Video: SPRXmobile's Layar is world's first Augmented Reality browser for cellphones

This one's been a long time coming but it looks like Dutch company SPRXmobile has launched the world's first Augmented Reality browser. Layar, as it's called, runs on Android and aggregates the data from the cellphone's compass and GPS coordinates to understand where you're standing and what you're looking at. A "radar view" then applies a visual information layer on top of the camera display as you pan around your environment. Content partnerships including a local bank, social networking site, and a realty company allows Layar to identify houses for sale, nearby ATMs, and local clubs and bars all laid out visually on your cellphone's display. Layar will be available this month in The Netherlands via the Android Market for phones such as the G1 and HTC Magic. It will launch in the US, Germany, and the UK sometime later this year with the iPhone 3G S listed as a primary target platform. Looks great with plenty of data populated in the video sample (posted after the break) but we have to wonder how well it works in day-to-day reality.

[JoeKay Posted Jun 17th 2009 9:30AM]

Nokia's Point and Find, a very similar service - i.e. "an AR browser" like you call it - is also currently available in beta in the US and UK:
http://pointandfind.nokia.com/?home
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1wM6nlcALA

[Brian from Texas Posted Jun 17th 2009 10:51AM]

As a long time Nokia user, and recent G1 convert, who gives a f*ck! I'm ready for Layar right now. This sounds awesome.

[togusa Posted Jun 17th 2009 7:13PM]

Wow ! And practical !

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 17th 2009 7:54PM]

I beg to differ, this is NOT the first AR browser, and it's not even the first AR browser for Android either.

http://www.mobilizy.com/wikitude.php

Wikitude is very similar, except it gives you data from wikipedia for tourists. Also has a radar and camera overlay.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 18th 2009 4:19AM]

You are correct sir!
However, there are a few key differences. Main one being the industry leading names that SPRX has been gathering (Funda is the primary real-estate search engine in .nl, Hyves is the leading dutch casual social networking site, Tempo-Team is a big temp-agency and ING is one of the bigger banks). This makes for a vastly different experience than tourist info (which I have to admit would be very very sweet).

I think these two apps can peacefully co-exist.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 18th 2009 8:47AM]

@Raga:

Yeah, I know, I never said they couldn't coexist peacefully :P I was just pointing out that this is hardly the FIRST app of it's kind, as the article's title implies.

And btw, I know what ING is, I used to work for them ;)

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 18th 2009 2:00AM]

This is almost similar to the fictional Eden Of The East program that's web based, and open like wikipedia.
It's from the anime Eden of The East, and it uses both live video view, picture viewfinder mode and an already snapped picture to identify people, landmarks, items and other objects. Even just by having a portion of it within the image.

It'd be amazing to have something like that.
ie. See a flower that you think looks really nice, and you'd want to know a bit more about it. Take out your (smart)phone and point your viewfinder at it, and the phone will automatically tag it with results from various resources from the internet with it's name, common facts and other things (comments and such).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcFSUuFj-BM (skip forward to 3:08-3:55 for an example)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpwF4t6mUHs (skip forward to 4:00-4:48, don't mind the voice, at least it's subbed so you know what's going on)

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 18th 2009 2:02AM]

By the way, the application in the anime is referred to as an 'Image Recognition Software/Engine'.