 minutes. If you bust the 15 cap, the entire recipe dies, and needs to be deleted and remade (ugh.)

This led me to ibeam.it. A similar service to ifttt that is somewhat odd at first, but definitely gets the job done.

After creating an account, you publish a beam. IE: "Every time I save a photo to drop box...."

This is all you do on your end as the initiator- you are then provided a link. Other people (or you) can visit that link to subscribe to the beam with a service of their choosing. (in this case, flickr)

Ibeam.it will then poll your Dropbox every 5 minutes- if it sees new photos, it will push those photos to the beam's subscribers.

The service's Limitations should be enough for any iPhone camera user. I would say they're pretty generous for being a free service.

Auto Erase

Once you have this system going, photos being downloaded to Dropbox, uploaded to flickr. One obvious problem would be the eventual running out of space on Dropbox.

I circumvent this by having the dopbox folder auto erase at 3am every night. This can be done...

1. With Belvedere. (program has to be running though)

2. Writing a .bat program that you can have Windows Task Scheduler run every day.



That's pretty much it! What should be happening is every picture you take is being downloaded by iCloud to Dropbox folder, Ibeam.it sees it go to dropbox, and uploads to flickr every 5 minutes. With a Terabyte of free storage, this should create a pretty massive photostream.

The less involved desktop version is downloading Photosync and having icloud store PS photos in it's folder, as opposed to Dropbox. This app claims to watch that folder and upload to flickr- haven't tested it out myself yet.


A few stipulations:
1. This is most beneficial on a comp that is always on (think: server.)

2. This isn't a great backup option per say, (there is no organization being applied to the uploaded photos) but rather, a way to have one GIANT photostream for after the photos are off the phone (and beyond what actual Photostream currently offers)...automatically.

3. The "staging area" doesn't have to be Dropbox, Google Drive may be more beneficial for this.

4. If you go the flickr route, may want to set your account to private by default. (it's set to public initially)

Thankful

Now would probably be a good month to write about thankfulness ;)

despite my complete abandonment of this blog, life has been...well, awesome. There are many reasons to thank our God.

Parenting

Getting into this will be interesting! We are due Christmas Eve. (hoping for earlier) with a little girl :) :) :) (interestingly enough, we were both hoping for one)

I  am assuming this is probably abnormal, (?) but I have pretty much zero fear or anxiety about stepping into this role- almost as if this is exactly what is supposed to be happening in my life. I felt the same way about marriage beforehand. I think part of the reasoning is the amount of examples of both successful marriages, and parents in my life.

We are immensely blessed to have parents who have been where we are, and give sound advice! It always excites me to look at how God has fit the pieces together in mine and Jen's life, to put us in a place where He is glorified, and we are provided for. Looking forward to 12/24/13.

Church

Church has been  one of the biggest blessings in our life. This year in particular has been very geared (for myself) towards bending my everyday rhythms towards God, incorporating Him into all that I do- A big part of this is being accomplished through Huddle, and while I am not (at all) the biggest fan of meeting at 6:30 am on a Wednesday, every single time has been worth it- as it is encouraging me to seek after God more and more.



There are a few other things going on, but overall I am excited to be apart of a community that is both unwavering on God's word AND boldly loving people the way Christ instructs us to do.<------- This, is a very hard balance to strike in a lot of churches I have noticed. Something I don't think can be done apart from Him- very excited (and thankful) to see this take place on a regular basis!
 




Work

Oh work....The many things I would like to write about and can't ;) BUT, this year has been awesome. I have instituted a lot of change over here at Genesis. This year, probably more so than any other, is less about learning my role- and more about just flat out improving fundamental office/company practices.

I am indefinitely thankful of where I am in career- seriously love what I do.

Finances

I include this section because things really did change at the beginning of the year. I think God got a hold of these and urged a change in direction.

Back at the end of October- we started attending FPU (and are currently attending through December) and love it. We have a fantastic coordinator! ;) Long description short, it covers a lot of money topics. (insurance, investing, emergency funds)

It has been a long year of financial reworking, but the progress has been AWESOME. This year, I have really taken a passionate interest in money- and especially what God has to say about stewardship in general...I have much (MUCH) to learn, but know more than I ever did..So, very thankful for that.

Happy Thanksgiving!

How I Work

My days at work are very interesting. Dabbling in AP/AR, IT, HR, Accounting, Financial planning, Crisis handling, Problem solving, Equipment delivering, and much more. A lot tends to happen in my day and this is a sort of blog that spells it out. (Look familiar? Format from Lifehacker.com How-I-Work series.)



