Extentia Observes Greater Innovation in Ramadan 2011 Applications

Online, August 23, 2011 (Newswire.com) - The observance of the holy month in 2011 is even more intertwined with the latest in mobile technology. This year has seen several new innovative applications for a variety of uses linked to Ramadan. Given the widespread adoption of smartphones in the Arab world and among the faithful worldwide, they have proved to be even more popular.

During the holy month in 2010, there was a Time magazine story on the explosion in Ramadan apps with several applications referenced. Consider this - other than the first apps for reciting prayers off phones, Quran verses, and reminders to pray, there are apps for:

• Qibla -the Direction of Mecca
• Prayer Timings by Country or Region Including Sehri and Iftar timings
• Finding the Nearest Mosque
• Zakat Calculations for Charity
• Hadith for Islamic Law
• Ramadan Related Television Content

'The demand for new and innovative applications for Ramadan is unprecedented, and will continue to grow. Given restrictions during observance across the Islamic world, Ramadan related apps allow for several conveniences,' says Umeed Kothavala, CEO, Extentia Information Technology. 'There are applications for other faiths as well related to scripture, recreation, and festivals - most popular with religious diasporas worldwide' Popular Ramadan apps for iPad, iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry are:

• iPray - This includes prayer time notifications, and Qibla directions. It also has an Islamic calendar for religious events all year.
• Islamic Prayer Timing - Visually appealing app where users look up worldwide prayer timings for the holy month. They can set reminders and alerts, as well as listen to prayers within the app.
• Zakah (Zakat) Calculator - This app helps calculate Zakat, for users to donate a fixed portion of the Ramadan observer's wealth to charity. It also includes conversion rates of all major currencies.

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