Unlock Yelp’s Hidden Feature and Glimpse the iPhone’s Next Wave of Killer Apps

The latest version of the Yelp iPhone app comes with a buried Easter Egg which can be unlocked by iPhone 3GS users. This hidden feature gives us a little peak into what the future of iPhone apps could be like by augmenting the reality around us. Yelp takes advantage of the phone’s camera, GPS, and compass features to determine your location and orientation, then takes information from Yelp’s database about local businesses and overlays it on a real-time video display captured by the camera. The resulting effect is impressive and fun, although not so practical, at least not yet.

Read on to find out how you can unlock this killer feature and why we think augmented reality presents the next big thing in iPhone apps.

Apple has recently stated that they will not allow augmented reality apps to appear in the App Store until September’s release of iPhone firmware 3.1. However, many iPhone developers are utilizing an unauthorized tool called the “camera viewer” which helps enable augmented reality. Perhaps this is how Yelp was able to sneak this feature into their app before 3.1 arrives.

To unlock this hidden gem, you’ll need an iPhone 3GS and the latest version of Yelp’s iPhone app. Fire up the app, then give your iPhone a few hard shakes. It took us a good five seconds of shaking to unlock this feature. Once unlocked, you’ll see a button on the app in the upper right side which is labeled “Monocle”. Tap that, hold up your iPhone and scan the area with your camera. You’ll see information about restaurants, shops, and other local businesses appear on your display in the direction of their physical locations. Tap the flag above each entry to be directed to detailed information about that business from Yelp.

We’re not convinced that Yelp’s version of augmented reality is much more than a mere novelty at this point (remember the 3D web?). However, it does pave the way for a new class of mobile applications that allow us to interact with the world around us in a way that’s driven by context instead of content. Imagine traveling to a new city and you’re trying to find the nearest subway entrance. With augmented reality, you could hold your iPhone up to scan the area around you to discover any nearby subway entrances. Or maybe you’re at a party and see some interesting people you’d like to link up on your social networks. An augmented reality app could use real-time facial recognition to automatically point you to that person’s online social networks like Twitter, 12seconds, or even Facebook.

Only time will tell what the killer app will be in this new category of iPhone apps, but we know for sure sports apps will fare very, very well. Why? The global market is huge, and the practical applications of augmented reality for sporting events possesses enormous potential. Some sports, like the NFL, have already begun augmenting reality. Those digital lines on the football field that highlight the line of scrimmage and the first down markers are perfect examples of this in action. However, this is only useful if you are watching the game on television, but what about the fans attending the game? With an augmented reality app you could hold your iPhone app up and view a layer of stats about the game, players, and maybe if we’re lucky, cheerleader profiles and videos. Throw a few beer ads in there and you’ve got a great free app that’ll make sports fans very happy while making a ton of advertising revenue on a entirely new class of mobile applications.

Until then, go check out Yelp and stay tuned here at Touchtip for the latest in augmented reality apps for iPhone.

• Yelp – Free [app store]

 

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