Charleston company’s product part of iPhone launch

A Charleston company specializing in panoramic photography is one of 25 featured in an application available upon Friday’s launch of Apple’s new iPhone.

Olive Three Sixty owner Joey Grob said he hacked the original iPhone the first week it was out to get panoramic images to display in high resolution. Though that effort violated Apple’s terms of service, it showed what the iPhone was capable of. Now users can get those high-quality images and keep their warranty intact, he said.

“We’re really excited about it as a distribution method,” Grob said. “If we shoot, let’s say for example, real estate, you as a realtor can provide anyone with an iPhone access to high-resolution imagery with your property immediately.”

Pangea Software Inc., based in Austin, Texas, chose 25 independent panoramic photography companies to feature their work within its PangeaVR application. Olive Three Sixty said the application could allow the company’s work to be seen by 10 million new iPhone buyers globally, along with the current 5 million iPhone owners who upgrade their operating system.

“Nobody’s seen anything like this. The only trouble was it violated Apple’s terms of service,” Grob said. “We’re really excited because now it’s legal, and it’s encouraged.”

Grob said the number of companies contributing to PangeaVR’s portfolio will continue to grow, but being part of the pre-release gives his company some exclusive exposure that others won’t have after the launch.

“I’m more excited about the fact that 10 million people or half of 10 million people will come to appreciate this imagery as a whole,” Grob said. “You’ll be able to see my entire portfolio from anywhere in the world.”

Olive Three Sixty, located at 91 Broad St., specializes in panoramic images of luxury real estate, resorts, yachts and private aircraft. The company’s photos are used in luxury sales marketing for clients around the world.