New Revenue Extending Systems With the iPhone
Written by: Alex
Applying the iPhone’s capabilities to existing real world systems is going to be a large new revenue source for companies in the next 12-24 months. Adding a mobile interface to systems that traditionally required a user to be sitting at their desk will open up many new opportunities. The new touch screen interface will also change how we interact with those systems, creating all new ways to use technology.
As an example, traditional surveillance systems use a joystick or mouse to control camera positioning. With the iPhone, the user has the potential of a much more intuitive interface to drag the camera around and zoom in on things by pinching the picture.
Here’s a little sample of one of the internal projects we’re working on right now showing off the capabilities of the iPhone.
Part 1 - iPhone controlling surveillance equipment
Part 2 - zoomed in view of iPhone
Update #2: We’ve put up a survey asking about the types of features you’d like to see in an iPhone/iPod based security & surveillance app.
Update: Based on the feedback we’ve received so far, we’d be happy to let you know more about the application as it gets closer to release. If you’d like to receive an email when the app is ready, please enter your contact info below.
May 9th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
******* SWEET.
May 9th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Cool idea,
just to add to it, instead of panning with your fingers, how about using the accelerometer inside the iphone to turn and pan up and down? The iphone becomes more of a window, and less of the interface- the pan is all controlled by physically moving the camera/phone. keep inventing, and if you use my idea please send me a cheque!
May 9th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Amazing!
May 9th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Peter, thanks for the thoughts. We already did some primitive testing with the accelerometer and the control didn’t seem as intuitive as the touch interface. I know we’ll be working more with it too to see where else we can use it.
May 9th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
What a unique use of the iPhone! Keep going guys, great job!
May 11th, 2008 at 4:55 am
I would love to be able to keep an eye on my pluming truck while on a job or while shopping . this could be combined with some kind of alarm when local movement was detected . good luck
May 11th, 2008 at 6:41 am
Great idea guys!
I posted about it over at ShinyPlastic gadget blog:
http://www.shinyplastic.com/archives/05-11-2008-cameras-iphone-to-control-surveillance-cameras.php
May 12th, 2008 at 7:29 am
Is this really true?
I use my iPod to view recordings from my Video-server. Unfortunately, iPod does not support streaming media, it can only load files with fixed size. This means that you have to record the movie before you view it, and how fun is that in a surveillance system.
May 12th, 2008 at 9:47 am
It is true, we are using real-time streaming video. And you are correct that the iPhone does not natively support ‘real’ streaming video; it was a challenge we had to overcome.
If you are interested in more detail about how the application was implemented, check out my blog post about it:
http://www.lextech.com/blog/2008/05/10/interface-zen-intuitive-apps-on-the-iphone/
May 13th, 2008 at 6:11 am
Well done! My guess is that you are using mjpeg - no sound.
May 13th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
useful information indeed
thanks
May 19th, 2008 at 12:10 am
Hi everyone. I’ve just found this place and wanted to say hi.
June 12th, 2008 at 3:17 am
SWEET!