WolframAlpha, the computational engine that I dearly love, is expanding its operations. WolframAlpha has just released an API for third party use, to allow developers access to its powerful engine. Also, an official iPhone application is in the works.
There has long been talk about WolframAlpha, what place it would have in the world of technology, and if it would make much of an impact. Its current audience of academics, enjoying it as a mobile version of Mathematica that you can run on a netbook, is hardly a revolutionary userbase. The site launched with endless initial hype, but has lost most of its audience since its release.
The new API will finally open up the platform to the world, giving the work of the team behind WolframAlpha new breathing room away from the WolframAlpha mainsite. There will be no love lot over moving away from the .com, which no one has ever decried as perfect. The iPhone application will presumably bring similar functionality as the website to the iPhone, whenever it can slay the dragon, find the golden egg, or reach the end of the rainbow. You never know until you actually apply to the App store approval wizards.
Of course, these steps will hardly bring waves of new users to the WolframAlpha main website, but the technology from WolframAlpha is about to spread out across the internet. Just wait, this is going to blow your hair back. You can track our previous coverage of WolframAlpha here.
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