Well I finally finished the 1.4 update.  The new feature is a search engine that is blazingly fast.  It now searches in less than half a second, on average.  There is also a “simple search” so if you don’t want to mess with complicated search options, you’re in luck.

I have implemented a new compressed file format, so the app will also now take up much less space on your device.  I also added a “Settings” page that lets you turn disable landscape mode, red letters, and choose a different selection color.  Find out more here.

Unfortunately, Apple is on vacation and is not accepting application uploads. I missed their deadline tonight by about an hour.  I won’t be able to upload the update to Apple until the 28th.

Tomorrow is our annual celebration of Jesus’ birthday, so Merry Christmas, and Happy Birthday, Jesus.  In honor of the event 2000 years ago, God placed some kind of super-bright “star” in the sky.  Two years ago, a friend showed me a DVD from this site: http://www.bethlehemstar.net/  Since I’ve been trained as a physicist and an aerospace engineer, I was naturally skeptical, but I’ve checked this guy’s astronomical research to the limit of my knowledge, and it appears to be true.  He lines everything up with scripture, and if you watch the DVD, you have to watch the bonus track, because that’s where the really heavy stuff is.  Whether or not all his speculation about the details of some historical events is true, the astronomical events he describes would have been startling.

In the meantime, check out the new testimony blog, Testimonies, and send in your testimonies about what Christ has done in your life.