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Augmented Reality on Android Comes From ‘Layars’
When your regular senses aren’t enough, turn on your mobile!
If you’re looking at the HTC Magic or the HTC Hero and wonder what’s so special about these phones next to the iPhone, this new Android app called Layar could push you to HTC’s side.
Layar brings Social Networks, Google Maps and Wikipedia together in an amazing combustion of usefulness and Minority Report reality. Here’s what you do: You turn on the Layar app on one of the 3 current Android phones, the G1, Magic or the Hero, and the camera starts displaying what is going on around you, except you see little boxes where others have left comments about the exact same locations you’re at now.
Let’s say you’re looking at a dai pai dong through your mobile phone, you’ll see if others have tagged it as having the best 港式奶茶 in the area. Saving you grief and the bother of even typing Openrice.com in the phone’s browser.
In addition to this, let’s say you need directions to said dai pai dong, simply search Google Maps and Layar will display a graphic layer over what you’re currently viewing to give you directions! While you’re walking that way, you can check out what others have said in the mean-time and maybe find out some cool factoids that you never knew about.
It seems as if others have heard of this platform and now Flickr, Wikipedia, Yelp, Google local search, Qype, Britekite, Twitter are all jumping on the bandwagon. The best part? The augmented reality browser is now available globally on the Android OS and will ship pre-installed on the SamSung Galaxy when its launched (hopefully including Hong Kong).
Yes, we know what you just read sounds like science fiction, how about you watch this video to help us sum it all up:
The developers have promised an iPhone version as well, so you have another “pro” to weigh when deciding on a new smartphone.
Check out this Layar video below from Japan, where it seems they are marketing the Layar app as a way to help lost girls out:
Related articles on Layar
- Layar Reality Browser: Now Available On Android Market! (phandroid.com)
- Top 6 Augmented Reality Mobile Apps [Videos] (mashable.com)
- New Version of Layar Makes Augmented Reality Social (readwriteweb.com)
- Browse the Reality on Your Android Phone With Layar (mashable.com)
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The layer application is awesome in this mobile. The best thing about this application according to me is you can easily switch to Google maps,wikipedia and other social networking sites together.
I see the Augmented Reality on Android Comes From ‘Layars’. It is nice video. It is good information provide. Thank you so much…
Google Maps and shows a level layar more graphic than what They are viewing to give you advice. While you are walking so you can control what others have to say that the range and maybe find some cool factoids you never know.
The camera starts showing what is happening around you, but see little boxes where others have left comments in exactly the same place you are now.