Microsoft Has a Free iPhone App in the App Store

Microsoft apparently has “deep” feelings towards the iPhone (or Apple), as the company behind the Windows OS has released a free iPhone app, and a cool one at that. Immediately available for download from the iTunes App Store, Seadragon Mobile lets iPhone and iPod touch users zoom in as deep as possible on high quality images with near zero transition times.

Microsoft's app makes it possible for users to “browse large quantities of high-resolution imagery smoothly and quickly with a flick or a pinch,” according to the iTunes App Store description. “Explore massive galaxies, pore over maps, or flip through collections of photographs, all over the air,” says the Windows maker.

You can also add your own photos, or browse some that are already available on the official Photosynth website. For example, you can grab a picture of Times Square at night and try to spot anyone who might have been picking their nose at the time the photo was taken.

The app's main features, as Microsoft points out, include the ability to view thousands of images over the air, view massive gigapixel pictures, explore Photosynth collections in 2D (including your own), add your own PhotoZoom / Deep Zoom Composer content, and even an RSS feed service.

With the option to create your own synth, there are some things you need to be aware of, according to Microsoft, who urges users to note that this early version of Photosynth has limitations. For once, all synths are uploaded. “They're big, so you need to use a broadband Internet connection,” the company explains. As you would imagine, Seadragon is optimized for 3G and WiFi.

Additionally, all synths are public, so be careful what you upload - your photos will be visible to everyone on the Internet. Lastly, just like the viewing experience, the “synther” only runs on PCs (XP and Vista), while a Photosynth account is also required (it uses Windows Live ID).

NOTE: the Browse Photosynth functionality is currently not working, but it will be fixed soon, according to Microsoft. You can still search for synths and add users by name (using the + on the main screen).

Download Seadragon Mobile via iTunes App Store (Free)