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Posts Tagged ‘PocketBible’

PocketBible for iOS users: What can Advanced Features do for you?

Posted on: September 11th, 2012 by Michelle Stramel 8 Comments

If you are using PocketBible 2 or later for iOS, here are some good reasons to upgrade to Advanced Features and how to do it.

Why upgrade?

The Advanced Features available for PocketBible 2 on the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch can be summed up in 5 words: Tabs, Autostudy, Voices, Copy, Print.

Tabs (or tabbed panes) are especially wonderful on the iPad. I keep 5 tabs open on my iPad and each tab contains a specific type of book so the headings display category of book (i.e. Bibles, Commentaries) rather than book abbreviation. When you mix different types of books within a pane, PocketBible shows the abbreviation for the top book instead of the category. Tabs make it fast and easy to move from my Bible to a commentary or other type of book and get the information I need to understand what the Bible is saying.

Autostudy is very useful to me because I often compare Bible translations when I read the Bible. If I particularly like or, conversely, don’t understand a verse, I want to see how it is translated elsewhere. Autostudy will put that together in seconds–all on one page. It will do the same for information from other types of books as well – commentaries, dictionaries, etc.. You can get more details on this feature in our article: Have you discovered Autostudy?

Would you like to have the program read the Bible to you? The Advanced Feature Set adds the ability to do this but you will need to make one more purchase of a voice (at $1.99 each) to take advantage of that ability. PocketBible voices are synthesized which means they are electronic but I have found this feature extremely handy for keeping up with my Bible reading in the car, as I clean the house, on a run — time that might otherwise be wasted can be reclaimed for a good purpose.

If you like to copy passages from your reference or other type books, you’ll want the Advanced Features as they allow you to do just that. And if your printer supports AirPrint, you’ll be able to print from the program.

You can watch a quick overview of the upgrade process and how to use the new features at the video link below:

How to upgrade

If you are already using PocketBible 2 on your iOS device, adding these new features is straight-forward:

  1. Purchase the Advanced Features at our web site for $4.99 (it is also available in-app for $1.00 more). Add a Voice at the same time if you think you want to use that feature. I prefer Tracy but our best-selling voices are Heather and Ryan.
  2. Go into PocketBible on your iOS device and choose the Menu button and Buy/Apply Upgrade (if you’ve already purchased at our website, you’ll just be applying). Choose Add/Remove Voices to download a Voice if you’ve purchased one.

You’re all set!

If you are still using PocketBible 1.4.7 (or earlier) for iOS, follow our 3 Steps to Move from PocketBible 1 to PocketBible 2 on your iOS device.

Bible Searching Tips using PocketBible

Posted on: August 28th, 2012 by Michelle Stramel 2 Comments

A printed Bible limits you to the concordance in the back of the Bible (or your memory) for finding verses but PocketBible lets you search the Scriptures by any word, phrase or combination thereof. How does that work? – keep reading…

Let’s say you want to find every verse in the Bible where Jesus spoke. You could start your search with the phrase “Jesus said.” Depending on what platform you are using PocketBible on, tap or click on the Find icon in PocketBible (or choose Find from the menu) and type Jesus said in the search box. Hit the Search button. The results will list all verses containing the phrase “Jesus said” but only when the words appear in exactly that order. That means you won’t get every verse where Jesus said something. For example, you’d miss Matthew 12:48 where it says, “Jesus didn’t respond directly, but said…”, because the words Jesus and said are not together. To get this additional verse and others like it, modify your search to jesus AND said. AND is one of several Boolean operators you can use to enhance your searching in PocketBible. You can read about using Boolean operators for more effective searches in the program Help File (tap on the ? in any version of PocketBible). Below is a video that explains this concept as well:

Another way PocketBible can help is when you are trying to find a verse but can’t remember the reference (i.e. Book/Chapter/Verse) for it. For example, you want to find the verse where Jesus miraculously feeds the large crowds. PocketBible will let you narrow your search to just the Gospels (since you know the verse is somewhere in those books). Then search for loaves OR fish.

