A media-rich interactive Bible, Glo – the purported first of its kind – has been called “one of the most impressive book apps available” by USA Today among other noteworthy apps like “David’s Diary” by author David Sedaris and “1,000 Places to see before you Die” by Patricia Schultz.
“Our team is honored to receive this endorsement by USA Today and is thrilled to have been selected as the top pick on the list,” said Nelson Saba, CEO of Immersion Digital, which created Glo.
“it reaffirms our belief that rich media integrated with text enhances the understanding and engagement of the reader by combining the more analytical reading process with related immersive media experiences.”
Glo makes the Bible relevant and engaging to users by bringing the text of Scripture alive through HD video, high-res images, zoomable maps, 360-degree virtual tours, customizable Bible reading plans, and a natural user interface for fast, easy, visual navigation on the Mac, PC, iPad and iPhone.
The free Glo Bible App launched earlier this year and was recently updated with the Glo Atlas lens. the lens links geographic locations directly to Bible verses, articles and Glo media over a zoomable atlas, giving context to Bible stories or time periods.
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Christian publisher Zondervan partnered with Immersion Digital, a technology and media company founded in 2008, for the creation of the Glo Bible App.
Chip Brown, senior vice president and publisher of Bibles for Zondervan said in a statement, “Consumer reaction to both the packaged product and the App has been phenomenal and helps Zondervan advance our mission to increase Bible engagement.”
“Zondervan has been a great partner of ours and we believe the fact that Glo features the bestselling NIV translation, which is the dominant preferred translation choice of consumers, has contributes to its success,” Saba added.
The CEO of Immersion Digital, once the vice president of technology for International Private Banking at Citibank, believes that tools like GLO would enable people to engage in and know Christ in the new digital generation.
Having previously created iLumina, an interactive Bible and Encyclopedia Suite, Saba was familiar with interactive platforms, which sought to communicate Scripture in creative ways. he teamed up with Phil Chen to form Immersion Digital and created their flagship product Glo in 2009.
“Two entire generations have been born in a digital world and favor digital media over any other,” Saba stated, according to their website. “we really felt that the time was right to create a digital Bible such as GLO, designed for them, that would connect with this generation as an alternative to paper, because they don’t use it.”
“We’re not really just digitizing the Bible. we are creating a product with layers and functionality that will help make the Bible relevant and engaging to this generation.”
Chen, an ordained minister in Korea and creator of Handstand, a content service for newspapers and magazines, was inspired to create Glo after hearing a speech by the Rev. Billy Graham.
Graham had stated that the latest and best technology, design and science could not solve what Christ came to solve.
Chen was confident that the three things about human life – human suffering, human evil and human death – could not be solved through man’s greatest work but the Word of God alone.
“I believe Glo to be a technology and media company that is a steward to Christ and what Christ came to do for humankind,” the chairman shared on the site.
“Today, science, technology and design all aim to build sustainable energy, green energy, even business models that make sense for our environment and society. in the same way, Glo is a technology company designed for the human heart, the digital minister or missionary that communicates Christ in a new medium for a new century.”
Hoping to bring people closer to God through an interactive journey of the Bible, Chen noted, “Glo takes you back and brings you closer in a friendly way to help you experience the beauty and truth of the Scripture.”
“we are just as thirsty for its wisdom and richness to navigate life today. Glo further endeavors to inspire every person’s participation in the grand story.”
Evangelical Publisher’s Association named Glo 2010 Bible of the Year. already garnering much support and positive reviews, the app has been lauded by leading Christian authors and pastors like John Eldredge and Max Lucado.
Lucado considered Glo “a comprehensive Bible research tool that is a great friend to anyone who [took] the Bible seriously,” while Eldredge shared that the app helped him imagine what it would be like to be a part of the biblical world.
“I think it’s hard to those of us who live in the 21st century… to imagine what it was like when Jesus walked the earth or Paul wrote his epistles and that’s what I love about Glo because I’m reading about Antioch or Ephesus and I can click on the map and go there, I can take the interactive tour, I can look at the photos and it puts me in the context and context is crucial when it comes to understanding the meaning of Scriptures,” Eldredge, author of Wild at Heart, added.
“Over the year God has used film, arts, and media in my life to help me enter into the stories of the Scriptures, help me imagine what it was like to be there and be a part of it. and that is why I’m excited about Glo. This product …[helps] bring the Scriptures to life and helps us really enter into the truth of what God is giving to us in His Word.”
Sample the app for free at globible.com.