By Sam Oliver: Apple Insider


Apple continues to express interest in developing affordable technologies that could in the near future deliver an easy-to-use augmented reality platform to its iOS devices like the iPad through the use of split-screen software techniques or transparent display screens, company filings reveal.

Augmented reality (AR) is a term used to describe a live direct or an indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input, such as annotations, sound or graphics presented through an information layer. 

In one filing published for the first time Thursday by the United States Patent and Trademark Office and discovered byAppleInsider, Apple notes that despite strong academic and commercial interest in (AR) systems, many existing implementations are complex and expensive, making them unsuitable for general use by the average consumer. 

As part of its filing, Apple proposes that iPads could feature a split screen display that can be used to display an object or subject matter such as a live video feed from the tablet's camera on one side of the split, and computer-generated imagery identifying elements in that video feed on the second side of the split.

In one example shown, a user is viewing a live video of the skyline of downtown San Francisco in first display area, while object recognition is performed in real-time on a captured frame of the video to present information on the second display area, such as balloon call outs identifying the buildings or structures in the live video.

Software running on the iPad could utilize onboard positioning system such as GPS, WiFi, and Cell ID ,along with motion sensors to transmit information about the live feed to a network service, which could then spit back 3D models of recognized objects in the live feed that the user could navigate in real-time.




"For example, gyroscopes, magnetometers and other motion sensors can provide angular displacements, angular rates and magnetic readings with respect to a reference coordinate frame, and that data can be used by a real-time onboard rendering engine to generate 3D imagery of downtown San Francisco," Apple said. "If the user physically moves device, resulting in a change of the video camera view, the information layer and computer-generated imagery can be updated accordingly using the sensor data."

More specifically, the company provided an example where the user sets a marker via a pushpin on a building seen in the distance so that a driving or walking route can be computed in real-time and overlaid on the 3D computer-generated imagery to provide directions to that building from the user's current location.




Optionally, Apple added that the annotated live video, computer-generated imagery and resulting information layer can be shared via a Share Button with one or more other devices, and the AR displays of the devices can be synchronized to account for changes in video views. 

While the filing proposes an AR implementation utilizing existing technologies found on the iPad (and iPhone), a second filing from the company relating to the same subject matter is slightly more ambitious in that it proposes iPads with a display screen having a viewing area with a transparent portion that enables a user to view objects behind the electronic device by looking through the display screen.

The "transparent portion may encompass the entire viewing area, or only a portion of the viewing area of the display," wrote Apple engineer Aleksandar Pance, who is the sole inventor credited to the patent application titled "Transparent Electronic Device." He added that additional implementations could call for an iPad with two or more display screens (each having respective viewing areas with transparent portions) arranged in an overlaid or back-to-back manner, or two display screens whereby one display screen is partially opaque but displays a transparent window that's movable via multitouch input from the user. 

"These overlays whether in handheld or other electronic devices, may provide an 'augmented reality' interface in which the overlays virtually interact with real-world objects," Pance wrote. "For example, the overlays may be transmitted onto a display screen that overlays a museum exhibit, such as a painting. The overlay may include information relating to the painting that may be useful or interesting to viewers of the exhibit. Additionally, overlays may be utilized on displays in front of, for example, landmarks, historic sites, or other scenic locations. […] For example, a tour bus may include one or more displays as windows for users. These displays may present overlays that impart information about locations viewable from the bus.




The same filing also details a viewing routine that would allow a user to view both images and real world events simultaneously via a single display screen. For example, the viewing routine may allow for a portion of the display to be selectively transparent while the remainder of the area of the display screen is opaque.

"For example, display screen may include an in-plane switching LCD screen in which pixels of the screen default to an 'off' state that inhibits light transmission through the screen," Pance explained. "This may be accomplished by driving a voltage to zero to the pixels in an 'off' state (i.e., the pixels in an opaque region)" while "voltage could then be applied to pixels of the display screen to enable light transmission through such pixels (when desired), allowing a user to view real-world objects through the activated pixels of display screen, thus generating a window in the opaque region."

Apple said such futuristic displays screens may include an LCD having pixels that default to an "on" state allowing light transmission and which can be activated to render some or all of the pixels opaque. Alternatively, the company said that the screens could include an OLED.

   After wowing consumers during this year’s CES show in Las Vegas, Sharp has finally released their 70-inch LED HDTV behemoth onto the masses, in the form of the LC-70LE732U; an entry level set that is sure to give anyone looking for a new TV the itch to give it a go.

