The patent app is titled Virtual Notes in a Reality Overlay and describes the idea of notes left at a location “for you” by your friends - combined with advertising and a few other things including ” social graph analysis, permissioning, expiration dates, contextual advertising and more. It’s not just text notes, it includes methods of augmented reality with photos, videos and more.”
Remember it was filed in July 2008, so much of this stuff, individually, already exists in some apps.
That’s one geogeeky headline! Thankfully its ReadWriteWeb’s writing, not mine. It refers specifically to Britekite’s implementation of ads in its layer for the LAYAR augmented reality app, currently only available for Android (the iPhone version was pulled after too many reports of crashes). Britekite has one advertiser: BestBuy and it appears the ads pop-up no matter what search the user executes.
AT&T Labs in San Francisco held an open house last Thursday to show off its Emerging Devices division, and some location-based services, social networking, and medical devices of the future. Most were, well, lame (coupons based on location!). The augmented reality platform isn’t lame but feels a bit behind the times:
Another project currently being cooked up in AT&T’s Labs, this is called Air Graffiti. AT&T’s version of augmented reality, it allows users to virtually tag places with tips, web links, sales information, personal notes, and more. When people then look at digital maps they can see the information for places tagged as they walk down the street. The carrier is aiming to build the back end of this platform and sell it to companies that want to make their own location-based services.
Metaio Augmented Reality Solutions is behind the Junaio iPhone app which will launch soon. RWW has the preview of the app which allows users to add, edit and animate 3D objects within the phone’s view of reality. Then, those photos, for example can be shared via social networks. The video examples are fun (putting a dinosaur near the Golden Gate Bridge, putting a pumpkin in the hands of a coffee shop visitor) but as the article suggests, the uses for games and other interactive events is quite high. I’m sure there are uses for advertising and perhaps more serious uses. The app also has “traditional” AR features including providing information about locations and finding restaurants.
