14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft Live Labs dipped its toe in the iPhone market last Saturday, releasing the Seadragon Mobile technology preview as part of the team's continued experimentation with large picture viewing. When the Seadragon Mobile app was published, the ability to browse Photosynth collections in 2D was inoperable, but the feature has been restored and is now working correctly, the team says.
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,” Microsoft Live Labs maker says. The team is considering different ways to use this functionality to significantly improve the way users explore the digital world.
For instance, you can also add your own photos, or browse some that are already available on the official Photosynth website. 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.
All synths are public, so don't upload anything you might want to keep a secret - “Your photos will be visible to everyone on the Internet,” MS Live Labs warns. Furthermore, 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).
Microsoft's Seadragon mobile app is the first application designed and developed by a team of Microsoft engineers for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch. Some reported their surprise that Apple approved a Microsoft-crafted application in the App Store, even though Apple and Microsoft had shaken hands on countless cross-platform solutions for the Mac and Windows PC. Download Seadragon Mobile via iTunes App Store (Free)