   The set boasts full 1080p resolution on its LED backlit LED with a 120Hz refresh rate and a formidable dynamic contrast ratio of 6,000,000:1. Though 70-inch sounds like quite large, seeing it in person is a whole different story. Comparing it with a 55-inch set, it’s very apparent how large this TV truly is. The LC-70LE732U easily dwarfs the 55-incher with 62% more viewing space, giving consumers more than enough real estate to enjoy any blockbuster movie or the latest games. And truly, this set has the gamer in mind with its proprietary Vyper Drive technology that enhances games by reducing lag times. Essentially, the TV allows a gaming console to handle all of the video decoding, thus eliminating the need for the TV to do it again, and resulting in faster gameplay.

   With many manufacturers now including WiFi technology in newer TVs, this set is no different. However, consumers will be glad to know that this unit doesn’t need any WiFi dongles to work, but rather the WiFi is built into the TV. Sharp has added over 200 widgets that can be accessed via WiFi, with such favorites as Twitter, Pandora, Netflix and Cinema Now being included. Another great use for WiFi was a customer support option that easily impressed. Sharp has added the AQUOS Advantage Live feature which is an online support system that lets consumers get immediate assistance with issues plaguing their TV. Technicians can essentially take control of the TV to make any necessary adjustments to get things rolling again. Of course this doesn’t mean if the TV short circuits, that can be fixed on the spot, but it’s a cool feature that will surely help owners to get help for easy-to-fix problems. Concerned with a fee for the service? Not to worry, the service is included for free for the lifetime of the TV.

   The TV also includes 4HDMI ports, 1 PC input and 1 Optical Output, while also being IP-control ready and is DNLA enabled to allow for streaming wirelessly from a PC. 2 USB ports will also be found which support DIVX HD, standard video and photo viewing.

   Sharp uses its Quattron technology for this set, which adds a yellow sub-pixel to the usual RGB (red/green/blue) scheme. Yellow is used as a color agent to mix with magenta and cyan and reproduces a wider range of colors. While watching Iron Man 2 on Blu-ray, you could also see how well yellows and golds stood out; gold specifically having a nice looking shine to it.


   Picture quality in general was pretty decent considering it’s not a high-end TV and is a 70-inch LED. For a TV of this size, I’d recommend sitting back at least 20 feet, though more would be best. Sitting too close makes things like minor artifacts and noise appear worse. Contrast was good, giving ample black reproduction even in night scenes, though the picture seemed a bit washed out overall, even with high picture settings. Though most consumers will be content with how the LC-70LE732U performs, it still doesn’t compare to other LED TVs such as Samsung’s line which offers much greater detail.

   As for the TV’s remote, it also has programmable controls for a DVD player, satellite and audio device. There are also three color-coded buttons near the bottom that allow users to select their three favorite apps/widgets to activate on the fly. However, the remote is not backlit, save for the device buttons near the top which is a bummer since a TV of this size would be enjoyed best with the lights turned off.

   Not surprisingly, the TV can be mounted and only weighs about 121.3 pounds with the base and 114.6 pounds without it. Due to the sheer size of the set however, we’d recommend using a mount that has dual arms to support it properly.

   Overall, the LC-70LE732U is a formidable, entry-level TV and should be enticing to consumers with its $3299 price tag – a bargain for something that large. To get the best performance out of a set like this, we’d also recommend hiring a technician to perform a proper calibration which will not only add more lifespan to the TV but increase the picture quality, regardless of the type of lighting in a room. Retail stores such as Best Buy offer such a service for around $199 from an ISF certified tech.

   While there are better looking HDTVs on the market, it will be tough to find something of this size for the price, making it a very tempting option.

   Sharp tells us a higher-end model is in the works with a 3D version being a possibility sometime down the line.

Today was the WWDC conference presented by Apple.  They showed off the new Mac OS 10 Lion and iCloud, but my main focus of this post is iOS 5 with some of its 200 new features including the new notification system. Below are pictures from the conference and i will be giving a small description of the picture below each picture....

You can also watch the whole conference here - WWDC conference

Apple has just confirmed that its new mobile operating system iOS 5.0 will be announced at a keynote address during the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference next week.

The keynote will be presented by Steve Jobs and a team of Apple executives. Also set for the stage is new Mac OS X Lion, the eighth version of the company’s operating system. iCloud, Apple’s new cloud service offering, will also be detailed at WWDC.

The conference will feature a series of technical sessions from Apple engineers designed to help developers make the most of the new systems. It’s unlikely that new hardware will feature.

the keynote takes place on June 6th at 10am in the US, or 6pm BST, which clashes with Microsoft’s E3 press conference.

Whether this is nothing more than coincidence or a deliberate move by Apple is unclear, but it’s certain to grab some attention from its rival, particularly if Jobs decides to discuss what these new operating systems can do for games on Apple’s services.