Video: Trippy App Shows iPhone 3GS Users Nearest Subway Stations

Okay, acrossair's New York Nearest Subway application is awaiting approval from Apple and is only for Apple iPhone 3GS users, but this video showing what it does is still pretty cool: It creates an "augmented reality" of your surroundings and transposes various subway routes into the phone camera's field of vision. Here's the acrossair's:

When you load the app, holding it flat, all 33 lines of the New York Subway are displayed in coloured arrows. By tilting the phone upwards, you will see the nearest stations: what direction they are in relation to your location, how many miles away they are and what lines they are on. If you continue to tilt the phone upwards, you will see stations further away, as stacked icons. Only available to Apple iPhone 3GS users.

Imagine if there was cellphone service in the subways and the acrossair people worked on some sort of partnership with the Exit Strategy folks...

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By Jen Chung in News on July 16, 2009 9:11 AM

Comments [rss]

tengobotas

Subway maps are free and do a whole lot more.

Im also against anything that makes life in the city easier for dbags from ohio.

ixvnyc

So, where are now all those idiots who said that compass is useless? This app would not be possible without the compass.

aberjona

http://topherchris.com/post/142856586/this-could-totally-work-video-input-of-the-3gs

Trilby16

I'll admit, it looks pretty cool, but I'm lucky-- I have an even better app called MY BRAIN!

longacre

Ooh, I saw this a few days ago, I should have posted on the Contribute page.

Agreed, it is effing amazing.

bill

Great app but..

If you observe the flow of people from the trains every morning, you'll see why there's so many congestion....it's because people are holding the doors and why are they holding the doors? Because they are all trying to get out the same door where the staircase is located.

I mean it's a great app that's thought out nicely. Like for people who are on a schedule and wants to know where the nearest exit is for that station but it'll be a giant mess for those peak hours.

Then if I were a criminal, I would plan my exit strategy if I wanted to snatch a purse or something...

thelexiphane

Very cool. But now starting countdown for lawsuit against MTA filed by family of person who follows this app off a platform and onto the tracks.

Jen S

This = tons of people falling through manholes.

longacre

Maybe they can add arrows pointing to every manhole in version 2.0.

texinyc

I love the utilization of the compass to show real time info in 3 dimensions, but would any New Yorker really use this? How many people who live here really need help finding a subway station?

SP

I'm a born and raised NYer, and there are times when in some far flung god forsaken part of Brooklyn or Queens when I really could have used this.

Tpooh2

I feel you on that. In the city you can throw a rock and hit a train station, but if you are in any of the outer boros...you're screwed!

bennieboo

i love you, technology

matty

I don't care what anyone says, this is nothing short of fucking amazing.

schadenfreudian mensch

"Imagine if there was cellphone service in the subways"

I don't need to and I don't want it. I've already had a taste of it and it ain't pretty. More mindless yakers blathering on the most inane things and me subjected to it. How novel. I will dread the day that this ever becomes widespread on the subway. I'll definitely need a cell jammer.