There was a time when technology was a distraction and disruption, something that we turned off during Ramadan. But now, as its become a more integrated and integral part of our lives, it's becoming apparent that it can be leveraged to enhance your spirituality rather than distract it.

This is a rough-and-ready list of the ways you can tech out your Ramadan. There's a bunch of resources and things I've skipped and missed - but this is a place to start before you start exploring the techoverse on your own.

Prayer time apps

Knowing when to pray and eat is Fasting 101, and these free apps are useful when the calendar on your fridge isn't nearby. The following all gine an alarm for prayer times during the day, and provide assistance with finding Qiblah / the direction to pray towards. 

Note: In my experience, apps don't get the times (in Cape Town anyway) exactly right, so it's good to compare to your local calendar and work out how many minutes you should adjust for.

iOS: Islamic Compass

Get it from the Apple AppStore.

BlackBerry: SalatMK

Also includes how to find the Qibla (with BlackBerry maps integration) and comes with BBM integration.

Search for it on AppWorld, or download it here.

Android: Islamic Prayer Times

Comes with a great screen widget to keep times on your homescreen.

Get it from the Google Play AppStore here.

Standard 13-line Quran in PDF for Kindle

The logistics for carrying a Quran around can be challenging, but if you have a Kindle, iPad or similar this is a great version of the standard South African 13-line Quran, complete with page numbering. Great for travelling light, and switching between your digital and paper Qurans.

The scanned text is crisp and clear, but not editable (so you won't be able to make notes, copy & paste, etc.)

It's a 33MB download available from MyUmmah.co.za. (Thanks Naeem for sharing)

Note: There are other eBook Quran versions available, some with much smaller file size (2MB or so). You can look here for links and previews.

QuranWorks HD for iPad (free):

If you're looking for more interactive content with your Quran, QuranWorks HD offers translations, commentaries, notes, audio recitations, dictionaries, and more. 

Looks great, and it's free. Get it from the Apple AppStore here.

Note: If you're looking for something more iPhone / iPod friendly, check out the free iQuran Lite.

Photography project: Ramadan Photo a Day

Ramadan is a time of sights and colour and inspiration, so use your phone and camera to capture it as part of the Ramadan Photo a Day project on Facebook. Everyday comes with a different theme like such:

• Day 1 An opening
• Day 2 Spiritual Direction
• Day 3 Signs from creation
• Day 4 Lineage
• Day 5 Inheritance
• ...

And so far it looks amazing. See the full list of photo prompts here, And have a look at the gallery on Facebook and the #RamadanPhotoADay on Twitter.

Note: There's an alternative project called Breakfast at Night which looks interesting.

YouTube Live Makkah channel

Google is live streaming salaah from Makkah on a dedicated YouTube channel. It's especially awesome because the recitation is translated and subtitled live. Google also has a dedicated Ramadan channel and is having Hangouts with religious leaders during the month; see this post for more details

Lectures, audiobooks and MP3's

If you're looking to replace the radio or music on your daily commute with something a little substantial there's tons out there, but if you don't know where to start, have a look at Mufti Menk's free lectures which covers Fiqh, theology, inspiration and story narrative. Also have a look at Suhaib Webb's audio which covers a broad range of topics.

Blog projects

30 Days 30 Mosques

This blog coveres the annual roadtrip that Americans Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq take across the USA as they visit a different mosque in a different state to break their fast for every night in Ramadan.

It's a remarkable, unscripted insight into the lives of American Muslims. Find out more about their project, have a look at where they've been, and similar projects to theirs

You can pitch by showing the diversity of Muslims around the world and sharing on twitter and Instagram. Check 30daysramadan.com for more.

Pink Mosques

Simply put, pictures and stories about mosques from Muslimahs perspective. Check it out at pinkmosques.com/

Tumblr

The Ramadan tag is always fascinating to watch on Tumblr, and usually involved quite a lot of food.