July 2009 – Page 2

The Singularity Approaches…

The content here is somewhat US-centric (unsurprisingly) and presented somewhat apocalyptically but it’s not hard to take several of the infobites and turn them into an opportunity. Related posts: Translink Annual Report – #freepublictransport The Transport Singularity Approaches GamesIndustry.biz poll Kirkisms: Funding by Numbers part 1

The content here is somewhat US-centric (unsurprisingly) and presented somewhat apocalyptically but it’s not hard to take several of the infobites and turn them into an opportunity.

Location Location Location

MobileMonday writes: Worldwide consumer location-based services (LBS) subscribers and revenue are on pace to double in 2009, according to Gartner, Inc. Despite an expected 4 per cent decrease in mobile device sales, LBS subscribers are forecast to grow from 41.0 million in 2008 to 95.7 million in 2009 while revenue is anticipated to increase from … Continue reading “Location Location Location”

MobileMonday writes:

Worldwide consumer location-based services (LBS) subscribers and revenue are on pace to double in 2009, according to Gartner, Inc. Despite an expected 4 per cent decrease in mobile device sales, LBS subscribers are forecast to grow from 41.0 million in 2008 to 95.7 million in 2009 while revenue is anticipated to increase from USD 998.3 million in 2008 to USD 2.2 billion in 2009.

Gartner defines LBS as services that use information about the location of mobile devices, derived from cellular networks, Wi-Fi access points or via satellite links to receivers in (or connected to) the handsets themselves. Examples are services that enable friends to find each other, parents to locate their children, mapping and navigation. Location-based services may be offered by mobile network carriers or other providers. They are also known as location-aware services.

Location is an incredibly useful piece of metadata especially when combined with dynamic data from live internet sources. With Location, you can tailor the adverts that someone sees, provide accurate and relevant access to information and even set triggers which will activate as a person changes their location or even their heading. What we’re working with is the addition of context and relevance to presence.

A truly location-aware service needs to tie into my address book, into my appointments schedule and into my instant message and twitter accounts and actively update my status and presence.

I’m sensing we’re on the brink of an important convergence here and location, coupled with augmented reality, has some amazing potential as the market becomes populated with devices that can actively make use of it.

AR

Augmented Reality is kinda hot right now and despite some detractors who may wonder at the utility of it, I reckon it’s only going to get hotter. The utility of AR for advertising is the first issue to overcome. Layar Layar is an app on Google Android for overlaying information onto the camera. In the … Continue reading “AR”

Augmented Reality is kinda hot right now and despite some detractors who may wonder at the utility of it, I reckon it’s only going to get hotter.

The utility of AR for advertising is the first issue to overcome.

Layar
Layar is an app on Google Android for overlaying information onto the camera. In the demo, they show off the ability of overlay property search details onto the camera view – useful if you’re looking for a house in a particular region.

ARToolkit on iPhone
This is an app for generating augmented reality objects using QR-type codes. These codes can be translated into 3D objects which can, to a degree, be manipulated. They can be viewed from any angle. ARToolkit is an app for developing these virtual objects.

Nearest Tube
Does for iPhone and London Tube stations what Layar was doing for properrty searches.

For the Military
Military uses for Augmented Reality have been evident in just about every movie ever since we could do computer graphics. The earliest that I remember is actually the scene in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi when they were discussing the Battle over Endor. But here’s a military use which seems modern and practical.

Ahrrrr!
There’s also been a Zombie Shooter Game called Ahrrrr! which uses a AR-map and a camera-equipped MID to visualise objects and integrate them into the game. It’s not the best demo because I think it would kill my back but it’s interesting in the interplay between AR-objects (buildings, zombies) and real objects (candies).

ARvertising
ARG Advertising is going to be prevalent but I think it may not be as pervasive as we fear. Unless AR-detection is built into goggles or these magazines provide their own app or adopt a platform, these AR-objects will never be seen.

There is a danger of AR becoming an argument of ‘have versus have-not’ but this is no different to the argument of a decade ago with the Internet or of previous arguments of colour televisions and the move from radio to television.

The opportunity I see for augmented (layered) reality is in the telling of stories and the playing of games – especially in Alternate Reality Games. Being able to finagle a game into your everyday life – imagine being involved in a True Lies or Who Dares Wins style plot while going about your daily business.

iPhone Course at the Urban Arts Academy

By now the second day of the Urban Arts Academy course “Beginning iPhone Development” will be well underway. The course started yesterday and has 18 folk, one of whom flew over from England to attend it, sitting down and learning from Philip Orr, programmer for Infurious and Blue Pilot Software. The machines they are using … Continue reading “iPhone Course at the Urban Arts Academy”

iPhone Training Course

The machines they are using are borrowed from Giant Associates, Mac-Sys Ltd and a local school. A lot of this wouldn’t have been possible without some quick thinking from Marty Neill (head bucko at NoMoreArt and Digital Circle Steering Group member), the rest of the folk at Trans and a heap of other folk.

Is this going to create iPhone experts?

Of course not. The attendees range from some who have never used a Mac, to one used to OpenGL|ES programming (the API used to program 3D graphics on iPhone as well as other embedded platforms. mobile devices and some consoles).

What it will do is remove some of the fear for some. And spark an interest for others. For some experienced programmers, they should be able to get a taste for Interface Builder and XCode and see whether jumping to that platform is something they want to do. For others, it’ll be the start of something. Or maybe not.