Augmented reality in iPhone 3.1; new Snow Leopard build

[AppleInsider]

Apple promises that its upcoming iPhone 3.1 release will be the first to officially support augmented reality apps that support the iPhone 3GS' camera. Also, a new seed of Mac OS X Snow Leopard has been handed to developers.

iPhone 3.1 needed for augmented reality

iPhone developers and users excited by the prospect of augmented reality apps, which overlay information and controls on top of real-world objects seen through a camera, have been told to sit tight until the next release of the iPhone OS exits beta.

Although iPhone 3.1 has so far only been known to expose some video camera controls for developers, third-party producer Acrossair was told by Apple that the future release would be needed for its Nearest Tube and future Nearest Subway apps to work properly.

The apps are already highly dependent on the built-in compass and autofocusing camera of the iPhone 3GS, both of which are needed to alternately recognize the direction the iPhone is facing as well as to get a detailed enough look at a subject to tag it with information. As a demonstration of the technology, Acrossair's software can show the subway stops visible in a particular direction and their distance relative to the user.



Unofficially, iPhone 3.1 is anticipated to be ready by early September, just in time for Apple's by now yearly iPod updates and the seemingly probable release of an iPod touch with a camera that could take advantage of augmented reality when using Wi-Fi.

Snow Leopard 10A421

Mac developers have also been addressed on Friday with the seeding of Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10A421, according to those aware of the new beta release.

The update comes just ten days after 10A411 and is said by people familiar with the changes to be very modest on the surface, including general compatibility, security and stability fixes.

Apple's increased frequency in providing updated Snow Leopard builds is expected with just weeks left before the revision is due to reach stores, as the company will now be looking to isolate and fix the remaining obvious bugs instead of changing functionality.

[melgross]

10.6 could be just five weeks away, but it could also be nine weeks away, with Apple's penchant of waiting until the end of the month.

[Virgil-TB2]

Originally Posted by iPhone1982

To call it augmented reality is clearly an overstatement. The app tells you where you are at and where the location you're looking for is.

It's not doesn't even come close to Longitude which is a native app on every other Blackberry and Android. Apple is doing a disservice to its user by not allowing Longitude to be Native....

The video clearly shows augmented reality in the app in the classic sense of the term.

I can't even find a listing for an app called "longitude" on Blackberry or Android. If you mean "latitude" that's a mapping application, and not augmented reality at all AFAIK.

[anilsudhakaran]

Originally Posted by iPhone1982

To call it augmented reality is clearly an overstatement. The app tells you where you are at and where the location you're looking for is.

It's not doesn't even come close to Longitude which is a native app on every other Blackberry and Android. Apple is doing a disservice to its user by not allowing Longitude to be Native.

Everything in the demo is a clear rip off of Google Latitude.

The only problem is with Latitude you have to exit the App (because it's in Safari) to use the full features.

The iPhone doesn't multi-task (except for what Apple says it can). That is it's biggest downfall right now.

Multi-Tasking has been around for 10 years on the mobile platform.

This a a cheap substitution which keeps you in Apple's Closed Platform.

Look up Google Wave and be impressed with HTML 5.

Apple likely won't allow this on the iPhone either. This is the future. Apple's augmented app is a rip off.

Too many drinks on Friday night??? Got your "Longitude" and "Latitude" all mixed dude. Be careful or you might end up in a different part of this world.

[NasserAE]

Originally Posted by iPhone1982

Augmented is a stretch at the most.

You're correct it's Latitude.

http://www.google.com/latitude/intro.html

And here is Google Wave.

http://wave.google.com/

Real time collaboration and Social Networking. Now combine that with Latitude and do as Google has and make it open resource for new functions and you now have the "beginnings" of augmented.

Apple is way behind the curve because they control everything. Including what I can put on my phone and view with Safari with their lack of support for Flash.

It's curious that Blackberry has use of this and the iPhone users don't even know about it.

You people really need to do more research than what Fart app is coming next to the iPhone.

I think you should look up the definition of the term "augmented reality". The reasons augmented reality apps were delayed until now are because previous iPhones lacked the compass and some API were not ready.

