January 1, 2017 (Vol. 37, No. 1)
Rating:
Strong Points: Interfaces with online tool, fast access to notes
Weak Points: Limited functionality
Platform:
iPad/iPhone
Cost:
Free
Summary:
The Hivebench app is the mobile companion to the online resource of the same name. Hivebench provides a free, digital laboratory notebook system for researchers, making it easy for users to populate their digital notebooks with protocols, notes, and data files. Unfortunately, the mobile app is far more limited in its capabilities than the online tool, as it is provided primarily as a way for researchers to access and annotate their notes while on the go. The mobile app does provide some functionality though, as users can still create and edit notes, and can also add protocols to their notebooks from a sizable list of sample protocols. (Internet access is required to access the protocol database.) Overall, users of the online Hivebench will find this app to be a convenient add-on, though on its own it is not as valuable.
