One of the coolest applications I found on my new Android relates to Augmented Reality. Augmented Reality is probably one of the coolest pieces of technology that I have seen in a long time. It transcends mobile, social media, search, review sites, QR codes, gaming, virtual reality, and a whole lot more.

I have been playing around with the applications of augmented reality for the past few days now, and will continue to test out this technology in order to stay ahead of the curve when it becomes mainstream and useful for most businesses.

In the meantime, I want to start talking on this blog about this new technology’s usefulness. Probably will be building up on this, because there is a lot of info here.

This is a program where if you do not get into it all right now, at least learn the basics and set up a secure foundation, so you understand how it works. That way when Augmented Reality goes live you will be able to benefit from this amazing technology.

Augmented Reality: Layar Overview (Must Watch)

Augmented Reality Summary

Think of Augmented Reality this way. You are walking in Albany Park in Chicago where I live. As you are walking around Lawrence and Kedzie you decide to check different Albany Park restaurants using your new Layar app (see video above so this makes sense).

You can then put out your new layar app and the real world of Albany Park restaurants goes virtual before your eyes. You can check Groupon for deals on the spot or go to Yelp and see reviews of different restaurants. You see SemiRami’s a quarter mile ahead and check out the reviews as you look at them virtually in the street.

In another  example, you are driving down the Kennedy during the infamous slow to a crawl Chicago rush hour. You pull out your layar app and let an augmented reality of your world show you where the traffic is and is not, so you can get home 5-10 minutes faster.

Now, on a lighter note. You are annoyed with a colleague at work. Instead of going postal on them you pull out your android and then start to zap them with your phone as sparks going flying in their direction. No one get’s hurt, but you feel a lot better. There are actual games here that interact with the real world as well.

Augmented Reality is just really, really cool! It will change how offline-online interact. The ability to pull up mobile devices to see the world around you go virtual is just simply amazing. Just wanted to share a little about how I think augmented reality has the power in the next few years to revamp the entire technology set again.