Your mobile library – Reference apps for smartphones

Whether it is Windows Mobile, Symbian, BlackBerry or iPhone, your smartphone can be a veritable goldmine of information. Here’s out guide to the best reference apps for students.

TomeRaider (Windows Mobile & Symbian)
TomeRaider is a software system capable of compressing very large databases into manageable chunks for reading on a mobile device. You now have the ability to carry the entire Wikipedia database on your device with no data connection needed although this does weight in at a healthy 3GB. The list of databases available is growing all of the time and virtually all areas of interest are covered, but the main benefit of TomeRaider is the speed at which it can navigate through massive amounts of data; every search is done in the blink of an eye and few other applications can compete.

Merriam-Webster Dictionaries (all platforms)
A good dictionary is a useful tool for any smartphone and the Merriam-Webster sets are recognised as being some of the best. For a few pounds you can be in the know all of the time.

CIA World Factbook (all platforms)
The CIA World Factbook is probably the most complete world information resource available today. It is available for smartphones in a variety of formats, iSilo and TomeRaider for example, plus as a standalone application. A quick search will bring a wealth of information to your fingertips.

YourWorld: world encyclopedia (BlackBerry)
YourWorld utilises the aforementioned CIA data to produce an intelligently sorted information portal on any BlackBerry device which will come in useful time and time again.

SlovoEd Dictionaries (all platforms)
SlovoEd dictionaries are available for all platforms in mono or bilingual versions and are the perfect way to get understood while abroad. Think of a language and it is probably covered.

gFlashPro Flashcards (BlackBerry)
Flashcards have been used for learning for many years and now you can use them on your BlackBerry device. You can download sets or even create your own and share your learning with others. Clever stuff.

Pocket Earth (Windows Mobile)
Pocket Earth is the most realistic application available on a smartphone which can display the globe in all its glory. With GPS support alongside many other features, it is the de facto download for geography fans.

Popularity: 1% [?]