Microsoft’s first-ever iPhone application is a slick photo viewer with a browsing capability that handles a large number of photos on a mobile device screen.
The Seadragon mobile application is free through Apple’s application store. It a product of Microsoft’s Live Labs division, which focuses on developing Web-based technology and applications.
Seadragon incorporates the Deep Zoom feature, which is also integrated into Silverlight 2, Microsoft’s multimedia tool. It allows a user to quickly magnify a particular area of a photo, regardless of its size.
Microsoft said the aim of the mobile application is to let users view even wall-sized displays on a mobile device, regardless of the amount of bandwidth on the network.
Seadragon renders documents as little thumbnails, and a double-tap brings it into focus. A reverse pinch on the iPhone’s touch screen kicks in the Deep Zoom, revealing sharp detail.
