Yelp iPhone App Adds Augmented Reality Easter Egg [augmented reality for iPhone is here, and free]

Mashable reports on a discovery that the latest update to the iPhone application from popular business establishment review site Yelp [App Store, Free] contains an augmented reality easter egg called "Monocle" that allows users to view business ratings overlayed on a video stream from their iPhone's camera. The feature is only compatible with the iPhone 3GS, which contains the necessary digital compass for properly assessing the device's orientation.

Download the new Yelp app (came out yesterday). So you shake your iPhone 3 times. That activates a feature called Monocle. A message should come up if you activated it. A blue box will come up saying "the Monocle has been activated." It will create a button in the top right corner. Now you should be able to look at the bars, restaurants, etc. Only works on iPhone 3GS.Augmented reality applications have been under development for some time, but Apple is waiting for the release of iPhone OS 3.1 to officially enable the feature, which explains why the augmented reality feature in the Yelp application was included as a hidden easter egg to avoid detection by Apple's reviewers.

Mashable has also provided screenshots and put together a brief video demonstration of how the feature works.

iPhone App: Yelp! Finds local businesses you might need on your iPhone... PING!

Now with video overlay of ratings ... enhanced reality... heads' up display?

iPhone Ping!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

"Why would I watch the video when I can download it to my phone and try it myself?"

Good point. To make non-iPhone users jealous, I guess. And to make pre-3GS users seethe with envy. And to let WinMo defenders, Microbots and other subhuman species know what they're missing. (And that, son, is what's known as flame-bait.) And to maybe convince a few holdouts who've wondered what all the fuss is about to take a serious look at these marvelous phones.

My son had not heard of this, so when he was sitting on the couch a few minutes ago, I told him about it. He has the Yelp application (as do I, though my iPhone is an antique 3G) so he fired it up right then and there. Although we're half a mile from the nearest stip mall, the GPS combined with the compass found the restaurants and businesses there and popped up the ratings. Awesome! Very useful for finding meeting places, too, since it's clear what direction a business is in as you pan around.

This just might be the killer app for the 3GS, the way Pandora was for the original iPhone. It'll be a year before I can upgrade from my beloved 3G for a subsidized price, but seeing this app in action really makes me want to jump the gun.

Yelp's customer ratings tend to be quite good, by the way. I've found lots of places (including a really wonderful car-repair place that's saved me a ton of money) using Yelp.

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Yelp iPhone Application Adds Augmented Reality Easter Egg