MacLife UK – August 2019

maclife.comAUG 2019 61

WOLFRAMALPHA

$2.99 Made for iPhone, iPad

An essential companion for any scientist.

It’s full of useful information about

nature, science, and math that you can

use to explore ideas. Want to know the

average temperature in New Jersey in

March 1997, or how fast swallows fly?

Just ask the question in this app. It’ll give

you the answer, and even some extra

information such as unit conversions, or

comparisons to similar things.

INSECT IDENTIFICATION

$4.99 Made for iPhone, iPad

Another AI–based app that can identify
things from images, this one is made to
help you identify bugs. It can be harder
to get perfect results, because it’s not
always easy to get a clear snap of an
insect, but if you see something odd or
beautiful and want to find out what it is
(with some extra scientific information)
and document it, make sure you’ve got
this app to hand during your adventures.

MERLIN BIRD ID

BY CORNELL LAB

Free Made for iPhone, iPad

Spotted an unknown bird? Answer just

five questions about it in this app and

you’ll get the answer, based on the info

you gave it and other data such as your

location. You can also upload a pic for

identification. The app will tell you about

the bird, let you hear its call, and see its

population patterns. It makes ornithology

much easier to do than it is to spell.

Image rights from left: Phuong Bui, Cornell University, Wolfram Group LLC.