10 iPhone, iPad Apps For Data Nerds
Small devices such as iPhones and iPads can't handle big data, but they can help you gain big data skills, access cloud-based data, and leverage that cloud-based data for insights. Here are 10 iOS data-centric apps for hardcore dataphiles.
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Can you do big data on a tiny device such as the iOS-based iPhone or iPad? Big data is, well, big, and iPhones and iPads are not known for their expandable memory or any other scale-out capabilities.
Yet so many of today's apps are actually clients that tap into huge repositories of data in the cloud to provide insights that can seem magical to end-users. Smartphones can be the front-end clients to a lot of backend big data applications. For instance, the app, Waze, now owned by Google, provides GPS navigation services to users, but also collects information from those users about road conditions, traffic, and closures, and provides a continuously updated real-time, crowd-sourced navigation service based on all the data to get each user to his or her destination in the fastest time possible.
Uber is another frequently cited example. Simply, the platform is a marketplace that connects people who need a ride to people who can give them a ride, and sets prices for those rides, and manages the transactions. Everyone gets to rate each other, and a crowd-sourced repository of data is created that improves the service and benefits all users of the system in the end.
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And any of the digital personal assistants -- Siri, Cortana, and Google Now, are yet other examples of applications that draw on vast repositories of data and algorithms to provide their users with the information that they need when they need it, often without being asked for it.
While there may not be apps for big data, many apps use big data to power their services.
Still, for these examples, we want to provide you with a collection of apps that appeal to data scientists, aspiring data pros, business analysts, data nerds, and other users on the quest for insights and information -- either for work, personal use, or even for entertainment purposes. With that in mind, here are 10 apps for the iPhone and/or iPad that will appeal to the data nerds among us. Do you use any of these?
In its iTunes description, the developer introduces its app this way, "Remember the Star Trek computer? It's finally happening with Wolfram|Alpha." This app provides instant expert knowledge and computation, based on 25 years of development led by Stephen Wolfram.
The app uses a vast collection of algorithms and data to compute answers and generate reports. Parts of Wolfram|Alpha are used in the Apple Siri Assistant. Some of the domains covered in this app include several branches of mathematics from elementary math to algebra, number theory, and calculus; statistics and data analysis including regression and probability; chemistry; materials; engineering; astronomy; earth science; weather; places and geography; culture and media; words and linguistics; organizations including companies; and food and nutrition.
Price: $2.99
Developer: Wolfram Group
Nicknamed StatViz, the Statistics Visualizer for iPad app provides a comprehensive statistical data analysis tool that includes a full collection of probability distributions, including binomial, geometric, chi-square, exponential, and more. In-app purchases add more functions including histograms, descriptive statistics, and simple linear regression.
The app can read CSV files or TAB delimited TXT files. The app's interfaces and outputs are the same as most standard statistical software such as SPSS, and it uses the same calculation engine as R.
Price: Free, with premium in-app purchases
Developer: Dan Solo
Roambi Analytics is designed to make it easy for users to visualize data while on a tiny screen like an iPhone (or slightly larger one like an iPad). The data can come from tools like Google Sheets, Excel, Salesforce, or other databases, as long as it can be exported to a CSV for uploading to Roambi. Users can filter, pivot, and analyze data on their mobile devices.
Price: Free
Developer: MeLLmo
Python is another top programming language that data scientists are encouraged to learn. Pythonista is an integrated environment for writing Python scripts on iOS. The reviewers of this app are raving fans, and many say they've used the app to learn to program in Python. Others say it's great for experts, too.
Price $9.99
Developer: omz: software
Soulver lets users write out entire math problems and see answers as they type. No need to start over again if they make a mistake. Problems can be expressed over multiple lines and then edited. Soulver can do quick percentages and additions, and will save the users work with a sync to iCloud or Dropbox. This tool also works for currency and other unit conversions. It sets up relationships between lines the way a spreadsheet does, by using line references. It also includes all standard math functions. HTML emails can also be sent of the user's calculation work.
Price: $2.99
Developer: Acqualia
Web Miner is a visual Web data extractor for iOS designed for users without coding experience. This app allows, through the use of projects, the simultaneous extraction of a limited or unlimited amount of information from several different sites. For instance, users can collect the most recent news from a handful of favorite sites without relying on RSS feeds. Collected data is displayed in a simple table and can be exported in XML or CSV.
Price: Free, but Pro version is $2.99
Developer: Luigi Orso
Weather Underground is the data nerd's weather app. Part of The Weather Company, and now IBM, Weather Underground is powered by a network of 180,000-plus personal weather stations -- using crowd-sourced IoT data. The app provides hyper-local forecasts, interactive radar, and customizable alerts. Historical weather data is available for downloading from the Weather Underground website.
Price: Free
Developer: Weather Underground
Spring is in the air, and it's time to dust off the gloves, bats, and balls. GameChanger for both iPhone and iPad lets you score the game the same way you would in a score book and then gives you the stats and spray charts to help measure improvement and provide appropriate coaching. A premium feature called GameStream allows fans to follow the game no matter where they are.
Price: Free
Developer: GameChanger Media
Spring is in the air, and it's time to dust off the gloves, bats, and balls. GameChanger for both iPhone and iPad lets you score the game the same way you would in a score book and then gives you the stats and spray charts to help measure improvement and provide appropriate coaching. A premium feature called GameStream allows fans to follow the game no matter where they are.
Price: Free
Developer: GameChanger Media
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