August 11, 2010
The most ancient traditions of Islam are going
high-tech, with a slew of modern offerings for those observing the holy
month of Ramadan, which begins this week.
Cell
phone applications such as "iPray" or "iQuran" offer a beeping reminder
of requisite prayer times, while the "Find Mecca" and "mosque finder"
programs help the Muslim traveler in an unfamiliar city find the nearest
place to pray.
"When
I saw these applications for the first time, I thought: This is
amazing," said James Otun, who has several Islamic applications on his Apple iPhone and iPad. "Whoever came up with this idea: God bless him or her."