I’m usually underwhelmed by most mobile apps. Many are entirely derivative, or are of the “X of Y” variety (e.g., “The Uber of Cleaning Ladies”, “The Amazon of Bubble Gum Dispensers”, the “Paypal of Bitcoin”).
However, one app I’ve seen lately stands out, not only as innovative, but practically useful and beneficial – PhotoMath.
PhotoMath claims to be the “world’s first camera calculator.” I don’t know about that. I do know, it is very cool.
The way the app works is this: you point your phone’s camera at a printed math expression (it needs to be printed, not hand written, at least for the current version of the app). The app then “solves” the equation – in real time, while you watch.
The power of the app is not only does it solve the scanned problem, but presents the steps it uses to solve the problem as well. Great learning tool, and extremely handy for those who suffer from dysgraphia or dyslexia.
Watch the video below, to see the app in action.