This is N Building in Tokyo, a structure that’s covered with QR data so that store info can be captured from street level via a passerby’s phone.  A supporting iPhone app collects real time info from inside the building using a type of Augmented Reality interface.

It’s a cool switch from traditional out of home or [...]]]>

This is N Building in Tokyo, a structure that’s covered with QR data so that store info can be captured from street level via a passerby’s phone.  A supporting iPhone app collects real time info from inside the building using a type of Augmented Reality interface.

It’s a cool switch from traditional out of home or other ad signage. The developers are Qosmo Inc. and Teradadesign out of Japan.

“By reading the QR Code with your mobile device you will be taken to a site which includes up to date shop information,” Qosmo Inc. CEO Nao Tokui explains on his blog. The app allows users to access store info, make reservations. and view GPS-enabled Twitter feeds from workers inside.

“We envision a cityscape unhindered by ubiquitous signage and also an improvement to the quality and accuracy of the information itself,” Tokui writes. “Our goal is to provide an incentive to visit the space and a virtual connection to space without necessarily being present.”

T-Pain is widely known for his SNL skit, “I’m On A Boat,” which features his auto-tuning genius. His [...]]]> For many brands, creating an iPhone app means sticking your logo on a fairly useless program that may or may not related to the brand. With the “I Am T-Pain” app, that is most definitely not the case.

T-Pain is widely known for his SNL skit, “I’m On A Boat,” which features his auto-tuning genius. His iPhone app, “I Am T-Pain” directly ties back to his brand, while providing an entertaining and easy user experience.

'I Am T-Pain' in action

When you open the app, you’re taken to the initial launch pad where you can freestyle your own rap that is then autotuned. You can add beats to your own freestyle, or you can load tracks before beginning your rap.

The in-app purchasing is flawless. Even though I paid $2.99 for the app itself, I was more than happy to download the backing track + lyrics for “I’m On A Boat” for an additional $0.99. I wasn’t re-directed to Safari on my iPhone; instead I merely typed in my iTunes password and that was it!

After you’ve mastered your track, you can send via email or publish to Facebook, MySpace or Smule – a perfect way to embarrass your coworkers. And though I have a version of “Ring my Bell,” by the ladies of Cake Group, I think at the moment I’ll save the embarrassment.

“I Am T-Pain” was jointly developed by Antares, T-Pain’s Nappy Boy Enterprises and Smule (the developer of one of the best-selling iPhone musical apps, Ocarina.)