Augmented Reality Marketing For Your Marketing Goals

Augmented Reality Marketing: How To Use This New Technology For Your Marketing Goals

By Jerry O Smith

Augmented reality (AR) is defined as a live, direct view of the physical environment augmented by computer-assisted sensory input including sound, video, graphics or GPS information. As a result, the technology functions by enhancing one's current perception of reality. When AR is combined with mobile commerce or mCommerce, large retailers poise themselves in the front of the pack by deciding and planning their marketing strategies in using this system. Augmented reality marketing is now being coined as the new and hottest marketing techniques out there.

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"The biggest story is that people are becoming more attached to their PDA's and using them more in their daily lives", said Al Ferrera, national director of retail and consumer product practice at BDO USA, Chicago. A recent survey of the chief financial officers from the top 100 largest retailers found that 100 percent of ten of the largest retailers and 54 percent of the rest studied said that they planned to increase their mobile investments in 2012.

By implementing AR with the mobile apps, large retailers are able to touch their customers more closely while creating a more intriguing experience for the consumer when presenting their products and services. Augmented reality marketing entirely enhances the shopping experience by artfully attracting the consumer's attention and allowing them to virtually participate in their shopping experience.

A good example of this is a company that created an AR mobile app for the iPhone where the app gets frames from an eyeglass company and allows consumers to virtually try on various frames and styles. This interesting app also allows the consumers to send photos of themselves through the various social networks in order to glean the opinion of friends, who might be able to give good advice. This web-based AR mobile app generated a 50 percent month to month increase in revenue for this particular company while 30 percent of the visitors participated in what AR had to offer. Large retailers are also experimenting with AR and mCommerce apps that allow consumers the ability to virtually try on jewelry or even apply make-up.

Our entire shopping experience is currently being completely transformed by augmented reality marketing. Not only will shopping become easier and faster, it appears that it's going to become much more interesting as well. As of now, we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg of a new and exciting approach to cutting edge marketing.

Augmented reality marketing is the bleeding edge of mobile marketing techniques; learn more about this new trend on our website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jerry_O_Smith
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What Is The iPhone Augmented Reality?

What Is The iPhone Augmented Reality?

By Oliver Whitham

Augmented reality first appeared over 50 years ago, more recently it appeared in high-tech battle gear for soldiers. But now with the versatile iPhone there is a growing number of applications and games which overlay a virtual world on top of the real world.

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But what is augmented reality, what are it's uses, and why is it suddenly such a big deal?

To start with augmented reality really is as simple as displaying digital objects or information on top of a real world view. This is not particularly new, a simple example would be of the information shown 'on the field' during a football game. This is a great example of how computer generated information can be overlaid on a real world situation to provide highly relevant information in a visible but non-obtrusive way.

This has military applications, for instance having the location of enemies overlaid on 'battle goggles', and entertainment applications, such as alien invasions happening over your own cityscape. More practical uses exist however, and augmented reality can be used in tour guides, to tell you about the stars, or even help tell you about specific objects through simple object recognition.

The uses of augmented reality are only just beginning to appear in day-to-day life. However as object recognition becomes more and more intelligent, it is highly possible that games will alter the existing world, rather than just overlay new images on top of it.

Instead of just having static images and information overlaid on the real world, there may be programs that appear which alter the current landscape. These could turn your current skyline in to a futuristic landscape with buildings changed to incorporate futuristic stylings in to current structures and not just adding futuristic objects

Augmented Reality has become a huge deal over the last year for one simple reason. Apple created an update which allowed third-party apps to use the iPhone camera as a video camera. This new medium suddenly gave creative application developers a structure with which they could combine reality with virtual reality. This has spawned a new generation of iPhone games, but on top of that it has created the possibility for an entirely new kind of game and application style. From this new technology there is a strong possibility that even more imaginative uses will be found for combining the real and virtual world.

As the years go by I foresee augmented reality becoming a more and more integral part of day-to-day life, however until that time comes I will enjoy the augmented iPhone games, which are essentially what 'Pong' is to 'Call of Duty' today!

Augmented reality might have just started to appear on the iPhone, but it is already planned for inclusion in the first major iPhone MMORPG. We look forward to the augmented reality future that will bring a true virtual reality to the gaming world.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Oliver_Whitham
http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Is-The-iPhone-Augmented-Reality?&id=6111065

 

 

Augmented Reality Technology - Mobile Marketing Infusion

Augmented Reality - Mobile Marketing Infusion

 

By Gianluigi Cuccureddu

* Real-time enhancement of reality, connecting the "offline" world with the "online" world.

