5.4. New app development frontiers

In this section, we’ll look at new possibilities for location-aware app developers that have arisen thanks to the availability of smarter smartphones. We’ll consider specifically the augmented reality (AR) feature capabilities that are possible on the latest handsets, and look at examples of AR applications from acrossair and particularly Layar. Layar (funded by Intel Capital) has set the standard when it comes to AR applications and has generated a great deal of excitement for these types of features. Today, Junaio and Metaio as well as a raft of other AR companies have also joined the fray, though Layar remains the most talked-about service. Before moving on to the Layar example, let’s examine what we mean by augmented reality.

5.4.1. Augmented reality

AR applications began to create a buzz in the mobile location space from mid-2009, as the new handset capabilities (in particular of Android devices) to detect the orientation and tilt of the phone enabled a whole new set of mobile services.