"Dont Worry, be APP'y" - A Review of Materials Related APP's
Unless you've been hiding in a cave for the last few months (Tiger and Osama you're excused), it has been almost impossible to avoid the hysteria surrounding the launch of the Apple iPad, its forecast game changing role in publishing and the methods we are likely to use in future to consume our media via these devices.
The content for the iPhone and the iPad is based on Apple's "walled garden" iTunes approach, with only "Approved Apps" allowed in, so, it's high time to visit the 'Apposphere' to get a feel for what is going on from a materials angle.
Here's a potted review of the top 10 loosely Materials related Apps in no particular order significance, stupidity or usefulness.
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AZoMaterials the A - Z of Materials - Of course straight in there at number 1 is the megatastical AZoM.com App, just a simply wonderful tool for staying on top of materials news, finding suppliers and equipment - then again you knew that anyway. |
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Molecules is more oriented towards biological molecules, but it is incredibly attractive to look at and to play with. The molecular constructions are all rendered in crisp 3d graphics and can be rotated by the touch of a finger. Personally, I didn’t find any really useful purpose other than to show my kids what DNA looked like and lend further weight to the "Dad is such a Geek" cause. |
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Periodic Lite is, as the name suggests a reference app for the periodic table that would have possibly saved my bacon in Chemistry classes. Then again, someone once told me that material scientists are failed chemists who are bad at maths so, perhaps I should be happy with the path that fate provided.
It really is a delight to use and provides the basic information on all the elements, sorted by name, symbol, group and phase - and I'm proud to say that according to Periodic Lite, I now know there are only two liquids in the period table, Mercury and ? |
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ConvertBot as the name suggests is is a utility for converting units. Unlike the other apps it's not free but depending on your location it's around $2.50 and money well spent.
Although you could take the approach that it’s only a unit converter, it does it with such style and makes such marvellous enginneeringy sounding whooshing and clicking noises that I happily paid up. Plus with over 500 units in 20 different categories, including currencies, you'd be hard pressed not to find it useful whether you're a lab rat, grease monkey or CEO. |
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Ceracoat is an example of an App that we are likely to see more of, namely the company specific App.
It's constructed in the style of an APP brochure and doesnt have a huge amount of functionality outside of some product info and a gallery except a marvellous section that allows you to hear the engine noises from a powerboat, Dodge Viper and Porsche. Exactly why is not made clear but, I want the Viper. |
Scientific Calculator - Now I was going to extol the virtues of several scientific calculator Apps, with their various functions and features when some bright spark informed me that if you loaded up the standard basic calculator on the iPhone and then rotated the iPhone by 90 degrees up pops a pretty comprehensive scientific calculator out of the box - Duh!
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Metal Detector so $15k to buy a handheld XRF or download a free iPhone App to check out the metal stocks in the warehouse?
Well, let's start with the positives, the graphics certainly make it look like a metal detector and it really sounds like one, giving off that excellent 'Ive found a field full or roman coins" squawk, but, the metallic content of my forehead and the office carpet appeared to be quite high, so I'm sorry to say that you're going to need something a little more sophisticated to work out if you've an 18/8 stainless on the shelf. |
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findNano a delightfully well produced App from those frightfully clever people at the Woodrow Wilson Centre - Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies. This App is very browsable and is one that will probably look even more attractive on the iPad. It provides a whole catalogue of products that are based on Nanotechnology and describes in detail who did it and where the Nanotech fits in. Hope they manage to keep it updated. |
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Skeptical Science Now I'll accept that this is primariliy and App that relates to the arguements around climate change, so you may ask where's the materials connection?
Well, come on let's face it, I'd bet there are thousands of you out there in MaterialUniResearchland that are bumping out hundreds of grant applications that justify $500k's worth of research with an opening para containing the words, climate, CO2 and energy, so you need to be across the issues. Skeptical Science is a great bluffers guide. |
Finally I did try very hard to incorporate a polymeric or plastic app, but pretty much drew a blank.
It wasn't a totally fruitless search as trawling the App Store for "plastic" leads to a very useful App called 'iAugment' with a 'plastic' surgery bias. However the App is still incredibly useful as shaking the iPhone leads to some significant adjustments in what I guess one could only call the degree of inflation! An excellent example of Young’s Modulus in Polymers I thought!
I'm sure there are some that I've missed, please let me know ianbirkby@azonetwork.com or tweet me @birkers