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Squeezing a Wikipedia Snapshot Onto an 8GB iPhone

Posted by timothy on from the but-you'll-miss-the-latest-edit-wars dept.

blackbearnh writes with this excerpt from O'Reilly Radar "Think about Wikipedia, what some consider the most complete general survey of human knowledge we have at the moment. Now imagine squeezing it down to fit comfortably on an 8GB iPhone. Sound daunting? Well, that's just what Patrick Collison's Encyclopedia iPhone application does. App Store purchasers of Collison's open source application can browse and search the full text of Wikipedia when stuck in a plane, or trapped in the middle of nowhere (or, as defined by AT&T coverage...)"

11 of 169 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Survey of Human Knowledge? by L4t3r4lu5 · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Wikipedia, what some consider the most complete general summary of human knowledge[citation needed] we have at the moment."

    There. Fixed that for you.

    There. Fixed that for you.

    --
    Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
  2. Not a Problem by Blue+Stone · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is easily doable.

    Once you trim the earth reference down to "Mostly harmless".

    --
    Corporation, n. An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility. - Ambrose Bierce
    1. Re:Not a Problem by Dishevel · · Score: 2, Funny

      This is easily doable.

      Once you trim the earth reference down to "Mostly harmless".

      What reason did you have for adding "Mostly"?

      --
      Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?
    2. Re:Not a Problem by LifesABeach · · Score: 2, Funny

      And the words, "Don't Panic" should be easily viewable.

  3. Oblig by TinBromide · · Score: 4, Funny

    xkcd comic reference

    Yeah, pretty much you're turning your iphone into a hitch hiker's guide to earth, or at least america and europe if you can manage to squeeze wiki-travel onto it.

    --
    Is it sad that I am more likely to recognize you and your posts by your sig than your name or UID?
  4. Re:iPhone apps for computers by Filip22012005 · · Score: 5, Funny

    That problem has recently been solved. With the recent addition of sms-sharing, you could use any iPhone remotely.

    --
    When the policeman of the tie, rule you violate, hello punishment of the kitty?
  5. What about editing by yerpo · · Score: 1, Funny

    Are you crazy? Imagine the frustration when you find this horrible typo and you can't fix it!

  6. Wikipedia has an entry on the Kama Sutra ... by Daniel+Dvorkin · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... so clearly this app will never make it through Apple's review process.

    --
    The correlation between ignorance of statistics and using "correlation is not causation" as an argument is close to 1.
  7. Advice by DissociativeBehavior · · Score: 2, Funny

    App Store purchasers of Collison's open source application can browse and search the full text of Wikipedia when stuck in a plane

    This page is not recommended when you're stuck in a plane...

  8. Web Version by SnarfQuest · · Score: 2, Funny

    Is there a version of this that will run in a web browser? Anyone have a link?

    --
    Who would win this election: Andrew Weiner vs Andrew Weiner's weiner.
  9. Re:Survey of Human Knowledge? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    "[[Wikipedia]], what some[who?] consider[weasel words] the most complete general summary of [[human knowledge]][which?][citation needed] we[who?] have at the moment[weasel words]."

    There. Fixed that for you.

    There. Fixed that for you.

    There. Fixed that for you.