I’ll be presenting an online training webinar–Sermon Preparation in Action–tomorrow (Thursday the 16th) at 12 noon (EST) for Accordance Bible Software.
The webinar is free, and you can register here.
Accordance has quite a few other online trainings coming up. Check them all out.
Accordance is offering a 20% discount on all their Collections:
Get in gear with our Back to School Sale. We are kicking off seven week of savings with a 20% off sale on Accordance Collections. Collections are the best way to build one’s Accordance Library. If you are new to Accordance, you will want to select the Collection that is best suited to your work. If you are a longtime Accordance user, consider upgrading to the next Collection level using Accordance’s new Custom Upgrades.
You can compare what’s available at the chart here.
See also my review of Accordance 11 here. It’s a top-notch program.
Apple Music launches today, and you can jump right in with a free, three-month trial. Individual user subscriptions will be $9.99/month thereafter.
The big question will be: How does it compare to similar subscription-based, streaming services like Spotify? MacRumors has a nice round-up of some early reviews here. From that article:
Everyone will be able to test out Apple Music for themselves soon enough, with the official launch of the updated music app in just a few hours at 9 AM Pacific. Those interested should remember to first download the new iOS 8.4 update an hour before in preparation for the streaming music service’s debut.
Get all the details at Apple’s page here.
Some really sweet writing tools are on sale at 25% off:
It’s a midsummer night’s dream: seven great artisanal tools for writers and thinkers, ready for your summer work, each at a terrific price. It’s SummerFest: our annual summer celebration of hand-crafted software.
It’s the time for new plans and fresh projects and great new ideas. Whether you’re mapping out your next novel, finishing your dissertation, planning a product, or writing memories for your grandkids, we think these great tools will help.
I have made some use of Bookends and DEVONThink Pro (stay tuned to the blog for more on those). They are both well-designed, time-saving apps.
Scrivener and Nisus Writer Pro are two of my favorite, most-used apps. I rave about Scrivener here and here, and compare the unexpected awesomeness of Nisus Writer Pro to the 2014 Kansas City Royals here.
All those apps and more can be had at discount. Here is the link you want. It’s not a bundle–you can just check out whichever app(s) you like… and can also avail yourself to free trial options. SUMMERFEST2015 is the code.
Happy writing!
The exquisitely designed 2Do app is Apple’s App of the Week in the iOS App Store. It’s usually $15 but is now free. The accompanying Mac app is 50% off, too.
I’ve reviewed Things and OmniFocus, and will soon review 2Do.
For now I can simply say: this is one of the most robust and beautifully designed apps I’ve seen on iPhone or iPad. The developers have–with their imagination and execution–far exceeded what one sees in a typical iOS app.
Read all about the iOS features here. Download it free (for a few more days) here.
Big news for Bonhoeffer aficionados/as: Fortress Press, publishers of the 17-volume Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works (English edition), has just announced the Fall 2015 publication of Reader’s Edition volumes of Discipleship, Life Together, Ethics, and Letters and Papers from Prison.
I haven’t seen a ton of information yet, but here’s the publisher’s description:
Featuring the acclaimed DBWE translation and adapted for a more accessible format, the new Reader’s Edition volumes include supplemental material from DBWE general editor, Victoria J. Barnett, as well as insightful introductions by Bonhoeffer scholars which clarify the theological meaning and importance of his work.
New to Bonhoeffer? I collected some reflections on his writings after spending much of one Lent reading him. All my Bonhoeffer posts are gathered here. I reviewed the amazing Life Together and Prayerbook of the Bible (DBWE 5) here.
It’s hard to imagine how the editors of the DBWE set could offer anything to improve upon those exceptional volumes, but I do like the idea of a more accessible, annotated Bonhoeffer. Check it all out here.
My new favorite iOS game is Alto’s Adventure. My 7- and 4-year olds love it, too.
Here are a couple of developer screenshots:
The app has cool music, great sound effects, and a really relaxing vibe. It’s a good challenge, too.
The app is on sale right now at the App Store for $0.99 (down from $2.99). You can find it here.
Zondervan’s NIV Application Commentary series is on mega-sale, with each of the ebooks selling at $7.99 in Accordance, Logos, and Olive Tree.
I really liked Psalms vol. 1 in this series. The Genesis, Luke, and Galatians volumes were stand-by commentaries when I preached through those books, too.
Here is where you can find more details on the sale, which Zondervan rarely offers in any other e-format than Kindle:
Accordance // Logos // Olive Tree
While OfficeTime is my go-to iOS app for tracking where I spend my working hours, I often use the Hours app to track my time doing chores, writing projects, and other related tasks. (I most often access it through its really handy Today widget, and just swiped down to start a timer to see how long this blog post takes!)
Normally $6.99, now the app is free, to celebrate the release of the Apple Watch and the accompanying Hours app. (P.S. What do you call apps on the Apple Watch? Applets? Seeds?)
It’s got a beautiful interface, decent exporting features, and is really easy to use without thinking about–which is as a time-tracking app should be.
Check it out here, or read more about the app here. Also, those of you who use and enjoy it now–it’s coming to Mac soon.
BibleWorks 10 just came out today. From the press release:
After four years of intensive development, BibleWorks 10 is now available – with a substantial list of valuable additions that will enhance your ability to study God’s Word. Please click HERE to watch our introductory video.
In BibleWorks 10 you will find an impressive array of new search capabilities, along with some important exegetical resources, that significantly enhance its already substantial toolbox:
• High-resolution tagged images of the Leningrad Codex
• Two new NT manuscript transcriptions
• Nestle-Aland GNT 28th Edition
• New English Translation of the Septuagint
• Danker’s Concise Greek-English Lexicon of the NT
• Instant lemma form usage info for Greek and Hebrew
• 1,200+ high resolution photos of the Holy Land
• EPUB reader & library manager
• Complete audio Greek NT
• Customizable window colors
• Dynamically adjustable program text size
• Mac and PC versions.
We have a series of videos HERE that give you more info on each of these!
I hope to write more soon. Check out www.bibleworks.com in the meantime.
Words on the Word 