This post on Nature.com explores the increasing use of smartphones within scientific laboratories. The article specifically mentions the iPhone and apps that are targeted for those in the scientific community.

With a seemingly unlimited number of apps available, the iPhone can be quite a handy tool. An increasing number of apps are targeted to scientists, and lists of must-have apps for researchers have proliferated. There are apps to calculate how to prepare solutions, view restriction enzyme information, search online databases for papers and even store downloaded papers. Well-known product vendors for biological research are also beginning to release laboratory apps for the iPhone. Promega has an app with product information, tutorials, protocols and unit conversion calculators, and Bio-Rad has a quantitative PCR app.

The article goes on to mention Google and it's open-source Android operating system and the potential that platform brings to the scientific community. Another area the smartphone is reaching into scientific circles is through the publishing of scientific journals for mobile handsets.

But for the present, the most immediate potential for these devices is in providing a painless way for researchers to keep up with their reading wherever they happen to be. Mass media publishers have embraced the iPhone for delivering their content, but there has been little activity in the scientific publishing arena—RSS news feeds notwithstanding. But the situation is changing. Several publishers, including Nature Publishing Group, have apps that will go live any day. The nature.com app will let you read full-text articles, view full-size figures and save references.

This article adds to the continuing proliferation of mobile computing and its encroachment into all areas of our life. In my mind this only begs the question, "What are the implications for current students sitting in our high school classrooms?" These students will be using mobile computing devices throughout their entire day by the time they enter the workforce. Mobile computing ubiquity and the fact that I find many students use their mobile devices in an irresponsible way and they know very little of the full potential these devices offer them, leads me to say there is a huge gap that needs to be filled with today's generation. Current high school students need training in the responsible use of all forms of electronic media and they need to be taught the positive ways these devices can be used to assist them in their daily lives.