Apps – Ramblings of a Monk

Support of Buddha Vacana App on Apple iOS Phones & Tablets

Posted on12 July , 20121 June , 2015AuthorShi ZhiXing1 Comment

This year’s Apple iOS Developer Program (July 2012 to July 2013) is proudly supported by The Buddhist Library, Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery and Metta Welfare Association.

Through their support, I’m able to continue to write and update the Buddha Vacana app on Apple iOS phones and tablets.

What is Buddha Vacana app?

Buddha Vacana is a daily readings app that automatically bring a verse of the Buddha’s teachings to you daily on your Apple iPhone, iPad, iTouch, facebook, PC and other supported devices.

This app is provided free for the benefit of all sentient beings, so please use it, share it and give your feedback and comments to improve it!

‘Buddha Vacana’ means the Words of the Buddha. It started off with the set of verses from the book Buddha Vacana: Sacred Literature of Buddhism and now offers other books for download.

No gooosie, apple, orange or avocado was harmed during the development of this app!

Pondering kindly is ezi!

Features
* 365 verses from the Pali Canon and post-canonical Buddhist texts.
* Date selectable to browse and read.
* Soothing bell chime on startup of app to remind you to come back to the moment, to your breath.
* Daily verse reminder at user preset time.

How can I support this App?

This app is written by myself, but is possible only because of the existence of the Sangha and lay Buddhist community to give their
support. You can support this app in many ways too!

Support the Sangha in their cultivation and practices wherever you are. Provide them with the basic requisites.

Support the Buddhist community. Attend puja services at Buddhist centres or temples. Support Dharma work by the Sangha and Buddhist temples and monasteries through volunteering your time and through sponsorship where possible.

And the most direct way to support this app is to download it onto your Apple iPhone or iPad and use it! Read, reflect on the Buddha’s teachings. Discuss and share with your friends. This is the best way to honour the Buddha!

Try out the teachings in your life. Practise the Dharma. Inspire your friends and family to learn the Dharma! The Gift of Dharma excels all gifts!

Be Good, be Mindful, be Happy!

Food For Thought ~ Eat Your Own Dog Food

Posted on25 August , 20115 August , 2015AuthorShi ZhiXingLeave a comment

In the software industry that I came from, there’s an expression “Eat Your own Dog Food!”. It means “Use the apps that you write”. This made a lot of sense in that only when a developer use their own apps, do they perhaps know the pain or joy of using it as a user.

In organisations and societies, this statement is quite apt too. If one organises events but do not take part in them, how would you know how well it was? How would you learn from it or benefit from it?

Beyond benefitting from it, it is also essential for other reasons. When we organise events for others without benefitting from them personally, then it is easy for our motivation to be pegged to the turn out of the event. We start to feel disheartened if the turn out is low or be elated if there are thousands.

If management or the working committee organise events or activities solely for others, and have little intention or wish to participate, then it can become work, a burden, a duty. Whereas if the comm organise events or activities that they themselves wishes to participate, and are interested in, then organising the event itself is rewarding already while the participation of the members come as a bonus!! 🙂

So, Eat Your own Dog Food!

References

Buddha Vacana in Apple App Store

Posted on23 August , 20111 June , 2015AuthorShi ZhiXing3 Comments

Buddha Vacana is now available in Apple App Store.

23 August 2011 – Buddha Vacana is now available for download and install in the Apple App Store. If you have the pre-release version, you may need to uninstall before installing from the App Store.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/buddha-vacana/id456981268

Future updates will go through the Apple App Store.

1.0.1 Release notes
* UI fixes.

1.0 Release notes
* Initial release.

Special Mention:
Charles tirelessly brought 1 x G4 Mac, 1 x G5 Mac, 1 x iBook and 1 MacBook to find out which one supported the Apple iOS development. His personal MacBook is still with me, pending stabilisation and potential fixes. Thank you Charles!

Thanks to my favorite uncle (Gu3-Gu2) and my sis who got me the iPad last year. It helped with the development and testing. Additional testing was made possible through Mommie, Xiuzi, Charles, Bong Leong with their iPhone and iTouch.

Apple Developer programmes’ annual fee was paid through ‘ang bao’ funds *stashed* over the years. Appreciation to all the donors. 😉

No oranges were harmed during the development of this Apple app.

Buddha Vacana Android Is Now Available in Android Market

Posted on23 August , 20111 June , 2015AuthorShi ZhiXingLeave a comment

Buddha Vacana Android is now available in Android Market.

‘Buddha Vacana’ means the Words of the Buddha. Daily Buddha Vacana is a daily readings software that automatically displays a verse from the Buddha’s teachings on your Android tablets / phones, facebook, PC and other supported devices.

It started off with the set of verses from the book Buddha Vacana: Sacred Literature of Buddhism and now offers other books for download.

Features
* 365 verses from the Pali Canon and post-canonical
Buddhist texts.
* Date selectable to browse and read.
* Soothing bell chime on startup of app to remind you to come back to the moment, to your breath.
* Daily verse reminder at user preset time.