Pocket-sized computers are increasingly used for reading sacred texts, reciting prayers and other religious activities, reports the New York Times (Feb. 7).
From saying a “virtual rosary” to receiving meditation guidance, hundreds of religious software applications are now available for hand-held computer devices. The Bible and other religious texts and calendars (such as saints’ days or Ramadan timetables) can be downloaded in many languages from Web sites created by programmers with religious interests or from more general sites, reports Debra Nussbaum Cohen.
The Pocket Zendo, described as like “having a little meditation hall, complete with master, in your pocket,” cues meditators to breathe in or out during their practice. One technologies analyst describes the use of palmtops as “just a step further in the process of democratizing access to religious information.”