Augmented reality (or AR) is the superimposition of digital data on the real world. The Wikipedia defines it as a “term for a live direct or an indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input, such as sound or graphics”.  AR shows you the world on your computer by showing you a combination of the actual scene and extra information, resulting in something where you can’t tell the different between the two. AR is already being used in many applications and industries such as entertainment, manufacturing, design, robotics, military training and much more.

With the rapid evolution of mobile phone technology, mobile developers are leveraging AR to build mobile phone apps that are useful in our daily lives. Recently LG and Wikitude announced the implementation of the first 3D AR (Augmented Reality) browser on the LG’s new Optimus 3D Android Smartphone. This will enable users to get real-time information in beautiful 3D AR which will show easily distinguishable places, landmarks and objects and details about your surroundings, with the ability to see relevant Wikipedia content and Twitter information. Wikitude 3D has information on over 100 million locations around the world and is supported in 12 languages.

AR applications are quickly becoming more than just a phone app that is cool. There are many AR apps that are useful, fun and educational.  Here’s a quick look at some of the popular AR apps for the iPhone, iPad and Android smartphone:

Wikitude – An AR browser that is based on location-based Wikipedia and Qype content. It lets you search from 350,000 global locations via GPS or address.  This is great for when you are planning a trip to a new place and want to know more about places of interest.

Layar reality browser – Displays real time digital information via the mobile phone camera based on your location

Satellite AR – This app shows you what is floating in space when you point your phone at the sky, highlighting those objects in the sunlight.

Weather Reality – Helps explore the weather via the camera and check existing conditions, real-time radar and weather alerts. You can also track the path of the sun and moon and share geo-tagged weather pictures on social media sites.

Google Sky Map - Transforms your Android mobile phone into a picture window showing the night sky where you can see the stars, planets, constellations and more.

Mixare is an AR browser that shows related information about your surroundings with relevant information from Wikipedia, Twitter and Google Buzz entries. It allows other apps and websites to show content through it.

AR is an exciting technology that is set to become a part of our daily lives.  What AR apps do you use on your phone? Share your experiences in the comments section.

It is hard to imagine life without the mobile phone. What began as a great way to stay in touch on-the-go has evolved into the high-tech smartphone through which you can practically run your life. The smartphone is capable of running a variety of programs that range from fun games to some seriously productive tools or apps. You can even watch live TV streams. Naturally, there are millions of apps, with more being released on a daily basis. These are available for the android, Blackberry and iPhone, giving you a mind-boggling choice from which you can select what appeals to you.

Here is a quick round-up of some of the best mobile apps worth having. Some are free and some involve a small payment.

• Fooducate – Helps you find healthy food using barcode scanning for nutrition facts, comparisons etc.
• Instapaper for the iPhone and iPad – Lets you bookmark online material for later reading. Works as a bookmarklet in your browser and saves your links so that you can access it later and read them in an easy, clean layout.
• Evernote, available in various formats – Type your notes and take a snapshot or a voice recording to add your note. This is an easy-to-organise app that you can copy to your desktop.
• Dropbox, available on iPhone, Android, BlackBerry – Upload your files to a cloud server for easy access from any device.
• Layar for Android, iPhone – Augmented reality is here and in a big way. Enjoy this app to give you restaurant reviews by just pointing your phone in the right direction.
• Adobe Photoshop Express for Android, iPhone - Powerful photo editing on your smartphone.
• WhatsApp Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, Nokia – WhatsApp lets you cut SMS charges by allowing you to swap messages for free via a compatible platform.

No app list can be complete without games. Gaming is practically dominated by Apple’s iOS and naturally, gaming developers tend to focus on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

• Angry Birds for the iPhone, iPad, Android, Nokia, Palm – This is a popular and addictive game – you have been warned!

Almost every popular website online offers apps for smartphones and this includes calorie counters, fitness apps, to kids’ health information. Here are some popular health apps:

• Calorie Counter and Diet Tracker – If losing weight is part of your New Year’s resolution, it just got easier with MyFitnessPal’s Calorie and Diet Tracker which helps you keep a calorie diary on your iPhone.
• Fitness Free – A cool app with over 300 exercise routines.
• Everyday Health – A great health reference guide for your iPhone.
• KidsCheckup – Descriptions and treatments for children’s ailments.

Obviously, this list does not do justice to what is available out there.  Please share your favorite apps here in the comments section.

Even as the New York Times claims 100,000 digital subscriptions in the first month of its launch, there are those who feel that this is not a good enough volume for the media giant.  It is tough times for the Times (pun intended) because it might be challenging to sustain the growth of its web-only subscription rates. Add to this the fact that by June 30, the Times must begin giving Apple 30% of the revenue from users who sign up via their iPhone or iPad. The number crunch shows 7.8 million downloads on Apple devices last month alone. About 4.69 million iPads were sold during the last three months, compared to the Times’ 100,000 digital subscriptions. Increasing the subscriptions dramatically could well be an uphill task, given their fluctuating profits in the last few months, thanks to a harassed advertising market and rising newsprint costs.

So, what does the future hold for digital subscriptions? Many people find that the price difference between digital subscriptions and print subscriptions is minimal for newspapers, magazines and e-books.  We made the case for digital subscriptions in an earlier post where we explored all the reasons to opt for digital subscriptions. Those reasons still hold good.  How can publishers and device manufacturers such as Apple convince people to go digital? Below are some thoughts.

It is still a nascent market

Tablet sales are expected to cross 200 million by 2015 and media companies are planning to provide access to their content across platforms.  To get subscribers, they must offer free content that consumers can test drive and get hooked to.

Memorable experience, more subscribers

To repeat a cliché, content is still king when it comes to getting subscribers to pay for digital editions. Subscribers want access to what they subscribe for wherever they go and they want value. With magazine and newspaper digital subscriptions, subscribers will obviously look for more than the regular text-based info. It is up to big names like the Times, The Daily and Conde Nast to set the benchmark. Conde Nast has limited its digital issues for the iPad with a view to providing quality rather than quantity.

United we stand

A unified platform is a necessity if digital subscriptions must increase, so that subscribers can view multiple content streams and enjoy a consistent experience. For example, Apple might develop a standard platform for media companies to offer their content on Apple devices.

More give and take from Apple

We’re focusing on Apple here because of the number of iPads and iPhones out there. Since Apple plans to take 30% of the digital subscriptions, it might be a good move on their part to create a flexible platform that makes it easy for subscribers to make the transition from print media, giving them a rich experience – rather than being just app based.

Apple must also be more forthcoming about its consumer user data with publishers as this will help improve consumer experience.  Right now, the agreement between Time Inc. and Apple is a great move and augurs well for the future of digital subscriptions.

In the meantime, digital subscriptions have successfully been managed for years by big names such as Zinio, a digital newsstand and bookstore which offers hundreds of the best digital titles via its e-stores, My Subs which offers a variety of publications in the digital format and Magazines.co.za which offers a huge selection of South African and Imported magazines.  Would you switch to digital subscriptions? Why? Or why not? Please share in the comments section.