Funny pong from Apple iPhone

By Leon Bailey on Sat 31 May 2008

What’s the best way to waste time with a state-of-the-art techno gadget like the iPhone? Why, use it to play a three-decades-old video game, of course.

As the above fuzzy little snapshot shows, these three iPhones are playing a version of the 1972 bat-and-ball game, Pong. Now, it’s a rubbish game by modern standards but what these chaps have done is really rather impressive.

According to Technabob, this picture and accompanying YouTube video (linked to over at Technabob) is a proof-of-concept demonstration showing how iPhones can be made to interact. The video is worth watching because the photo doesn’t give any clue as to the really clever part, on which more after the jump.

In fact, in iPong, as this demo has been dubbed, the bats are controlled using fingertips (inevitably) and the ball can leap from one screen to the next. Not much explanation is offered but it’s clear from the footage that the position of the little pixel puck is registered as it exits one iPhone’s display, in order that it can appear in the ‘right’ position at the top of the next – or nearest, we’re not sure – screen. Now, Pong is hardly an exciting game these days but the demonstration is fantastic. We look forward to seeing more from these boys, who sound very happy about their achievement.

[via Technabob]