A new app called iHologram has just been submitted to Apple. The app itself was inspired by a concept thought up in 2008 which theorized that it should be possible to turn the iPhone into a type of hologram. No, Trekkies, I’m not talking about stuff you can do on the Holodeck of the Enterprise; I’m talking about being able to see images in 3D, so it looks like the image is popping out of the 2D screen.

Here’s the rundown of the concept:

The application works by assuming a constant viewing angle (35-45 degrees), typical for when the device is placed on a tabletop. The 3d scene’s perspective is warped using anamorphosis, the same technique used in Hans Holbein’s painting The Ambassadors. This application does the exact same but updates dynamically.

Now here’s a video of the actual iHologram that a dev by the name of Jormy created. Then let me know if he nailed it well enough.

The bottom line to me is that it’s a great concept, and it’s cool that a dev actually implemented it in real life, but how practical is it? The app shown in the video is quite basic and isn’t anything I feel could be applied to a legit app. Perhaps it can be applied to a new game style, and then it’d be worth it. But until then, color me impressed by the tech involved but I won’t actually be buying the app myself.

BTW – it will only be available to the iPhone 3GS.

From Dove Valley Apps comes a new take on the same AR concept. An excerpt from their website details some of Lodestone’s features:

lodestone puts a detailed compass over your view of the world to help you navigate. lodestone also includes detailed Google Maps to assist in your travels.

Want to know what landmarks are around you? lodestone also finds Wikipedia articles from your location and displays them in your camera view at their proper compass direction and elevation.

Want to know the elevation of that mountain you’re about to climb? Simply tilt your iPhone down to reveal a map, tap to drop a pin and raise the iPhone back up. You’ll see the elevation of the pin relative to your current elevation.

Features include:
- Detailed compass projected over live camera feed
- Compass driven map to help you orient yourself
- Nearby Wikipedia articles with full details
- Drop custom pins with a photo and notes
- Share articles and custom pin info

My favorite part of this app is the idea of tilting the phone to display Google Maps, pick a point on the map, and then being able to see the elevation of that particular point after tilting the phone up. This will be great for every single outdoor enthusiast.

Status: Just submitted today, so we will hopefully see this new AR compass app in the near future.

Nearest Tube is one such example. Submitted to Apple, this particular app helps you get around the subway system of London (with more cities to come soon). No matter where you’re at in the city, you can point your iphone in any direction and find the nearest subway station, the distance and direction to that station. For a better way of explaining, take a look at this video.

Nearest Tube is developed by acrossair. If you’d like to beta test this app for other cities and have a iPhone 3GS, sign up at their website. You’ll need to live in San Francisco, Chicago, Washington DC, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, or Tokyo in order to take advantage of the beta testing.

Check out acrossair’s website here for more information about this unique new style of iPhone app.