An Electronic Prayer Guide

While traveling abroad, devout Muslims must still say prayers five times a day while facing the holy city of Mecca. But a long trip with frequent stops could make them lose their bearings and point them in the wrong direction for worship. To prevent such a problem, Dallas Inventor George Shrime has applied science to religion and designed an electronic prayer guide. It points the way toward Mecca from any of 200 locations, beeps at worship time and displays the opening verses of the call to prayer on a liquid-crystal screen.

Shrime’s company, Micro Star, next month will begin offering the paperback-size instrument in both a plastic case ($400) and a brass one ($700). To use the device, travelers press a button to enter the name of the city they are visiting. A built-in microprocessor then does virtually all the rest. Shrime, a Lebanese Christian, spent two years designing the guide after consulting with Middle East Islamic leaders. The device has legions of potential customers: Islam counts more than 500 million followers.