SpinIt brings you a handful of gorgeous 3D animated themes, features like parallax effect and time of day adjustments, and is powered by Unity, the game engine that is behind titles like Monument ...

On iOS, the parallax effect is, of course, entirely simulated by the operating system’s software, with a little help from a technology that was originally conceived for rocket guidance.

Parallax is the observed displacement of an object caused by the change of the observer's point of view. In astronomy, it is an irreplaceable tool for calculating distances of far away stars.

Sherwin says that judicious use of parallax effects may make more sense in augmented-reality applications, where the faux-3D effect of an interface element is more directly mapped onto real life.

The parallax effect is what makes it look like you can see under the icons on your screen to see your wallpaper. The icons shift subtly when you move the phone. Why did Apple add parallax? In an ...