Name: Sean Coleman
Occupation: Jack-of-all-trades for Genesis Fiber Optics.
Location: Portsmouth, VA
Current mobile device: iPhone 5
Current computer: Dell Desktop running 2 SSD's- Windows 7
I work: Joyfully

What apps/software/tools can't you live without?

Quickbooks online is an amazing program. Completely cloud based, not a day goes by without heavy usage of it. I am discovering new uses for it on a very regular basis as well.

I use Evernote to cut down on as much paper as possible. Almost all mail is scanned, put into Evernote, then shredded. I love having the digital database to search through as well, as opposed to having to sift through a filing cabinet.

I use Lastpass on a daily basis for filling out MANY forms. Fantastic program.

Besides your phone and computer, what gadget can't you live without?

The iPad has essentially replaced my computer at this point. Since most of my tools are in the cloud, I can do a lot of things from it.

What's your workspace like?

Somewhat messy- but a structured mess. Just about every item on my desk is a physical to-do list, reminding me that in order to clean it, I have to attend to what it refers to. I tend to shy away from open windows, and personal things on the desk. When i am working, I am definitely in this type of "zone" or other-world mindset where I am completely focused on the task at hand- this has been brought to my attention as being "odd"- I do have a few books (Bible, Case for Christ, Case for Faith) and video game cases though!

What do you listen to while you work?

Depends on the type of work I'm doing. Most of the time I enjoy working in complete silence, but if it's a type of data-entry or not very thought intensive- I'll throw on a Spotify playlist, or a Podcast.

  

What's your best time-saving trick/life hack?

Reminders reminders reminders- my whole life is based on them. I love putting something on some sort of reminder basis, and moving immediately to the next task. between that and intense note taking- it's how I get through the tasks of a lot of days.

As noted in the picture above, i tend to leave important things on or around doors as to not forget them when leaving. This has not always worked...

What's your favorite to-do list manager?

I use multiple! Sticky notes for things that have to eventually get done, email, paper on desk, Outlook calendar, and my favorite- Siri/Iphone. It's on me all the time- so it will always remind me when that all important task needs to be done.

What's your sleep routine like?

Most of the time I am to bed at 10-10:30pm- up at 7:30-8. Oddly enough I am still capable of the occasional 3am video game binge every once in a while.  

What everyday thing are you better at than anyone else? What's your secret?

I would say not ever forgetting a task. It immediately goes into some sort of system designed for me to remember it later, if it is not done right then. Oh, and driving. I'm an excellent driver, but some talents are just God given ;)

 

What's the best advice you've ever received?

"It's ok to make mistakes. Learn from them and try not to repeat" -Dad

"Break down the seemingly giant mountain into smaller, scalable hills."-Dad

"Every time you avoid getting into a useless argument with a hater online, an angel gets a snowboard"- Jon Acuff

"We don't have to serve God, we get to serve God. Grace is a gift. Through grace, we get to serve God. For His glory, we serve."- Pete Berlin

 I would love to hear your responses to these questions!

Trust and Talents

You know one of things I find particular fascinating about the Christmas story?

I mean, God does some pretty amazing things throughout scripture. You got the whole creation of the world, preservation of said creation when things go horribly horribly wrong and need to be "rebooted", a manifestation of a chosen people which Christ will come from, a love story between said nation and God...among a few.

But one of the things I find absolutely, groundbreakingly shocking is God's decision to place His son in the care of people. It's pretty ridiculous when you think about it- people up to this point don't have a great track record. infact, if an angel of God told me that our next baby was going to be the savior of the world, and also God in human flesh, my reaction would be probably very different from Joseph's reaction in Matthew 1:24- which is seemingly pretty chill.

God entrusts man with seemingly impossible tasks, to point towards His glory. This is what I am learning in my run-through of the Old Testament now. God chooses a person, a lot of the times this person is reluctant (Jonah, Gideon, Moses...etc) and God assures them that HE is the one who will equip them for the task at hand. It really excites me as I reflect on what I am capable of, and how do I use it for Him?

Our mens group went through Matthew 25 last night. One of the things I can count on with these guys is sharpening discussion on how the Word is applicable both in our lives, and eternally. One of the three parables in this chapter talks about 3 men being entrusted with a masters funds. Two of them make an interest, one of them buries the funds out of fear.

What if this story is about the talents God has given me, and I was designed for so much more? What if they were meant to be used for more than just getting me through this life? What if verse 40 isn't in the same chapter on accident?

 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’"

It was very convicting, humbling, and exciting. God cares enough to use others in my life to bring these things to light.

Last night empowered me to use what I have been given to further His kingdom, not my own. My kingdom doesn't last- it's here and gone with the wind, and forgotten about shortly after. But His is eternal! 

