Archive for the ‘iPhone’ Tag
MP3 Catholic Insight: Heroic Catholics
Filed under: Applications | Tags: Catholicism, Droid, iPhone, Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II
Leave a Comment MP3 Catholic Insight is a must have for your iPhone or Droid.
Catholic Vault has a plethora of educational apps. But if I had to pick a favorite (and I will), it would be this app. (So far)
There’s a 4 part retreat for women (part 1, 91 minutes, is free), talks by Blessed Mother Teresa, and many political topics such as re-defining marriage, life issues, and morality in public office. There is also an address from Pope John Paul II to women. One of my favorite talks on the app is entitled “Heroic Catholics” – and that one (almost an hour) is free.
For any Catholic who struggles with apologetics, this app is for you.
The inspirational talks by Mother Teresa and John Paul II alone are worth the $8.99 price tag, but even if you choose not to upgrade, the free version has hours of talks. Catholic Vault has yet to disappoint. The apps are clean, easy to use, bug free, and stream – they don’t eat up your battery while you’re listening.
Don’t leave for your summer road trips without one of these apps on your mobile device.
MP3 Saints app
Filed under: Applications | Tags: Fulton J. Sheen, iPhone, MP3, Saints
Comments (2) From the developers of the charming Fulton Sheen app comes MP3 Saints. The full version of this app features over 100 audio dramatizations, narratives, and talks on various saints. Sample version is FREE.
These MP3s are streamed rather than downloaded, so your storage space doesn’t suffer. This should be a “must-have” app for anyone who loves the saints and wants to learn more in a very interesting way. Homeschoolers would also find this app incredibly helpful for engaging their children in learning about the saints.
I found the dramatization about St. Anthony of Padua absolutely charming. Much like the Fulton Sheen app, these appear to be old radio addresses and lectures that would possibly have been lost forever if not preserved in this MP3 format.
The more I listen, the more I enjoy this app. It’s very reminiscent of the days of huddling around to listen to the radio programs. (I imagine, at least!)
Neither of these are available for Droid yet. Keep your fingers crossed, Droidians! Both work just fine for all things Apple.
O Happy Day! Verizon meets iPhone.
It’s official! Verizon is now finally (after months of rumors) going to be carrying the iPhone. Here it is. $199.99 for 16 GB with 2 year contract.
According to The Washington Post, the iPhone is nothing to write home about. (Can you hear me now? Nope, you’re using an iPhone.) But certainly Apple didn’t get so many devotees by accident. Or have they? And putting the iPhone on Verizon’s network could change a lot.
So the million dollar question is: are you loyal to your phone, or your network? Are all you Droidians willing to toss your Droid out on the street in favor of an iPhone now that you can have it on the Verizon network? Or are you loyal to your Droid and going to stick by it while you wait for the app world to start showing up on your market?
The Catholic Game = FREE!
The Catholic Game for iPhone is now free. It is also jolly good fun. I’m not at all embarrassed to admit to my score of 15 out of 20 questions first round. Most of those wrong ones were “d’oh!” moments, the others are just tricky.
In general, it’s fun game. 30 seconds to answer a question, you are immediately told if you got the correct answer and given the supporting evidence for choosing the right answer. You then have 5 seconds before the next question.
Good, clean, educational fun for any Catholic. I imagine it would be especially useful for CCD teachers, homeschoolers, etc.
My only issue is that there appears to be no easy way to play again. You have to quit and then re-enter the app. There are banner ads on the bottom, which is undoubtedly what makes it free, but they’re not terrible. The app also gave me repeats of questions the second time I played (regardless of whether or not I got the answer correct on the first try).
All in all, it’s fun and it’s free!
iCatholic Radio
This FREE app by Jacobs Media is brilliant. You can hear EWTN programs live, including Mass. Which is great if you’re home sick this winter. You can stream the radio in the background so that you can still use other features of your phone. You can even view a schedule of programs.
Absolutely a great app for your iPhone, iPod touch or …your Droid! Gets a solid 4.5 star rating from both Apple and Droid fans.
Another Advent calendar app- with carols!
Filed under: Applications | Tags: Advent calendar, Christmas carol, iPhone, IPod Touch
Leave a Comment Christmas+ is a charming app. Very sweet Advent calendar set up with a “naughty or nice” option which won’t allow you to skip ahead in the days. ”You’re too early!” it admonishes you for clicking on a future date.
