Edible Apple

Universal Studios announced today plans to integrate upcoming Blu-Ray movies with a free app for both the iPhone and iPod Touch that will allow users to control the on-screen action in addition to giving them special movie related information and interactive features.

The first movie to support this feature will be the July 28th release of Fast & Furious, starring everybody’s favorite wheelman, Vin Diesel.  Users with the app and the special Blu-Ray disc will be able to download the movies bonus features onto their device and will also be able to access special content and related movie information as well.  Presumably, the content users will be able to access will correspond to whatever scene happens to be playing in the movie.  Also, users will be able to use their iPhone or iPod Touch as a remote to control the navigation features of the movie.

In a press release issued by Universal, it also noted:

The two-disc special edition Blu-ray Disc edition of Fast & Furious will include a “Virtual Car Garage” bonus feature using BD Live technology. BD Live lets consumers hook up their Blu-ray Disc players to the Internet to access a variety of Web-enabled interactive features, provided that the disc itself also has BD Live functionality.

The Virtual Car Garage feature lets viewers use the touch screens on their iPhone or iPod touch devices to control 360-degree views of the movie’s street racers and instantly call up the cars’ technical specs.

While other app stores are simply trying to build up their catalogue of apps to respectable levels, the iTunes App Store is already branching out in a number of interesting, unique, and innovative directions.  It’s probably only a matter of time before a good number of Hollywood hits get their own dedicated iPhone apps.

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