MacResearch

This week, I noticed two noteworthy iPhone applications targeted at scientists, Grafly and Solutions (links to the iTunes store):...read more...

•Grafly (iTunes store link), a new graphing calculator that takes advantage of the accelerometer to provide a very interesting "gravity mode", whereby you can move around a plot by moving the iPhone itself. And of course, the "touch mode" allows you to directly interact with the 2D and 3D plots, using 1 or 2 fingers to move, zoom and rotate them in a very intuitive way. Before buying it, you can check out the videos and screenshots on the Grafly web site.

•Solutions (iTunes store link) helps you prepare your buffers before you start an experiment. Type in the molecular weight or the formula, the volume and the concentration, and get the weight back. If you can't remember the molecular weight of an exotic compound, the Solutions application also offers a very nice front-end to access the chemical databases PubChem and Chebi. See a full video of Solutions in action on the mekentosj web site, where it was announced just yesterday.

Unfortunately, applications for scientists are not easy to find, unless you are a regular reader of MacResearch. Grafly is listed under the "Education" section, and Solutions under the "Healthcare and Fitness" section. With more and more applications for science, maybe Apple will finally decide to dedicate a section to them...