* Real-time creation of a more integrated experience between those two worlds.

* Real-time enriching our surroundings with meta-data through our mobile devices.

I do believe these are the opportunities and purposes where Mobile Marketing and the role of mobiles devices have been waiting for, enabled by: Augmented Reality.

[caption id="attachment_48" align="aligncenter" width="258" caption="Augmented Reality Technology : Augmented Reality - Mobile Marketing Infusion"][/caption]

Augmented Reality is defined as follow on Wikipedia:

"Augmented reality (AR) is a field of computer research which deals with the combination of real-world and computer-generated data (virtual reality), where computer graphics objects are blended into real footage in real time. The term is believed to have been coined in 1990 by Thomas Caudell, an employee of Boeing at the time.

At present, most AR research is concerned with the use of live video imagery which is digitally processed and "augmented" by the addition of computer-generated graphics. Advanced research includes the use of motion-tracking data, fiducial markers recognition using machine vision, and the construction of controlled environments containing any number of sensors and actuators. [...]"

Mobile marketing has been predicted to be a -future- trend. Looking at figures released by eMarketer and other firms, mobile is growing, advertising budgets and the usage are on the rise.

Still, I don't think mobile marketing has found its true destiny and purpose.

Thinking in terms of SWOT- and Five-Forces-analysis, the PLC etc, there are challenges to overcome like the regulatory and infrastructural restrictions, substitutes, changing consumer behavior and so on.

Is the value proposition of mobile usage optimal and significantly differentiated?

But what if the mobile device is going to provide new experiences, integrate and enhance the two worlds in a much more relevant, useful, entertaining and unique way, powered by Augmented Reality?

It will infuse business oppertunities, mobile usage and its value proposition and the benefits / needs of a  real-time connection for the mobile users.

Fundaments must be set in motion to advance this innovation cycle, which is already happening of course.

Just a few examples:

* Apple is going to allow developers to release Augmented Reality applications when iPhone OS 3.1. is rolled out,

* Investments in technology and applications by innovative companies (f.e. look at the initiatives by AT&T) and

* The 27 telecom ministers of the European Union have agreed on new laws which will arise a bigger mobile market.

Many fields and industries can benefit from Augmented Reality and the unique experiences it will create for their users, think about industries like gaming, real-estate, travel, GPS, retail, and many more which can tap into the seemingly endless creation of applications (through mobile).

Universities and innovators are already working on applications, below you'll find three examples, the first one relates to GPS, the second is a great real-estate application and the third is a social tagging service.

What is your opinion and view on Augmented Reality in relation to Mobile Marketing?

About the Author:

Originally posted on my blog: http://www.glcuccureddu.com/business/technology/augmented-reality-mobile-marketing-infusion/

Articles Source: Augmented Reality - Mobile Marketing Infusion

Augmented Reality Browser: New Wikitude for the iPhone

Augmented Reality Browser: New Wikitude for the iPhone

Author: b.lehner

Wikitude 6.0 sets new standards for AR Browsers – now live in the App Store!

Just in time for the opening of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona Wikitude has announced the next generation of the „Best Augmented Reality Browser 2010“ (Augmented Planet). From today Wikitude 6.0 is available for download on Apple’s App Store http://bit.ly/ihmykZ . Wikitude overlays the live picture generated by the smartphone’s camera with local information (categorised in so called content “Worlds"). The new user interface offers a customisable “Home Screen“, a full text search in all available Wikitude Worlds ( for example Wikipedia, Mobile Coupons, Twitter, Starbucks etc.) with over 125 million places worldwide. Wikitude World Browser is available for the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 3Gs. It is also available for the iPhone 3G and the iPad but without Augmented Reality, as the 3G doesn’t have a digital compass and the iPad doesn’t have a camera – yet.

[caption id="attachment_37" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="Augmented Reality Technology : Augmented Reality Browser: New Wikitude for the iPhone"][/caption]

Speed, personalisation and intuitive handling are the key ingredients of the Wikitude World Browser for the iPhone. As soon as the app is started, all available points of interests (POIs) in your surroundings are shown. The corresponding details of the POIs are subsequently downloaded in the background – a procedure that noticeably increases the speed of the app.

Of the more than 1000 Worlds available in Wikitude, the user can drag his favourite Worlds to the Home Screen, making them easier and quicker accessible in the future. The user is also able to rearrange these Worlds, very much like rearranging Apps on the home screen of the iPhone.

