9to5Mac first reported back in April that Apple has been working on a Tag device for locating lost items. This system will be similar to the popular Tile trackers, as just like those, you will be able to attach the tags to a backpack, a set of keys, or even your favorite shirt. In the new iOS that is going to be announced next week, we are going learn about the new Device section in the new Find My app. This is where all of your tagged items will appear. But how are you going to find the items? Augmented reality.
Once an item is tagged, you can get on your iPhone or laptop and put your lost device in lost mode. This will notify people your share your location with around you, and it will also attach an augmented balloon to the object. For example, if you lose you keys and you have a tag on them, it will be easy to find. If the keys were under the couch, you are going to see a balloon pop up and you can look slightly below it to find your lost items. This is going to be key part in finding lost items for people of all ages.
This little tag is going to be packed full of technology, especially considering how small in size it is. it is going to include Bluetooth LE, NFC, a speaker to help with the location, and even the tech to run a slimmed down version of iOS. The NFC can be used to for when a user can scan it with their phone, so they can help you find your lost item. When they tap it, your preferred information will appear on their screen.
On top of this news of augmented reality helping iPhone users to find their lost devices, Apple has also been working on a stereo AR system inside of iOS. This sent officially the Apple Glasses that 9to5Mac first reported of back in April, but it is something oddly close. This new feature will support a face-mounted AR experience for its users, and it is something that could be compared to the Google Daydream.
Stereo AR apps on the iPhone works somewhat similar to Carplay, which inside of the app says that it can perform AR stereo. These apps will be able to run in “held mode”, which is the regular way people are using AR on their iPhones today, or they can be used in “worn mode”, which is exactly what it sounds like. This would rely on an external device to be a home to the iPhone during this experience. This new device is being called StarBoard, and it will be the host of the phone if being used in held mode.
If you haven’t seen the new iPhone mockups, go check them out. The three cameras on the back are going to give an extra wide field of view to the camera on the phone, but taking nice underwater photos isn’t going to be the only purpose of these cameras. Using them for AR is going to give the iPhone some of the best field of view any AR experience on the market has right now. If you are familiar with the technology, you know that the field of view is something that is being improved upon with every model. Apple has a simple fix for it and were excited to come to life in the next few weeks. For more AR and VR news, make sure to check back at VRGear.com.