[MacTel]

Augmented reality apps are the killer app for mobile devices and specifically the iPhone. Does any other handset have the components like the 3Gs to do the same? Let alone the APIs (well soon for the iPhone anyway)?

The Pre is like 3 generations from catching-up with the iPhone. I like RIM and the Blackberry but they are 10 generations from this. There are so many business applications for this technology that it is just incredible. Especially for the traveling business person - it's a yellow pages and GPS combined.

This will take gaming to a whole new level. Why not use real life scenery and overlay aliens or monster into the mix etc. Other iPhone users would see your avatar overlaid on you when their iPhone was pointed at you.

The next evolutionary step would be for the iPhones to broadcast the user profile. So iPhone and iPod Touch users could quickly identify people. Is there a doctor in the house? You'd be able to scan a room and find-out. How about a lawyer or marriage counselor? Any singles? Etc etc.

[hill60]

Originally Posted by iPhone1982

Apple is way behind the curve because they control everything. Including what I can put on my phone and view with Safari with their lack of support for Flash.

So in the middle of your whine about Apple and their "closed" systems you throw in a lack of support for Adobe's closed and proprietry Flash, which Adobe is hellbent on getting on every Internet accessing device on earth, forcing developers to BUY their software.

You my friend are the one pushing for "closed" systems.

Bring on HTML 5 and open standards, get rid of the Adobe proprietry rubbish!

[Marvin]

New Quicktime icon it seems:

http://www.gearlive.com/news/article...update-10a421/

It looks better but still a bit OTT.

[Socrates]

Originally Posted by iPhone1982

To call it augmented reality is clearly an overstatement. The app tells you where you are at and where the location you're looking for is.

The definition of Augmented Reality in this context (there are other definitions, which are closer to what you are referring to) is the overlay of computer generated objects and information over a live video feed.

This allows the user to interact with a virtual world by means of their movement in the real world, either by changing the position of the camera, or by having the camera detect movement that occurs within its field of view using some sort of movement or pattern recognition algorithm.

What Apple have enabled for OS 3.1 is the ability to overlay graphics on top of video, which wasn't possible in the OS 3 APIs (if we're lucky, they'll also add some APIs to help with object recognition, as used by the new autofocus feature of the camera).

I assume the thing that you are talking about is the kind of Augmented Reality where your GPS location feeds back into a virtual world, which doesn't really have anything to do with Google Latitude, but involves similar technology. It also has nothing to do with the updates that Apple are making since it's already been possible since OS 1.0 (as long as you're explicitly running an app at the time).

To enable the Google Latitude feature of tracking you when you're not running an app, Apple would need to allow background processing, which they've said they won't and which no amount of whining is going to change - only advances in CPU speed and/or battery life are likely to change their mind about whether this is a good thing to do. I know other phones do it, but other phones also have worse performance, battery life or form factor.

That being said, Apple may well enable Latitude-like functionality in the built-in Maps application at some point in the near future if there is sufficient demand. Why you'd want people to track your location, and what that has to do with augmenting anyone's reality is another question (okay, I suppose it might augment your wife's reality to know where you're taking your girlfriend for dinner, but it's not a huge selling point).

Socrates

[oomu]

what a troll.

We don't need no stinking flash.

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by Marvin

New Quicktime icon it seems:

http://www.gearlive.com/news/article...update-10a421/

It looks better but still a bit OTT.

That blue looks better. The other icon was too much like Tweetie.

[Lemon Bon Bon.]

So in the middle of your whine about Apple and their "closed" systems you throw in a lack of support for Adobe's closed and proprietry Flash, which Adobe is hellbent on getting on every Internet accessing device on earth, forcing developers to BUY their software.

Adobe. Like they're the virginal bride of open software. They're in it for their own take.

Flash. Fussy. Complicated. Slow. 'Gets in the way' of web content...

'You don't have the lastest flash browser, blah, blah, would you like to update it...?'

No. I wouldn't.

Lemon Bon Bon.

[lilgto64]

Does anyone have any idea if the v3.1 software improves reception issues that many have had since upgrading to v3.0? or is the rumor that the problem is changes AT&T has made to their networks?

[Virgil-TB2]

Originally Posted by iPhone1982

Augmented is a stretch at the most.

