New Layar Reality Browser Turns Up Location-Based Search
One of my biggest gripes about augmented reality browsers is that you sort of have to look like a dork as you hold up your phone in front of you aimlessly pointing it around trying to find a pizza place or nearby bar. This method of content location is just a little too foreign for most, but the folks at Layar don’t want that to stop you from using their Reality Browser. The new version unveiled today eliminates the need to open a content layer or even search. The app launches and immediately presents the user with a list of the most popular or relevant nearby items in a list format.
The content is updated in real time based on several factors including proximity and user preferences. Of course, it wouldn’t be an augmented reality browser without actual augmented reality, so users can always hold up their phone to help locate the things they find interesting from the list view.
Layar has surpassed 700 published content layers bringing 2.4 million objects into users’ augmented worlds each day. As a service they have reached more than 2 million users. The perception of the way we find things with a mobile device will need to change a bit more before augmented reality becomes a standard or norm, but Layar seems to be doing a well-enough job to spur the technology ahead.
[via MobileCrunch]