Android envy hits with Layar
OK, this is a first. We're kind of in love with this application from Layar, but it is only available on the Android platform. We'd love to see someone do something like this for our beloved iPhones.
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Comments (25)
I have a G1 right now, but I plan on selling it (and my iPod Touch 2G) to buy the 3Gs.
The things I'll miss will surely be these apps. Layar, Wikitude, Shop Savvy, etc are somewhat novelty apps but they do their job so well that they become a huge plus if you have an Android phone.
With the magnetometer on the 3Gs and the new camera API, I really hope these devs will port their apps to the iPhone.
I will give it about 30 days before an App like this available for the iPhone 3Gs.
Yeah now that the 3G S has a compass too, there's no reason while such an App should not be available on the iPhone, too.
That's exactly what I'm talking about. Now this kind of apps will be possible with the new iPhone. But even more: iPhone 3GS will have one more advantage over G1: autofocus. Autofocus in any camera device means the ability to measure distance to an object. I wonder if Apple will enable this kind functionality in the SDK… That would give enormous possibilities to new apps.
BTW, this is not the FIRST augmented reality app for G1. This is the first: Wikitude AR Travel Guide. Video: http://kostik.tumblr.com/post/122898615/wikitude-ar-travel-guide-now-it-...
I'm sorry, but the G1 does have autofocus (I have one). For example, when using Shop Savvy, you put the product in front of it and it focuses on the barcode automatically.
But yeah, the new iPhone will surely have these apps or, perhaps, something like them. I wish the Wikitude devs would port the app to Apple's platform as it is a really great application for travelling and overall sightseeing.
ok, I didn't know G1 has autofocus. Do you know if it's accessible from the SDK?
Yes, it can. Here are the details if you're interested:
http://developer.android.com/reference/android/hardware/Camera.html
Works well in apps like ShopSavvy (for scanning barcodes) and Alchemy Clip (for OCR).
ok, that's good, but not exactly what I mean. There's a "Camera.AutoFocusCallback" with just a parameter "success". That's ok for many apps, but not enough for more advanced apps. I would have more low-level access to the hardware to know the exact distance to the object.
This is quite useful ... and will appear in some form very soon to the new iPhones.
That's exactly what I'm talking about. Now this kind of apps will be possible with the new iPhone. But even more: iPhone 3GS will have one more advantage over G1: autofocus. Autofocus in any camera device means the ability to measure distance to an object. I wonder if Apple will enable this kind functionality in the SDK… That would give enormous possibilities to new apps.
BTW, this is not the FIRST augmented reality app for G1. This is the first: Wikitude AR Travel Guide. Video: http://kostik.tumblr.com/post/122898615/wikitude-ar-travel-guide-now-it-...
This needs a compass to work. It'd be possible to do this with the 3G S.
Ziet er leuk uit! Nederland wél een keer als eerst. Valt me weer mee!
I have a slightly different take on this one. I think that there is a really interesting play to leverage the hardware accessories support within iPhone OS 3.0 to build external 3D/VR glasses that plug into the iPhone, which I blogged about here:
3D Glasses: Virtual Reality, Meet the iPhone
http://bit.ly/141NNg
Check it out, if interested.
Cheers,
Mark
I have a slightly different take on this one. I think that there is a really interesting play to leverage the hardware accessories support within iPhone OS 3.0 to build external 3D/VR glasses that plug into the iPhone, which I blogged about here:
3D Glasses: Virtual Reality, Meet the iPhone
http://bit.ly/141NNg
Check it out, if interested.
Cheers,
Mark
This is fake!
That spot they filmed on is in Amsterdam, I live there. It's filmed from the bridge at the "Korte Koningsstraat", in the direction of the "Jodenbreestraat", the old Jewish quarter. But all these overpriced houses you see in the clips are like a kilometer away.
So you don't get any info about the "underlying" images.
To make it worse... it's synchronized with Hyves and Funda, which are two major major Dutch sites for social networking and housing. It's not likely they're able to present info to a handset based on imagery. They do have GPS coordinates available of locations.
My guess: this is just a concept. It uses GPS to display other already GPS-ed objects nearby. Yawn.
Okay, I've done some research you guys should have done.
Please read their press release: http://layar.eu/?p=111
"It works as follows: Starting up the Layar application automatically activates the camera. The embedded GPS automatically knows the location of the phone and the compass determines in which direction the phone is facing. Each partner provides a set of location coordinates with relevant information which forms a digital layer."
This is not AR! This is GPS info based on GPS location, just as I thought!
Define augmented reality. It's images of reality with extra data overlaid. Who ever said it had to use image recognition?
Okay, I've done some research you guys should have done.
Please read their press release: http://layar.eu/?p=111
"It works as follows: Starting up the Layar application automatically activates the camera. The embedded GPS automatically knows the location of the phone and the compass determines in which direction the phone is facing. Each partner provides a set of location coordinates with relevant information which forms a digital layer."
This is not AR! This is GPS info based on GPS location, just as I thought!
Okay, I've done some research you guys should have done.
Please read their press release: http://layar.eu/?p=111
"It works as follows: Starting up the Layar application automatically activates the camera. The embedded GPS automatically knows the location of the phone and the compass determines in which direction the phone is facing. Each partner provides a set of location coordinates with relevant information which forms a digital layer."
This is not AR! This is GPS info based on GPS location, just as I thought!
Okay, I've done some research you guys should have done.
Please read their press release: http://layar.eu/?p=111
"It works as follows: Starting up the Layar application automatically activates the camera. The embedded GPS automatically knows the location of the phone and the compass determines in which direction the phone is facing. Each partner provides a set of location coordinates with relevant information which forms a digital layer."
This is not AR! This is GPS info based on GPS location, just as I thought!
Okay, I've done some research you guys should have done.
Please read their press release: http://layar.eu/?p=111
"It works as follows: Starting up the Layar application automatically activates the camera. The embedded GPS automatically knows the location of the phone and the compass determines in which direction the phone is facing. Each partner provides a set of location coordinates with relevant information which forms a digital layer."
This is not AR! This is GPS info based on GPS location, just as I thought!
Unlike the previous poster stated it is NOT fake, but a demo. The product is not available yet but will be launched in the near future. They also state thate there will be versions available for other platforms (like iPhone OS version3)
Fake or demo or whatever, it's just not augmented reality.
@dutchmen
I think the problem is that we have different definitions of AR.
We believe there are many forms to augment reality.. Marker technology is only one of them. We also believe that the level of augmentation can vary alot dependent of the service.
We are also very practical. We use the sensors and technology that is available now.. Coordinates, GPS and compass is a great basis to develop these kind of applications now..
Let's not get stuck in a definition argument.. Maybe you have some suggestions how we could improve our service?
Raimo
http://layar.eu
I agree that what the video shows is NOT augmented reality.
It's location-aware and direction-aware, which is good. But I don't see the 'overlay' on top of the 'reality' which defines AR.
Imagine walking down a street and actually 'seeing' what the buildings looked like in the 18th century. *That's* augmented reality. AR is already well-established in the military, so why try to change the definition to suit the product's features? Perhaps Layar can just coin a new word... No one would object to that.
Otherwise, it looks like a very useful product and I look forward to seeing more about it.