Mobile Ministry Magazine

Great article over at Christian Computing Magazine (CCM) talking about Digital Bible Studying and how its evolved with now a near-digital/mobile-native approach that's able to be taken towards Bible studying. Here's a snippet:

...It is truly a great time to be a student of God's word. If you use a computer, smart phone, or book reader, then you have more tools available for studying the Word of God then at any time in history. And I think the best thing this does for us is not cut the time it takes to do our studying, but rather it helps us go much deeper. If your primary goal for doing Bible study on any of these platforms is to cut minutes or hours off your time in the Word, then you are missing the greatest benefit. Instead your goal should be to go deeper in the same amount of time...

Read of the rest of Digital Bible Study Is Breaking the Banks of the Personal Computer at Christian Computing Magazine (CCM).

In terms of a comment from MMM's perspective, I'll repeat a question that was stated in a post a few weeks ago:

So what does it mean to have believers who have instant access to multiple resource and communities, who seek answers to the questions of faith and life, evaluating sources in real-time through online and offline relationships, instead of waiting for a sermon or preacher to smooth the message.

If you will, we've got the ease in getting to the resource now. So what does the Body do in terms of teaching those analytical and spatial-search skills that will enable believers and non-believers alike to engage the Bible, and the people of the Bible, in God-edifying ways? Yes, these are indeed exciting times, but the implications of being able to do digital Bible studies means that we've also got to tweak our methods of teaching and living with one another. Are we up for the challenge, because, its for these implications that these times are exciting too.

Labels: Bible, CCM, communication, community, software, study

I'm probably a lot less of an authority on the subject of choosing Bible software these days moreso than in times past because of the increasing (good) quality of offerings, and the very different paradigms of use that I've had. Where I'm very mobile, others might not be as much when it comes to choosing Bible software for.

I can only imagine what kind of difficulty that biblical schools can have here. On one side, you want to minimize support issues by using one or very few variations in software. But, much like choosing which Bible versions to read, you really want to teach people how to evaluate all so they can come to an educated opinion. There aren't courses for choosing the right bible software though, so what are schools to do?

After reading Karyn's views on the subject (at Boulders 2 Bits), I'm more convinced that there needs to be better data models with Bible software so that content and features can be easily shared between Bible softawre platforms. And I mean more than just the same Bible formats for the Bibles themselves, but similar usage flows for things like creating search filters, parsing languages, etc. If the companies can come together in this, then the idea of choosing the right Bible software moves more towards the effectiveness of the brand to give the best experience, not necessarly proprietory features. Because we don't think about how to click links and save bookmarks when we use different web browsers, why should things be so different with Bible software that we have to choose (and get stuck after so long in one system or another).

When you choose your Bible software platform, think not just about what you can do now with it, but what things look like if you were to decide later that the platform no longer suits your needs.

~via Bible Software Review

Labels: Bible, software, stewardship, study

In my opinion, this is a great companion piece to the burnt toast piece from a little while back. The pressure is on publishers and bible software developers to respond though - consumers will vote with their attention and wallets. Check out this snippet from K. Purcell's piece:

...But the better Bible software engines do more to the book than they do to a dead tree edition. So it takes extra effort to make a Bible software copy of a book and it has added functionality. So why not make it cost more? Digits do not cost any money to reproduce after the original file has been produced. With a book, there is a cost witch every copy of that book that is sold. The cost is tied up in the actual paper and ink, the storage while the book is waiting to be sent to the customer or the store, and the cost of the sending. With an ebook you simple copy it to a new location...

Read the rest at KevinPurcell.com and watch those pennies.

Labels: Bible, cost, software, stewardship

LJ from Trailblazin Ministries has put together a nice overview of the new Logos 4 software and Microsoft OneNote 2010 software. Pretty neat stuff.

Labels: Bible, Logos, notes, software, study, Trailblazin Ministries

Imagine, if you will, that you bought a cloud-enabled toaster. And that one day, you got a sudden in-home upgrade to three toast slots from two. Then, just as suddenly, the new feature addition was rolled back. So you were left with two slots and some smushed toast. And then your toaster decided it wanted to start serving orange juice...

The quote above is from an article at GigaOM where a Harvard Law professor (Jonathan Zittrain) questioned the value of closed platforms on cloud-enabled services. The article points to cloud computing and some mobile devices, but I want to highlight one area in particular - Bible software - as the closed platform that's more likely to burn people, rather than keep them openly nourished.

I was told once that the current model of Bible software (dedicated readers and an inability to take books from one reader platform to another) is needed for the industry to survive. But I have never believed this. Personally, I think its a cop-out to a model of business that just doesn't fit the intentions of the Internet as a medium for commerce and information sharing. Its a hearken back to the times when there was only one source for learning and others needed to be approved by Rome to carry the scroll... teaching was a whole other certification process.

And yet this is where we are. Logos on desktop and web and mobile. YouVersion web and mobile. Laridian mobile and mobile and mobile some more. Palm Bible+ on one mobile. And on and on. Publishers enable this through collecting licensee fees from developers and users alike (you didn't think you were actually getting the Bible did you; you are purchasing a license to read it, not own it). The market allows this, and we sit by because...

The features within these applications are chosen on the basis of need and market targeting. Some applications are more academic and have features befitting those audiences, others have features more for casual reading, and others still are a hodge-podge of features with no clear audience or goal. Regardless of the feature, they all serve the Bread of the Word. The same bread (content) in most cases. And yet, unlike the bread in your toaster, you can't just go to your neighbor's house and use their open source toaster to read your WordSearch-branded bread. You must toast it by WordSearch's toaster only. To me that's closed, and makes absoutely no sense given the intelligence and innovation that these Bible companies have at their disposal towards creating something... open, innovative, not necessarly free, but definitely sharable.

At some point, Amazon Kindle owners are going to want to move on past Amazon's system of ebooks and use others (Borders, Barnes and Nobles, an independent bookseller, etc.) And it will take all manners of governmental, private, and public pressure to get Amazon to open up. But nothing will change until those who are effected most will want to change it.

Which is why I think that for all the truth in the point that Bible software should be open to any device, any platform, at any time - where users purchase a license and can use it legally anywhere - we aren't going anywhere. At the intersection of faith and mobile technology, developers and users alike have forgotten to leave the cross (chains of locked platforms and marketing models) behind, and resurrect to something shared and usable by all. Nothing at all like how Jesus example was/is, nothing at all like moving forward past a locked intersection.

And that's ok, we have to protect the way things were - its only toast right?

Post-Script:: Eight (8) hours after composing this post, the Wall Street Journal published this article; I'm totally not the only one with these feelings about ebooks. This is a major issue that needs to be addressed by the entire industry, not just in the religious texts realm. The question is really simple though: is the Body going to be a point of innovation in technology here, or are we going to continue to follow the secular world with something we could do a lot better given our spiritual insight? I would hope innovation comes from the Body here, but I've been burnt by that expectation many times before.

Labels: Bible, developer, software

This past Saturday, I kept up with the Bible Software Shootout as many who were in attendance were tweeting about the happenings. One thing I can say about whatever that was happening there, it looks like a lot of the major software developers really got the point that the user interface of a Bible application means nothing if people cannot simply get in the Book.

This attetion to user interface design is totally a by produt of the impact that the iPhone has made on the entire computing industry. That's not to say that many software products and services don't suffer through feature-itis. Many do and will continue to. But, it is to say that there are some areas where people are getting it, and one of them just happens to be within the realm of mobile bible software.

So let me ask you this simple question: when you are ready to read a verse/passage in your Bible, how many steps does it take between you thinking about it and you getting there? How many steps after you've gotten to that verse/passage does it take for you to do the next thing (meditate, journal/bookmark, send it to a friend, etc.)? Its these kinds of questions that software developers think about often when they are developing the software that you like. And you know something, there are a lot of answers that they come up with. The simplest one though is always the hardest to pull off - keeping your eyes in the text.

This is something that paper books have a lock on. Its easy, you read, highlight, pull another book from the side to make a note, but the text is still there. No matter where you go, you must face the book in order to engage the text. The user interface is that simple.

