iShrine – Review

Our rating:

By: iShrine

Version #: 1.0 (iPhone OS 3.0 Tested)

Date Released: 2009-09-01

Developer: Philippe Mougin

Price: 0.99

User Rating:

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For the Buddhist who is constantly on the go, there is iShrine, your virtual and portable meditation system.  I’m not a Buddhist, but there’s no telling when the iShrine might come in handy.

Seriously, is this going to come in other religions?  Will there be an iChurch with virtual candles to light and a giant cross hanging in the center?  Will there be an iSynagogue with an ark containing a virtual Torah?  A virtual Scientology shrine with pictures of Tom Cruise?  The mind boggles.

The coolest thing about iShrine is the user’s ability to light the candles or the incense (although sadly the app doesn’t come with smell).  Also, there are moving clouds in the backgound and you can hit some of the items on the screen to make various noises.

Other than that, there’s not a whole lot to the app.  It would be better if you could custom build your own shrine.  Perhaps putting some bikini pictures around the thing.  Even a choice of different shrines would make the app better.  After the app starts, you don’t even have anywhere else to go unless you completely stop the app, which would be pretty boring to your average non-Buddhist.

Sadly, I must give this app the equivalent of a thumbs down.  While it’s cute to have, the novelty wears off quickly and you’re just left with the picture of a shrine on an app.  That doesn’t exactly fill me with a sense of calmness of spirituality.

Pros: Cute idea.

Cons: Not much choice.  Doesn’t do much.