Augmented reality needs geo-location

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After looking at iButterfly’s application (below) and seeing Layar’s recent announcement that they were adding streaming to help people locate augmented reality enabled objects, I realized that geo-location was another element these augmented reality enabled objects needed. I’m referring to the type of augmented reality that a user sees by looking through a browser and not the kind you see from holding up a magazine. (Although it would be pretty cool to know where you’re AR piece was being viewed at.)

The primary issue is people can’t wander around with a smartphone held up to see if anything has AR attached to it. I get the Layar’s stream concept but I just don’t think it’s going to be a good experience. It’s much easier for me to imagine a map with red dots showing you where the AR instance is. When you click on it (because rollovers don’t work on the touchweb), it would rate (1-5 stars) the quality of the AR experience. (The stream does this and it would add some value.) Augmented reality needs geo-location.

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