Real Augmented Reality ...

There have been whispers in the past of augmented reality goggles or glasses, but generally we have been able to dismiss them as exaggerations or concepts. The technology, while it isn’t unrealistic, simply isn’t quite there yet. Apparently that hasn’t stopped Google: a new report is appearing corroborating earlier ones that they are working on a pair of augmented reality glasses. They’d piggyback on your phone’s connection and overlay information like directions, news, and so on. Whether you think it’s a good idea or not, this kind of thing is going to come eventually, so it’s natural that Google would want to start girding itself for the approaching augmented glasses wars of 20XX. The 9 to 5 Google report says they look something like a pair of athletic glasses, with a forward-facing camera and flash. The augmented reality bit is actually not a transparent display over one or both eyes, but a single opaque display on the side of one eyepiece (which eyepiece, and which side, were not specified). You operate it with voice or by moving your head around to navigate or select menu options. Yes, not exactly the future we were expecting. I guarantee these things don’t look cool, either. But like I said, the technology isn’t there yet: cameras and processors aren’t small or fast enough, batteries can’t provide enough power, displays aren’t built for them, and computer vision isn’t good enough. Some of these things Google can work on, some they can’t. But the best way to have a product ready when the tech is there is to try to build one when the tech isn’t. The glasses are apparently nowhere near done, unsurprisingly, and Google isn’t sure how to make anything out of them. A pilot program could be in the works, or it could continue to be an underground project, metamorphosing again and again until the market is ready. As it is, these things would be weird, expensive, and not particularly useful. In a couple years, though, who knows?

Augmented Reality Pop-U...

Here’s an interesting augmented reality piece. It’s called “Between Page And Screen” an augmented reality book of poems, which works like a digital pop-up book that users activate through a webcam, enabling you to hold the words right in your hands. While this is decently basic in principle, it’s still a little unfriendly to actually Related Digital Buzz Posts: Parrot Carrot: Augmented Reality Kids Book The Coalition For Cheaper Books Nissan 370Z Augmented Reality Website (AR)

Bear 71: A Real World M...

You’ll know by now I’m a huge advocate of digital convergence, and this piece is one of the very best I’ve ever seen, it takes the concept to new heights… It’s called Bear 71, an interactive, multi-user documentary experience and installation that debuts at the Sundance Film Festival. Bear 71 Live observes and records the Related Digital Buzz Posts: NZ Airforce “Real World” YouTube Experience Multi-Touch Wall of World Cup History The Multi-Touch Experience Cube

Net-A-Porter: Augmented...

NET-A-PORTER are rolling out Augmented Reality Shopping Windows, around the world including Paris, New York, London, Munich and Sydney. The video demo above is from late last year for Fashion’s Night Out celebrations in London and New York, but as of today, it’s been rolled out globally for the new Karl by Karl Lagerfeld collection, Related Digital Buzz Posts: WWF: Augmented Reality Tiger Shirt Ford C-Max Augmented Reality Billboards Lynx: Augmented Reality Angel Ambush

Augmented Reality App I...

If you ever wanted to be able to read text on a street sign or on a menu in a restaurant when abroad, your smartphone might be able to help you soon. Japanese electronics company Omron has developed a smartphone application that can instantly translate (short) foreign texts you come across – firing up the app and pointing the phone’s camera at the text in question is enough. Omron says that in its current form, the app (which isn’t available yet) can handle English, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. Translations are superimposed over the text shown on the display (in the picture below, you can see three items on a Korean menu shown in yellow Japanese letters). Users aren’t required to take pictures, as translations are delivered based on live images. Omron says their app can also handle text captured in bad lighting conditions or from difficult angles. Japanese business daily The Nikkei is reporting that the company hopes the app will be pre-installed on smartphones released within 2012. Word Lens is a very similar app (available for iOS), and in fact, Japanese companies have been working on mobile translation solutions like this for years .