SimpleMind is a Mind Mapping tool that turns your iPhone or iPod touch into a brainstorming, idea collection and thought structuring device. As you can see in the image to the right, you start out with a central idea or concept, and then branch out from there to other sub ideas. Those branches can themselves branch out as far as you need.  For those who like to use mind mapping tools, this is a must have iPhone application.  If you don’t use them, this might be a good introduction to see if they could be useful for your research or project work.

SimpleMind’s Mind Map comes in two editions.  The free Express edition allows you to create and edit mind maps on your iPhone and export them out of the application via jpg pictures.  The Paid Edition, which costs $7 has all the same features as the free edition, and additional ability to send your mind maps to other users via email, or export your mind maps to Freemind format (Freemind is an open source desktop mind mapping application for Windows, Mac and Linux computers) and OPML format.

You have a great idea for a research project with a colleague over lunch: In order to rough out the project so that you can get a better grasp for it’s scope, you map out all the ideas related to the project with your colleague, and then email the mind map to him and yourself in FreeMind format so that you can fill in holes and collaborate further from your desktop computers.