Layar, new augmented reality app in The Netherlands
The Dutch company SPRXmobile launched on the 16th of June the impressive augmented reality application Layar. Layar brings the physical and virtual world together. SPRXmobile works for this application together with Zekur.nl, Funda, Hyves, Tempo-Team and ING.
Augmented reality will end mobile internet as we know it today. That is something I am sure about. Layar shows us what the near future is of mobile internet. It is the merge of the physical with the virtual world. Layar is based on op location based services and works on mobile phones with a camera, GPS and compass. Layar is for now only available for the Android-operating system (G1 and HTC Magic). How does Layar work? Well when you start the application the camera of your mobile phone is activated automatically. With the use of the GPS in the mobile phone the application knows exactly where the user is. The compass gives information of the direction the use is watching. The partners with which Layar works deliver the content the application is able to represent over the images taken with your mobile phone (see clip).
Some of the partners are Dutch organizations like Funda (housing information), Hyves (social network), Tempo-Team (employment), Zekur.nl (insurance) en ING (banking). With one push at the button the Layar application changes between the several information layers. In my opinion this is the future of mobile internet.
The information which is now available for the Layar application makes it possible to see for example which insurance agencies are near you, what your friends are doing or what a house will cost you.
Layar equals the concept of Wikitude (YouTube clip).
More information: SPRXmobile