Yesterday was a very significant day for the AR world, as Layar released their 3.5 release with a new functionality called Stream. While this can be viewed as a UI change and yet another way of presenting AR information, this is in fact a huge step in the direction of AR as a first class medium.
In that sense this is no less significant than the first consumer version of the web browser was (say Mosaic 1.03 or Netscape 0.9 so you will).
Let me explain why.
Until now, AR content has been served and displayed as yet another domain specific application, in many senses:
brand specific (for branding and PR purposes)
region specific (one app or layer per region, e.g. a local hamburger joint)
application specific (literally: stand alone AR apps are still out there)
Within the Layar platform, a single AR browser for multiple platforms and targeted at the global market was already a fact. But each AR content item (the Point of Interest, POI in short) was still confined to it’s defining layer, which is of course the under control of one publisher per individual layer. So even if a publisher would want to publish the richest possible AR content for a domain, they would be limited by the availability of accurate AR content to them.
For a example (and this is real): there might be several branches of banks who publish their own, branded version of a “ATM finder” layer. They might not have accurate data about all available ATM’s or leave the competing branches out because of better brand recognition. Which is inevitable or even fine as a business decision. For the end user, who just wants to find the nearest ATM, this is very awkward; they have to first find all available ATM finder layers ad then open them, one by one. In Stream everything is combined and accessible by just the single search term “ATM”.
Now don’t get me wrong, I do recognize the importance of having the Single Layer concept for branding, ownership and even paid business models. Even more, this is one of the enablers four our business model behind TAB worldmedia. Even more, it benefits the end user as well, as this is a way to communicate the source and thus trustworthyness for specific content. I do trust the branch owner of a certain ATM brand more than just a generic publisher regarding location and availability.
So this is where Layar steps in and created a really smart compromise. Stream combines the best of two worlds in a very elegant way: it makes the most relevant AR content available to the end user, while still providing context and branding when a user “dives in” and opens the POI, as this is still displayed in its own context and branded layer.
The whole stream approach is exciting for yet another reason: it means that we have a significant and diverse offering of AR content in many regions already, which justifies a unified and categorized or searchable, well, stream of AR data. In other words, there’s so much content out there that a simple Layer catalog approach is not sufficient any more for discovery. And thus, it signifies the emancipation of AR as a first class content medium, as stated above.
I’m really excited to see this happen within a year after the launch of the first open AR browsers, yet another signal about the high pace at which AR is evolving right now!
Note: Layar Stream is available for Android right now from the Android Market, iPhone users have to wait a little as the approval process needs to be completed before they can update their version through the AppStore.
TAB Worldmedia, my company, just pblished the first Augmented Reality Outdoor campaign, for no less than Walt Disney’s movie Prince of Persia, The Sands of Time.
The campaign is based on Layar and auto launched at many outdoor advertising locations all across the Netherlands. We put much effort in making the experience as rich as possible for the viewer, pushing the Layar platform to its limits and beyond.
Needless to mention we’re very proud and happy to be able to work with such a high profile company with such a rich subject as this movie and I’m really looking forward to the feedback from users.
Want to try it for yourself? Be sure you are in The Netherlands, switch on Layar on your mobile device, select tab “Local” and look for Prince of Persia. Or quick and dirty: scan the QR code / select the link of the QR image below.
Using Tweeps Around a lot in Layar? Want to have a nice clean app icon or shortcut to place on your Android’s home screen?
Now you can: today the TweepsAround launch app has been released in the Android market.
TweepsAround Launcher is a real Android application, so you can place it anywhere on you Android phone. When activated, it opens Layar with the TweepsAround layer in Reality View, no more browsing in the catalog.
The app also checks if you have Layar installed. When not, you get a button which takes you directly to Layar in the Android Market where you can download it for free.
Want to give it a spin? The QR code below links to the app in the Android store, ready to install. Or you could search for “tweepsaround”.
Of course all feedback, hints and tips are welcome!
To summarize, Augmented Reality is much more about experience than just the presentation of raw facts and points around you. That is where our company TAB Worldmedia is focusing on.
The Layar application Tweepsaround makes visible who says what on twitter in your direct neighborhood. But is it true, or are they a bunch of bad layars?
The guys from Teletekst is Dood wanted to find out so they started their private investigation.
Watch this hilarious video to find out about the naked truth!
(via @wilbertbaan)
Teletekst is dood uses augmented reality to find the people behind the tweets
On Twitter, many things are shared by people, often in the belief that this information does not result in feedback in the physical world. We at Teletekst is dood wanted to show that we do listen to you. Using Layar, a mobile augmented reality application, we looked for the people behind the tweets, translating the digital the conversation to the physical world. In addition to our visits, we left the people art objects from our personal collection.
- David Veneman – camera swinger 1 / director
- Tim Terpstra – camera swinger 2
- Jorick Mulder – getaway-driver
- Mik Maes – megaphone maestro
- Micah Westera – delivery of TV’s
- Beer van Geer – people tracker
NIce! Tweepsaround is used as a unique feature in a TV ad for LG which aired last week on Dutch TV networks. The screens are showed approximately halfway the commercial.
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