And so here's my challenge and exortation to those who were at that challenge, and those who are developing other software Bible solutions: What can you do with your product to keep a person's eyes in the text of Scripture while still offering the featurs that enable you to differentitate from your competitors? Because if you can do that, then it won't matter what version(s) you offer, or even the cost of your product. People will be drawn to the text - and therefore to engaging with God. Drawing people to Him, will bring in the sales and solutions you seek.

Labels: Bible, innovation, reading, resources, software, UI

Here's one of those times where I wish that I was invited to take part inside of an event that would have been able to have a significant impact into the way that we use biblical software.

Specifically, I'm talking about the Bible Software Shootout that took place this weekend at the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) Conference. The website This Lamp has provided the only> report of the event that I have seen - this despite the many tweets on the event which were very incoherent and disjointed. Here's a snippet about a surprising entry into the field:

...Although Olive Tree could not perform every aspect of the last two challenges, what they could do was very impressive, indeed. The representatives from Olive Tree showed that their "pocket" software can be used for very serious work if someone is so inclined to do so...

Now, without getting into the details too much, each participant was to use their software to complete 5 tasks, and then document the steps they went through. It seems (from This Lamp's reporting) that only Accordance was able to do this successfully, the others (Logos Systems, Stuttgart Electronic Study Bible, Bible Works, and Olive Tree) missed on one or several points.

It would also seem that not just the tasks, but also process documentation was a difficult piece to address. We've talked about it some here in terms of designing a Bible UI around the user, not so much around the features. And it would seem that some of the applications got caught up into the latter.

Another few things I noticed from this report were in those that were not present: Laridian, Word Search, Sword, and a few others. I would have thought that this would have been more about getting as many platforms here as possible for evaluation, not just those with certain name or reputation recognition. Nevertheless, there now seems to be some metric for some of these software platforms to be measured against in respect to academic (I refuse to use the word serious) biblical study on computing devices.

Check out the rest of the post at This Lamp, and be sure to give some feedback to your Bible software platform of choice if you would see these features better developed for what you've paid for. This will only make the field better for all, and hopefully, better students of the Word.

Other Posts on the Software Bible Shootout:

• OliveTree's Presentation at SBL
• #SBL (via Twitter Search)
• Report via Resources for Biblical Studies

Post Edit Note: If you've got a report from the Software Bible Shootout, post a link to it in this comment and I'll link it to this main post.

Labels: accordance, Bible, Logos, Olivetree, review, software

Kevin Purcell put together an early impressions review of the new Logos iPhone Application over at his website about a week ago. We are just getting to it now, but if you are considering the Logos iPhone App, then I definitely recommend this read. Here's a snippet.

...The other good thing about the Logos iPhone app is the overall interface. It is nice. It opens to the Home screen which lists reading plans and news information. Tap on Library and there are two lists, the bookshelf (pictured above) and the library. It is a little confusing to have a library tab on the library page. I wish they had made it more obvious that the bookshelf is the most used books while the library tab is all available books. Titles like Favorites and All would be more explanatory...

Read the rest of the review at Kevin Purcell's website.

Labels: Bible, iPhone, Logos, review, software

A topic that has come up with the discussion about Katana for Maemo 5 has been the issue of enabling an open source (and free) Bible reader to read paid (DRM-ed) formats. Its been a sticky issue within the electronic Bible realm for sometime, and I don't know that the discussion will go away anytime soon, but there are some aspects to this discussion that need to be stated so that all parties have the same starting point to move forward.

What is Copyright?

The first thing is copyright. Copyright is the defined as a:

...form of intellectual property that gives the author of an original work exclusive right for a certain time period in relation to that work, including its publication, distribution and adaptation, after which time the work is said to enter the public domain. Copyright applies to any expressible form of an idea or information that is substantive and discrete and fixed in a medium. Some jurisdictions also recognize "moral rights" of the creator of a work, such as the right to be credited for the work. Copyright is described under the umbrella term intellectual property along with patents and trademarks.

In most respects, this makes simple sense to all. Law designed to allow artists to profit from their work without fear of infringement by someone else. When it comes to mobile Bible software, there are several areas where copyright tends to rear its head:

• The coding used to transcode and format the Biblical text
• The Biblical text (per its translators or publishers)
• The code and user interface of the application that reads the Biblical text
• The systems used to develop or support the application or publishers' copyright

In respect to copyright, its a law. And laws are different for different regions. Some regions will limit a copyright for a certain amount of time to the original creator, whereas other areas might not limit it at all except in certain applications.

And while most of this is pretty simple, the idea of ownership throws all of this into several grayer-than-most areas.

Copyright and Licensing

The problem comes in enforcing copyright in a realm like the Internet where the concept of "regions" tends to get lost very quickly. Because something is attainable, the regional law needs to have a non-regional aspect to it if copyright is going to be skillfully applied. This is where the idea of licensing comes into play. Licensing allows the copyright holder to be compensated for their work, but also for the purveyor of the said work to use that item in a way that best fits them.

We see this in respect to music. When you purchase music (in the US), you are purchasing a license for its fair use. And in many cases, this fair use includes you being able to listen to that purchased music on any personal devices that you own.

Electronic Bibles

The same isn't exactly the case when it comes to electronic Bibles. Because of publishing rights and regional issues relating to literary works, licensing Biblical content for use across several devices or reader applications isn't something that's done from company to company.

This is why there are several Bible reader companies, and many of them do Bible readers for several types of software. Their licence to create and dissemenate only covers the material within their applications, not across it.

Where Ethics Comes In

Therein lies the issue of ethics for the mobile/electronic Bible user. Sure, you can purchase a Bible from "Company X," but you'd only be able to use it within their application. Because of the limited license (to you), to use that material on another device would mean that Company X would need to develop a container for you to read it.

Even if you are enterprising enough to take Company X's Bible and use it on Company Y's application, you still have the problem of licensing. Technologically, its not an issue to do that. Ethically it is. You are circumventing the license in order to gain accessibility. That's breaking the copyright, and therefore putting the law maker in position to execute justice for the copyright holder.

Solutions???

It would seem though that there are no solutions for issues like this. There are too many devices requiring too much custom code, and then so many versions of the Bible with so many owners of those copyrights. Its not an easy thing to make something available to all and then secure it for those who created it and deserve their compensation for time/resources.

But then again that just may be the problem worth fixing. Right now, companies license Bibles from creators/publishers, not individiual users. If users could also - inexpensively - license content, then maybe that license would have provisions for them to select which devices fall under that licensed use.

Bible software companies would then move into doing things to make their reader applications the selling point, promising compatibility with that licensing scheme, and value-adding whatever else would draw people to them.

I don't really know what a total solution would look like. But, in light of the many, many, people using mobile and other devices for a Bible, its clear that something different needs to be done so that copyright holders are rightfully compensated, but users don't have so many hoops to go through just to make sure they can use the materials they've created.

In the meantime, don't break a license just because you can. Follow the laws of your land, and work with those groups who are trying to enable change in a legal and God-affirming means. We all win when things are done in good order.

Labels: Bible, law, software, stewardship

There has a been a number of happenings in the area of mobile bible applications. Here are the highlights of what's come in the past week+:

OliveTree Releases Symbian S60v5 Beta and updated BlackBerry and Android applications

The folks over at OliveTree have been kicking it into high gear with mobile application updates. They've released an early beta of their OliveTree Reader for Symbian S60v5 devices (Nokia 5800XM and N97, Samsung i8910, and Sony Ericsson Saito). Testing is happening in this very public beta to get feedback before making this official. So jump in by downloading the reader and giving your feedback in the OliveTree forums.

There has also been an update to the BlackBerry and Android versions of the OliveTree application. Those too can be downloaded from the mobile-enabled download page.

Maemo 5 Bible App (Katana) Development Moving Forward

The topic of a new Bible application for Nokia's Mameo5 platform has continued with some really solid success. Already, there has been some movement by a number of developers to port the existing Rapier application to Maemo5 (testing on a live device only remains there). And then for the newer application - tentitvely named Katana - there's some work being done in a basic UI, and discussions about a plug-in approach that would enable the use of paid Bibles from folks such as OliveTree, in addition to the already planned for support for Sword and Palm Bible+ bibles.

If you'd like to learn more or join the development efforts, throw your eyes and prayers into the discussion.

