Tuesday 12 March 2013

Nokia releases Place Tag beta for Windows Phone 8


Nokia has released the beta version of Place Tag, a camera lens app for Lumia devices running Windows Phone 8. The app uses the phone’s camera to reveal places within your photos. Place Tag helps you discover information about places within your photo by using Nokia’s LiveSight Technology. When you click a picture using Photo Tag, information about places is automatically shown at the bottom of the photo.

Information about the places in Place Tag can also be used for location annotation by clicking on the associated squares. Essentially, you can label address information onto a clicked image. While City Lens only specialises in informing you about places nearby, Place Tag helps you see where exactly the picture has been clicked. The lens also helps you tag important landmarks such as museums and famous buildings.

All this information can be attached to the image in various templates, and can be shared with family and friends. The templates make the image look more or less like a virtual postcard that you can share with people. You can go back and change the information and template on the image as well.

While the beta version is now available in the Windows Phone Store for free, it looks like Nokia has forgotten to add the share option to the app. The app is also available as a lens for convenience.

In January, Nokia rolled out an update for the City Lens app that brought about new features for Windows Phone 8 and Windows Phone 7. The most interesting features the update brought were 'Sightline' and 'Freeze'. Sightline allows you to switch the lens’ view to only what is in your direct line of sight, making it easier for you to find information about places of interest that are right in front of you.

This feature is only available in supported areas where Nokia has already collected accurate, 3D data. The filter icon will automatically show up in the City Lens app in case you are in a supported area.

The Freeze feature lets you point and hit a pause button to "freeze" your surroundings and see the options available. Earlier, you had to keep your camera pointed at the target in order to check out the options. You can now tap on the screen to "freeze" the view and consider the options without cramping your arm.

The update gives you the ability to view addresses without leaving the camera view. Simply tap on the overlaying information on the display to bring up information about a place.

The updated Nokia City Lens uses the LiveSight technology, which is based on a "highly accurate 3D map of the world." It is supposed to provide a precise and intuitive augmented reality experience that uses the camera to discover places.

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