So this is pretty cool: Autodesk, the maker of the popular 3D design software AutoCAD, has just released a new app for the iPad called 123D Catch. The software enables you to capture 3D images of things using your tablet's camera.
No, you won't need any glasses to view these pictures. Simply use the app to snap photos of almost any object (it doesn't work well with glass) from multiple angles, and let Autodesk's 3D rendering software take care of the rest...
9to5Mac points to an interesting job listing that recently surfaced on Apple's website. The opening calls for an iOS software engineer with knowledge and experience in 3D geometry and image analysis. What could Apple be working on?
Well a number of things, actually. The company has acquired multiple 3D mapping firms over the past few years, and has several 3D-related patents in its library. Keep reading for the full job description...
Aside from small additions like displaying alternate routes and the Show Traffic option, the Maps application received little attention from Apple during the recent iOS update. Some pundits expected the app to at least receive turn-by-turn directions.
But a revamped Maps app might still be in Apple's plans. 9to5Mac is reporting that Apple has just quietly acquired "mind-blowing 3D mapping company" C3 Technologies, and that the Cupertino company is looking to take iOS maps to the next level...
Apple has spent the last several years revolutionizing the way we interact with our mobile gadgets. Sure, there were touchscreen devices before the iPhone. But none of them worked as well Apple's handset. And the same can be said about Siri and voice control.
It appears that Apple isn't going to settle for just touch and voice controls. A new patent application has surfaced that reveals that the Cupertino company is experimenting with non-touch gesture controls for its iOS devices. And here's how it would work...
3D technology continues to be a hot tech topic. Between Nintendo launching the 3DS and HTC launching multiple 3D Android devices, it's safe to say that the technology is going to stick around the mobile arena for a while.
Even iDevices are getting the 3D treatment, and they don't even house any 3D-specific hardware. While we've already seen head-tracking technology used to simulate 3-dimensional graphics on the iPhone, this new entry doesn't require a front-facing camera. Enter Pic3D...
3D is one of those technologies that really seems to polarise people. Some people swear by the latest technology and point to the huge success seen at the box office with Avatar and say that it's finally come of age. Others will say that 3D is just another gimmick thought up by hardware manufacturers to sell TVs now that everyone has bought a HD set.
3D is proving to be the big new thing in mobile devices whether we want it to or not, with various Android tablets and smartphone devices sporting 3D capability. Even Nintendo is in on the action with its 3DS handheld gaming device, but as yet Apple isn't in the 3D market.
Of course, that hasn't stopped anyone else from taking Apple's hardware and shoehorning 3D technology into it...
Remember back in early April when we posted a video of that impressive 3D demo? Well, it seems like the developers were able to turn that project into an actual iOS application.
Before you get too excited, you should know that the software is pretty limited. It really isn't much more than a showcase for the 3D technology that was shown in the popular video released last month...
3D has been quite a popular technology lately. First we saw it in theaters, then it made its way into our homes. More recently, it's been finding its way into our portable electronic devices.
The Nintendo 3DS led the way with their glasses-free 3D implementation. HTC has also been showing off their latest smartphones, capable of capturing and viewing in 3 dimensions. Heck, even RIM has been touting their PlayBook's ability to output 3D graphics.
While Apple has yet to add 3D to any of their products, the rumor mill is certainly turning on the topic. RCR Wireless is reporting that they are hearing from a "Hollywood insider" that Apple's next tablet is already in advanced planning stages, and very much 3D. The source is quoted by the website, saying:
"The fact that the iPad 3 is 3D is a dead cert"
She claims that major film studios are currently running around like "blue arsed flies" trying to get their 3D content in order, in time for the launch of Apple's next tablet. Music industry insiders have been dropping tidbits about Apple's future cloud service, so it's no secret that folks in the entertainment business hear exclusive information from the Cupertino company.
If Apple is really going to include 3D technology in their next tablet, I hope it's glasses-free via head-tracking technology. I personally don't see why you'd want 3D graphics in your iPad, I'd rather see something closer to retina display.
I've also read rumors that Apple has been experimenting with layered E-Ink displays, you'd think that'd make more sense in a tablet than a 3D display(especially with Amazon building a tablet). I guess we'll just have to wait and see what Steve Jobs and company have up their sleeves.
What do you think?
We've seen some pretty cool ideas come from software developers and engineers involving the iPhone. Although many of these technology demos never make it to consumer products, it's always fun to see what people dream up.
This time we have an application that's already made it to the App Store, but the innovation it uses is still astounding. Trimensional is an app for the iPhone that has the ability to scan 3D objects. While that alone might seem boring, it's what you can do with the scanned image that's so interesting...
The 3D graphics effect has been done on iDevices before. Apps like Labyrinth for the iPad 2 and the Cydia 3DBoard tweak use the accelerometer in the device to manipulate graphics based on user movements. This is a neat circus trick, but the device must be moved to create the 3D effect.
Jeremie Francone and Laurence Nigay of the EHCI Research group have created an impressive tech demo of 3 dimensional graphics on the iPhone 4. Instead of using the accelerometer, they use the device's front facing camera. How's that possible?
I can't think of a consumer electronics device I've ever seen garner as many rumors and as much speculation as Apple's iPhone 5. The storied device was expected to hit the shelves sometime this summer like previous models, but it is now rumored to be pushed back until late fall or early 2012.
The rumors aren't just limited to the release date of the iPhone 5, but they also expand into hardware predictions, and now, more recently, camera specs. At first the question was whether or not they'd bump the 5 MP camera up to an 8 or 10MP. Now it seems like the question could be if they move the camera up a whole dimension...
When we first posted about 3DBoard -- a jailbreak tweak for the iPhone that lends a 3D effect to your Home screen -- we were excited. When Ryan Petrich one-upped the release of 3DBoard with his own tweak entitled DeepEnd, we were delighted.
That's because not only was DeepEnd available first, it kept a few extra dollars in our pockets by being free. But free doesn't necessarily mean better; after all, you get what you pay for, or do you?
Check inside for the full video evidence, as we compare these two popular iPhone jailbreak tweaks head-to-head...