
Augmented Reality is the killer app for the iPhone 3GS - shalmanese
http://blog.bumblebeelabs.com/the-killer-app-for-iphone-3gs
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aditya
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EA8xlicmT8>

That's a video of what Augmented Reality can do on the G1... definitely cool
app.

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greendestiny
Yeah map sized apps are about the only things that will be remotely convincing
given the accuracy of the sensors.

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cl3m
I think he is missing the third feature : opening of the platform to third-
party hardware.

Thus we will soon have 3d goggles, sensors for anything, chip implants, body
hacking, brain-computer interface and the kitchen sink on the iPhone =)

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DannoHung
I was saying this to my friend the other day: Someone's going to implement the
art project from Spook Country in a few months on an iPhone 3GS.

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malbiniak
if this were anywhere but the iphone ecosystem where ifart is/was all the
rage, seb lee-delisle (papervision 3d team, <http://www.sebleedelisle.com/>)
would be absolutely right: "augmented reality has no practical use. but it IS
fun."

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stcredzero
The form factor is wrong. The iPhone form factor is a good communications
device that can offer a web/search/computing interface in a pinch. It's not
comfortable to use in a lot of situations, and its interface soaks up all of
your concentration.

What's needed is an interface that can convey information but which is not a
soak for all of your attention. A 5x8" form factor which is _extremely_
lightweight and daylight readable could be held like a cue-card. Add
accelerometer, compass, camera, good contextual voice recognition, and GUI
which is easily operated by one thumb, and you have it.

Heads-up displays on your contacts, or direct neural inputs would be dandy. I
think we'll get the above before that, though.

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tjmc
I'd like to see an iPhone hooked up to a model plane/helicopter. Now that it's
got a compass in addition to the GPS and acceleromter, it's a potential
autopilot with video capability. Poor man's UAV/cruise missile perhaps?

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samlittlewood
Or use something like:

[http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_i...](http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=8454)

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drenei
This starts to remind me of the 6th Sense project demoed at TED -
[http://www.ted.com/talks/pattie_maes_demos_the_sixth_sense.h...](http://www.ted.com/talks/pattie_maes_demos_the_sixth_sense.html).
We have so much information available that would be a lot more useful if it is
intuitively and seamlessly available WHEN its most useful.

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ynniv
The autofocus camera will complicate calibration. Maybe the API provides an
accurate reading of the current focal length.

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elai
Almost all cellphone cameras are basically pinhole ones. There is only one set
focal length.

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DougBTX
Most, like the iPhone 3G. However, not the iPhone 3GS:
[http://images.apple.com/iphone/iphone-3g-s/images/photos-
gal...](http://images.apple.com/iphone/iphone-3g-s/images/photos-
gallery2-20090608.jpg)

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roc
It'll be popular stuff, but we're still a good head-mounted display/camera
away from really blowing the doors off.

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chaosmachine
<http://www.myvu.com/>

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troystribling
I like this one better, <http://www.digilens.com/>, looks a little better and
designed as HUD.

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cstejerean
It looks really nice, but where can one purchase those? And for how much?

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gojomo
How long before Apple offers iEye active contact lenses?

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haseman
-Lets file that one away under D for 'Duh'-

Anyone who's read a Charles Stross novel in the past 2 years could see this
one coming from a km away.

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TrevorJ
And not everyone has, so this is still an interesting discussion to be having.
I find the fact that hardware is catching up to imagination (finally) to be
noteworthy and worth talking about.

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haseman
All true things, I guess I object to the 'you heard it here first' attitude

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TrevorJ
That's fair enough. I guess every good idea has been had once before.
Personally I'm just looking forward to having everybody's bio floating over
their head when I look at them through my iphone camera. Wait. No. No, I'm
not. Scary times we live in.

