How “Augmented Reality” and the mobile web changes everything Mobile broadband access and ever-smarter phones are shaking the internet out its lofty cloud and bringing the web into the real world. As a result, the old “real world”, and many old ideas and many old business models will be running out of places to hide from the pervasive influence of the net. Meanwhile, each of our smart phones are in many ways even better than the old clunky tools we used to use to surf the net. Our mobile devices are not only connected but, also bristling with sensors like radios, cameras, microphones, GPS etc. that can directly perceive and interact with the world around you. We’re reaching a point where it’s theoretically possible to point that device at almost anything: a landmark, a product on a store shelf, your friends or a crowd of people; and draw from the cloud and your social graph as much, or perhaps more, relevant information than you ever wanted to know. Oh, and the cloud will be watching you and whatever’s around you as well. In the new augmented reality, the web surfs you. The goal of this talk will be to provide you with a fast paced overview of what this new “augmented” reality will mean for how we socialize, for how we sell and market physical products, for architecture, for media and entertainment, for public policy, crime, privacy and, as well, few early signals for what might be the new killer apps. If all that is not interesting enough, I will also bring free beer.

2. What is Augmented Reality?

3. It’s really an old idea Think “Terminator vision”

4. Once thought to require silly hats Call this “head’s up” augmented reality.

5. But, for now, this will do fine

6. Bringing down all the resources of the internet out of cyberspace and into ubiquitous reality Flickr: c@rljones Mobile phones are like the billion roofing nails that tie the cloud down to earth.

7. Just like ordinary reality Flickr: wvs

8. Only more so Flickr: wvs

9. Why is this important

10. Augmented reality finishes what the internet started

11. Internet 1.0 (1995-1999) was all about the great disruptive promise of the “cyberspace” and “online shopping” Internet 2.0 (2005-2009) was the 10 years it took to really figure out what to do with it: USG, rich web apps, social media Augmented Reality (2008…) is where mobile technology and wireless broadband make the internet finaly ubiquitous. And inescapable.

12. By this measure you could say there are many “augmented reality” apps already The other day, my dad googled a small duck. This augmented his reality. Call this “head’s down” AR

15. Flickr: Jamais Cascio But back to terminator vision

16. Senkai Camera Cool app. Maybe this will be the “apple newton” of pure AR

17. Kweekies 3D game projected into realspace through your phone screen

18. Terminator Vision +

19. + Ordinary Reality

20. = Augmented Reality

22. Shopsavvy

23. “ Amazon declares war on retailers” Shop savvy, Amazon mobile app etc: these are a Retailers worst nightmare

24. Idee Inc., image recognition search on an iPhone

26. Social Augmented reality

28. There will be many layers of reality Not everyone wants to live in the Youtube comment section of reality

29. Marketing gimmicks

30. Choose your context, choose your data sets

31. Good realities / Bad realities Who are we to judge?

32. Marshal McLuhan

36. What is still holding us back? Mobile Processing power Some of these apps running <10fps Screen size Are small relative to the world Human limitations: eyesight, thumb width Serious interaction problem for many demographics GPS locating speed Waiting…. Waiting… ah fuck it Network bandwidth/latency 400ms pings are not so responsive Tools/APIs Just emerging Battery Power This stuff devours batteries Installed base Smartphones not ubiquitous yet Fragmented mobile platforms Going to be with us a while M-commerce & monetization Buying real stuff is hard

37. What is getting better? Mobile Processing power Moore’s inexorable law Screen size Tablets, new tech foldable/rollable? Human limitations: eyesight, thumb width Better touch interfaces, natural gestures GPS locating speed AGPS, other cues e.g. wifi Network bandwidth/latency 4G/LTE brings better speed/latency Tools/APIs Will come Battery Power Moore’s law brings efficiencies Installed base >50% by 2012 Fragmented mobile platforms Ultimately the browser may displace native apps M-commerce & monetization We’re working on it

39. Who really becomes empowered?

40. Who also becomes empowered?

41. Who benefits from augmented reality? Brands Consumers State Control Opposition Police Criminals Developed world Developing world The center The edges Extroverts Introverts The old The young E-government E-anarchy

42. As a designer, you can choose sides If you are a mobile designer, there’s no shortage of paying work ahead

43. When augmented reality fails (PROTIP #71: Don’t drop Augmented reality)