In addition to picking specific books or sections of the Bible, PocketBible will also let you narrow your search to look only in verses you’ve highlighted or bookmarked. Just be careful to clear these options out after you are done with your search or you may end up getting “No verse found” on your next search (when you know there is a verse that contains what you are looking for).

Do you have any questions or tips about searching in PocketBible? Please share them in the comments.

3 Steps to Move from PocketBible 1 to PocketBible 2 on your iOS device

Posted on: August 7th, 2012 by Michelle Stramel 5 Comments


Are you still using the first version of PocketBible on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch? If so, we highly recommend moving to PocketBible 2 so you can apply program updates as they are released; we won’t be updating PocketBible 1.4.7 further.

Before we explain how to make the move, check your version number in PocketBible by tapping on the Menu button and selecting About PocketBible. If it says anything less than PocketBible 2.0.X, keep reading.

  1. Step One: Go to the App Store on your device and search for PocketBible (all one word). Download the program. You’ll notice that the new program has the same icon as your old PocketBible program. If you get confused, follow the tip above to check which version of the program you are in.
  2. Step Two: Delete the old program…wait! Don’t do that yet if you have been adding notes, highlights, bookmarks or tracking reading progress that you want to save. First, read the instructions (click link and scroll to the section Moving Your Notes, Highlights, Bookmarks and Daily Reading Progress to the New Program) to transfer your data. Then delete the old program.
  3. Step Three: Re-download your books. Go into the new program and register if you haven’t already encountered that. Be sure to use the email (or Laridian ID number) and password associated with your existing Laridian account. After registration, tap on the Menu button and choose Add/Remove Books to re-download your past purchases. All your books can be downloaded in one fell swoop if you tap on each book you want to download and then tap on Update at the top of the page.

Why the extra steps? Normally, when you update a program, you just go into the App store and it tells you an update is available. PocketBible will work that way again once you download the new version. If you want to know the “why” you can get it from our initial post on this new version.

Anything else to know? Yes (but it is optional). Once you install PocketBible 2, you can also purchase and install an Advanced Feature Set for $4.99. If you purchase the Advanced Feature Set, you can add a Voice or two to the program and listen to the Bible or any book. Voices are synthesized and sell for $1.99 each.

New for PocketBible: Zondervan Dictionary of Biblical Imagery

Posted on: July 31st, 2012 by Michelle Stramel 2 Comments

Why should you take the time to learn more about the culture and land of the biblical world? The answer is simple: doing so will revolutionize what you see when reading your Bible. The Zondervan Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, now available for PocketBible, offers a fascinating and inspiring portal to the biblical world.

As the Holy Spirit led the inspired authors of the Bible to write, He also led them to fill the pages of the Bible with vibrant images drawn from the culture, natural history, and landscape around them. Using such vivid imagery as looms, donkeys, water cisterns, grapes, sackcloth, and shepherds makes what they say both more beautiful and more memorable. These images stimulate our imagination, animate our interest, and make the abstract clearer.

Today we live in a world of smartphones, grocery stores and airplanes, and these illustrations are unlikely to relate to our everyday life. As students of the Bible, we need someone to explain both the meaning and significance of the imagery found in the biblical text which is exactly what the Zondervan Dictionary of Biblical Imagery does.

Entries explain images that correspond to a cultural artifact from the biblical world (such as arrow or sandal), a component of natural history (such as fox or fig tree), a named place (such as Mount Sinai or Nazareth), or a component of the Promised Land’s physical geography (such as mountain or wilderness). Each entry contains a description of the element or image, examples of how the image is used in the biblical text, and appropriate black and white photographs and maps that further illustrate the ideas presented.

Zondervan Dictionary of Biblical Imagery sells for $23.99 and can be used with PocketBible for iOS, Android, Windows PC and Windows Mobile. It is also available for use with MyBible for Palm OS.

PocketBible Bookmark Basics

Posted on: July 25th, 2012 by Michelle Stramel 5 Comments

The bookmark feature in PocketBible is meant to be used the same way you would use a bookmark in your printed Bibles or books. To provide a method for easily returning to a place that you think you might want to go back.

Put a bookmark on a Bible verse and it will be shared between all Bibles.