You're correct it's Latitude.

http://www.google.com/latitude/intro.html

And here is Google Wave.

http://wave.google.com/

Real time collaboration and Social Networking. Now combine that with Latitude and do as Google has and make it open resource for new functions and you now have the "beginnings" of augmented.

Apple is way behind the curve because they control everything. Including what I can put on my phone and view with Safari with their lack of support for Flash.

It's curious that Blackberry has use of this and the iPhone users don't even know about it.

You people really need to do more research than what Fart app is coming next to the iPhone.

I think you're just wrong here and you don't need to make the insulting remark at the end where you assume that all I'm interested in is "fart apps."

Augmented reality is exactly what the first app is and exactly *not* what Google latitude is. Latitude is a mapping application as I said. After a short delay relative to it's appearance on the other platforms (last week?), latitude is actually available for iphone now anyway, so you have no real point at all.

As for flash, I have it turned off on all devices and don't miss it at all with the one exception of videos on the web. I frequently have to turn it on to watch an embedded video and then remember to turn it off again later which is a bit of a hassle but not too bad. On the iphone this is handled for me automatically since by far the majority of the videos are actually YouTube links that simply open in a separate screen.

My fondest wish is that this kind of thing will somehow be built into Snow Leopard and Quicktime X so that I don't have to keep turning flash on and off all the time, but I'm not sure they will bother to do that. It would be nice though since then I could turn flash off for good 100% of the time.

[Lorre]

Also, new desktops in the altest SL-build:

http://uneasysilence.com/archive/2009/07/14293/

[DanaCameron]

Originally Posted by MacTel

The next evolutionary step would be for the iPhones to broadcast the user profile. So iPhone and iPod Touch users could quickly identify people. Is there a doctor in the house? You'd be able to scan a room and find-out. How about a lawyer or marriage counselor? Any singles? Etc etc.

A truly frightening prospect which I hope never becomes reality. And the very concept of privacy continues to shrink further and further away from cultural consideration!

[DanaCameron]

Originally Posted by Lorre

Also, new desktops in the altest SL-build:

I'll wait until I get SL.

[CU10]

I'd like:

* X-ray app
* Lie detector
* Smoker/non-smoker detector
* Net-worth detector
* Identity detector
* Criminal record detector
* Metal detector
* STD detector

Cool app & concept.

[addabox]

Originally Posted by iPhone1982

Augmented is a stretch at the most.

You're correct it's Latitude.

http://www.google.com/latitude/intro.html

And here is Google Wave.

http://wave.google.com/

Real time collaboration and Social Networking. Now combine that with Latitude and do as Google has and make it open resource for new functions and you now have the "beginnings" of augmented.

Apple is way behind the curve because they control everything. Including what I can put on my phone and view with Safari with their lack of support for Flash.

It's curious that Blackberry has use of this and the iPhone users don't even know about it.

You people really need to do more research than what Fart app is coming next to the iPhone.

That's quite a heady brew of technological cluelessness, non sequitur and run-of-the-mill Apple bashing you have going there.

Wait, did I say "heady brew"? I meant "so very, very boring."

[GQB]

Originally Posted by iPhone1982

Augmented is a stretch at the most.

You're correct it's Latitude.

http://www.google.com/latitude/intro.html

And here is Google Wave.

http://wave.google.com/

Real time collaboration and Social Networking. Now combine that with Latitude and do as Google has and make it open resource for new functions and you now have the "beginnings" of augmented.

Apple is way behind the curve because they control everything. Including what I can put on my phone and view with Safari with their lack of support for Flash.

It's curious that Blackberry has use of this and the iPhone users don't even know about it.

You people really need to do more research than what Fart app is coming next to the iPhone.

Apple is doomed! DOOMED I say!!!

[MacTel]

Originally Posted by DanaCameron

A truly frightening prospect which I hope never becomes reality. And the very concept of privacy continues to shrink further and further away from cultural consideration!

Like anything, including your profile here on AI, you would be able to opt in or not. In other words, the feature could be turned off. Otherwise the handset makers would be sued by the likes of you and me.

[DanaCameron]

Originally Posted by MacTel

Like anything, including your profile here on AI, you would be able to opt in or not. In other words, the feature could be turned off. Otherwise the handset makers would be sued by the likes of you and me.

