To anyone over 35, anything to do with social media is a little scary. Hey, we grew up in the era of landline telephones (not the mobile ones, kids) and televisions with bunny ears (not these flat screen things that hang on the wall). Remember the days when everyone was a little concerned about using a ‘microwave’ and when you were asked for an address it was for a house location not a virtual contact?
But, we’ve all seem to manage. Almost all of us have a digital footprint out there on that thing called a ‘worldwide web’. We’ve lived through Web1.0 and adapting quickly to Web2.0 - Perhaps you tweet or blog or have a page on ‘TheFacebook’. Well, just when you thought you’ve got it all figured out let me prepare you for what’s in store for mobile communications. Some of you young ones are already into this technology, but this blog is for the benefit of the older generation. I’ll let you classify yourselves into whichever group you want.
Before I get into augmented reality, I have to tell you about geo-location. According to Wikipedia - “ Geolocation is the identification of the real-world geographic location of an object, such as a cell phone.” The latest craze in social networking is an iPhone app called Foursquare. (It’s actually been out for a couple of years and as of January 2011 has over 6 million registered users.) I’m on it, of course, but not a big fan. I consider it a stalker tool but... I fall into that ‘older’ generation.
What is Foursquare? Foursquare is a location-based social network. It uses your phone’s built-in GPS to display restaurants, bars and other attractions in the city you are in. When you visit any of these locations you “check-in” on the app – and here’s the social networking part – it then broadcasts your location to your friends. You can also see where your friends have checked-in. After you have checked-in you can write reviews and tips for that location and read what other users have written. You can collect points and badges, blah, blah, blah. Check it out if you are interested. Friend me if you want, maybe it will encourage me to use it more!
If you have the Facebook app you might have tried checking into the Places icon. That is location-based social networking. Other location-based social networking apps/games are: Gowalla, Block Chalk (neighbourhood interactions), Blumapia (for boaters), and Junaio (with augmented reality). This one I will test out as it is going to be the future of location-based social networking and the purpose of this blog.
Augmented reality (AR). I watched a show on augmented reality a few years ago about a new technology hitting Japan. In 2009, AR took it’s first steps into the mainstream of social networking. I don’t know how it works but this technology superimposes graphics, audio and other sense enhancements from computer or cellphone screens onto real time environments. The graphics are not static. In AR systems, the superimposed graphics show every perspective and adjust to every movement of the user's head and eyes. It is forecasted that by the end of this decade, the first mass-produced AR systems will hit the market. I recently heard that Apple bought the rights to holographic projection technology meaning... The ultimate AR app for the iPhone5?!!
Of course this means nothing unless we talk application... I’m sure video games will be the natural progression, where you are interacting in this augmented reality. Car companies, like BMW, are already using this technology to showcase their cars in motion. In a personal dating scenario you could set tags to yourself via your phone like – single, gemini, likes and interests. In AR these tags would appear as bubbles around your body. Switch your information for your professional life and the tags could be your title, where you work, your Linkedin profile. Then at a meeting someone could hold up their phone to see your information in this augmented reality, and simply click to save your information. Basically, using your face as a social business card. Here’s a good one. Perhaps there will be a device that criminals would have to carry around with them. With AR you could identify them... Who are the sex offenders in your neighbourhood? If that was to happen would crime rates drop? Scary! Right?? But, kinda cool.
I haven’t hit the real possibilities that AR has to offer. But, I have downloaded that Junaio app. It was free. It will surprise me if it works in Peterborough but I do have a trip planned for Europe in the spring. Perhaps this augmented reality will come to life for me then. I will definitely keep you posted. Till then, google AR. there are a lot of videos demonstrating what I’ve tried to explain. And, if you want to get your feet wet with some location-based social networks check out this site. It was updated December 2010 and lists an incredible amount of different apps: http://bdnooz.com/lbsn-location-based-social-networking-links/
I think I’m going to enjoy my real life while I still can.