Logos' Bible Software App for the iPhone

Logos has also jumped into the mobile application world with its Bible software application for the iPhone. This is a free application which allows its users to read, search, cross reference, compare versions, and even set up reading plans, all from an iPhone or iPod Touch device. As with many mobile Bible applications, this one requires a wireless connection as it connects to the Bibles featured at bible.logos.com. There's tap-and-hold functionality for viewing Hebrew/Greek, verse/text comparison, and linked cross references.

If you are looking at a Bible app to compliement your Logos library, this would probably be your best bet. For more information, visit Logos' iPhone software webpage or iTunes.

Got News?

Got news about a Bible application - new application, text, or public beta programs, shoot us a note about it so that we can help you spread the word.

Labels: Bible, iPhone, iPod Touch, Katana, Logos, Maemo, Nokia, Olivetree, Rapier, Samsung, software, sony ericsson

MMM was recently asked about the availability of the Bible widget we spoke about some time back. Unfortunately, this was merely an idea, not a real-deal application.

That being said, this is a really good idea, and something that I think most folks should be able to use easily. Considering also that many mobile widget platforms are simply HTML/CSS/JS components, this could potentially be developed very quickly. The sticky is making it compatible with the various APIs of every bible reader out there. That part would be hard, but could ultmately be most valuable.

How valuable? As a developer or publisher think of it like this: the API allows a person to taste your offerings for free. But to dive deeper, if you will, to gain that deeper integration, you can use that widget as a window to your other, deeper offerings. While many might not bite on that, those that do will be lasting customers. Something to think about. So, to those looking for ways to penetrate the mobile market, here's another door. Keep it open source and you gain something even more for short and long-term efforts.

Labels: Bible, mobility, widget

Just in case you've missed the posting over at Twitter, the chatter about developing an open source Bible reader for the newly announced Nokia N900 has started back up. Good comments in there, as well as some developers talking about what it would take to do so. Join the discussion, and maybe even assist in the effort.

And by the way of this discussion, if anyone knows of any open source (free or low-cost) multi-lingual dictionaries, please point out a few in the comments. There's a need for this for this Bible effort and other ministry efforts going on currently. Thanks in advance.

Labels: Bible, dictionary, Maemo, multi-lingual, N900, open source, software, twitter

Not long after penning the last post, I came across this link to a rant from another perspective of idoltry and how our affluence just sometimes looks really bad. I don't want to dig into the entire post, but there was a part of the rant that stuck out just from what I've dealt with personally on this issue:

...Yesterday I had students begging me for a copy of the Portuguese NIV Study Bible. If they only knew that people in America are spending the equivalent of several months salary on yet one more Bible when their shelves are already sagging from the weight of an endless collection of devotional Bibles and study Bibles in colors to match your every Sunday outfit and target each and every consumer niche...

The entire post with several comments is here, but the explaination of it in better detail and context is over at Think Christian (by the same author).

In light of our gifts, we are also responsible to those who have not.

Labels: affluence, Bible, community, stewardship

A few days ago, I came across a really neat link from Nokia's recent Nokia World Conference. It was of a possibility for some future uses of mobile-like technologies combined with the real world and the Internet. Here's the video:

For the way that I think about how I interact with media and information, especially within a church or bible study setting, I can see some value in some of the interaction approaches taken here.

One of those things that I really like though, and something that I could see in some level - maybe not with the glasses - is that idea of the world as an interface layer. If you will, seeing and interacting with the world around you, with the context of linked data on top of it.

So much like the woman viewing her news posts within the "browser," I could see a host of users within a church or bible study setting instead of being shown the text of Scripture, seeing just verses on a screen. And then as they hold up their mobile's cameras, or special glasses, they would unlock the ability to interact with that data. Sort of like Logos' RefTagger, but instead of being done on a browser, its being done with some character recognition, along with connection to data streams (personal, church's, and publisher's - all working together).

Beyond that, I would see a shared space, something like YouVersion Live that would be an aggregate place for those saved/shared discussions. With this total interactive experience being a part of that door that we as the Body offer to the world around us.

Its a dream, and one that I have often - everytime that I open my mobile in church I want to do just this scene of linking my data to the pastor's and others in the community. But, its one that I think would be possible, if we were to take a chance by mixing up things a bit, and allowing the tech to actually speak towards how it was created to be used. What do you think?

Labels: Bible, community, visual media, Web

Over at Talk.Maemo, I opened a discussion asking a few questions about a potential Bible application for the new N900 and other Mameo 5 devices. What I'm more interested in is creating momentum for the application than anything else, and from there, this community and others can be a point of reference for use-cases, testers, and developers who'd build something solid. Here's the questions posed at that thread:

• Is there anyone working on [developing] one? If so, I'd be up to assist in testing, UI, etc).
• If there isn't one under development, would this kind of application be useful and if so what features rank highest?
• If not a Bible application specifically, would a browser-extension that works with a Bible-based website be a suitable development target?
• What are some of the positives and negatives of Bible applications for Maemo 5 devices (pick the perspective that's relevant to you to speak towards)?

Hopefully, there can be something of some direction gained towards that effort and then developers and testers alike could move forward towards something of benefit for the Body and of highlight to the platform - can you imagine a Bible application being something that exploits the best nature of the platform and then profiled by the manufacturer? I can ;)

Add your thoughts here or the thread at Talk.Maemo.

Labels: Bible, Maemo, software, wireless application

This might be a bit late for some of you who've already left service today, but for those trying to get that MMM read in on your Google Android device before heading to service/fellowship, here's some good news for you: YouVersion now has a an Android application available.

This application is very similar to the iPhone version and you will find the same features throughout such as 40 different available translations, the One-Year Reading plan, viewing comments and contributions from others, and more.

Download YouVersion for Android devices from by typing http://youversion.com/download right from your mobile device (its free).

Just a note, you need to make sure that you have the 1.5 (Cupcake) version of the OS in order to use this application.

Labels: Android, Bible, Google, software, YouTube

One of the newer projects that I'm doing with some guys I mentor is to do a Bible study within the book of Isaiah. We are basically going through a lesson of learning how to use reference materials. A key point in the lesson for me has been how to enable the mobile tool to be useful in this context, and then use as many mobile-enabled pieces to pull things together. I've only been partially successful... so far.

One of the bigger issues actually has to do with the notes. Though I've settled on a doing a wiki, the browsers on my mobiles don't play so well with the site. I also have the problem of how to link resources - as both of the browsers on my device don't give the ability to copy a page's URL.

Nevertheless, there's still this neat thing happening in terms of reading and making time to research. Being on the mobile, I'm more apt to find tangents that lead into additional notes, and in terms of just a plain reading of Scripture, the size of my mobile's screen gives me chunks to chew on without that gestalt aspect of ignoring other text around the page.

All in all, I think this will work, but it definitely highlights some of the issues present when using a mobile tool as a main element in organizing, leading, and managing a Bible study. Have any of you had similar experiences with mobiles's and leading/facilitating Bible studies? What has and hasn't worked for you?

Labels: Bible, mobiles, study, tech

In a conversation via Twitter (yes, I know that's a bit of an oxymoron) after yesterday's post, the idea that content needs to be independent was in some respects validated, but there's that aspect of publishers and developer rights that's rarely heard in this discussion. So I asked, what would this question of content independence look like if we didn't just say "we want it" but actually proposed a "how to do it?"

So let's try and answer that. And your feedback is key (especially those of you with some vested careers in this).

Here are some thoughts I have:

• Start with the content that is already within the domain of users (notes, bookmarks, etc.). This content should already be using an XML-based format that is readable in any Bible application regardless of platform (PC, mobile, Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.). This much should be done now. I'd say a commonly supported plugin that any Bible application can use that would unify formatting and content types would be enough for this.
• Concerning those newer translations which are already available in the public domain through publisher agreements (thinking ESV, NET, and a few others); where can open source developers and advocates join together in coding and marketing this raw content to whatsoever persons/orgs need it? In this way, we leverage open source not so much for the cost savings, but for the people-energy that it generates. Allow the push to use the software come from the grassroots angle (small groups, the pastorate, etc.) and then also the bigger angles (software and educational organizations banding together to promote code and/or study camps for example). Use that energy to create points of engagement and interest from those outside of those groups.
• Publishers have a vested interest in keeping their formats licensed, so how about instead of attaching the license to the Bibles, the license is attached to the user(s). Much like what some software companies do, publishers would allow a user or group of users to purchase a license which allows limited usage of that content; and a digital token is given that is simply asked to be reregistered a few times a year at no cost. Publishers get sales and metrics; people get content in as many ways as they can view it.

