September 1, 2012 (Vol. 32, No. 15)
URL:
http://bit.ly/RntTCB
Rating:
Strong Points: Nice user interface, useful conversions/calculators
Weak Points: Can’t view in landscape mode
Platform:
iPad/iPhone
Cost:
Free
Summary:
Sure, it may seem that apps designed to calculate solution molarity or dilutions are a dime-a-dozen. Still, I can appreciate such an app if it is free, sleekly designed, and contains additional features that are not necessarily found in the basic lab-calculator apps. This is exactly what users will find with the BioLegend Lab Tools app, a collection of calculators and converters for the laboratory (or for students looking to cheat on their general chemistry homework). In addition to providing a straight calculator function—numerical keypad and all—the app provides molarity and dilution calculators, as well as some useful conversions. These include “g-to-RPM” and “Fahrenheit-to-Celsius” conversions. An in-app timer with a number of alarm sounds from which to choose provides the app with additional usefulness.
