No wonder that augmented reality application is the biggest reason to upgrade to an iPhone 3GS, thanks to the addition of a compass to the iPhone 3GS. By using this app, you can easily find the nearby subways or track down your Twitter neighbors. Just wait until September, Apple says.
Holding the phone in front of you, locations are plotted on a live view of the world in relation to where you're standing. The apps combine the phone's key features -- camera, GPS, compass and Internet connectivity -- to create a sort of heads-up display reminiscent of first-person shooter video games.
The first two poised to hit the App Store -- pending Apple's approval, of course -- are Nearest Tube, which plots subway stations in London, and TwittARound, which shows nearby Twitter users.
[via LA Times Blog]
It’s all about the magnometer (a.k.a. digital compass), combined with GPS, acelerometer, and the video camera. Can you imagine all the things we can do with these elements? What kind of new cool applications we will have?
There is a nice blog post about the iphone and augmented reality at: http://www.usingiphone.com/profiles/blogs/my-iphone-and-the-emperors-new
Very interesting indeed – can you use it to track your kids (if you can find twit mates- why not!) – is it for iphone only or ipod touch as well?