Yeah, I know the option to not share information would always be there (at least it'd better be).

It just seems more and more that technology can more and more easily get in our business. More and more, people just accept this to be the case and expect that everyone is just supposed to be okay with it. It worries me a little, actually a lot.

[Trajectory]

So I guess this will only work on 3GS iPhones. It's too bad there will no longer be iPhone parity between models. It means that a lot of the new applications that developers will be writing won't work on millions of older iPhones, further diluting their market potential.

[acslater017]

Originally Posted by melgross

10.6 could be just five weeks away, but it could also be nine weeks away, with Apple's penchant of waiting until the end of the month.

Yea, knowing Apple, "September" probably means Friday, September 25th. But hey, I'd love to be wrong

[elroth]

Originally Posted by iPhone1982

Beer is not my choice of beverage, wine happens to be my choice of pleasure with dinner and I am in full function of my faculties.

The fact that I mixed them up is not concerning to me. The fact that AppleInsider hasn't mentioned either feature would be more concerning to me as an Apple user.

I know what my 3G can't do in comparison with other phones/OS's and it's not comforting.
Heck, even Palm surpassed Apple with 95% of the features with 1.1 OS.

Yeah, if the beta release two months ahead of time isn't perfect, of course that means that Apple will never put out a good app. All is doomed, the world is ending, and I'm getting a Dell.

[edwardryu]

I don't think that the app is not what all we want. just imagine. you stare at iphone to drection all the way. it's so dumb. you don't do this all the time even you make a trip to another city. I don't do that. it looks strange. maybe when you do that, somebody will snatch your phone easily such a environment like new york. it looks cool. but to me, useless.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by edwardryu

I don't think that the app is not what all we want. just imagine. you stare at iphone to drection all the way. it's so dumb. you don't do this all the time even you make a trip to another city. I don't do that. it looks strange. maybe when you do that, somebody will snatch your phone easily such a environment like new york. it looks cool. but to me, useless.

I live in New York, and it's less likely to snatched here than many other places. Where do you live, I wonder?

[OC4Theo]

That is the coolest thing I have ever seen on a phone. Well, let's see Blackberry or Windows do that.

Probably never in this decade. Boy, I love the iPhone!

[melgross]

Originally Posted by OC4Theo

That is the coolest thing I have ever seen on a phone. Well, let's see Blackberry or Windows do that.

Probably never in this decade. Boy, I love the iPhone!

To be fair, a similar app is available for the Blackberry in England, or will be shortly. Don't remember if it's out already. I don't remember if it from the guys who have Nearest Tube for the iPhone or not:

http://www.appsafari.com/travel/9469/nearest-tube/

There's one for the Android (will be available for the iPhone later):

http://www.wikitude.org/

As Gizmodo says, this isn't new. But look here:

http://gizmodo.com/5027674/iphone-au...fool-any-girls

There's a bunch of these apps out.

The phones need GPS and a compass, so for the iPhone, it's got to be the 3GS.

[Akac]

Originally Posted by iPhone1982

The phones DON'T need GPS & a compass to take advantage of it. Apple's Version does.

Here's a Windows Mobile app that has been out for months.

http://www.1800pocketpc.com/2009/07/...d-reality.html

Android has about 4 versions of this so Apple is clearly ripping off and copying technology which they will likely claim as thier own.

http://blogs.computerworld.com/augme...eady_available

The Android article was written in October of 2008. Looks like it took Apple a little longer to copy this. They had to finish copy and paste first...

Apple isn't copying anything because Apple isn't doing anything. They just exposed more of their camera UI APIs for developers to use.

[TenoBell]

You are here with New Yorkers. No iPhone's are not commonly snatched.

Originally Posted by edwardryu

I don't think that the app is not what all we want. just imagine. you stare at iphone to drection all the way. it's so dumb. you don't do this all the time even you make a trip to another city. I don't do that. it looks strange. maybe when you do that, somebody will snatch your phone easily such a environment like new york. it looks cool. but to me, useless.

[TenoBell]

Originally Posted by iPhone1982

The phones DON'T need GPS & a compass to take advantage of it. Apple's Version does. Here's a Windows Mobile app that has been out for months.

