One of the more intriguing horizons of development in terms of digital research applications is the creation of mobile apps for displaying and manipulating digital texts. The Google Play app, for instance, which allows you to “favorite” Google Books and the Post-Reformation Digital Library have made a helpful pairing for some time.

I recently got notice of two new apps developed for iOS, and ideally experienced on the iPad. The first is the Europeana Open Culture app for the iPad which “introduces you to specially selected collections from Europeana.” Europeana has come a long way, in my view, since it’s opening, and it will be interesting to see how this app makes the vast resources theoretically available at the site actually useful.

The second notice came in today from e-codices, the Virtual Manuscript Library of Switzerland. The e-codices app has been developed for the iPad and iPhone, and will allow you to “search, browse and view medieval and early modern manuscripts in high resolution” on these devices.

My initial experience with these apps has been a bit buggy and inconsistent, but there are some really promising possibilities for display while travelling, giving lectures, presenting papers, and teaching in the classroom. Right now my impression is that the apps might be most helpful for displaying digital texts that you are already aware of rather than really finding new things.