Looks like there’s a new mobile bible out there for those of you with iPhone and iPod Touch devices. Crossway has released an ESV iPhone App which offers the ability to read, search, note, and highlight verses and passages.
This is a free application and can be downloaded by going to http://mobile.esv.org/ or theiTunes App Store.
We’ve talked about the use of SMS to send money to one another and various places before. But, what about using your mobile device in a physical manner?
Given that many churches use the option of electronic payments from their websites, would it be a stretch to take that to a mobile device? So, instead of there just being a bucket in front of the church, there would be someone holding an iPhone/iPod Touch (owned and tracked by the church) and then using the updated PayPal application, collecting tithes/offerings from those who’d like to transfer funds that way
Sure that might make for a slightly longer time in the offering line, but would be a neat way to use mobile in a context that people recognize, and in many ways exercises more stewardship than checks and credit cards (PayPal won’t let you transfer money you don’t have).
I like the idea and think it has very far-reaching implications if someone/company/church were innovative enough. But for now, I would love to know if anyone is doing it (or now planning to). Your thoughts?
I’m writing this on the day the Apple iPad was announced. Meaning that I’ve probably come back to this post a few times to clarify and to rethink sections – and at the same time, it might just stay very raw.
First off, a blanket opinion – this is a device purely for affluent audiences. Its not addressing a need to anyone except those who’ve already got mobile solutions, and the wallets to enable them. That’s not to say its a bad thing. In light of my first thoughts to any device or service – does it meet a need or a want – its clearly something in the want category for many, and therefore illusions about what it would enable have to be filtered accordingly.*
That being said, its a good idea, and one that has been talked about here before. The tablet does present itself as an interesting, albeit more content-laden solution for those who would like a reader-style device, but would like some measure of productivity with it. The included iWork and iTunes suites make sense here, especially since its meant to consume and lightly annotate, content. The need for adapters hearkens back to the age of PDAs and accessories as the driver for specialized needs – this could have been handled better, but Apple is making a play for a broad range of profit generation here.
I mentioned to one person that this would be a great device for preachers (being semantically specific with the term here). Paired with a wireless network, the preacher would essentially have the slides, notes, text, and ability to control what is on-screen right in front of them. Yes, this can be done with any PDA/smartphone/netbook/laptop (and as been) – the form factor of a slate/tablet device works well here. And the size is nearly that of an A4 envelope which keeps it mobile for preachers who move much.
The other neat audience is of course education. And while Apple specifically spoke towards this area in its announcement, the price is a big bite. A student in the market would have to choose the tablet, and the dock-keyboard accessory in order to make this work. That says nothing for the lack of an expansion card to backup papers/content (hello online services). The prepaid aspect works very well here as an incentive towards working in order to be connected – though WiFi use would most likely reign in this setting.
Thinking from my own point of view: well, I use a smartphone. My N97 plugs into my TV (w/Apple Wireless keyboard) for major tasks at home. On the road, I plug it into projectors for presentations (hint, hint), write a few articles, listen to music, etc. In other words, aside from the larger screen – which would be helpful for the amount of books I read – its not worth the cost to me as I’d need to purchase several accessories in order to meet the basic functionality (and I lose the voice calling aspect). Its a nice device, and similar to many. I would have preferred to see an interface like the Mag+ Concept or 10/GUI Concept, or further ahead like the hardware+interface of the Microsoft Courier Concept. The iPad isn’t far enough in the user interface design to significantly enhance/change how I do computing. It may be different for others, and I’d love to hear how as that perspective is needed.
I am looking forward to seeing what Bible publishers will do with iPhone apps that use the larger user interface. Ideally, they would not just copy what a 3.5in screen is doing on this 9.7in one. It would be good to see some richer interactions with content, as well as finger-based interactions that are physically not as efficient on the iPhone/iPod Touch.
But, that’s just my thoughts on things. What about you? What are your thoughts? Is it going to be a purchase for you or a friend/family member. What areas do you see as great, and what needs work? And lastly, how did you manage covetousness before/during/after the announcement?
Ah, now this is some cool software that’s really work chatting some about – Covenant Eyes has released for iPhone and iPod Touch mobile devices.
Basically, this is an alternate web browser that replaces Safari and uses the Covenant Eyes service in order to foster accountable web surfing between accountability partners. I’ve got a friend who’s recently downloaded this and he’s said that its been a great addition to his mobile lifestyle.
Covenant Eyes for iPhone and iPod Touch is available via iTunes. The application is part of the paid service and cannot be used without it. You will also need to read the follow-up instructions via the Covenant Eyes user guide after installing.
As a side note, MMM is interested in hearing about how software such as XXX-Church and Covenant Eyes has helped your spiritual lifestyle choices. Its not easy to overcome the temptations of web life, but when you have, those stories can encourage others. So do comment here towards your victories and let’s hold up one another in this area.
For more information, visit the Covenant Eyes website or connect with them on Twitter (@CovenantEyes).
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.
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:
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.
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.
Read this as I was finishing a work-week. And while my mind thinks often on the subject of mobile, sometimes, it takes really real stories of what’s being done to help me gather perspective. This was one of those. Here’s a snippet:
…She watched as I showed her how the application could download images, and how doctors could make annotations, and add dictations, and I explained how another doctor could open the application across the globe “While on vacation in France, perhaps.” and listen to the dictations and read the annotations. She stared at me in utter disbelief as I went through the images, and turned the application to landscape mode and zoomed in and out. I retold the story of how a retina problem could lead to blindness if not immediately treated, as her young assistant, who had now moved in for a closer look, stared at the iPhone screen…
Read the rest of The Closing Argument at the iPhone BioTech Blog.
Really, there’s not much more that I can say from this except to quote what an MMM partner once told me: technology is only relevant when it is personal. Let’s make sure that in all our use of mobile, that we are truly keeping God and our hearts in the right place.
Remember that post (a long time ago) where we warned you about the ethical aspects of jailbreaking your iPhone devices as a Christian? Well, Apple has (another) official statement on it:
…Apple strongly cautions against installing any software that hacks the iPhone OS. It is also important to note that unauthorized modification of the iPhone OS is a violation of the iPhone end-user license agreement and because of this, Apple may deny service for an iPhone or iPod touch that has installed any unauthorized software.
Read the rest of the support article, and remember that agreeing to your terms of service is a vow you make between you, the carrier, and Apple. Breaking a vow tends to not look so well in the eyes of God and man.
If you don’t like the restriction, get to know what an unlocked phone is, and change the way you do mobile.
Again About that Jailbreaking Thing
Friday, August 7th, 2009Remember that post (a long time ago) where we warned you about the ethical aspects of jailbreaking your iPhone devices as a Christian? Well, Apple has (another) official statement on it:
Read the rest of the support article, and remember that agreeing to your terms of service is a vow you make between you, the carrier, and Apple. Breaking a vow tends to not look so well in the eyes of God and man.
If you don’t like the restriction, get to know what an unlocked phone is, and change the way you do mobile.
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Tags: Apple, iPhone, mobile, stewardship, tech
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