The phone needs GPS to identify locations. The WinMo app you linked to identifies faces, no you don't need GPS for that.

Android has about 4 versions of this so Apple is clearly ripping off and copying technology which they will likely claim as thier own.

Pointing out who came with what first doesn't matter. It isn't like any of these companies invented this stuff. Apple isn't ripping off anyone technology, they had to write their own API's. If you understand what API's are.

The Android article was written in October of 2008. Looks like it took Apple a little longer to copy this. They had to finish copy and paste first...

Doesn't matter who had it first. What matters is who executes the best. Whose software is going to be used most.

[cwfrederick]

stop responding to iphone1982. he just says crazy stuff to hijack different threads. it's no coincidence that he joined in june of this year. i hope he at least is getting paid to be a d-bag.

[melgross]

Originally Posted by iPhone1982

The phones DON'T need GPS & a compass to take advantage of it. Apple's Version does.

Here's a Windows Mobile app that has been out for months.

http://www.1800pocketpc.com/2009/07/...d-reality.html

You're confusing augmented identification, which is what that Win Mobile app does, with augmented reality, as in what these new location apps do. Please read the description of what the app you used as an example REALLY does. All it's doing is putting info about the person on the screen.

Android has about 4 versions of this so Apple is clearly ripping off and copying technology which they will likely claim as thier own.

http://blogs.computerworld.com/augme...eady_available

The Android article was written in October of 2008. Looks like it took Apple a little longer to copy this. They had to finish copy and paste first...

Can't you get anything right?

Did you read that article about the Android app? Apparently not, because if you had, you would have noticed that the LOCATION app NEEDS the GPS AND the compass in the phone, even though you erroneously seem to think not.

Yes, it really does.

Why don't you learn something about what you're so willing to put Apple down about?

And by the way, these are all third party companies writing these apps, just as they are for the iPhone. Apple, and other phone manufacturers are providing the hardware, and the API's in the OS for them to do that.

No one is "ripping" anyone off. Least of all Apple.

You don't really have a 3G either, do you?

[diamondgeeza]

Originally Posted by lilgto64

Does anyone have any idea if the v3.1 software improves reception issues that many have had since upgrading to v3.0? or is the rumor that the problem is changes AT&T has made to their networks?

sounds like AT&T - no problems here in the EU. I remember the reception of GSM in Chicago being more patchy than near my parents house in rural Wales...

[Jerseymac]

Originally Posted by lilgto64

Does anyone have any idea if the v3.1 software improves reception issues that many have had since upgrading to v3.0? or is the rumor that the problem is changes AT&T has made to their networks?

I have the 16 gig 3G I bought the first weekend after the launch. Right after I upgraded to 3.0 (second day the software came out) I had reception trouble that finally go so bad I couldn't make any calls or get online. I went to the Apple store and they replaced my phone with a new one (not 3GS unfortunately) because testing showed excessive modem resets, or something like that. I just made it under the wire on the one year warrantee too. Phew!

My new phone works great. I have no idea if this had anything to do with 3.0 or whether my phone just picked that time to go bad. Hope this helps.

[ascii]

Originally Posted by Lorre

Also, new desktops in the altest SL-build:

http://uneasysilence.com/archive/2009/07/14293/

Oi! People have to pay for those. Why is he putting them on the web.

[ascii]

Originally Posted by iPhone1982

Not only did I have to wait an hour I had to drive 230 miles to get my phone fixed.

That's a long way. Hopefully when you get your next phone the Palm or Google store is a lot closer.

[beg]

Originally Posted by iPhone1982

Apple is way behind the curve because they control everything. Including what I can put on my phone and view with Safari with their lack of support for Flash.

Here you go, why don't you buy an HTC Hero so you can have "maddening" and "unusable" Flash.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/23/htc-hero-review/

Scroll towards the bottom to see the flash stuff.

[DocNo42]

Originally Posted by Trajectory

So I guess this will only work on 3GS iPhones. It's too bad there will no longer be iPhone parity between models. It means that a lot of the new applications that developers will be writing won't work on millions of older iPhones, further diluting their market potential.

Your kidding, right?

Apple should just freeze features now and never advance the platform?

Go ahead, use the word Beleaguered - it will make you feel better