Playing God: BiblePlayer for iPod catches on

[Mac Reporter]

For those seeking spiritual guidance via a handheld device, a California start-up called BiblePlayer is offering free downloads of the world's best-selling book for use with Apple Computer's iPod media player.

The brainchild of Los Angeles-based programmer Pablo Mendigochea, BiblePlayer offers three different text versions of the Bible that can be read on the iPod's screen using the device's "Notes" function. The company also markets a deluxe version of the product, which features MP3 audio readings of the Bible on CD-ROM for $29. Either product can be used with any third- or fourth-generation iPod.

Since launching BiblePlayer in the beginning of October, the free version of the software has been downloaded roughly 7,000 times. Mendigochea said the idea to create the software came to him after he bought an iPod for his sister's birthday and discovered the Notes function, which allows users of the device to read text on the machine's screen. The programmer had been working on an audio version of the Bible for use with Microsoft's Windows Media Player software and had already licensed several public-domain, or freely licensed, versions of the tome.

"I think this is another great example of people using the iPod in ways that Apple probably hadn't imagined," Mendigochea said. "Once I saw 'Notes,' I knew that it could work, and so far, the feedback from consumers has been great."

Read more at CNET News.com.

[Odysseus]

I hope they could acquire the copyrights for NAB and/or NRSV. The versions they have are Protestant Bibles (same with MacSword) which are "incomplete" from my Roman Catholic point of view.

[El CaMOTe]

KJV, I like the old King James version, the Queen's English is so proper and 'other worldly.' Unfortunately, they (starting w/Luther) took out the DeuteroCanonical books (Protestants understand these as 'the Apocryphal Books&#039.

Current Biblical Scholars on both sides now, realise the 'canonicity' of these books and have included it in the NKJV, I am told, as Apocrypha still though but at least included.
Gone is the 'thou, thee and thine.'

Oh well, just have to wait for the NAB and the RSV Cath. ed.