Posts Tagged ‘Nokia City Lens’

Augmented Reality – An introduction

Posted: September 5, 2013 in Art, Science
Tags: , , , , , , ,
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Augmented Reality_James Provsot

(credit : James Provsot, flickr.com)

Last year, I got to know about the technology Augmented Reality. First of all, by hearing (actually reading, but to make sense only :P) the name my mouth remain opened. I mean I was not actually known to this technology, but the name was so complicated for me that I couldn’t understand what it meant. And when I read the book about this, then it told the whole story to me. My mouth was still opened, but now, I was amazed that our globe has developed very much. So, I want to share this amazing technology with my readers too. So, are you ready??? I can’t hear you. Make me hear!!!

What is augmented reality???

Starting directly with the answer, Augmented reality is new technology (for last year, but this year, it is one year old and god knows if this article exists for some years, then I might say this is an old technology) which increases the means of reality. You couldn’t understand??? Simply, augmented means enhanced or increased and I think you know what reality is!!! So, it means that augmented reality is getting more from what we had seen. This is an amazing technology for travellers, students and other geeks. Some years back, a new technology was started called Virtual Reality. Virtual Reality meant that we are creating an imaginary reality. VR(virtual reality) is mostly used for creating an awesome game where a whole room is set as an environment or game world and you have no controller(game remote, joystick, keyboard, mouse etc.) except your body. This would be an awesome fun for excited gamers like me ;). But Augmented reality means more than that. Augmented Reality is to giving more than what you see.

Uses of Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality has many uses (simply one but many, understood 🙂 ), But several implementations. So, can I make lists to mention the uses of Augmented Reality, I think that you would not regret, but before reading I would like to tell you this is the technology which is used to make interactive mobile applications(you might be known to this in the form of app :P), here I go:-

  • It is used by several travelers (if they know about it :P) to find out what the freaky language has written in that f**ked board if they don’t know the particular language.
  • The most interesting uses of this technology for geeks and gamers is that they can use many good videos (by adding effects in the video what they had captured) and playing augmented games.
  • It is used by travelers or you can say archaeologists to find out the information about the architecture that they are watching in the city or the town in which they are. This means if you visit Taj Mahal now, you don’t have to have an guide which will have to tell you the repeated story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz with his own twists and spices.
  • This is used by many of the geeks or adventurers to find out that how much far they are from their destination. By simply turning their camera’s point of view to their destination.
  • And what??? Heard about Google Glasses. The finest use of Augmented Reality with Google’s crisps.

The Finest uses of the Great Technology “Augmented Reality”

So, we are going to talk about the finest uses of Augmented Reality. Don’t talk!!! Because who knows who now will create an awesome app or hardware which will kick those entire ass which are called Great. But still there are some apps and hardware that I recommend you to check out to find what Augmented Reality offers us:-

  • Nokia_city_lens

    (credt : flickr.com)

    Nokia City Lens – This is an awesome and I think free app by Nokia which is featuring on Nokia’s Windows Phones. But an awesome app! What this app do??? It tells you about the buildings and other architectural things in your locality by just pointing your camera to it. It is only available for Nokia Lumia Users.

  • Google Goggles – Don’t mess it up with Google Glasses. Google Glasses is a different thing and Google Goggle is different. Whats the difference??? The difference is that Google Glasses is a wearable hardware in the form of Spectacles. And the other one is Google Goggles is an smartphone application. What does it do??? It do a lot of things. You point out your camera towards any board in which there is a language written that is not recognizable and it will translate it for you. You point out your camera to a photo in which there exists a building about which you want to know!!! It will provide all the information about the building to you. And there are several lot more features in this app for you. And yeah!!! It can also solve a Sudoku puzzle for you.It is only available for Android and iOS users.
  • Wikitude World Browser – This app was awarded as the ‘Best AR(Augmented Reality) app’, one or two years ago. It is filled with details, directions and other snippets of information about the area in which you are and will be. And the feature I love in this app is that it provides you the location tagged tweets, flickr photos and last.fm users available in the web. It is available for Android, iOS(or iPhone users) and BlackBerry users.
  • AR Invaders – Now, it’s the turn of Gamers. I hadn’t used it before. Because it is only available in iOS(or you can say that it is only available for iPhone users). The app combines the iPhone camera with an alien invasion to create a unique and exciting gaming experience that makes you look silly, but it would be a great fun.
  • Google Glasses – This is a hardware which is not more than just a glass in looks. But this is much more than that in real. It is based on Google’s Android Operating System and connected to Internet, GPS and many much more things at a time. I would have listed this to the top of lists. But there are some reasons I couldn’t. So, the reason is

    Google glasses_

    (credit : flickr.com)

  1. It is only available in US till now. That’s why the people not in US are not known to this and can’t be able to get those facilities.
  2. This is very much expensive (millionaires, this sentence was not for you :P) for me. About 80,000 INR (if converted from USD to INR, according to my ideal Tech Experts) which means about 1500 USD.

What about you????

Got something to share, argue or discuss about this topic with me!!! You’re welcomed to comment below on the so called Commentary box (which I call so ;)). Share this post freely with your friends if you liked this article enough. Want to know me, you’re welcomed to friend me on Facebook or otherwise you can like my Facebook page. Want this article on your blog. You’re free to re-blog, re-post and copy this article to your blog. But don’t forget to give a flashing linkback or to mention me on your blog or website.

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