Put a bookmark in a book other than the Bible and it will take you back to the start of the table of contents entry for the section of text you’re reading. So don’t be surprised when you return to a bookmark in a reference book and you find it is a few paragraphs earlier than what you remember setting it at.

How do you set a bookmark in the different versions of PocketBible?

  • iOS – Hold down your finger on a verse and you’ll get a context menu. Choose Menu and then “Bookmark Verse #”. With the iPad version, use the B’Marks button on the toolbox to easily view your bookmarked verses. If you turn your iPod touch or iPhone to landscape, we use the extra room on the toolbar for a “Bookmarks” button which serves the same purpose.
  • Windows PC – use your right-click menu to set a bookmark. You can delete it from the personalization window.
  • Windows Mobile - press and hold your stylus on the reference you want to add or choose Bookmarks from the Edit menu.
  • Palm OS – from the menu choose Edit | Bookmarks.
  • Android OS – bookmarks are planned but not yet available.

How do you delete a bookmark? The same way you added it! If you try to set a bookmark on a verse or place you’ve already bookmarked, instead of an “add” option, you’ll get a “delete” option.

Do you like things organized? Use categories when you store your bookmarks. For example, you might want to organize your bookmarks by topics such as “salvation” and “repentance.”

Of course, you don’t have to use categories – you can keep your bookmarks “uncategorized.” Conversely, you can place a verse in more than one category if you’d like. Keep in mind that if you delete a bookmark from a category, it is only deleted from that specific category. When you delete an entire category, you’re only deleting the category. Any remaining bookmarks in the category will show up as being uncategorized.

If you’ve already whole-heartedly embraced this feature and have tons of bookmarks, make sure you are backing them up or synchronizing with our server. There are instructions for this in the help for each version of PocketBible.

How are you using bookmarks? Let us know in the comments.

New for PocketBible: Halley’s Bible Handbook

Posted on: July 24th, 2012 by Michelle Stramel 2 Comments

Halley’s Bible Handbook is a world-renowned Bible handbook that has been treasured by generations of Bible readers for its clarity, insight, and usefulness. The 25th edition of this classic title is now available for use with PocketBible.

Halley’s Bible Handbook makes the Bible’s wisdom and message accessible. Whether you are new to the Bible or have read it many times, you will find insights that can give you a firm grasp of God’s Word. It will help you develop an appreciation for the cultural, religious, and geographic settings in which the story of the Bible unfolds. You will see how its different themes fit together in a remarkable way. And you will see the heart of God and the person of Jesus Christ revealed from Genesis to Revelation.

In addition to its section by section commentary, the PocketBible edition of this handbook includes the full color pictures, maps and charts.

The handbook was born out of Henry H. Halley’s conviction that everyone ought to be a devoted reader of the Bible. His interesting story (links to PDF) is a testimony to a man who lived his beliefs.

Halley’s Bible Handbook sells for $19.99 and can be used with PocketBible for iOS, Android, Windows PC and Windows Mobile. It is also available for use with MyBible for Palm OS.

Shortcuts for turning on/off Strong’s Numbers in PocketBible Bibles

Posted on: July 5th, 2012 by Michelle Stramel 3 Comments

Do you own a PocketBible Bible that features Strong’s Numbers? The possibilities include:

While you probably chose these Bibles because of the Strong’s numbers and links they provide to included and related dictionaries, it is sometimes nice to turn them off! Especially when you are simply reading the Bible text. Here’s the quickest way to do that in each version of PocketBible:

  1. Windows PC – Use the keys CTRL + U. This keyboard combination quickly toggles the Strong’s numbers on and off. You can also go to the menu and choose View and click the option on and off there. The toggle will work for viewing the text in a Bible window or in “hover” mode when you are hovering over a verse link.
  2. iPad – tap on the Settings icon (looks like a gear) on the toolbar and tap on the menu item “Strong’s Numbers.” You can also find the option via the pop-up menu when you tap and hold on a book and the menu button on the toolbar (Menu | Settings).
  3. iPhone/iPod touch – tap and hold any place in an open book to get a pop-up menu. Choose Menu and tap on “Strong’s Numbers” to turn the numbers on and off. The menu button on the toolbar (Menu | Settings) will also provide this option.
  4. Android OS – Bibles with Strong’s numbers cannot yet be viewed with PocketBible for Android but it is at the top of our list.
  5. Windows Mobile – tap View, Options, and Show Strong’s Numbers.
  6. Palm OS – tap Options, and Strong’s Numbers.