Those are some of my ideas. What about yours?

Labels: accessiblity, accountability, Bible, content, open source, software, tech

With the new version of the Firefox web browser (v3.5) released today, I thought that it would be great to bring back up that topic of content independence. Specifically, when it comes to reading materials (Bibles, commentaries, etc.), are these items independent of a particular browser or reading application?

I don't know that it is. Sure; there are more powerful and capable devices than ever before. And we can say that there's more digital content out there than ever before as well. But when it comes to moving that content from one device to another (for example from PC to mobile), a lot of times, we are locked into one method and don't realize it until we want to move.

I liken it to many of the desktop-grade Bible applications that are out there. All of them have some excellent content available; however, if you want to take that content with you, for many of these you would have to either purchase an entirely different library (software client and content), or manage some complex tasks before it can even be in a complimentary format.

And I don't want to say it to fault the publishers and developers; truly, they do a great work in building and supporting the breadth of languages, regions, devices, and content available to date. However, I do want to call them to attention - especially in light of the move to users becoming more and more independent of a PC-based computing paradigm.

Content should be just that; content. It shouldn't be attached to the presentation layer, nor should politics allow one silo to have prominence over another. If we are truly looking to good on teaching people to the ends of the earth, at the very least, content needs to be independent of the former ideas of reader/application.

This might look like Firefox, where mobile browsers take on an ability to utilize extensions which enable more functionality (this done at the developer or publisher level). Or this could simply look like more partnerships between publishers, developers, and users towards making content available, and sharing the load for marketing, management, and support.

Whatever is the solution though, I'm not sure that many Bible publishers and software companies will be able to stand pat as they are now: using dedicated readers, coding for specific browsers only, or limiting themselves to policial divisions in the hope of keeping marketshare. If the goal is to educate to the point of making disciples, then the content needs to be independent so that the accountability (individually and corporately) can take the primary focus of ministry activity.

Labels: accessiblity, accountability, Bible, community, content, software, tech

This was pointed out to me a few days ago and is a pretty neat service for those of you looking to share Bible verses with folks on Twitter, and would like to have them actually link to the verse.

The service is called Ref.ly (http://ref.ly) and is by the folks over at Logos. Basically, its a URL shortening service just for Bible verses.

Sure, there's a pretty narrow need for something like this, but there is a need. And the best part is that this works whether you are just posting the links to twitter, or looking for a short URL to send to someone via SMS.

Check it out and let us know (via twitter - @mobileminmag) what you think of Ref.ly. And, can you think of other uses for this kind of service?

Labels: Bible, SMS, tech, twitter

By now, news of the new Kindle has pretty much been talked about everywhere. But something that hasn't been talked about as much is the effect that the Kindle and Amazon's means of electronic publishing will have on the Bible market.

I don't think we have to think long before we come to a situation with eBibles that becomes similar to what we are seeing with newspapers and ebooks - where there are fewer players, and more consolidation towards formats that work better for consumers than for publishers.

I don't say this to mean that that Bible publishers will get to a point of irrelevancy, but that it will become more of an issue of shared licensing across digital devices, and in some signifiant cases, how can these electronic formats and licenses be easier to understand and track for readers.

At the time of this writing, the new Kindle has not yet released. Its rumored to be a device geared for the textbook market (colleges and other secondary education). When a device like the Kindle shows how accessible carrying many books in a relatively familiar format can be, how much longer can we hold out with Bibles and resources that either (a) aren't as versatile, (b) aren't as accessible, or (c) aren't as mobile? I think that even for this niche, the new Kindle will effect greatly how people better utilize digital resources. From there, maybe the market changes for all of us.

And this is what I get for writing things a few days before they publish. Read OliveTree's take on the subject.

Labels: Bible, Kindle, publishing

First there's good news of unlocked/unbranded Palm Centro devices going for $200, now there's some solid Bible software to go with it. Laridian has announced the availability of the MacArthur Study Bible Notes for their MyBible Bible Reader application. For those looking for a solid study bible solution for their PalmOS/GarnetOS mobile device, this seems like a great by. For more information, check out the Laridian website.

Labels: Bible, Centro, Laridian, MyBible, Palm Treo, software, study, Treo

The past weeks since BibleTech has seen me talking to a lot more peolpe about how important it is that the Body remains technically literate. Not that we need tod o everything under the digital sun, but that we do need to have an awareness of what's going on and then set an approach to understanding it so that later generations are not simple digital and naieve.

That being said, its sometimes more difficult to broach the subject of technical literacy (as aspect of the digital divide) because its not the younger or connected (digital imports and digital natives) that aren't on board, but those who feel that digital goes to fast and that they have no time to engage digital trends that are happening. Unfortunately, its this group that needs to be the voice of reason and accountability, else we end up with lots of shiny gadgets, but dull minds and hearts.

Howard Rheingold has been a huge influence in my life as he has been at the forfront of understanding digital communities and the implications of this technology. In a recent blog post at City Brights (via Smart Mobs), he says:

...only after confronting this issue for a long time did I become convinced that the difference between the haves and have nots, between education and disinfotainment, is not a matter of hardware or software or even (entirely) of being able to afford access to the Web. The most important critical uncertainty today is how many of us learn to use digital media and networks effectively, reasonably, credibly, collaboratively, civilly, humanely.

Its not enough to just use these services, we have to mature in our ability to use and understand these. As Reingold says also in that post, "don't assume [teens] know the rhetoric of blogging, collective knowledge gathering techniques of taggers and social bookmarkers, collaborative norms of wiki work, how to tune and feed a Twitter network, the art of multimedia argumentation - and, by far most importantly, online crap detection."

How then do we manufacture a better understanding of technical literacy? How do we not just learn what's new and coming, but also give those core lessons that other media and tech have done before?

Personally, I believe that we start at the cross and the stone. We start with the simple understanding that literacy begins and ends with knowing Christ. And even if a person doesn't subscribe to Jesus, we still walk in His frame towards displaying and being "Jesus with skin on" around them. Its not just bible software and filters, its teaching people to deal with the reality that their actions have consequences that will filter into eternity.

From there, teaching the tech becomes a matter of legacy for us, and survival for them. A point that everyone can agree with is more important to understand as the world around us drives itself into a more digital context.

Labels: Bible, commentary, community, education, literacy, mobility

If you want more people to purchase your software, you don't need an AppStore, you need to design your websites better.

Now that the important part of this post is out of the way, please, for the love of those people who are not using an iPhone and would like to purchase from you, if you run any kind of website where people can sell and download bibles and associated materials, please make sure that your websites have the following:

• A mobile version that is a three step process from the front page to having an installed bible on their device
• A conventional website that simply notes what's free, what's for pay, and what can be downloaded
• And a very visible search box that uses JavaScript to offer search suggessions so that a person would not spend a lot of time wandering through a site just to find the 'download for my device' link.

I say all of this after watching my mother stumble through three sites that I recommended to her to check out for a a bible for her Samsung Omina (a Windows Mobile smartphone). She still doesn't have a bible on her device. Aren't we supposed to have this down by now?

Labels: Bible, smartphone, software

Just a few more questions that came to mind:

• What kind of value do you see or not see in the types of Bible software used on PDAs and other mobile devices?
• Is there anything about current mobile Bible software that you'd like to see done better (or introduced)?

Labels: Bible, PDA, smartphone, software

Over at Palm Addict, there's a post about an application called MyHolyBible that has gotten an update. Some of the features include:

• Customizable User-Interface
• Enhanced User-Interface
• Variety of Font selection.
• Passage Reading of the day
• And more

Check out the rest of the post at Palm Addict and then download MyHolyBible for Palm OS devices.

Labels: Bible, Palm Addict, Palm OS, software

I've neglected to do this for some time, but here's a small attempt to rectify to those of you who have been using the Google Android operating system on the T-Mobile G1 (and soon to come other devices).

Here are a few Bible applications found:

• AcroBible for Android
• CadreBible

Please reference the Mobile Bible Downloads page which is updated with these and other Bibles for other mobile devices.