A search-function located in the top area of the Home Screen enables the user to perform a full-text-search through all available Worlds. The personalised search-function can also be moved to the Home Screen itself. “Sushi" fans or “WiFi" hunters for example will love this feature.

All delivered information is available in three different ways: in Augmented-Reality-View (information is overlaid on the real-time camera view, augmenting reality so to speak) as well as on a map or as a list. With the flick of one finger the user can move between the different options. While viewing the app in the list-mode or map-mode a small yet very useful compass needle points towards the next point of interest.

Wikitude: where reality and computer based information fuse

Wikitude obtains its current location via the Smartphone’s GPS signal, connecting the real world with the digital world. If the iPhone is aimed at a specific area, all information available about objects within the camera’s view is shown. A current study from ARChart has shown, that the market potential for these types of Augmented Reality Applications is estimated to be 2.2 Billion USD by 2015.

Mobilizy’s current software-products are Wikitude Augmented Reality Browser and Wikitude Drive. Wikitude Browser aggregates content and information from thousands of sources (e.g. Mobile Coupons, YouTube, Flickr, Wikipedia and many more so called “Worlds") in the camera-view of a Smartphone. Wikitude Drive is an augmented reality based navigation system.

About Wikitude / Mobilizy GmbH

Mobilizy is an early pioneer in mobile augmented reality (AR) and the creator of the internationally renowned Wikitude World Browser for iPhone, Android, Symbian and Bada. Most recently Mobilizy has launched Wikitude Drive, the first AR navigation application with global coverage. Wikitude engages in the research and in-house development of location-based services and augmented reality experiences for smart-phones. www.wikitude.org

More information about Wikitude: www.wikitude.org

Watch Wikitude World Browser 6 User-Video: http://bit.ly/glRuKA

See and download Screenshots of Wikitude World Browser 6: http://bit.ly/f3IdrM

Wikitude Drive Social Media Channels:

http://www.twitter.com/wikitude

http://www.facebook.com/wikitude

http://www.flickr.com/wikitude

http://www.youtube.com/wikitude

Editorial enquiries:

Bernhard Lehner

bernhard [at] i5comm.com

Phone +43 664 439 86 09

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://blehner.articlealley.com/augmented-reality-browser-new-wikitude-for-the-iphone-2075876.html

IPhone Augmented Reality Apps

IPhone Augmented Reality

Author:oli4uk

You might have heard about iPhone augmented reality, you might even have seen it. But many people do not know just what augmented reality is, and how it can affect both games and applications on the iPhone.

To start with, augmented reality is quite simply overlaying vitual information, graphics, or even a virtual world on top of the real world.  With the iPhone for instance, you can look at the real world through the iPhone camera, but fight off invading aliens over your city, or even use your iPhone as a golf range finder, looking at course information displayed over the golf course itself.

[caption id="attachment_13" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Augmented Reality : IPhone Augmented Reality Apps"][/caption]

iPhone augmented reality does have a lot of uses in both enterteinment and day to day life, but lets delve a little deeper in to what Augmented reality is, and what it can do to improve your iPhone games and apps!

Augmented Reality iPhone Games

The simplest augmented reality iPhone games simply overlay a normal game over the view from your iPhone camera.  This means you can fight off an alien invasion over your city, or fight off Zombies in your own town's streets. While this is entertaining, you can go a whole lot further with iPhone augmented reality.

The high end of the scale is most definitely the AR Drone.  Using your iPhone you can fly a real life flying drone around your home, viewing the world through the camera mounted on the drone.  Through this camera you will see the real world around you, but with augmented reality enabled, you can use your real life flying drone to shoot down virtual enemies.

Augmented reality provides an infinite variety of alterations to the world around you, and it's simplistic idea can give complex and involving gameplay.

You can even find augmetned reality placed in to an iPhone MMORPG to give you a highly involving unique multiplayer gaming experience.

Augmented Reality iPhone Apps

Augmented reality is a great way to improve the functionality and usability of an iPhone app. Whether you are using a tour guide, or want a golf range finder.  iPhone augmented reality can overlay valuable information on real life objects.  You could point your phone at a table and see information about how it was constructed, the Taj Mahal, and see its background. By using augmetned reality and optical reocgnition there is a huge variety of possibilites for augmented reality iPhone apps, and we have only just seen the start.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/technology-articles/iphone-augmented-reality-4491762.html

About the Author

Oliver Whitham is an experienced SEO Consultant and owner of an amazing Article Directory and has a keen interest in emerging Augmented Reality games!