Tag: Encyclopedia »

There are people out there in the world that are absolutely mental for cars. I actually roomed with a couple of them in college. The amount of stuff those guys knew about automobiles bordered on ridiculous. The reason I bring this up is because I know there are people out there who are just as into bicycles as they were into cars. And Cyclepedia is just the app for them.

Hueristic Media has chronicled 100 different bikes throughout history. Some of which have had a profound impact on the way we get around on two wheels and others that... well, that are just plain weird. Each model's image can be rotated a full 360-degrees and zoomed in up to 20 times via finger movements (naturally). The added touch of being able to fold-up the folding bikes via swiping is also pretty cool.

In addition to all the images and descriptions, the app includes well over 300 additional photographs (courtesy of Bernhard Angerer), more than 200 pages of brochures and manuals, and even archival video clips. There's a ton of historical information within these virtual pages. More than enough to make bike fans happy, anyway. And said bike fans can check out Cyclepedia for their iPads right now for $9.99.

Using the iPhone and iPad as a tool to quickly lookup something (often to settle a bet!) is an often under-appreciated and useful feature (it's even the biggest folder on our homescreen for some of us!). While one can argue that a Wikipedia app or just using the browser is sufficient for looking up everything, a dedicated and specific reference app can't be beat in its category. So this week lists our favorite four reference apps.

iBartender
This app (which is surprisingly the #7 top paid iPhone reference app) is the ultimate companion for a bartender. iBartender is a simple enough app to explain, it’s one of those books that can be found behind a bar listing all kinds of alcoholic drinks no one knew existed. iBartender trumps all of those bar books with an easily browsable encyclopedia of drinks, a search feature, and the ability to save specific drinks as favorites. This app is a must-have for anyone, not just bartenders, looking to find and try out new drinks.

Wikipanion
It would be a horrible list of reference apps without a good Wikipedia app. While some of the best reference apps are dedicated to specific topics, Wikipanion is the goto app for all other topics and therefore a must-have for anyone who frequently uses Wikipedia. While it’s nothing complicated, Wikipanion provides a clean, quick-loading interface for Wikipedia on the iPhone and iPad.


Qwiki (iPad only)
Qwiki is definitely the most unique reference app in the App Store. Qwiki pulls information, pictures, and videos from various sources to create a multimedia experience for almost any topic imaginable. Qwiki might not be optimal to quickly look anything up, but it's definitely fun to browse the popular and daily Qwikis. It’s an awesome app to play around with and learn something in the process.

IMDB
The IMDB app is a clean and well-made app that provides an iOS experience for the popular movie database, IMDB.com. Get into an argument about a specific actor/actress in a specific movie or TV show? Whip out the iPhone and look it up on IMDB. The IMDB app is a great companion app to play around with while watching TV.

Vito Technology has wowed us before with their beautiful Star Walk stargazing app. Now they're trying their hands at another educational project. This time, it's a world factbook, but with a twist. Geo Walk is a concise, limited encyclopedia that focuses on a global view—literally. The app presents you with an icon-dotted globe, and you can tap any of the markers to read about that particular area and its points of interest.

This is great for putting articles into geographical perspective. The pyramids hover over Egypt, while spinning over to Antarctica might show you penguins. Don't know where something is? No problem; you can switch to an object list.

The application features three main categories: Place, Flora & Fauna, and People. Each entry boasts a colorful picture and a small article about the object. (Willis Tower is the fifth-largest tower in the world!)

While Geo Walk is in no way a complete encyclopedia, it's not trying to be. Instead, it's about exploring the globe digitally, and putting things into perspective. Similarly to Star Walk, it's not meant to be a comprehensive reference, but to ignite your curiosity and teach you a few things in the process. That's something that kids and adults alike should be able to enjoy.

Check it out in the App Store!