Definition: 

Some applications allow you to use mobile devices in the field to record audio, take notes, capture data, and more.

Tools: 

• AirSharing: "The easiest way to view your documents on the go...Mount your iPhone or iPod touch as a wireless drive on any Mac, Windows, or Linux computer." (Commercial, iPhone)

• EverNote: an application that allows you to capture information of any kind anywhere and synchronize it across all of your devices: "Take snapshots, read to-do lists, record audio whenever and wherever you like." (Free; iPhone, via LifeHacker)

• Good Reader: "file viewer that supports very large PDF files, USB file transfer, PDF Reflow, PDF & TXT text search, and more" (Commercial; iPhone; via TeleRead)

• HearPlanet: an application that determines your location and plays audio versions of Wikipedia articles about that place (Free; iPhone, via Digital Campus)

• Jott: "With a simple phone call to 866-JOTT-123, you can capture notes, set reminders and calendar appointments, stay in touch with friends and family, and interact with your favorite web sites and services" (Free/ad-supported; iPhone, via LifeHacker)

• noter: an application for offline notes/to do lists; allows you to sync with your computer (Subscription-based, iPhone)

• Papers for the iPhone: an application that allows you access to scholarly references: you can browse articles and metadata, search, read PDFs, share stuff, and backup online (Commercial, iPhone)

• QuickVoice iP: a voice recorder for iPhone & iPod Touch 2G; "can conveniently record voice notes, reminders, dictations, meetings, interviews, shopping lists, to do lists, and even entire lectures and multi-session seminars. Ideal for professional, student, and personal use." (Commercial, iPhone)

• Rehearsal Assistant: Software for the Android platform that "allows spoken notes to be recorded and saved into audio files (time-stamped relative to the beginning of the rehearsal run), and later played back." (Free; open source, Android)

• Roambi Lite:  Visualize data from Excel spreadsheets on your iPhone; visualizations include pie charts, bar graphs & flip charts. (Free, iPhone)

• Stanza: e-book reader; can also be synchronized with documents from your computer with coordinating Mac/PC desktop software (Free, iPhone)

References: 

• The iPhone as Method/s, Penny’s Discoveries @ Murdoch (October 2008)

See Also: