iPhone's tilt sensor hacked

Considering how much amusement can be had by using the MacBook Pro's accelerometers for completely unintended purposes, it stands to reason that hacking into the iPhone's sensors would be a virtually endless font of entertainment. It also stood to reason that it was just a matter of time before the ever-persistent hacking community broke its determined way into said sensors, and sure enough, here we have it. Like the successful coder says, the power of the iPhone's 3-axis accelerometer is largely untapped in the OS itself, so it'll be great fun to see what sorts of crazy business the homebrew folks can dream up. Get to work, everyone! Check the full video after the break.

[Thanks, bharvey]

[Matt @ Aug 28th 2007 10:44PM]

lol @ bobble steve

[TMLC @ Aug 29th 2007 4:52AM]

I'm gonna buy an iPhone and glue it to my dashboard, just for that.

[db26 @ Aug 28th 2007 10:45PM]

That's actually... Really awesome. I can't wait to see what comes of this. Makes me wish I had an iPod so I could try out some ideas with it...

[Ross @ Aug 28th 2007 10:48PM]

wiiPhone!

[Taylor @ Aug 28th 2007 10:48PM]

More Lightsaber'esque action?

[soundoftheground @ Aug 28th 2007 10:57PM]

amazing.
11 seconds long and i was bored half way in...

[snapa @ Aug 28th 2007 11:15PM]

Please remain on topic, we don't need to hear about your sex life.

[John Doe @ Aug 28th 2007 11:57PM]

I bow to snapa's mastery of the ancient art of the smackdown. :-D

[Bobs @ Aug 29th 2007 2:38AM]

What sex life?

[Josh @ Aug 28th 2007 10:58PM]

Pretty sweet!

by the way - this story's title appears on the 'front page' of engadget but nothing else. Maybe it is just me?

[B Harris @ Aug 28th 2007 10:58PM]

are we sure this isnt iBeer 2.0??? I hate to be a hater....but this could easily be a recorded video...

[waiownsyou @ Aug 28th 2007 10:59PM]

Why do I foresee a Wii controlled by an iPhone?

[db26 @ Aug 28th 2007 11:26PM]

Sans the whole, you know, pointing aspect of the Wiimote.

[AndrewNeo @ Aug 28th 2007 11:27PM]

http://blog.medallia.com/2007/08/iphone_accelerometer_source_co.html

[Miles @ Aug 28th 2007 11:33PM]

I don't think the iphone would work that well for that, but I can see it too.

[Ignatius @ Aug 29th 2007 8:39AM]

YES. Let us play Wii Sports with a $600 phone! Forget the wrist strap, let it fly!

[Jeff Foster @ Aug 29th 2007 5:47PM]

@ db26
"Sans the whole, you know, pointing aspect of the Wiimote."

well the iPhone has a camera, right? then it COULD do the whole pointing thing, albeit probably at pretty awkward angles.

[Miles @ Aug 28th 2007 11:36PM]

Wait, is is possible that this has better sensors than the Wiimote?
I always have problems with games like Wiiplay and Wiisports when it comes to the accelrometers. They aren't sensitive enough.

Or is it because of the coding?

[Emceay @ Aug 28th 2007 11:52PM]

Reviews of metroid would lead you to think it's the coding.

Tilt hack looks great, now if only I could afford an iPhone... :(

[Eccen @ Aug 29th 2007 2:06AM]

If someone codes the ability to use a phone as a Wiimote, that's just asking for a 'flew out of my hands and broke a TV' story. And who needs another silly lawsuit for lack of good wriststraps?

[Nick @ Aug 29th 2007 8:47AM]

#1 apple didnt produce and is not selling the iPhone for the purpose of being a game controller that you throw all over the place.. so i dont think the lawsuit will go very well for anyone.

#2 if you got the apple care plan and youll have a new iPhone in no time.

[Spartacus @ Aug 29th 2007 12:09AM]

As soon as it can play DOOM by wild gesticulation the iPhone will finally be one device to rule them all.

[Slvrgun @ Aug 29th 2007 12:42AM]

Can it kill anybody the mentions the device's ability to play DOOM?

[Brian @ Aug 29th 2007 1:25AM]

it has a 3 axis accelerometer...car adapters, and mounts to fix it to the dash.

homebrew g-meter anyone?

[Zenshai @ Aug 29th 2007 1:28AM]

This is pretty damn amazing, i never imagined that the sensor is that accurate, especially since sometimes it wont listen at all, and you gotta do this sort of obscene stroke-like motion to get it to flip your page.

Now what would really blow my mind is if someone could figure out a way to use the iphone to establish a remote desktop (vnc, etc.) connection to another (more powerful pc). I realize thats probably too much for the phone to handle, but hey, we can dream right? Maybe in a couple of years...

[Jeff @ Aug 29th 2007 1:59AM]

that would be a simple app. dozens available for WM5/6. im sure a vnc client will be out in no time.

[Eccen @ Aug 29th 2007 1:56AM]

@Zenshai,
You mean http://code.google.com/p/telekinesis/

[Nick @ Aug 29th 2007 8:49AM]

im hoping that will be comming out as an update when they release leopard

[Holger @ Aug 29th 2007 3:11AM]

Am I the only one thinking of a remake of the classic game Marble Madness? How much would that rock? :P

[Nick @ Aug 29th 2007 8:50AM]

that would just be another reason for me to want an iPhone.. i think you are on to something here.

[pit @ Aug 29th 2007 5:02AM]

I always dreamt of an iPhone with only one button (OK) and no click-wheel, where you could control the menus with the motion sensor : move the iPod/phone to the left/right to navigate the menu, toward you to scroll down etc... Unfortunately my programming skillz are bad, but I hope someone will implement that thanks to this hack (even though I'll probably never buy an iPhone)

[amlevy @ Aug 29th 2007 5:34AM]

The iPhone can now be used as a Life Alert! "I've fallen, and I can't get....oh forget it. I'll just die flicking through my music collection"

[James @ Aug 29th 2007 10:41AM]

Wow, I can make a Wiimote with a multi-touch screen! I gotta get me one of those!

Wait, it's *how* much?

Never mind.

[captain underpants and the bringdown gang @ Aug 29th 2007 7:22PM]

someone should put the SIXAXIS's Accelerometer in the iPhone.

[aaron @ Sep 4th 2007 1:36AM]

I'm so very happy of this!!!!
I like gadgets!!!

[cool mike @ Sep 4th 2007 7:38PM]

These hackers are relentless I tell ya! Keep up the good work!