We found this great article about Augmented Reality by Jason Fell on FOLIO. Fell looks at the differences between AR and 2D image recognition, as well as calls for industry standardisation. For the full article, please read here.
Ronald Azuma, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who has researched AR technologies
, defines AR as a “variation of virtual environments” that “allows the user to see the real world, with virtual objects superimposed upon or composited with the real world.” Azuma says AR systems have the following three characteristics:
1. It combines real and virtual
2. It is interactive in real time
3. It is registered in 3-D
Bruno Uzzan, co-founder and CEO of AR firm Total Immersion—the firm that worked with In Style on its holiday gift guide issue last year advises, “Augmented reality is the real-time merge between a video stream and a digital object. The three parallel processes that run in real time during an AR experience are recognition, tracking and rendering. Therefore, recognition off a barcode, marker or markerless image makes up a vital portion of AR, so it is less about the differences between the two and more about their working relationship.”
Title of this post is slightly misleading as it actually covers a couple of weeks but here are our favourites from the App Store, Android Market and BlackBerry App World:
TimeWheel (iPhone – £1.19)
TimeWheel is a new chart-based mobile app’ which developed by Universal Music Group International (UMGI) in and the Official Charts Company (OCC).
The app offers users a comprehensive UK chart database going as far back as 1955. Users can search by artist or track title, as well as spin the TimeWheel to search for a particular week in order to view the top 40 from that time. Great for Brit music fans old and new.
Ghost Chaser (Android – Free)
Classic Pac-Man clone. If you like retro arcade games and have an Android, this highly addictive game is perfect. The goal is simple – to eat as many dots as possible without getting caught by the ghosts!
The game can be played via trackball, touchscreen and d-pad.
Pixelated (BlackBerry – Free)
Another highly addictive game on BlackBerry, users have to navigate across one corner of the screen to another within a certain amount of strategic moves, changing colour as you go to absorb new blocks. Users start each puzzle with a screen full of different coloured “pixels” and you have to mix and match them until all of the squares are one solid colour.
A challenging but fun game which tests the logic and colour perception skills of the user!
Working with the talented team at Marvellous and Diageo Ireland, we developed a very cool (excuse the pun) 3D game
for Bud Ice, Below Zero.
The 3D game (for iPhone and iPad) puts the user in control of the flow of Bud Ice beer down the ice cold pipe. The timed game allows you to collect points as you go, as well as dodging obstacles such as ice blocks which could slow you down. You can then post your score to the leaderboard or your facebook page.
The app’ also has a handy bar finder function so that users can find the bars which serve their favourite drink (Ireland only) and, also filter their searches for free wi-fi, beer gardens, big screen etc.
So, if you are looking for somewhere great to meet your friends and drink a nice cold Bud Ice beer this summer, why not download this app’ and have some fun!
, defines AR as a “variation of virtual environments” that “allows the user to see the real world, with virtual objects superimposed upon or composited with the real world.” Azuma says AR systems have the following three characteristics:
