Yelp for iPhone shows off an augmented reality easter egg
Download Squad has covered augmented reality apps before, both on Android and on the iPhone, but we speculated that it would be a while before AR became commonplace in apps people actually use. We might have been wrong about that, thanks to a surprise in the latest version of Yelp for iPhone. Shaking your phone a few times unlocks a hidden augmented reality mode called Monocle, that shows reviews for anything you point your camera at.There was some question as to whether Apple was going to be approving AR apps until an app called Metro Paris Subway was approved last week. Still, Yelp's hidden feature seems to be the first augmented reality software that works in the US. Overlaying a data layer on camera images could be the next big thing in restaurant reviews, in real estate, or in any number of other areas, and it's definitely something to keep an eye on, beyond just Yelp.
Our sister site, TUAW, has an excellent gallery of the Monocle feature.
