As millions of Muslims around the world began observing the holy month of Ramadan today, modern technology has stepped in to help them through the 30 days of fasting.

Perhaps inevitably, applications for the iPhone and iPad are now available to provide inspiration, support and practical information during Ramadan, the dates of which are determined by the lunar calendar.

The Ramadan Daily Dua, available for the iPhone and iPad, offers a prayer of supplication specific to each day during the holy month, while Ramadan Booster Pro offers "tips and recommended good deeds to help organise your Ramadan". Nokia has its own updated, free Ramadan application suite, which allows users to browse the Qur'an, get prayer times and find their nearest mosque, among other things.

Unusually for a non-Islamic country, the German television channel RTL2 has said it will do its bit by flashing up a message at sunrise and sunset to indicate the start and end of the daily fast, during which Muslims are required to consume no food or drink.

The mobile phone applications follow in the footsteps of other Islamic-themed apps such as iPray and iQuran, which offer a beeping reminder of prayer times, and Find Mecca, which helps Muslims meet the requirement that they are facing Mecca when they are praying. The programme has an electronic indicator that changes from red to green when you reach the correct prayer angle of 58 degrees north-east, wherever you are.

James Otun, a 35-year-old technology aficionado in the US, said the apps he uses on his iPhone and iPad made him a more observant Muslim. From the beeping reminder to stop and pray during his busy schedule running a limo service, to an app that tells him which nearby restaurants serve food prepared within Islamic guidelines, he said there was no longer an excuse to live an unobservant life.

"If you forgot to pray, you might not be responsible, because you're human; you forget and you can make it up later," he said. "But not now that you have those apps, that might change things in God's level."

"Islam is not against technology. Now you can do it easier, faster," said Zinnur Tabakci, who runs an Islamic religious book and gift shop in Paterson, New Jersey. He now stocks mobile phone accessories alongside strings of traditional prayer beads and religious texts. "Islam started 1,400 years ago, and at that time, they didn't have that much technology, but they knew everything," he said.

But the applications, at least those which are not offered for free, may provoke concerns about the commercialisation of the Muslim holy month. Just as Christians have for years expressed fears that the religious aspects of Christmas have been diluted, some Muslims believe Ramadan is being exploited as a brand. In June, the consumers' association of Penang declared it was outraged by the Malaysian tourism minister's announcement that the country was to host "the first ever Ramadan summer festival featuring food, shopping and other fun-filled activities" to attract Middle Eastern tourists.