2011 - Page 6 of 26 - YouVersion

2011-10-14

From YouVersion: The Brand New Bible App for Java!

As a mobile platform, Java can reach hundreds of millions of devices, literally all over the world. So to reach the most people possible, we wanted to make version 1.0.1, the latest release of the Bible App™ for Java, the best app for Java mobile devices we’ve ever done.

So we started fresh and completely rewrote it from scratch! The Bible App for Java is back and better than ever, available for immediate download from GetJar. The Bible App for Java can now do almost everything that the Bible App can do on all of our other major platforms. You’ll find significant improvements to its basic presentation, specifically designed to make it much faster and easier to use:

Dashboard. The brand new Dashboard Launcher gives you instant access to the features you use most—right from the first screen.
Bible Reader. The Bible Reader keeps track of where you left off, returning you when you come back to the last version, book, and chapter you were reading. And it’s all-new, cleaner and faster loading, designed specifically to make it comfortable for you to read for long periods, in any conditions.
Notes. Capture your thoughts about verses or entire passages, keeping your notes organized with titles, labels—even colors. Keep private notes for yourself, or share them with friends or the entire YouVersion community.
Reading Plans. Take full advantage of the more than 190 Bible reading plans YouVersion has to offer, in 10 languages (so far). Reading plans make it easy for you to read the Bible on a schedule, just a little each day.
Bookmarks. Bookmarks are a great way to label individual verses, whether you want to look them up later to share with friends, or just jump quickly to your own favorites.
YouVersion Live. Event coordinators use YouVersion Live to help attendees interact with what’s happening onstage. You can follow along with message outlines, take notes, read Bible passages, vote on polls, ask questions, donate, request prayer, and more! Simply look up YouVersion Live events by ZIP code or city.
Settings. When you sign in to the Bible App with your free YouVersion account, now you can personalize how you use it, and it remembers your unique settings between uses.
Search. Jump quickly to verses or passages based on keywords you enter.

Get your update for the Bible App for Java now. And please come connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. We’d love to hear your YouVersion stories!

2011-10-112011-10-13

The Bible App for Windows Phone Now Offers Audio, Highlights, Easier Reading

You can get the newest release of the Bible App™ for Windows Phone right now at Windows Marketplace for Mobile. Version 2.1 of the Bible App for Windows Phone brings more functionality than ever, adding features and settings specifically designed to help you make the most of the time you spend in God’s Word.

Audio Bibles. For the first time ever on Windows Phone, now you can listen as the Bible App reads to you through streaming audio, no matter where you are or what you’re doing. (Be aware of the data usage plan for your provider or, for best results, use Wifi.) Listen while you drive, work, exercise—even read along! Audio versions are available in several languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Chinese (to name just a few).

How it works: You can tell if the version you’re reading offers audio if it displays a speaker icon. Simply tap the icon to display controls for playing, pausing, and jumping forward and back within the chapter. If you don’t see the speaker icon, tap the current version’s “short code” (the abbreviation at the top). A list of available versions displays. The versions offering audio have a small speaker beside them.

Custom Highlight Colors. When you sign in to the Bible App on your Windows Phone with a free YouVersion account, you’ll find many of the same features offered by your favorite paper Bible. One great example is highlights. You can use highlights to mark your favorite passages—and even create your own custom highlight colors.

How it works: Select the verse(s) you want to highlight. Tap the rainbow icon to select a custom color. Select your basic color, then slide the shading bar to make it lighter or darker. (A preview displays your custom color as you make adjustments.)

Easy Reading. Even on the best mobile devices, sometimes surrounding lighting and screen resolution can interfere with your reading experience. This update of the Bible App for Windows Phone includes tools that help you customize your Reader display for maximum readability. You can change font faces and sizes, and alternate colors between the font and background.

How it works: In the Bible Reader, tap the settings icon (the little gear) to display the viewing controls. Tap the sun icon to make the background white and the text black, or tap the moon icon for white text on a black background. Tap the little “A” to make the font smaller, or the larger “A” to make it bigger. Tap the font name for a list of available fonts, then simply tap the one you want. Try experimenting to find the combination that works best for you. Once you get your view how you want, simply tap the settings icon again to hide the viewing controls.

The latest update for the Bible App on your Windows Phone is available immediately. If you have friends with Windows Phones, please spread the word and let them know, too. Also, we’d love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter and hear your feedback.

2011-10-10

The Bible App So Far: 30 Million Installs

Just last week, we invited you to celebrate YouVersion.com’s fourth birthday with us. Today, we’d like to share yet another phenomenal milestone from the ever-growing YouVersion community:

The Bible App™ has been installed on
30 million unique devices around the globe.

You read that right. Thirty. Million. (Just for some perspective, that’s more than the current population of the entire nation of Peru!) Of course, 30 million is just one small step toward 1 billion…

And while 30 million installs would be notable by itself, looking at some additional numbers reveals a more complete story. The Bible App and YouVersion.com today offer more than 150 unique versions of the Bible in 45 different languages. And with more than 190 Bible reading plans, it’s simpler than ever to read through topics and devotionals—even the entire Bible! It’s obvious the Word is getting out… Together, the YouVersion community has now read the Bible for more than 11 billion minutes, added more than 30 million bookmarks, and shared more than 1.6 million verses. (To help you visualize what we’re talking about, click the image at the right.)