Labels: Android, Bible, open source, smartphone, software

A poster at Palm Addict recently spoke a bit about a software application for Palm PDAs and smartphones called MyVerses for Scripture Memorization and Meditation 4.0. Basically, its designed to help you memorize Scriptures, and can serve as a bit of a reminder for a daily devotional or reading list.

Download MyVerses for Scripture Memorization and Meditation 4.0 from PocketGear.

Labels: Bible, Palm Addict, Palm OS, software

Olive Tree has released an electronic version of Dr. Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology for iPhone and BlackBerry devices. As with other Olive Tree releases, you would need to also have the Olive Tree Bible Reader to read this.

Systematic Theology for iPhone and BlackBerry also comes with the complete Bible in ESV format with cross-references and bibliographies.

For more information and to download, visit the Olive Tree website.

Labels: Bible, commentary, ESV, Olivetree, software

I was asked by the folks at Internet Evangelism Day whether I had or knew of a list of mobile electronic Bibles and remembered the post we did some months ago.

Would you be so kind as to check out the Mobile Bibles list and add to the comments any that we are missing. Thanks.

Labels: Bible, mobiles, software

Now this is what I call cool, Go Bible is a Bible reader that works with non-smartphones, think Moto RAZR like phones.

A free and Java-based application, Go Bible 2.2.6 Features:

• Christ's Words in red
• SMS scriptures
• Bookmarks
• History
• Coloured themes
• Fast search

The best thing about Go Bible is that its just simple and straight to the point. Can't beat that. And with some recent support by the Crosswire folks, you can bet that Go Bible will do more than just make a dent on phones. Looking forward to seeing that mobile ministry.

For more information and to download, visit the Go Bible website.

Please do keep this ministry in your prayers. Go Bible has a reach that can make it hard for developers and ministries to support the effort. If you have the ability, just drop the developer and Go Bible team a note of encouragement, or just lift them in your prayer today. Thanks folks.

Labels: Bible, Go Bible, phone, software

Those might have moved from an iPhone to a BlackBerry might be delighted in this news. YouVersion has released the initial version (1.0) of their BlackBerry Bible Application.

From the YouVersion Blog:

Biggest [user interface] change is an upgrade to a more elegant design, while also integrating sleek carousel navigation in the interface. Other features include the ability to email verse to a friend, view contributions from YouVersion users and compatibility with a wider range of Blackberry handsets. Models included in this update are: 9000, 87xx, 88xx, 83xx, 8220, 7130, 81xx...

According to the post, there will be a version of the Blackberry Bible Application for the newly released Storm/Thunder (touchscreen Blackberry) as well.

Seems pretty slick of an application, especially for something free. Download it and let MMM know what you think about it.

Labels: Bible, BlackBerry, software, YouVersion

In the rise of mobile devices as capable Bible reading and studying devices, the ability to support multiple languages and character sets nearly rivals the need to support multiple Bible versions.

The website owner over at This Lamp has been playing with a beta version of Olive Tree's Bible Reader on the iPhone, and in a recent post/screenshot shows a Hebrew search as something that's coming.

This is pretty cool, and reminds me of when Palm Bible+ got a similar feature. Makes it fun to study the text in terms of seeing the direct Hebrew (if you speak it), or to learn it (side by side with the English).

Labels: ancient languages, beta, Bible, Hebrew, Olivetree, software

I'm late on this news (taking a week off from posting will do that to you), but wanted to post about some new books and an update for Laridian PocketBible4 (Windows Mobile devices). Here's a snippet of that PPC post:

• New books: MacArthur Study Bible Notes, MacArthur Topical Bible, Find It Fast in the Bible, Where to Find it in the Bible. Women's Study Bible, and the On This Day
  The NIV Study Bible (2008 update)
• Updates for PocketBible 4 for both the PPC and Smartphone versions.

PocketBible 4 is compatible with Windows Mobile 5, 6, touchscreened and non-touchscreened models. You can also purchase bundles that add several Bibles and commentaries to the mix with the application purchase. For more information and to download, visit the Laridian PocketBible 4 website.

Labels: Bible, Laridian, PocketBible, software

I promised to review some Bible software a short while ago. This is one I stumbled on while talking to Twitter pal Chris Szulwach, and I am happy I stumbled.

Youversion is an offering from Lifechurch.tv that is aimed at making the Bible more accessible to all. The best part is that they truly have a heart for leveraging technology to make it happen.

This application is user friendly, allowing users to add devotions and notes to specific verses that can be used by fellow users.

The whole project makes available a robust online Bible in numerous translations. Well, the developers didn't stop there; they created a BlackBerry port, so that your biblical needs are available on the go.

The BlackBerry application has more than 30 different translations in numerous languages. You can search the entire Bible with keywords. Upon starting the program on your Berry, you are welcomed to a clean mobile interface with an option to check other user contributions, or to use the built-in one-year reading plan, or simply just "read."

I found that application responsive. The default font was perfect, and can be made smaller or larger to fit the users tastes.

If I had to gripe (and I am honestly struggling here), it would be about the inability of a user to make notes/contributions on the BlackBerry.

All in all, this is a beautifully-made free application for BlackBerry and (gasp!) iPhone users. A true blessing. Have fun "inviting" friends and family to use this application Facebook-style via email, or join the growing community at youversion.com.

The generalized mobile site is located at m.youversion.com.

Labels: Bible, BlackBerry, Church Tech Today, iPhone

When I got started with the Bible side of PDA life, it was really hard to find or create a digital version of modern translations. Due to publishing rights, this was frankly an impossible task unless you had the tools and knew the rights-laws for your region.

Since then, mobile Bible reading has been seen in a more favorable light and its been folks like Crossway (ESV) that have done a lot of this pushing into mobile media.

In a recent announcement, "Crossway has partnered with the leading digital software providers, including Accordance, Biblesoft, Laridian, Olive Tree, and WORDsearch, to make the ESV Study Bible available with all of its notes, articles, and features."

What does that mean? Well, no matter if the ESV is your cup of tea or not, there's no excuse, no matter what mobile device that you have, towards having a solid Biblical reference on your person.

The ESV Study Bible contains more than just the Biblical text, it also has the translator notes and references that makes for a better understanding as to why certain words/phrases were used. Basically, this makes it so that you don't have to understand Greek to know why something was used, but can use some textual analysis of your own to decide whether the translation is speaking correctly.

The ESV Study Bible will be available from electronic distributors such as Laridian, Olive Tree, and more. I'm not sure if Palm Bible+ will get it, but that would be pretty cool. There's also an offer going on where if you purchase the print edition of the ESV Study Bible that you'd get the online edition free. This is a nice way to bundle and shows some forward thinking for those who still need to touch the leaves when feeding the Spirit :)

Labels: Bible, Bible+, ESV, Laridian, mobile, Olivetree, software

Ok, so it doesn't exactly fit into the pocket so easily, but Logos Bible Software for Mac is now released, and for those with the smaller Apple models, this is indeed a mobile Bible solution worth looking at.

These are the base packages for the Logos Mac product:

• Bible Study Library for Mac
• Leader's Library for Mac
• Scholar's Library for Mac
• Scholar's Library: Silver for Mac
• Scholar's Library: Gold for Mac

According to the blog posting, "current Logos users who want to crossgrade and move their existing Logos Bible Software digital library over to our new Mac software can purchase the Logos Bible Software for Mac engine for only $59.95."

There's also a promo where if you spend $250 at logos.com or over the phone in a single order during November, they'll send you the Mac engine for free as soon as it’s ready.

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me. For more information and to see a demo, check out the new Logos Bible Software for Mac at the Logos website.

Labels: Apple, Bible, Logos, software

Here is a (small) list of some of the places to get free (and low-cost) electronic Bibles (mobile, smartphone, laptop, and desktop):

• Laridian
• Olive Tree
• YouVersion
• Logos for iPhone
• eBible
• eSword
• Bible Explorer
• Palm Bible+
• Symbian Bible Reader (previous called S60 Bible Reader
• Mantis Bible Reader
• Rapier
• Berean Bible Study
• BibleTouch
• GoBible
• mbible.com (Online Mobile Bible)
• Touch Bible LE
• Several iPhone Bibles and Bible Widgets
• AcroBible for Android
• CadreBible
• Arabic Bible
• Best eBible (Symbian S60)

Are we missing one that you use? Add it in the comments.

