For the Techno Savvy Catholic

I recently joined the "smartphone" bandwagon.  Although it is taking some time for me to learn to use (a fraction) of its features, I am finding myself more and amazed by the capacity that this tiny piece of technology holds.  Not only do I have the world at my fingertips but now it also fits in my pocket.

I am discovering that my phone has so many uses other than simply staying connected, or entertained.  One of my favorite new tools is the iBreviary application. With a simple touch on my screen I can read the daily mass readings or the litany of the hours.  And did you know that you can read Scripture on your smartphone as well?  It finally makes sense to me why the teen sitting next to me in mass last week was messing with his phone... He must have been following the liturgy!  (As an aside, it honestly is taking me some time to get over the shock of witnessing the faithful using these applications in a Church or during adoration.)

I was also deeply impressed while reading this article.  In response to predictions that smartphones and iPhones will soon become channels for the pornography industry, Steve Jobs replied that Apple products would provide "freedom from porn".  Jobs stated that “It’s not about freedom...It’s about Apple trying to do the right thing for its users. Users, developers and publishers can do whatever they like — they don’t have to buy or publish or develop on iPads if they don’t want to.”

Although it is still in question whether Apple can truly keep users from accessing pornographic sites, it was refreshing to hear such a popular corporate leader speak out against the subject.  I admire his strong stance against an issue that is so disruptive to marriages and society.

I did not splurge on an iPhone this time, but I will definitely remember this article in the future.  And, since I happen to be married to a member of the Apple cult, I might be a little more supportive of "investing" in an iPad one of these days.