We’ve never been more excited than we are right now, standing at this remarkable moment in history. Taken together, these numbers clearly show that every day, more and more people, from literally all over the world, are choosing to take their Bibles with them everywhere they go. And if you use the Bible App yourself, then of course you already know why: Because the Bible App makes it easier and faster than ever to engage not just with God’s Word, but with His people. No matter where you are, what you’re doing, or even which of YouVersion’s 45 languages you prefer—your Bible App is right there with you.

If you haven’t already installed the free Bible App on your mobile device, it’s not too late! Get it now on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, HP WebOS, Java, and almost every other mobile platform. If you do have the Bible App, then this milestone is a celebration of you. Thank you for the part you have played in helping get the Bible not just more into your own life, but sharing it with your friends and seeing it touch them too. It’s because of you that literally tens of millions of other people are connecting with the Bible. Together, let’s keep spreading the story of God’s love, one (more) person at a time.

2011-10-062011-10-06

Steve Jobs, 1955-2011

In 1440, Johannes Gutenberg first shared his concept for the printing press. By the early 1450’s, he had put his ideas into action, printing the Bible faster and for far less money than the only option previously available: hand-copied versions that took years to create. Through a series of unfortunate events, Gutenberg lost his printing presses to a creditor a few years later. In 1468, he died, having never achieved financial success. Worse, there was no way he could have foreseen at the time how his amazing invention would go on to change the world.

Today, of course, we recognize how this early Bible printing device ultimately gave birth to modern publishing. Gutenberg’s contribution was the spark that made possible the vast proliferation of knowledge and information that the rest of us have benefited from over the last 571 years.

In our generation, many inventors and technologies have dramatically shaped the landscape of our everyday lives, reaching into every corner of society and every industry. Arguably, the greatest innovator and creative genius of this generation has been Steve Jobs. His ideas, leadership, and life’s work influenced the direction of entire industries: broadcast media, motion pictures, music, publishing, communications, and of course, computing.

Jobs was actually able to achieve the financial success that eluded Gutenberg, leading Apple to become the highest-valued company in the world shortly before his passing. And although he was fortunate to actually get to witness the massive growth and adoption of his inventions, Steve Jobs was likely unaware of just how his creations would be used to further the vision of Johannes Gutenberg.

Using the Bible App on their iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches—to say nothing of the countless other devices influenced by Steve Jobs’ ideas—30 million people now have free access to the very book that Gutenberg started printing.

Many people now know the Bible as the Bible App, primarily because Jobs envisioned a new kind of communication device. Just as research was indicating a rapid decline in Bible reading and engagement, millions of people all over the world are now spending billions of minutes reading, listening to, and sharing the Bible—using mobile devices that Jobs either created or influenced.

Once again, history repeats itself. When Gutenberg set out to print the Bible, he unknowingly sparked a revolution that changed the world. Jobs turned publishing, media, entertainment, and communications upside down through his iNventions. And in so doing, he unknowingly sparked a revolution in Bible engagement that we believe will change the world.

2011-09-262011-09-26

Happy Birthday, YouVersion—We’re 4 Years Old!

A Simple Idea. In June of 2007, the concept of YouVersion was first introduced to the world: A free, online Bible that would allow anyone with Internet access to link rich media (like video, audio, images, text, and more) to passages in the Bible. It would retain the sanctity of the Scriptures, but you’d also be able personalize your interaction and experience with them. Three months later, on September 27, the YouVersion.com Beta officially launched, marking the beginning of what has so far been an incredible four-year journey. Throughout that time, our goal has been helping people deeply connect with God’s Word.

YouVersion Goes Mobile. In April of 2008, we announced our first mobile version. While that event was significant, we couldn’t have predicted what was about to happen. A vibrant YouVersion community gathered suddenly around the mobile version, and together we discovered how transforming it was to have the Bible with us everywhere we went, all the time. We read the Bible more, referred to it more, and started sharing God’s wisdom with our friends more than ever before.

A Revolution Begins. Just three months later, in July, we announced the first version of the Bible App™ for iPhone with a simple video. In just 24 hours, early adopters spent almost 200,000 minutes using the Bible App on their iPhones, propelling it into the top 50 apps on iTunes. It was official: this was the beginning of a revolution in engaging with God’s Word.

And Now Here We Are. Today, with the Bible App installed on nearly 30 million unique devices, the YouVersion community is literally worldwide. Generous Bible publishing partners provide us with 152 translations in 45 languages. More than 190 Bible reading plans help us breathe in God’s Word every day, reading and listening. Things we could only imagine doing on mobile devices four years ago, the Bible App lets us do easily now: Bookmarking, Notes, sharing on social media sites, sharing through email or text messages… and more. And this is only the beginning. We’re committed to continuing to use the best of today’s and tomorrow’s technology to help the world fall in love with God’s Word.

When you use the Bible App to uncover God’s story of love, and when you share that journey of discovery with your friends, you’re a key part of that global YouVersion community. Thank you for all you’ve done!