Image via Palm Bible+

Labels: Android, Berean Bible Study, Bible, Bible Explorer, Bible+, iPhone, Laridian, Mantis Bible, Olivetree, Rapier, S60 Bible Reader, software, WordSearch, YouVersion

A good friend shot me an email about some coming updates for Olive Tree's iPhone/iPod Touch Bible Reader detailed in a post at Painfully Hopeful. Here's a snippet of what's coming:

...Well, I can happily say that personal libraries are now present beta release, and I was privileged to be shown a screen shot of what Hebrew support is going to look like on the iPhone/iTouch. Folks, you will be pleased, I am literally drooling over how Hebrew looks in the screenshot. The new version's UI differs some from the current release in the App Store, apparently from some work the gang at Olive Tree did with Apple's "UI Evangelist." The browser-like bar is gone from the top of the screen, which has been replaced by two buttons - one for selecting a book out of your library and the other to open the verse chooser (which has remained unchanged from earlier releases)...

Check out the rest of the post at Painfully Hopeful and then download Olive Tree's iPhone/iPod Touch Bible Reader and see the updates for yourself.

Image via Olive Tree

Labels: Bible, iPhone, iPod Touch, Olivetree, review, software

A post from the website Every Square Inch reviews a few Bible applications for the iPhone and offers some solid insights. Here's a snippet:

One of the best reasons I love having an iPhone is that it provides a quick, easy way to read the Bible. It's amazing when you stop to think about it. I always have the entire Bible right in my pocket! I can take 10 minutes to read a chapter any time I have the opportunity. I can search for a word or phrase in the Bible whenever I have need. All right there with me at all times—carrying nothing more than the iPhone I'm already carrying.

Personally, my favorite time and place to read my Bible is early in the morning on my front porch (while my dog Tucker walks around looking for rabbit droppings). An important morning custom for both of us. And often at that time, especially this time of year, it's still dark outside. That's when reading the Bible on my lighted iPhone screen is particularly handy...

Check out the rest of the post at Every Square Inch (link via Palm Addict).

Labels: Bible, iPhone, iPod Touch, review, software

A post caught in the weeds of Google Reader has been rescued :)

The folks at LifeChurch.TV have released a free Bible application for Blackberry users. A connected application, the YouVersion Bible App for the Blackberry opens the YouVersion Mobile site where one can pretty much do anything: read several Bible versions, search for words and phrases, catch up on the One Year Reading Plan, and even share with other YouVersion users.

Check it out and leave your thoughts here or at LifeChurch.TV (but tell them we sent you).

Labels: Bible, BlackBerry, software, YouVersion

A previous post about Bible readers got me thinking again about the idea of Bible formats and the fact that content is very much unmovable from one appliation to another. In some respects, I really have won out because with my current phone, even though its not Palm OS, it can use the Bible+ Bibles formatted for that application.

Because of this, there's extra value to not only having a Bible on my device, but the content that I've collected over the years. Needless to say, I've got a ton of Bibles (and other content), and much of that I didn't want to have to reacquire for another application and publishing scheme.

And in previous posts, we've talked about this conflict with publishers needing to (rightly) control the content they make available, and the Bible software developers who make all of our Bible readers possible. I don't want to rerun too much on previous discusisons, but I do want to ask the community here a question:

How important is it to you that the electronic Bibles that you have for whatever application you are using now are compatible with another Bible application you may choose to use in the future?

This is a pretty valuable question. Some don't consider the free or low cost Bibles, but those as well as the very expensive bundles can be very tedious to move from one applicaiton to another. What are your thoughts? And is this something that we should change?

Labels: Bible, Bible+, content, reading, S60 Bible Reader, software

Rocking through RSS feeds, Bible Softwrae Review linked to a Olive Tree BibleReader Beta Review at Touch Rundown. Pretty neat to see what Olive Tree has done. Check out this snippet of the review:

...One more feature that makes this a well-rounded app is the powerful search capability. You can perform a standard search, specifying where to search in the Bible, how to match your query, and how to display results. There is also an advanced search syntax that allows you to get very, very specific. You can match partial words and specify “ANDs”, “ORs”, or even get as detailed as to tell it how close to each other you want your search terms to be. You can also nest searches (create searches within searches). And that only scratches the surface. The bottom line is that the search capabilities of BibleReader for iPhone rival that of even desktop software...

Read the rest of the Olive Tree BibleReader Beta Review at Touch Rundown, then take a trip to Olive Tree to download it and try for yourself.

Labels: Bible, BSReview, iPhone, iPod Touch, Olivetree, review, software

One of the difficulties that people have with mobile devices is that idea of managing the resources. Speaking just of books right now, its pretty easy to manage a print library. You see colors and text and then organize how you feel. On an electronic device, its a bit harder because they all are in the same place and the organization is usually the department of the developer towards what ways would work best.

But I'm mobile and like to give books away, so that presents yet another issue. Some ways I am thinking about better managing my print and digital assets actually include using bar codes (or QR codes) and a bit of fun with the digital camera.

First I would take a picture of all of my books as they sit on their shelf. Ideally, taking a picture of the binding in this way would also give me a view of the bar code or QR code that is on the book. My camera would then read that information and ask if I want to save it into my digital library (think bookmarks in the browser). Depending on the license, that digital library would indicate if there is an electronic version of that book for download (free or reduced purchase).

For those books that are completely digital, these also appear in that digital library, incdicated with an icon that it is digital only. Like the print books, there would be a link to the physical version, purchasable at a reduced price as well.

After that I would manage thing via that digital picture that I took. Physical assets would sit on that bookshelf, and the digital ones would be shown overlayed on an additional "shelf." By moving the device up/down/in/out I would be able to view books zoomed in on a level that makes it easy to see what I want to read next, or what was lent out. Finally, I would be given a prompt every time a new book is added digitally to update my bookcase picture.

Given the breadth of books that many have, and most will not go completely digital for a while, this would seem an idea means to not only keep track of books, but also integrate our mobile devices for a more organic book experience. For all of you who are teachers and pastors, with shelves and shelves of books (some of which not seeing an eye in years), how does a solution for managing your collections in a manner like this work for you? And to others, how could you see solutions like Logos, Laridian, Olive Tree, etc. working in something like this to make it easier to read more and share what you've read?

Labels: Bible, camera, Laridian, Logos, mobiles, Olivetree, print, reading, tech

One of the new aspects of play that I have had with mobile devices lately has come through the Nokia N95 and a piece of hardware/software called the accelerometer. The Accelerometer is basically a sensor within the device that senses when it has changed positions on the X, Y, and Z-axis and then orients the screen accordingly.

Those of you with the iPhone will know this feature as being the same thing as when you hold the device in its normal portrait mode, but then tilt to landscape for web or email viewing. The N95 also has this feature, and its something that when I unlocked it with a few applications, it got me thinking again about mobile Bible readers.

One of the common issues I hear with mobile bible readers is the screen resolution. For many people, the text is too small to read, but just right to look up a phone number (go figure). For some others, the buttons are designed for quick presses and therefore are uncomfortable for a reading mode.

Some browsers have seen this issue and have adopted a pan and zoom feature. For example, Opera Mini, Nokia's S60 Web Browser and Apple's Safari Mobile have this feature where you can view the whole of a web page as it would look on a desktop, but then zoom in to a section that you'd like to read.

The benefits of this is that you get some of the feel of the large page, but the compactness of the content fitting the screen that you are looking at. Now, what if that same idea, plus the accelerometer were applied to a mobile bible reader.

Let's give a usage case and then hear some thoughts from you:
- Open the Bible Reader and you are presented with two panes: last read verses and recent bookmarks
- Clicking on Last Read Verses you are taken to a zoomed out page with the focus square (the area that you can zoom into) on the verse that you chose
- The view is a nearly traditional four column, 42-line view (mimicing the page view that many are familiar with)
- Zoom in and the content is reflowed to fit the mobile screen for that specific verse with a line from the previous verse and a line from the next verse if the screen permits
- To scroll one tilts the device up or down, moving the Bible a verse up or down (an optional setting to allow it to move an entire screen, multiple verses, or off)
- For added fun, tapping the camera will indicate that a bookmark is to be made for that verse and a new screen pops up with that specific dialogue

Again, this is just a thought after having played with the programs FlipSlient and RockNScroll on my N95. What do you think of immersing the electronic bible reading experience with a few subtle actions such as described above?

