Trying out Ikea furniture with Apple app
This app has its limits, of course. While you may have fun moving digital furniture around your living room or seeing if you actually could fit a new table in that weird corner, this is not something you’re likely to do every day.
TAKING advantage of Apple’s new capabilities for augmented reality — blending the digital and real worlds — furniture giant Ikea has created an app that lets you see how its stuff would look on pretty much any surface at which you can point a camera.
Ikea Place uses your phone’s camera to scan the floor ahead of you and measure your space, then lets you drag, drop and rotate Ikea products there to your heart’s content. You should be able to access any furniture Ikea sells, and they are sorted by category — though a search feature would be welcome.
Clearing the floor you’re trying to scan helps the app out, if you can. Ikea Place also runs best on the iPhone 6s or newer models; those with older phones might have some issues getting things to work perfectly.
This app has its limits, of course. While you may have fun moving digital furniture around your living room or seeing if you actually could fit a new table in that weird corner, this is not something you’re likely to do every day.
Practically speaking, this app is not that useful unless you’re actively decorating or dreaming of new decor. But it’s an interesting glimpse into the way augmented reality can be useful, as Apple starts experimenting with this new technology, plus a good way to get a better sense of your own space.
Meanwhile Ikea has once again had to retract claims of Apple HomeKit support for Tradfri, its range of smartbulbs and related accessories.
The company tried rolling out support for both HomeKit and Amazon Alexa to Tradfri owners Wednesday, but later said in a blog post that it had identified “technical difficulties,” according to German site SmartDroid. IKEA noted that it’s hoping to solve problems quickly.
It briefly announced HomeKit support in August, only to go back on that statement within a matter of hours. The Tradfri lineup includes a range of bulbs, control units, and motion sensors —but at the moment, the only option for third-party control involves a Philips Hue hub. When the support eventually works, Tradfri could become one of the cheapest options for HomeKit lighting.
HomeKit allows devices from different manufacturers to controlled via Siri, watchOS, and the iOS Home app. This centralisation also lets them be merged into automated “scenes,” triggered by the time of day, device presence, or other conditions. — Washington Post