One that struck me today (as well as Engadget) was a new application called the BlueWave/RedWave. It claims to utilize the LED in the iPhone screen to administer light-therapy. The application claims to have features such as "exacting nanometers" to adjust the specific wavelength of the light emitted. Depending on the color/wavelength of light emitted, such therapy can supposedly cure a number of symptoms ranging from acne to depression.
I think the application is good in concept. The developer has a number of studies on his website citing the benefits of light therapy. Light therapy certainly has some promise, but my biggest concern is that the iPhone hardware was not meant for such use and is not medical-caliber. I think the developer has good intentions, but makes too many bogus claims about his application specifically. There is no such thing as "exacting nanometers" unless he is referring to specific wavelengths of light (which are measured in nanometers). For such a device, you cannot trust the wavelength emitted (not specified in the application) because smartphone screens are not held to specific calibration standards that other light-emitting devices, such as spectrophotometers, are held to. Depending on the brightness of the LED and the color LCD that it shines through, the wavelength can vary significantly.
I'm not going to mock this application like Engadget did and call it the "worst iPhone application. ever", but I will say that it lacks specific backing and research. It would be like me reading claims about acupuncture benefits and then grabbing my home sewing kit for a pokefest. Who knows? His application might deliver benefits, but it needs a little more research.
On the more serious note, I think it's a great thing that the iPhone is being used for such a wide range of medical applications, no matter how far-fetched they might seem. Gene Roddenberry had such a vision when he came up with the famous Tricorder from Star Trek. He probably didn't realize how far technology would come by 2009 and even make his visionary Tricorder seem somewhat last-century
Learn More:
pocketpaindoctor.com - the application's website
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