Post created with alpha version of WordPy for Internet Tablets (please excuse any formatting issues)

Labels: Bible, iPhone, iPod Touch, N95, seminary, software, UI

A new friend from Logos might get on me a bit for this, but I did tell him that I wanted to post about something he showed me when we got together Friday night :)

My friend had a Samsung Q1 UMPC (review of this at Brighthand) with him and explained to me how the paradigm of Logos and the TabletPC led him to really embrace mobile computing. Being that we were both of the background of developers, some of the conversation got technical, but the more interesting part of things is where he spoke about ownership, and how many of the principles of Web 2.0 take that away from the user for the sake of short term profits.

Needless to say, I was very impressed at his disection of the marketplace, and what it means for uses both now and in the future. Of course, he is highly invested into Logos, which wants to keep the paradigm of ownership with the user, rather than with the company or publisher.

Getting some back to the mobile tech, he told me about how he uses Logos as a reader, moreso than a sermon prep application. With the number of books that he has on the Samsung Q1, in addition to the size and mobility of the device, he is able to essentially take his Bibles with him, and read in a manner that gives him the knowledge of a serminary's library at his fingertips, but the usability of a Moleskin with the touchscreen.

That's pretty much one of the best applications of desktop Bible applications in a mobile setting I've seen to date. How do you use your electronic Bible solutions and what do you feel about the concept of ownership as it relates to having all resources in your possession versus a website where you subscribe and rent them?

Labels: Bible, Logos, ownership, tablet PC, tech, web application

This year, one of my biggest struggles with just about everything has been to remember that there's a good bit of relevance that must be undertaken with everything. And especially in the field of mobile technology where things just move faster than people want to even write about, its important to remember something I've been told often, technology is only relevant when it is personal. Some recent thinkings have put me in a position though where I realize that I have to do a lot more evangelism than just using this stuff in order to make this point clear.

I can start with the example of my use of Nokia's Mobile Web Server. Frankly speaking, this is probably one of the most far out things that I use and one of those things that people go "ooh" about, but just don't understand. Without repeating the entire post that I wrote up on my personal website, I will say it like this: using a web server on your mobile phone, or even just the idea of having a web server in your home gives YOU control of the information that you put on the net. Not Google, not Nokia, not anyone. You administer it, and you say how it gets anywhere, if it goes out at all.

The mobile device that's that and adds the ability to associate that personal information with the context of your environment. Its not just an IP address, its an IP address that's attached to a photo of a place or a contact person or a a mesh of all of those and more. That's not the web virtual, that's a literal web. And its already something in your hands. Imagine knitting the Body together with that kinda stuff.

Or about about mobile devices in general? Most would say that while they are enabling, that they offer no real benefit over other computing situations. That might be right, until you consider the cost of powering devices. The wastefulness that we display as a computing culture is crazy. Slimming down to the bare essentials should allow us the time to develop more accessible and renewable solutions, while making all of those previously stated connections all the more fruitful.

Connecting: I want to be the kind of parent who has the "key" for allowing his household to be online. If you will, I'd like my mobile device to be the gateway for my family. This way I can see and interact with what my kids are doing, and my wife has an accessible and open means to keep me accountable. Far reaching? Nope. Using something like this soon to come software and a solid smartphone this is not just possible, but probably advisable.

Look. I am not saying that we have to do this. I am saying that the technology is relevant if we look at it as being so. I still think that a partnership between churches and developing nations could do more for increasing technical competencies for both sides than just doing nothing. I still feel that solutions like Earthcomber should be used by more urban missionaries to share and live the Gospel. I still see the need for people to put these devices down and interact with one another being an important part of using these devices. I just have a problem with just letting it sit here. I'm made in God's image. I'd like to believe that somewhere in me beats the ability to be relevant with whatever is in my hands and life.

For me, it just happens to be mobile tech and its various applications, intersecting with my faith, in a way that just happens to push the green light out a bit longer.

Labels: accessiblity, Bible, children, church, community, computer, environment, innovation, Internet, Mobile Web Server, mobility, networking, OLPC, smartphone, software

While its great to talk about recently announced products, its always better to get some impressions of actual use. And since I don't have an iPhone, hearing about how others are using Olive Tree's Bible Reader for iPhone will definitely have to do. Here is a snippet from a review at This Lamp

...Regardless of these early snags, Olive Tree’s venture into the iPhone platform looks very promising. I am hopeful I can eventually reproduce the same functionality with Bible texts on my iPhone that I had previously experienced on my Treo. Since useful iPhone Bible functionality is something I am genuinely seeking, expect to see more on This Lamp about the subject as new developments arise.

Read the rest of this very through review at This Lamp.

Thanks for the headsup on this one DB, The Foolish Galatian.

Labels: Apple, Bible, community, iPhone, iPod Touch, Olivetree, reading, resources, software

A day late with the news because of our posting schedule, but nonetheless wanting to highlight another solid Bible reader application that has made it to the iPhone/iPod Touch world. Olive Tree has released its Bible Reader application for the iPhone.

As reported on the Olive Tree blog, "This version has a three tap verse chooser, continuous scrolling, and the books are store locally on your iPhone so that you don't need an internet connection to read them."

There are two versions of Olive Tree's new reader, both available from Apple's App Store: BibleReader (free) and the ESV Study Bundle for BibleReader ($24.99)

Here are some very important notes about this version of Bible Reader:

• Downlad and installation of BibleReader for iPhone and purchase of iPhone-compatible Olive Tree resources can only take place through the Apple iTunes store at this time. iPhone BibleReader and iPhone resources are not presently available through Olive Tree's online store. Go to Apple iTunes to find resources for your iPhone or iPod Touch.
• iTunes sells resources in bundles. To use different books together (looking up a verse in two different Bible translations without exiting the program, for example), books must be purchased in the same bundle. Individual titles cannot be added to or subtracted from a bundle. Olive Tree will offer periodic updates to the bundles sold on iTunes. If we update a bundle you have purchased, you can download the update for free at iTunes.
• BibleReader for iPhone is a completely new program. Items in your Personal Library purchased for other platforms (like BlackBerry or Palm) will not transfer to iPhone. Olive Tree resources for iPhone are only available through Apple iTunes.

That all being said, there are some neat things to look forward to with Olive Tree's new Bible Reader. This is from the list featured on Olive Tree's iPhone page:

• Greek and Hebrew Bible translations, lexicons, reference works, and fonts
• More commentaries, study tools, and Christian eBooks—Olive Tree plans to release over 500 titles for iPhone
• Phrase Search
• Bookmarks
• Auto-Scrolling
• Hyperlinked Table of Contents for eBooks
• Personal Notes
• Support for Images
• Highlighting
• Split-Screen, to view multiple documents at once
• Notes and Cross-References

For more information, visit Olive Tree's iPhone page; to download/purchase, visit the App Store via iTunes or on the iPhone/iPod Touch devices.

Labels: Bible, commentary, eBook, iPhone, iPod Touch, mobiles, mobility, Olivetree, reading, smartphone, software, tech

Hope that most of you are having a good weekend and summer. I want to continue a bit on the subject of creating an ideal Bible reader by taking a look at a concept user interface (UI) that I created some days ago.

What you see here is a wireframe design of a UI for a touchscreen (PDA or Internet Tablet) or large screen (think laptop/desktop) computer. The the basic premise is that most of the time, we just want to read. But there are levels of interaction with the content that we'd like to explore, and thankfully, many in the Bible software and open source software communities have made available. This is just a more functional (and given some graphics, prettier) UI than what anything else offers that I've seen personally.

I got the idea of this from watching part two of Adaptive Path's series on the Aurora Concept. The Aurora Concept is a vision of UI and user experience (UX) web design that's projected for 5-7 years out. This takes into consideration only that the web is more ingrained into our lives, and that software works together with the live world around us to offer more compelling interactions with content and with one another. Simply speaking, I saw the video and it clicked.

