“Augmented Reality” Represents Latest Advances in Mobile Apps

The latest advances in mobile and cell phone applications are being based on a concept known as “augmented reality.’  Augmented reality takes advantage of a cell phone’s GPS and compass features and its access to high-speed wireless networks to mash up super-local Web content and overlay it with your physical location.  For instance, just by holding your phone up, you could see on its screen all the available apartments on the block you’re walking on.  You could see photos other people have taken of the park you’re passing or find the nearest bus stop. 

The first phones to offer augmented reality via Gogole’s Android operating system, came on the market this year.  But more are on the way.  And as cell phones get smarter and GPS and wireless networks improve, advances in augmented reality will follow even more rapidly.

One example of current augmented reality programs in Monocle by Yelp (the subscriber based site that offers reviews and ratings of restaurants, bars, movies, entertainment venues and more).  Monocle was built by an industrious intern and originally hidden in Yelp’s iPhone app (you had to shake your iPhone three times to activate it).  Monocal is now a fully functional iPhone app that combines the phone’s camera view with tiny tags that indicate the names, distances and user ratings of nearby bars and restaurants and more.  By clicking on a tag you can access more detailed information about the chosen business. 

Augmented reality (considered a cousin to virtual reality) has its limitations.  Cell phones need to be more powerful with improved cameras, graphics and battery life.  But developers and industry watchers are optimistic that in the next few years we might see everything from augmented reality video games to museum guide services that recognize paintings and pull up videos of the artist at work.

For more on this story, see MIT’s Technology Review.