By I must admit: I didn’t fully understand the concept of WolframAlpha when the “computational knowledge engine” was first announced. After using it a few times, I still don’t. That’s not the matter here, though. They’ve announced that they’ll be heading to the Android market with their very own app that should put all of that computational decision making power right in the palm of your hands.
The Wolfram|Alpha App for Android is specifically designed for Android 1.6 and above, with specialized keyboards for math, charts and graphics adapted for the variety of Android screens, support for native voice input, and location awareness
For those that have found some use out of the service, you can look forward to downloading it October 6th when they’ll undoubtedly be publishing it to the Android market. The app will cost $1.99 [EuroDroid]
lol seriously? we have to pay for this POS? $1.99?
Google search works 99.99999% of the time. So no thnx. I rather save space for porn.
The mobile site is free so I would hope the app will give people reason to pay for it and not turn out to be a local web app.
Google doesn’t work all the time, and this is kinda like having Mathematica. It can do derivatives and integration. So I think of it as a big super calculator. But for most people, especially those who asked, “Whats the point of algebra?” will not find this useful. For the rest of us geeks out here, I’m sure we will.
You can access a mobile version, I think the point of this app is the special parts they mention in the quote above for “specialized keyboards for math, charts and graphics adapted for the variety of Android screens, support for native voice input, and location awareness.” I’d check it out and wouldn’t mind having that in my arsenal.
I totally agree with David’s comment. For those of us who actually use WolframAlpha fairly regularly, it’s an absolutely invaluable tool.
@androidtoy
This is not for the average user, and not really used for normal search engine use. Uber geeks know how to use it and it is invaluable. I’m not an uber geek, but I know enough about it to understand it does extreme computations.
Hehe, I really don’t mean to sound condescending nor make fun of anybody, but if you have to compare utility of this to google, then you’re missing most of the functionality of the tool.
I think it’s a good tool, and the geek inside me thinks it’s fantastic.
Am I the only one extremely excited by this?
Maybe it’s because I have never used wolfram alpha as a search engine. (I knew it did something like that, but searching the internet is Google’s job). I use it mostly for integrating/deriving and occasionally for solving equations I’m too lazy to solve myself. Just type in integrate (cos(x)sin(x))/cot(x) and see what you’re missing.
I am excited by this. Try typing in:
.
1 attoparsec per microfortnight in inches per second
.
And it will convert velocity from a useful form into a useless form.
There already is something on the market, i think its basically a widget that redirects ur search to the mobile site (which works fine for me).
Ans as pointed out: you dont search with it, it plots graphs, converts units ans can do for example an XOR. It’s useful for science, in specific maths and computer science afaik ;)
Sounds good to me. I’d probably never use it, but I can imagine it’d be invaluable for engineers and mathematicians; and possibly me when I’m trying Project Euler problems on a cigarette break! It should certainly beat fiddling around with Python case and spacing requirements in SL4A!
Meh.. there’s already decent WolframAlpha apps in the market. I don’t see what this is going to offer but choice is good, just don’t expect me to pay for it.
Why feature an article on an app that is directed at one tiny particular audience that likely doesn’t include most of your readers? With the huge number of apps released every day, I’m baffled that you chose to waste your time writing a front page article that didn’t even tell us anything about it.
I like the site but why not just let this be reviewed in the apps section like every other run of the mill app? Lately it seems like we have to read through so much crap to get to good articles with pertinent info.
I just tried this…..wow. I’ve been looking for something like this when I need measurements converted when cooking. No more searching for the answer…
Wolfram Alpha is invaluable for chemistry homework… ;)
@catch, another opinion for you. I don’t really use WolframAlpha. Don’t really have a reason to. But what article did I read on Phandroid tonight? This one. I don’t really care about devices coming out if I’m not on the carrier that has them (yawn). So, yeah, there IS a reason…
This Review fucking sucks! Left me wondering WTF?
It also has something to offer musicians. Check it out. Write chords like D Maj E min. Experiment with it.
@catch How would it not include most of Phandroid’s readers? I’m fairly sure most Android owning friends I know have used Wolfram more than my iPhone owning friends and I’m sure I’m not the only one in this situation.
Note to editor : if the author knows nothing of the subject, find someone that does.
@xarophti, why the crap would you want to read an article about something you have no interest in? I’d rather Phandroid report on apps that I might actually use.
@DANdroid, what does the fact that Android users use Wolfram more than iPhoners have anything to do with whether its a good article? My point is that this app is no more important to the average Android user than any of the other thousands in the market. Phandroid doesn’t review all of those, so why waste time reviewing one they don’t even know anything about and that very few average users will likely care about?
Note to 18: That’s not how this stuff works.
@catch it’s impossible to know what apps all of our readers would actually use. And even if we did find a way to come up with that sort of information, not everyone likes or dislikes the same apps. 19 comments later, it looks like a good chunk of our readership is actually pleased by this news.
@Quentyn isn’t that the entire point of running a blog – to know which pieces of info will interest your readers and give it to them so that they continue to drive traffic and bring you ad income?
It seems pretty obvious anyways – if you, as an avid Android user don’t understand what the heck the app is, or why anyone would want to use it, than it is pretty likely that a large portion of your readers will feel the same way.