Comments for Yelp Brings First US Augmented Reality App to iPhone Store

Yelp Brings First US Augmented Reality App to iPhone Store

2009-08-27T19:31:35Z

Social review service Yelp has snuck the first Augmented Reality (AR) iPhone app specifically for the US into the iTunes App Store. The undisclosed new feature allows iPhone 3Gs owners to shake their phones three times to turn on a view called "the Monocle." This view uses the phone's GPS and compass to display markers for restaurants, bars and other nearby businesses on top of the camera's view.

Blogger Robert Scoble discovered the hidden feature and posted about it on FriendFeed today. A screenshot is below.

See also, from 1 hour later: The Wall Has Fallen: 3 Augmented Reality Apps Now Live in iPhone App Store

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Right: Blogger Josh Bancroft is surrounded by Yelp-reviewed businesses when he looks south.

Developers did not expect to be able to get Augmented Reality apps into the App Store until the release of the next iPhone OS this fall. Earlier this week, though, we reported on what appeared to be the very first - an update to an app called Metro Paris Subway.

Layar and Wikitude, two European companies offering multi-purpose AR browsers, both have Android AR apps that include content for the United States, but neither company has released an iPhone app yet. Layar's CEO said yesterday that he was testing an iPhone version of his company's software and that it was "very fast."

Building a little AR into an already established app seems to be the method of choice for sneaking AR into the app store.

The best use case for this Yelp app might not be for finding businesses out of sight, but for pointing your phone at businesses you are physically near and discovering Yelp reviews of those places.

Yelp had already built a layer of data for AR displays that it deployed on the Layar platform. Having done that, it was probably relatively trivial to build its own AR feature. Correction: AR company GoWeb3D says it actually built the Yelp layer for Layar using the Yelp API and with Yelp's blessing.

This may be what the future of mobile Augmented Reality looks like: many vendors offering their own in-app AR views, and a handful of AR browsers like Layar, Wikitude and Acrossair aggregating many different published AR views or layers.

Thanks to Steve Garfield for the demo videos above.

Comment from yuregininsesi on 2011-01-09

2011-01-10T00:25:54Z

Nice, can't wait to get one! Yelp sure has their eyes open, us local businesses were looking this for our services as well.
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Comment from nugsbrogs on 2010-12-07

2010-12-08T04:46:10Z

Wonderful article. I think the perspective was right on.

I have subscribed to your feed to my reader. Looking forward to more blog posts!

Comment from My Blog on 2010-11-05

2010-11-05T08:12:27Z

It's really an innovations innovative and that's great, but I think this type of interface won't establish itself until more advanced picture processing is manufactured into the mobile device.

Comment from seslisohbet on 2010-11-01

2010-11-01T21:18:23Z

Hi tried the curl download and got an empty box, now gone back to the new plugin from wordpress (normal updated one) and would like to know if the php ini file is the way to solve this, no great instructions on how to implement from cursory glances on here, could really do with knowing why all of a sudden my site is broken after working great for quite a while, hope you can help and thanks for the plugin and your time.

Comment from bolumizlex on 2010-10-25

2010-10-25T11:55:24Z

I've yet to download the Yelp app for android, but I'll probably give it a try with the check-in feature. But I'm probably more likely to check in with foursquare though. I had a hard enough time convincing my friends to try foursquare, its unlikely they'll switch.

Comment from papa on 2010-09-23

2010-09-23T16:24:30Z

I love Yelp + iPhone!

Comment from bedava site on 2010-09-01

2010-09-01T22:12:33Z

Comment from blackberry keyboard on 2010-07-21

2010-07-21T12:30:29Z

IPhone also supports high - speed data network of Wi-Fi and EDGE. EDGE is very popular in the United States, accessing e-mail, maps, stocks and weather and other services has been fast enough through the EDGE network. If the phone has found Wi-FI network, iPhone would automatically switches. As we all know, Wi-FI's data transmission speed is faster several times than 3G. Therefore, iPhone does not support the 3G, it support two data transfer techniques at the same time, one is slower than 3G and another is faster than 3G.