The carols are actually very nice instrumental versions of classic Christmas carols. Lyrics are included should you want to have a sing-a-long.
I’m quite enamored by this app, and I think you will be too. Go download it today, you lucky Apple owners, because we still need this on Android.
Another Advent/Christmas app
Filed under: Applications | Tags: Advent wreath, Apple, iPhone, IPod Touch
Leave a Comment If all you want to do is read sermons and prayers, than the Gloria app for iPhone and iPod touch might be for you. It does also include blessings for your Advent wreath, Christmas tree, manager scene, even Christmas gifts. I still rather prefer the Advent ‘O8 app for the Advent calendar quality.
Not a bad little app for 99 cents.
Advent app for iPhone
Filed under: Applications | Tags: Advent calendar, Advent wreath, iPhone
Comments (1) Don’t let the name Advent ’08 fool you. This beautiful iPhone app by iHabitus might very well be the best thing you can get for yourself this holiday season for 99 cents. This beautiful app includes prayers, Scripture, meditation, even a prayer for use with your Advent wreath. It also has a beautiful image for each day of Advent, with a description of the image. (The one for today, Supper at Emmaus, is just beautiful)
What I like the most about this app is the Advent calendar quality. You press on the number and then an image will appear after you have viewed the prayers and mediation for that day.
In summary, this is a beautifully done, grown-up version of an Advent calendar. And for those of us who find ourselves busier than ever when we should be quieting our hearts for the Savior, it may just help slow us down.
Divine Office for iPhone
Filed under: Applications | Tags: Divine Office, Droid, Evernote, iPhone, Liturgy of the Hours, Remember the Milk
Comments (1) There are some things that I just can’t wrap my mind around doing on my phone. I enjoy my Droid immensely. I am completely dedicated to Evernote, RTM, Astrid Tasks, even my alarm clock.
What I cannot bear is to have a grocery list that wasn’t created with paper and pen. I like my list, I like my (only slightly anal) organization of it, I like a simple piece of paper to cart around the store with me. I don’t want to keep referring to my phone when I’m trying to make my way to the checkout line.
I feel the same way about the Divine Office for iPhone. I cannot wrap my mind around sitting down with my phone to pray. I would much rather curl up on my couch or kneel by my bed with my book. The pages of the Office feel warm and inviting. My phone, however beloved, does not. I do have Catholic Mass Readings on my phone (all you Droid users searching for Divine Office – there’s your answer) but I never use it. Ever. Even when I’m traveling and could/should use it, I don’t. However, it does come in handy if you’ve lost track of where we are in the liturgical year, or if you want to read about the saint of the day.
I liken this experience to going to church just to stop for a quick prayer. It’s always a good idea. But there is something about sitting in a quiet, dark chapel with flickering candles nearby and the Blessed Sacrament light glowing warmly that makes it so much better than sitting in a brightly lit church in the middle of the day.
Of course, don’t get me started on the beauty of real candles to lit in church verses the electric ones. So you can imagine how I feel about the saints and candles app.
As wonderful as technology can be to help us in our lives, I believe there are some things that just cannot be replaced.
(Having said all this, I just noticed the Divine Office for iPhone is on sale for $7.99 through Thanksgiving. Now, does that change my mind? Not at all, but if it changes yours, head on over to the app store before the 25th!)
Update on the Fulton Sheen app
Filed under: Applications | Tags: Catholic apps, Fulton J. Sheen, Fulton Sheen app, iPhone, IPod Touch
Leave a Comment FultonSheen.com has added a nice demo video of their Fulton Sheen app. I like this app a lot. At first I was bothered by the quality of some of the recordings. It’s not the digitally remastered quality one might expect.
But after further research I discovered that some of these recordings were made in the 40s, or on a personal recorder. The Sheen Catechism was done in his private residence on his personal recorder and turned into 78 lps (yeah, I looked that up on Google. Never heard of 78s myself). The quality is quite good when you bring into consideration the circumstances under which the talks were recorded. My dad finds the fact that you can now have Fulton Sheen talks on your smart phone amazing. He remembers seeing Bishop Sheen on television. Hearing these talks is like traveling back in time for him.
Five minutes into “Meet Yourself” and I am falling in love with the charming humor of Archbishop Sheen. I admit to having one of the CDs on my desk for the better part of 6 months, never listened to. But on this iPod touch that I have here on loan, I’m listening. And I’m not sure I can stop.
