Author: eir

Russian Orthodox Calendar for BlackBerry phones

Glad to introduce the Orthodox Calendar app for the BlackBerry smartphones. Compatible models are most of the phones with OS version 4.6 or above.

The BlackBerry version of the calendar includes the full calendar of saints, which makes it distinguishable, in addition to the fact that it doesn’t require internet connection. On a BlackBerry this may seem irrelevant, but one might find himself without internet connection even on a BlackBerry device, while on roaming or on places such as the Holy Mount of Athos, or the Mount Sinai.

Apart from that, the app includes links to an online calendar, with lifes of the saints, services, icons and daily readings, and a link to the official typikon for the services of the Russian Orthodox Church.

It follows the old (i.e. Julian) calendar and is fully in Russian language.

Purchase the app from the BlackBerry App World: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/75850?lang=en

Options menu for the Russian Orthodox Calendar for BlackBerry

Eir Fast Dialer localization made public

As there are constantly new features in the Fast Dialer app, it’s necessary that the translations are also kept up-to-date. Therefore, upon a suggestion by Mr. Yordan Valchev, who helps with the translation on Bulgarian, I opened such a page where everyone can contribute to the translations.

Here’s the address: http://www.getlocalization.com/eir_fast_dialer/.

It takes 10 seconds to open an account, and you can start with the translation right away!

It’s also possible to start a new translation, in a language that is currently not available in the app. So, you are welcome to contribute.

Thank you all, in advance!

Ορθόδοξο Ημερολόγιο για το Android

Ελληνορθόδοξο ημερολόγιο, σύμφωνα με το νέο ημερολόγιο.

Δεν απαιτεί σύνδεση με το Διαδίκτυο, έτσι δείχνει τη γιορτή, ή τους άγιους της ημέρας, ακόμα κι αν είστε στο Σινά, ή στο Άγιο Όρος 🙂

Επιλέξτε και δείτε το ημερολόγιο για κάθε μέρα, για το παρελθόν ή το μέλλον.

Σύνδεσμοι στο Συναξαριστή και στο Τυπικό της Μεγάλης Εκκλησίας για κάθε μέρα.

Δεν θα πρέπει να στηρίζεστε σε υπερβολικό βαθμό στις πληροφορίες νηστείας, καλύτερα μιλήστε με τον ιερέα σας.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eir.synaxarion.gr

Some long awaited features

The Fast Dialer app has been updated with some long awaited features. First of all, the most noticeable: contact photos (with the Android standard quick-badge short-cuts). I made the images display from the top to the bottom border, using the space maximally, I think that is the way to go. Also, the images will be resized, but not distorted to fit in the reserved space.

Well, the cost of it is that since this version, Fast Dialer works only on Android 2.1+ devices. I assume very little people, if any, will be disturbed by this. One of the unique features of Fast Dialer when it first came out, about a year ago, was that it supported Android 1.5 and 1.6 devices, unlike the competitor apps which didn’t. At that time, there were still a lot of 1.5 and 1.6 devices in use, but, not any more, according to the statistics.

The call log is now expandable, showing not only the list of calls, but their durations too, adding an option to directly call each different number, or reply with an SMS, if it’s a message entry. Quite handy. To expand the log, press on the lower end of the field, where the number and the time of last call is written. And to collapse, click on the contact’s name. Here’s how that looks like:

Further in the list of updates are some new configuration options that were requested – like starting the app with a folded dialpad, or starting with the contacts view visible, instead of the call log.

The Arabic letters are also made larger in Junior and Senior display mode. And an ugly visual bug, that was present on some devices on some themes has been fixed.

Major update of the Orthodox calendar apps

Yes, apps, that’s the main news – an actual app is now available instead of only a widget. The app allows you to see the calendar for any day of your choice, in the past, or in the future.

Also, direct links to online resources are provided, relevant to the displayed date. Exciting, huh? And very useful, too! If you haven’t still, check these apps out!

Rework of the “Post to FB” option

Last week Facebook deleted my FB apps, without any warnings, thus making it impossible for the users of the “Thoughts by St Theophan” Android app to share the daily thoughts on FB.

The good news is that is now fixed, including the cause for that problem, and with the new 1.4 version, one can normally publish on FB via the app.

Another good side of this unfortunate event is that now the FB posting is slightly improved, with caption for the day, and future-proof — as it doesn’t use any methods that FB has in the meantime declared as obsolete. The widget functionality has also been optimized.

Orthodox Calendar, English version

The English version of the Orthodox Calendar widget is now available on the Android Market.

Apart from being in English, it follows the new calendar, like most of the English-speaking Orthodox Christians. It may be a bit harder to notice, but it is the same with the Thoughts by St Theophan apps – the Russian version follows the old calendar, while the English version – the new.