Comment from SesliChatSiteleri on 2010-07-18

2010-07-18T21:55:08Z

Comment from SesliSohbet on 2010-07-17

2010-07-17T22:02:46Z

Comment from notebook tamiri on 2010-06-21

2010-06-21T11:16:22Z

Yeah, I *finally* shook it the right way and I got the Monicle! Seems a little gimmicky, but hey, it's a start! I also had to hold it upright and not horizontally or it totally got it's directions wrong. I figure they will fix that or maybe it's just that I'm sitting inside my office near a bunch of computers, etc that are throwing it complete off! :)

Comment from Mower Jake on 2010-06-01

2010-06-01T09:51:21Z

The undisclosed new feature allows iPhone 3Gs owners to shake their phones three times to turn on a view called "the Monocle."

I'd love to see such a gadget!

Comment from panco on 2010-03-10

2010-03-10T10:25:15Z

yelp nice not bad

Comment from buy dsi r4 on 2010-01-21

2010-01-22T04:36:30Z

Comment from kusa4000 on 2009-12-04

2009-12-05T05:24:07Z

This is really a great idea I am surprised it's not in wider use already.

Comment from West Coast Vinyl on 2009-09-07

2009-09-07T08:49:47Z

Nice, can't wait to get one! Yelp sure has their eyes open, us local businesses were looking this for our services as well..

Comment from Lucky on 2009-09-03

2009-09-03T21:37:49Z

if yelp introduce this app for 3g, then its really awesome..

Comment from nusret on 2009-09-03

2009-09-03T13:56:11Z

very thanks for article!

Comment from iPhone Applications on 2009-09-03

2009-09-03T10:05:02Z

Hmm looking promising Application. Will surely check it later.

Comment from aziz on 2009-09-02

2009-09-02T21:03:00Z

its not particularly accurate though

Comment from John Vasko on 2009-08-31

2009-08-31T14:12:07Z

Too bad this needs the compass and is only available to 3GS users. I wonder if this is the case with all of the augmented reality apps.

Comment from Scott on 2009-08-28

2009-08-28T17:05:06Z

Comment from Sachin on 2009-08-28

2009-08-28T10:23:36Z

great app but ...sadly it is only for US :-(

Comment from Alex Hawkinson on 2009-08-27

2009-08-27T23:56:54Z

It's innovative and that's awesome, but I think this type of interface will be a passing gimmick until more advanced image processing is built into the mobile device.

My thoughts on what does matter about it here - http://bit.ly/12wtcY

My $0.02.

Comment from optikal on 2009-08-27

2009-08-27T23:40:39Z

You're suppose to SHAKE the phone, not swing or wave it.

Comment from steve Garfield on 2009-08-27

2009-08-27T23:18:19Z

Check Part II with a quick look at it in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU967IIf6KM

Comment from James on 2009-08-27

2009-08-27T23:08:44Z

Not to take anything away from the accomplishment ... but:

1) The video showed NOTHING of the AR, and;

2) Steve seemed to need to do quite the little dance to get Yelp to bring up the AR. If he were on the street, or in a subway car or something, it might not have been possible.

I guess it's a start ... of sorts.

Comment from steve Garfield on 2009-08-27

2009-08-27T22:04:30Z

[Video] Yelp iPhone Augmented Reality Application http://blip.tv/file/2524950

Comment from https://me.yahoo.com/jaymeydad#500ba on 2009-08-27

2009-08-27T20:34:26Z

Very cool.

Comment from Dave Elchoness on 2009-08-27

2009-08-27T20:07:49Z

GoWeb3D built the Yelp layer on Layar Reality Browser using Yelp's API.

Comment from Dana Oshiro on 2009-08-27

2009-08-27T20:07:23Z

This looks awesome! Thanks Marshall.

Comment from Marshall Kirkpatrick on 2009-08-27

2009-08-27T20:02:46Z

Yelp Brings First US-Specific Augmented Reality to iPhone App Store http://bit.ly/19LoPR [from http://twitter.com/marshallk/statuses/3586230026]

Comment from Todd on 2009-08-27

2009-08-27T19:59:09Z

"This may be what the future of mobile Augmented Reality looks like - many vendors offereing [sic] their own in-app AR views..."

Richard MacManus chimes in and states RFID needs to be added to AR so the tags are displayed in ...3...2...

Comment from Raimo on 2009-08-27

2009-08-27T19:54:28Z

Hats off to Yelp. Great way to get it in! We should have thought of something like this ;-)

Raimo
Layar