My reasons are putting it out here (meaning the Internet) are many-fold. For one, I'd like to get some feedback for this kind of interface for a Bible reader. Many of you who read MMM are publishers, developers, and content creators/editors in the Christian space and therefore your input towards what might be missing or not clearly stated in these wireframes is very important.

To those of you who are academics, pastor-teachers, or just laypersons who like to read and study the Word electronically; this is an opportunity for your opinions to be heard given this skeleton of a mock up.

It is my hope that this can encourage us as a Body to start looking at the greater impact that the Internet has and will continue to have in the lives of those who utilize a much more connected and mobile paradigm of living than what humanity has had before. Yes, we can preach moderation and appropriate use, but we can also model usability that doesn't take away the older concepts of living, listening, and enjoying those quiet moments when we just need God and His Word.

Its not explicitly my hope for this to turn into an application. However, I have presented this to a few people and the response has been quiet encouraging that this is in line with what people are looking for. Having not the time to learn how to develop this, I'd probably be looking to the developer communities of various device operating systems to see if this can be turned into something that makes possible what I last spoke on - a common user experience framework, but designed within the scope of the system and the device.

The last thing that I'd like to state is this: this is by no means a project that a commerical entity should not be interested in. The feedback given on this Bible Reader Concept should be a help towards developing a more fluid system of reading and studying the Word given publisher and device constraints. After all, we are in this to help people read the Word more and see Christ interlaced into their lives. Demonstrating this literally in mobile software would be an excellent witness, wouldn't you agree?

Labels: Bible, community, Hardware, internet tablet, mobility, open source, reading, software, teaching, UI, UX

Olive Tree's BibleReader for the BlackBerry has been updated recently. This beta version adds some features present in other editions of Olive Tree's product, and brings a few software and usability enhancements.

Some of the new features in BibleReader 4.0 for BlackBerry include:

• A redesigned verse-chooser screen
• A redesigned and optimized library screen
• A history feature which enables the viewing of past read content
• And, the ability to store Bibles on a memory card

BibleReader for the BlackBerry is currently available via the Olive Tree's beta software page.

A non-beta version of BibleReader is available from Olive Tree's website for other PDAs and smartphones in addition to BlackBerry models.

Labels: Bible, BlackBerry, Olivetree, software

Christian Computing Magazine (CCM) has reviewed Laridian's PocketBible 4 (Windows Mobile) in its July 2008 issue. For those of you looking for another detailed and solid review from the folks at CCM, this review is certainely worth the read. Sign up for the free subscription to read this review and several other articles.

Labels: Bible, CCM, Laridian, PocketBible, software

From Palmsolo/Matt Miller:

A new Bible reader for iPhone users called Mantis Bible has been released. Unlike other iPhone Bible applications that have been released, this one allows for the offline reading of Bible texts.

Mantis Bible is designed to not just be a Bible reader, but to also facilitate studying the Bible on such a mobile device. Here are some additional features noted on their website:

• Additional translations and study tools can be added (with more than 15 titles already available.)
• Quick-click History makes jumping from verse to verse and back simple and quick.
• Quick-reference chapter and section headers make finding the right text easy.
• Easily create bookmarks and notes for any verse in the Bible.
• Unique "Compare Versions" feature shows a single verse in multiple translations on one page.
• Fast and flexible, yet simple search system.
• Personal notes and translation notes appear inline with the text and can be toggled on and off, making it easier to view the notes within the context of its related scripture.
• Quick help text appears for new users.
• Two-touch translation chooser instantly shows the current text in any installed Bible translation.
• Streamlined work-flow designed for quickly looking up passages without losing your place.
• Use-tested on pastors and kindergarten students alike. They BOTH did very well!

All in all, this sounds like a very solid release for iPhone and iPod Touch users looking for a Bible application. Most of the Bibles are $5-$15 in price and it seems that they are working to get additional translations available.

For more information and to purchase/download, visit the Mantis Bible website.

Labels: Bible, iPhone, iPod Touch, mobile, software

Basing this question of an article of a similar title (Is Web Work Really Going to My Mobile Device?); what about fellowship and study makes them really conductive to using mobile devices, and what about those two makes mobile devices a non-issue?

Speaking on one side as a person who has forced a good bit of mobility into his studies, there is certainly an advantage of being able to study anytime and anywhere. Also, its made me less reliant on notes as more things have had to sit in my head for retrevial since software isn't as great as I would like it to be.

But for those whom I know don't like the idea of mobile devices being a part of a study, they cite cost of the deivce, device fraility, service availability, software, and a slew of other reasons (excuses). I understand them all, and encounter a good deal of them. I guess I am just the kind of person who would walk thru those issues rather than let them be a determent.

So what about you and your friends and family? For every one of you who can go mobile, there are those near to you who do not. What are some of those perspectives and what does that say about the ability to use mobile tech as agents within fellowship and study?

Labels: Bible, community, computer, Hardware, Laptop, mobile, mobility, smartphone, software, study

Its been a while since we have touched on Bible applications in detail, and mainly that has been (on my end) because it is quite hard to focus in on some kind of solution that appeals best to publishers, developers, and users. Everyone seems to have such a different perspective that it has felt a bit futile in terms of asking all to come together and actually build something of mutual benefit.

But in one of my readings this week, I came across an idea for doing such that fits better with the placement of MMM, as well as the abilities and resources of all those who would otherwise be involved. I'd be remiss if I didn't thank Sender 11 for that excellent post - thanks a bunch. And I will also contribute some recent learning about project management methodologies as being the fuel to this line of thinking.

A Common Problem

The common problem is reading the Bible effectively. Pastors will tell you that simply getting people to read is hard; teachers will say getting people to comprehend is a major challenge; publishers will say that there are only a finite amount of ways a person will pay for a product; and readers just want to read without going though hoops.

A paper Bible seems almost idea. Choose the Bible from the shelf, open to the index, table of contents, or last bookmarked section and boom you are there.

Remembering the Book

Lets keep with that last piece about a simple book. An application should have as few entry points as possible: an index of all the terms, a table of contents for the major sections, and finally personal bookmarks. The first two should be built into the program, they should sit in a database that is optimized for speed then results, rather than results then speed.

Personal bookmarks, or notes, or annotations, or highlights, whatever you want to call them. This should be information that the program accesses, but it does not sit in the domain of the application only to use. It needs to be a common to the device format, yet contain the information needed to keep it linked to the application. This means that the program either needs to provide an API to a default notes application, or provide a notes application that is at least as sufficient as the default application, but does not remain proprietary so that one can only get to it by first going to the Bible app. It should store information in open formats, and be exportable to any format needed.

Then We Read

Now getting past that initial entry point, a person as found the book, has opened the book, and is now reading. Nothing else matters. Seriously. Nothing matters. They are in the Word to connect with God. The interface should allow that. There should be as few disruptions by the operating system, application chrome, and additional resources as possible.

Speaking of additional resources; I know that lots who visit here dig commentaries a lot. I get value out of them too. But they should sit as additions, not necessarily as separate entities. One should be able to click on a verse or verse number to gain access to additional resources that are contextual to what was just clicked. For example, clicking on a verse should show 'Get Map', 'Get Parallel Verses', and/or 'Read Commentary' in addition to a 'tag' and 'add note' function. Note, we are still just reading. The other stuff just comes out when we are in the mist of reading and want more.

Handling Multiple Books

This might come as a bit of dismay to some, but I see additional books as being something that should also be complimentary to the singular reading. Most people just read one Bible and then have maybe one additional source.

And that's speaking of those who'd read often. Keeping the program simple means that if there are additional books, that the option for getting to them should be noted on that inital screen with the Index, Bookmarks, and Table of Contents. Just something like, 'More Books' that opens a library would be sufficient. Give the user the option of seeing this either on that screen, or as an addition option on that tap verse item explained earlier. A simple 'View in Similar Book' note would work.

So What Am I Saying

Ignoring the formatting differences, pricing schemes, online or offline abilities, building the experience of reading the Bible simply transends any particular platform and just goes into a need. If one wants to build a Bible app that successfully takes that analogy of reading a book and then presents it simply, we have to think about how we read, and then from there make sure that the additional features don't get in the way.

If I could code something, I'd build according to what you just saw for the Internet Tablet. That's how confident that I am in this methodology of development being something of value beyond just our circles.

Labels: Bible, developer, software, web application, wireless application