Microsoft intros Photosynth for iPhones and iPods

Microsoft continued a string of iOS-first mobile app launches Monday with Photosynth (free, App Store). The previously Windows-desktop-only app creates and views panorama photos using an intelligent auto-stitching process that creates a more natural-looking shot. Resulting shots can be posted both to Photosynth.net as well as to Facebook and pegged to a location in Bing Maps.

The app needs at least an iPhone 3GS or a fourth-generation iPod touch running iOS 4. iPad 2 owners can also use it for photos but won't get a natively scaled interface.

Microsoft has had a tendency to develop iOS versions of mobile apps before even its own platforms, such as Tag Reader. Photosynth is unique, though, in having previously been dependent on Microsoft-specific technology like Direct3D and Silverlight. Windows Phone 7 doesn't have an official Photosynth app even though it uses Silverlight as its main app framework.

By Electronista Staff