talk » djchuang.com

talking is the new texting

dialogue, internet 4 Responses » Tagged with: app, mobile, talk, voice

Jun 152011

There are times when you want to get a message to someone and typing a text message takes too long or won’t fit in 140 characters. Or, you don’t have the time to talk on the phone so you don’t call because you’re not sure they won’t answer and you don’t want to wait for voicemail. And you don’t want to be “that guy” who calls someone in the middle of a meeting.

Talking is faster than texting. What if you can send a voice message?

There’s an emerging genre of mobile apps that let’s you send voice messages! These apps go by a different names, like: voice messenger, push-to-talk, touch-to-talk, walkie-talkie, voice notes, multimedia messaging. Here’s what’s out there:

KakaoTalk app on Android and iPhone. Send/receive text, photo, voice, video. 16 million users.

WhatsApp app on Android, iPhone, Blackberry, Nokia. Costs $1.99USD per year. 15 million users.

TiKL – app on Android and iPhone. 10 million users.

HeyTell – app on Android and iPhone. 4 million users.

TalkBox – app on Android and iPhone. [ed.note: I like the name, its simplicity, and easy-find of my Facebook friends]

blip.me app on Android and iPhone. [ed.note: best looking design]

PingChat app on iPhone, Android, and Blackberry. Send/receive text, photo, video, voice notes.

Palringo app on iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Symbian, Windows mobile, and PC or Mac desktop. Send/receive text, voice, and photo. $$ for extra features. [ed.note: seems like a multi-network IM that can send audio]

CloudTalk app on iPhone and Android, has multi-media messaging (voice, text, photo, video) and public forum to meet new people.

Voxer app on iPhone only. Send/receive text, voice, photo, location. Android app on the development road map.

Jawbone Thoughts – sender must have the iPhone app, receiver can listen via app or web

Voice/multi-media messaging could be the next big thing, and will be mainstream if more people get smartphones and install these apps. Down-side: it requires a smartphone with a internet data plan; instead of using minutes on your calling plan. These apps have been around for months, but, unfortunately, most people in my contacts aren’t “in network.” Yet. I’d love to connect. My username = djchuang.

My hunch is that many of these voice/multi-media messenger will be around, like how we still have multiple instant messenging networks, a la AOL, Yahoo, Google Talk, QQ, etc. Will Facebook or Google or Twitter get into the game or buy out one of these? We will see.

how a conference can change your life

conference, dialogue 10 Responses » Tagged with: event, leader, people, talk, value

Feb 132010

With so many conferences in the world, I’m often asked which one to go to.

After attending a few conferences, some people begin to discover the value of these gatherings extend beyond the keynote talks and seminar lectures. What’s even more life-changing are the people you meet and the conversations you have.

At the Verge conference in Austin last week, I met Ryan Rice, who is now church planting in Phoenix. Ryan explained how life-changing the one-time-only Innovation³ Gathering was. Watch this video of Ryan Rice telling how that conference changed his life:

Next week, I’ll point you to 2 conferences especially configured so there’s intentional structured time for attendees to engage in more conversations and not only listening to talks.

Presentation on November 30th

Asian American, church, conference, dialogue 5 Responses » Tagged with: Chinese, English, event, presentation, talk

Oct 242009

// [ update: my presentation and related links are over at the L² Foundation blog - click here ] //

On November 30th and December 1st, I’ll be at the NA-CCOWE (North American Chinese Congress on World Evangelization) conference English Track: “The Challenges and Future of English Ministries”. This is the first time that the conference will host a parallel track, along side of the Mandarin Chinese language track. (Note that the event itself runs from 11/3 to 12/4.)

I’ll be making a presentation in a workshop about next generation Asian American churches. Knowing the audience is primarily English ministry leaders within an ethnic Chinese church, I hope to explore what can be practically applied from what is working among next generation multi-Asian/multi-ethnic churches, adapted from my presentation shared on several other occasions.
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philosophy and religion have a place

dialogue 12 Responses » Tagged with: conversation, family, philosophy, politics, religion, small talk, talk, work

Oct 062009

Small talk is not my forte’. I can talk about weather or sports for maybe 30 seconds tops. Those are the conventionally safe topics. Work usually comes up early in the conversation, as in “what do you do?” People too quickly associate one’s identity with their work / profession / career.

There are some topics not good for small talk: “… it is not safe to discuss subjects that society deems controversial such as religion or politics.” Yet, politics get lots of air time, even though it’s controversial. Lots of mainstream media and social media time at that.

One British etiquette website describes what’s safe and not safe for small talk conversations:

Which topics are safe for small talk? …

- The weather, eg “It’s a lovely day today, isn’t it?”
- Sport, eg “Have you been watching Wimbledon?”
- Hobbies, eg “What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?”
- Work, eg “What sort of work do you do?”

… Which topics are best avoided for small talk? …

- Money, eg “How much do you earn?”
- Politics, eg “Who did you vote for at the last election?”
- Religion, eg “Do you believe in God?”

Yawn.

What about philosophy and religion? Now these two topics make for much more INTERESTING conversations!

why talking about sex is so hard

dialogue, video 24 Responses » Tagged with: chat, conversation, discussion, education, honesty, hot, learning, sex, sexuality, taboo, talk, wetoku

Sep 252009

In this video conversation with Becky Knight, a sexologist and sex educator in the Charlotte, North Carolina area, we breach an often uncomfortable topic, “Why talking about sex is so hard?” Her website is www.livingsexuality.com and she twitters at twitter.com/livingsexuality

There you have it. Sounded to me like just do it, and start the conversation. No magical how-to. How have you talked about this subject with your peers? Your children?

Talk with James Choung next Tuesday 8/18

internet 4 Responses » Tagged with: development, event, leader, talk

Aug 132009

// [update] the talkcast was recorded and you can listen to it at the L2 Foundation blog >> //

I’ll be hosting a talkcast with a very special guest, James Choung, next Tuesday 8/18, at 3:00pm Pacific / 6:00pm Eastern.

On the talkcast, we’ll be talking about how to develop leaders among the next generation of Asian Americans: the opportunities, the challenges, and their incredible potential. A talkcast is like a call-in talk show, and so much more — you can listen on the web, talk on the show, or type in the chat room!
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orange you the conversation starter

dialogue Comments Off Tagged with: color, conversation, orange, talk

Jul 102007

This polo shirt has been quite the conversation starter. Wore it on Sunday for church and home-hunting in Orange County, and effortlessly picked-up conversations with people along the way all day. (photo by Jeremiah)

After church, ran into Stanley & Leslie Jee, and she recognized the pattern on the booth decor at the Georgia Aquarium cafe in the pix, and knows the person who designed the pattern! And then they treated us out to a great sushi dinner at Kabuki! (well, had you going there for a moment; they weren’t total strangers — they’ve known my wifey since the teen years.)

In the afternoon, talked at length with Art Scott, who gives great piano lessons in South OC. So if you’re in that area, or know of someone in that Aliso Viejo / Laguna Hills area, be sure to check out Piano Lessons by Art Scott. Turns out he is quite an organist and had several connections (like me) back to Virginia. He shared a great story about his first time in an airplane, which happened to be a private Lear jet. What a way to fly! (while convenient on the boarding, I think I prefer the smoother flights of a large plane like a 747, thought I can’t really say since I’ve never (yet?) flown on a private jet…)

And met 2 or 3 others who struck up conversations too b/c of the Virginia Tech logo, or maybe it was just the bright orange color that matches my orange Crocs on my feet, and makes me stand out like an orange traffic cone. (So, with response like that, I just had to order 3 more VT logo shirts.)