Recap

Whoa- Blogspot sure has changed. I like it!

It's been awhile since I have been around here. I have enjoyed the summer break from blogging, and now plan to blog at least twice before the year ends! Ha..May not be too far from the truth...

In anycase some highlights of my past couple of months have been....

-Getting more involved in the lives of others at Crossroads.

It has been very exciting to see/experience what Christ is doing in other men's lives over the summer! So very different from this time last year...A lesson of how God does not work immediately, but His work is worth waiting on.


-Getting a puppy (penny)!

While she may have duped Jen with her cute looks, and quite demeanor- I knew the storm of crazy that was coming. She is a beagle/mix (Jack Russel Terrier?) and is pretty insane.., and also awesome. Coming along quite nicely I'd say...for a beagle ;)

-Went to Myrtle Beach

This place was awesome and I can't wait to go back...Featured is a science museum, if you notice- the whole building is upside down. Lot's of cool buildings such as this. Jen spent 10+ summers here vacationing...She knew the ropes :)


-Lakehouse with Family

 This was a very exciting week, and the first one I can even recall with which I spent with the fam. While the entire week was relaxing/somewhat stressful at times/exciting, I would say one of the highlights of it was being challenged on what I thought the scripture had to say about things...Very exciting discussion.



-Opportunities to serve in the church
I am currently responsible for getting the audio portions of the sermon up every week, and am no longer doing keyboard. Among some other things I may be stepping up to- God has been doing amazing things at Crossroads- very excited to see Him moving there. Feel blessed to be able to call them my church family.


-Work
Work has been going well. I realize more and more as time goes on that this is where God wants me to be. It's pretty exciting to know that- growing lots with lots of responsibilities!

Romans 15:3
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Emergency Broadcast: Two Sentiments

Despite my earlier post, I feel this definitely needs to come out in the written form.

I have been speaking with two childhood friends recently, and they have both said something that has forced some good reflection for me.

-I would much rather have girl friends over guy friends. Guys are competitive jerks that I cannot connect with on a real level.

This I found interesting as it made me look at the relationships in my life. Definitely true to an extent, guys are pretty competitive. So much so that true friendship cannot be accomplished?

I have had the exciting pleasure to be a part of a body of believers who have been encouraging me lately to bring everything encountered in life back to a God context, via the scriptures. I think John 15:12-17, and Philippians 2:3-4 speaks a lot to this particular sentiment.

 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit —fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 


I have been curious lately about non-christian friendships, and this is definitely not the first time I have heard this sentiment. But do you see what Christ is saying here? If my priorities are to elevate myself over another, my priorities are off.




-There are two places to get friends. Work and Church. And I am not going to church to find friends.

This one really grabbed my attention. I questioned a few things with this sentiment. What would stop a non-christian from going to church exclusively for the purpose of finding people who (hopefully) don't abandon you on a moments whim? Chances are, if you were to find these types of people anywhere- it would be a church.

Or, how would a church respond to an individual walking in off the street with this sole purpose in mind? How would my church respond? How, based on the scriptures alone (aka, the authority of any church), should a church respond?

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands) — remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  Ephesians 2:11-13

And because our church is currently going through book of Ruth!...(and it just so happens to apply)

 At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me —a foreigner?  Ruth 2:10

While not direct ties per say, I believe the heart of what is being said in both of these passages still apply. In the first, Paul is speaking to a group of people (Jews) who alienated another group of people (Gentiles) for thousands of years of the basis of not being "God's people."

After Christ's death however, this is no longer acceptable- which is what Paul is saying here. If the common denominator is Christ, for all, then how does that spell out what our response should be to outsiders of the faith?

The second example goes back a bit further, and is a fascinating story really. Ruth, (A Moabite who is a foreigner to the land of Israel) is found favorable by a well respected Israelite man by the name of Boaz. She is astonished by the show of favor from Boaz to her, as this is unheard of in this time/land. Foreigners are foreigners, and are to be kept at arms length.

I believe this sentiment is a very..very common one among those who don't attend church. I also have a lot of reason to believe the majority of churches today do not wish to tackle the challenge of relating to those who not only disagree with what is the most important aspect of a church goers life, but flat-out hate it, in some cases.

But by falling into the comfortableness of only communicating with those who agree with me, how does this coincide with the scriptures?  How does this grow me as a Christ follower?


Thankfully these questions are answered by my current body of believers. Men who show me via example on a regular basis that by ignoring outsiders, it definitely does not line up with scripture. It's refreshing (and humbling) to see this in my church...Praise God for it!

Out for the Summer!

Gone for the summer. Life is very busy!