Conclave smartphone app helps people track what is happening in Rome

Catholic cardinals gather in Rome to elect a new pope.
Photographer: NBC NewsChannel
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Posted: 03/12/2013

(CNN) Catholic cardinals at the Vatican begin the process of selecting a new Pope today.

It's a top-secret tradition that relies on smoke signals to send the only public notification in the decision-making process. But there's a brand-new way to track what's happening in Rome without actually being there.

It's been nearly eight years since the conclave last selected a Pope -- there have been a lot of changes in how the world communicates since then: Pope Benedict the Sixteenth was the first Pope to tweet -- and now, tracking Vatican city developments is as simple as downloading an app.

Logos bible software decided to develop the conclave app after hearing about the pope's plans to resign -- the company's director of catholic products says there was a working app prototype within 48 hours -- and the free app was ready for release by last Thursday.

Here's some of what it offers: video from Vatican tv, a Twitter feed following #conclave and #pope, bios of all the cardinals that gauges who's getting the most online buzz, and info about every conclave dating back to 1061.

The app is free -- the company, which specializes in religious software, says it's just doing it to be a part of the event. and it has a short shelf-life -- the company says after the conclave ends, it doesn't plan to keep the app updated.