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First iPhone App from the Vatican:

Submitted by oscatholic on Mon, 04/19/2010 - 2:13pm
in

Daily Sermonettes iPhone App
"Daily Sermonettes" - $5.99 (!)

This just in off the wire:

We invite you to post on your website a feature about the launch of The Vatican Observatory Foundation’s new iPhone App Daily Sermonettes with Father Mike Manning launched Easter Sunday, with daily positive life-affirming messages of hope and faith and extras featuring reflections on major events of the day.

  • First-ever iPhone App from any part of the Vatican.
  • Follows the Pope’s recent publicized encouragement to spread the Vatican’s message to the faithful through the new media.
  • Launched on Easter Sunday.
  • Features daily video sermonettes of reflection and faith inspired by Scripture, with practical application to daily life.
  • Daily sermonettes presented on camera by Father Mike Manning, recipient of the Pope’s Pro Ecclesia Et Pontifice Cross of excellence.
  • Supports the Vatican Observatory Foundation’s humanitarian mission of scientific research, education and discovery.

You can view Daily Sermonettes on the iPhone App Store. The app has no ratings yet, and costs $5.99 (!).

Your rating: None Average: 4 (1 vote)

Comments

oscatholic's picture

I don't know... but it seems like a lot of money to pay to subscribe to a video podcast, when there are literally hundreds of other video podcasts by priests that update more frequently...

Advancing the faith.

Submitted by oscatholic on Mon, 04/19/2010 - 2:14pm.
catholicservant's picture

Thanks for the app tip. Will take a look...

Submitted by catholicservant on Mon, 04/19/2010 - 9:29pm.
catholicservant's picture

OK...just looked at the screenshots...only 2 different pages? Hmm...

Would REALLY like it if it had social sharing as well (i.e. post to Facebook/Twitter/Email)

Submitted by catholicservant on Mon, 04/19/2010 - 9:34pm.
oscatholic's picture

At a *minimum*. This should be, at most, a 'Lite' version of the app. For $5.99, I expect the world on a silver platter... there are a lot of 3-D games that take thousands of hours of dev time that cost less than this video podcast wrapper.

I'm currently plunging through the Lynda.com iPhone programming tutorial videos, and I hope to start roughing out a few apps that I've been thinking about since I first bought the original iPhone :D

Advancing the faith.

Submitted by oscatholic on Mon, 04/19/2010 - 9:38pm.
gsarrazo's picture

I don't mind paying sometimes higher prices for Catholic apps (Universalis, iMissal, Holy Rosary Deluxe, DivineOffice, PatronSaints, etc) but I don't think the $5.99 for this application is fair considering one can receive news from the Vatican and the Holy Father's homilies via RSS (or online through the Safari app on the iPhone) for free. While I like Fr. Mike Manning and the convenience and help to my prayer life to hear him speak daily would be a plus, I wouldn't pay $5.99; maybe $1.99 but not $5.99.

Submitted by gsarrazo (not verified) on Tue, 04/20/2010 - 9:25am.
catholicservant's picture

RE: the iPhone programming tutorials...

Is iPhone development the same for the iPad, iow...once you learn one, you have the other?

Submitted by catholicservant on Tue, 04/20/2010 - 9:12pm.
oscatholic's picture

In practical terms, yes. Of course, on the iPad, there are many usability differences that must be taken into account (people will hold it two handed... people are more prone to go horizontal... etc.).

But on the programming side, they are identical. Very identical.

Advancing the faith.

Submitted by oscatholic on Tue, 04/20/2010 - 9:14pm.

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