Related article: Accomplishing Word Studies in PocketBible.

PocketBible for iOS users: Have you discovered Autostudy?

Posted on: July 1st, 2012 by Michelle Stramel 9 Comments

Sometimes a verse hits you right in the heart and you want to know everything about it. That is what Autostudy does for you. It tells you everything there is to know about any one verse (or word) in your PocketBible library…in just a few seconds.

What do you need to accomplish an Autostudy?

Currently this feature is available exclusively for those who have downloaded the free version of PocketBible 2 for iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch) and purchased the Advanced Feature Set ($4.99 at our website). We hope to roll it into other versions of PocketBible as we go along because it is such a useful tool.

How do you produce an Autostudy?

It couldn’t be simpler. With PocketBible open and a Bible translation onscreen, hold down your finger on a verse and a menu will pop-up. Choose menu and then Autostudy verse. You can do the same with any word in the Bible.

What does Autostudy give you?

As mentioned previously, Autostudy tells you everything there is to know about a verse or word based on your personal PocketBible library. When you pick a verse to Autostudy, PocketBible will provide information regarding that verse based on other Bibles, commentary, dictionaries, etc. that you have installed. You can choose to see everything in your library or just items of a specific category (i.e. Other Translations, Exhaustive Concordances, Commentary). Under the Settings you can choose to exclude specific Bibles or books from results.

For example, if you chose to Autostudy John 3:16 and chose Other Translations in the options, you would see how John 3:16 reads in all your Bible translations.

Your results will vary with a word or verse Autostudy. The word Autostudy is going to offer information from word-based resources such as dictionaries. The verse Autostudy will offer information from verse-based resources such as Bibles and commentary.

You can take your Autostudy results and copy them to another program, save as HTML or plain text or print with or without the formatting (printing requires a printer with AirPrint support). If you don’t like the formatting, you can change this on the Autostudy menu by choosing to Customize CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). If you need a primer on CSS, check out this Guide to Cascading Style Sheets.

Questions about this PocketBible feature, let us know in the comments.

What’s free with PocketBible?

Posted on: June 28th, 2012 by Michelle Stramel 2 Comments

Free PocketBible Books

We often get asked about what free books are available for use with PocketBible. Here’s a one-stop answer to that question.

We offer a variety of free books in different book categories so you can try the program out and see what it can do as well as build your library. Step one is to make sure you actually own PocketBible (or one of our related readers/software programs). Or in other words, you need a reader even to use the free books we offer.

All versions of PocketBible are free to download. This includes PocketBible for iOS (aka iPhone/iPad/iPod touch), Android OS, Windows PC, Windows Mobile and Palm OS. Laridian Bibles also work with Simple Bible Pro for webOS and Noah Bible Study Viewer for BlackBerry (non-PocketBible programs have to be purchased – see product pages for details).

Once you have PocketBible downloaded for your smartphone, tablet or PC, you can download and access our free books (as well as any titles you purchase). For iOS and Android OS, the books are available to you upon registration automatically. Simply log in to your Laridian account within the program and download them. For other platforms or devices, you must order them on our web site (links are below) to add them to your Laridian account for download.

We can offer these titles free because they are in the public domain (not copyrighted). If you have any suggestions for other public domain titles you’d like to see us publish, let us know in the comments below.

The NEW Matthew Henry Commentary for PocketBible

Posted on: June 26th, 2012 by Michelle Stramel No Comments

New Matthew Henry Commentary Cover

We have released the NEW Matthew Henry Commentary for use with PocketBible and MyBible. This updated and edited version of Matthew Henry’s classic commentary retains the beauty and reliability of the original while making it easier to for today’s reader to enjoy and understand. The updated commentary is still based on the King James Version text and sells for $23.99.

The commentary was updated by Martin Manser (also author of the Dictionary of Bible Themes). He offers some insight into the challenge and decisions he had to make in updating the text in this article (links to PDF file).

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