The Nearest Subway augmented reality app for iPhone OS 3.1
It appears that iPhone users who like their reality of the ‘augmented’ variety will have something to celebrate when Apple releases iPhone OS 3.1. Apparently some developers are already creating augmented reality apps for the iPhone by taking advantage of undocumented APIs in iPhone OS 3, but Apple has reportedly been telling developers of such apps to wait until the release of OS 3.1 because they won’t be approved before then.
Augmented reality involves overlaying live video with additional information and has become a possibility on the iPhone thanks to the updated camera hardware and compass added to the iPhone 3GS. One developer eagerly waiting for the release of OS 3.1 is Acrossair, who has developed an augmented reality app called ‘Nearest Subway’. The app uses the iPhone 3GS’s GPS and compass capabilities to overlay signs on live video that point to the nearest subway stop and what lines pass through it.
The iPhone OS 3.1 update, which is currently in beta but is expected to be final around September, includes APIs for developers to access a video stream directly from the camera. So prepare for an avalanche of apps that take advantage of the new capabilities.
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