matthewmiller

I previously posted reviews of two Bible study applications I have used on other smartphone platforms that moved onto the iPhone, Laridian PocketBible and Olive Tree Bible Reader, primarily because they are the programs I was most familiar with over a number of years. One thing we have discovered with the launch of the iPhone and the App Store is that there are a ton of developers creating new and exciting applications just for this platform. The most compelling of these native iPhone programs pertaining to Bible reading and study that I found so far is Mantis Bible Study. I actually discovered this a few months ago when I was looking for a program and was pleased to see it was one of the only ones with note taking support. After adding back the two apps I used in the past, I reloaded Mantis Bible Studay and actually think it may be the best of all Bible applications on the iPhone platform.

Windows Mobile 6.5 was just recently announced and with that announcement came the launch of several devices running the latest operating system. The Samsung Intrepid is a touchscreen device with a forward facing QWERTY keyboard, similar to a BlackBerry device. The device supports Sprint’s 3.5G EV-DO network, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, and various services. A 3.2 megapixel camera is also included.

While there isn’t a huge accessory market like we see for the iPod yet, the Zune HD is a very compelling device and accessories are sure to follow. Microsoft did launch a couple last month and these two premier accessories let you connect to your HD TV and view high definition movies and shows and also enjoy your Zune audio content in the car. The HD AV dock is needed to take advantage of the HD part of the Zune and is a full featured accessory.

The HTC Pure from AT&T is the first Windows Mobile 6.5 device launched on a US wireless carrier. This is an AT&T branded HTC Touch Diamond2 loaded up with plenty of AT&T bloatware in a sleek form factor at a nice price of $150 after rebate and contract. The device performed quite well with lots of apps running and may be what some people are looking for in a touch screen device.

I had high hopes for Windows Mobile 6.5 to at least provide a better touch experience, but it only does so on a basic level. We now see no customization support in the Start menu or Today screen and an overall lack of consistency across the platform. Windows Mobile needs major work and I am not sure people are willing to wait until the end of 2010 for Windows Mobile 7.

It has been just about a year since the first Google Android device launch on a US carrier, the T-Mobile G1. It seems to me that adoption of Android has been quite slow by US carriers, but Sprint came through in a big way with the upcoming HTC Hero device that is the best Android device on the market. It has better features than the Apple iPhone and is my recommendation for a Sprint customer looking for a functional touchscreen device.

Apple recently held their Fall 2009 iPod launch event where they rolled out updates or new devices across the line. One of the most interesting models is the iPod nano and I picked up a custom engraved orange one to check out. This new generation nano has the same outside form factor as the 4th generation with some updates. The display is slightly larger, there is a video camera on board, a FM radio is included, and a pedometer is included to help you with fitness.

Laridian’s PocketBible is an extremely powerful Bible reading, study, and devotional application that has been available for years on Palm, Windows Mobile, and Windows PCs. When the iPhone was launched an online web app service, called iPocketBible, was launched and now Laridian has brought the full PocketBible application to the iPhone/iPod touch for offline reading of your entire Laridian collection.

An official Google Android Facebook application was released this week, which prompted us to take a look at the official Facebook application that is available across every mobile operating system except for Palm WebOS. Several screenshots of the apps are shown here with a full article detailing them all on ZDNet Smartphones & Cell Phones blog.

Amazon and Sony have the most popular ebook readers available today, but there are other very competitive devices available too. Astak’s latest device is the EZReader Pocket PRO 5 inch unit that supports Adobe Reader Digital Edition content and much more. You can enjoy book content, music files, audio books, and more on this sleek, highly viewable eInk reader.

Sony recently announced a couple new Reader eink electronic books, the Sony Reader Pocket Edition and Touch Edition that are both now available. The Daily Edition is coming in a couple of months and will be a bit larger with wireless capability. The Touch Edition is the same size as the PRS-505, but adds a touchscreen display with integrated dictionary and note taking capability.

Nokia World 2009 was held in Stuggart, Germany in September 2009 and a few new products and accessories were shown with some beta services. Check out these images of the upcoming Nokia products.