Augmented Reality Browsers: Scary Cool
If you haven’t seen them yet, you have to check them out…
Remember the Terminator movies? Remember when you could see what the terminator sees and as he looks at things information about them pop up? If you ever thought how cool that would be, then now is your chance to try it out, sorta… oh the possibilities…
A few companies are coming out with Augmented Reality Browsers now, the most popular of which being Layar (look for it in the Android Market and soon to be in the iPhone App Store, 3GS only though since it requires a compass to work properly).
Layar basically uses your GPS and compass to determine where you are and what direction you are facing. Then it allows you to use your video camera’s viewfinder and pops up locational information relative to where you are and where you are facing. For example, if you look at a McDonalds with your Layar program it knows the McDonalds is there and you can click on it for more information. Not only that but you can spin around looking at your viewfinder and see all the McDonalds within range as you spin (Yes, you might look ridiculous spinning in circles, but who really cares?). You can even click on the McDonalds that pop up for their phone number and directions (courtesy of Google Maps). Not too bad right? It’s a nice alternative to old fashion 2 dimensional maps, pssh. Instead of looking at a webpage for information, you can just take out your phone point it at anywhere around you and find out what you need!
So this type of technology is still in its infancy, and is more a platform (Layar is at least) that allows other companies to put their “layers” of information on top of it (so Zagat could make a layer that when activated would show you all the restaurants around you and their ratings, etc.). So we are patiently waiting for more and more companies to join in and add their own unique information layer to make this much more appealing.
But that’s not even what really makes me giddy about this type of technology. Let’s speculate shall we?
Let’s add facial recognition to the mix… now when I point my augmented browser at someone walking by me on the street I can bring up stuff like their Facebook profile. Let’s get scarier and link this to their medical records, their online profiles, or what about the public offenders website (to see if they are a sex offender or a down right nasty person)? Scary, right?
So what do you guys think about this technology?
Lmao from that, thats pretty crazi 2 think about if they can link all that 2 this app, would be fun 2 play around with, those nasty ppl will have 2 stay inside armed with these g1’s scanin everything lol
Have you seen wikitude? Its even better. It allows users to upload their own places of interest, using Wikitude.me
Its really cool! You should try this!
Hello Shane,
I tried that one actually and it just didn’t have a lot of content, but the ability to upload your own stuff is kinda cool. Can you upload stuff for everyone to see or just for your own phone to see?
If it’s for everyone to see, I hope it doesn’t lead to an overcrowding and spamming. You know, like upload that there is a cat house, free herpes clinic, massages with happy endings, etc. at your ex-girlfriends house…
Hahahahah yeah that would be bad, really bad. Im pretty sure it updates on to everyones phone, or atleast in your country, actually im not really sure, im looking at their site, and i can’t seem to find it. On the map, there are two different icons, one with their logo, and the other says .me, hmm ill do more digging and get back on that.