:: MECHA IN MY POCKET
You'll need the hardcover book, which costs around $10 and is well worth owning if you have young readers at home. Just hold an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad with a camera over the book and amazing things happen. Moonbot promises you’ll “Get swept up in a storm! Transport to another world! Play music! Fly!”
It also been called a “wonder of the ages,” so if you get a chance to check it out, we’d love to know if that’s a fair statement. We think it might be. Moonbot, it seems, can do no wrong in the App Store, and this book in particular is dear to many, both the young and the young at heart.
To play the game, players point their iOS devices at a Tic Tac pack (with the Tic Tac Viewr app open) and scan the label. The game instantly begins. Players tap fruits, avoid stinky stuff, and avoid "forbidden fruit."
The Tic Tac Viewr includes up to 20 microgames and more "tongue-in-cheek" tips for their Shake It Up campaign. Users can scan Tic Tac boxes, various types of ads, and the Tic Tac Facebook page with the AR app to access the microgames and tips. For users that don't feel like going out into the world to discover Tic Tacs ads, they have convieniently provided all of the ads on the Tic Tac Facebook page ready to print out and be scanned.
The app shows LEGO creations that are close on a Google Map. Once at the location, the LEGO creations can even be captured in a picture to share with friends. A radar shows the LEGO creations when users are close.
We hopped on LEGO Lens to check out the locations of where these LEGO creations are popping up. There were none in my immediate driving distance (but a fair few in my state). Looking at the pins on the Google Map, there are quite a few places boasting The Avengers & Loki in the sky. The locations that these LEGO AR creations are popping up in include movie theaters (lots of Carmike Cinemas), malls, and stadiums. The LEGO creations are swarming in New York, LA, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and Chicago.
It’s important that parents supervise with the use of this app given the GPS capabilities and suggestions to visit the LEGO locations.
:: SLIGHT DISAPPOINTMENTNumerous weapons are available such as a mosquito coil, helmet, fly swatter and mosquito repellent in order to mix things up a little. There's also the prospect of finding hidden mosquitoes that can track the player's movements. Plus, there's the ever popular boss battle too.
MosquitoKiller has all the makings of a title to be enjoyed in short sessions, especially with spectactors to laugh with. With the addition of GameCenter or OpenFeint support, I reckon this could be a great hit for the casual gaming crowd. For now, players will have to stick to local competition and the allure of the in-game achievements.
MosquitoKiller is out now, priced at a pretty respectable $0.99.
Select Marvel comics, the first of which to use the new app is Avengers vs. X-Men, will include behind the scenes footage, 3D action scenes, video recaps of past events, and more. Comics designed for use with Marvel AR will start featuring the AR red and white logo to flag throughout the book when the app should be used. Users will simply hold their iOS devices up to the comics and then will be presented with the bonus features.
This is a great way for comic readers who still enjoy buying the print editions to get to use their iOS devices to interact with their comics. The Marvel AR app is free.
:: UNIQUELY MEMORABLE
The idea is fairly straightforward. Users simply tap on their desired weapon, of which there are five (the Dapper Zapper, Freeze Ray, Goo Gun, Mini Vaporizer, and Plasma Pistol), then tilt their iOS device and viola! The app automatically superimposes an image of the selected firearm over the screen while displaying a background as seen through the camera. Tapping the screen shoots. So now I can crush those who would disobey me with or without access to my Plan X account! Mwahahahaha!
Okay so it's not totally revolutionary or anything but it's cute and pretty funny. It's also available right now for $0.99.
Technology is improving in in leaps and bounds. It's an immensely exciting time to be alive. Just a glance at the growing prevelance of Augmented Reality games aptly demonstrates that. How about a game that relies on augmented sound though? Now, that's a bit different.
Dimensions looks extremely interesting in that respect. It uses augmented sound to turn the world into a game. Designed to be played in parallel with normal life, the game manipulates and enhances sound nearby changing the things we hear as a matter of course over the day. Players enter and exit different dimensions within the game as they go about their life. Missions can then be completed by collecting artifacts and fighting enemies.
It's a pretty fascinating concept and with music from Inception composer Hans Zimmer, Dimensions looks all the more compelling.
Dimensions is set for release sometime this month. We'll be sure to keep an eye on its development. For now, check out the video below that explains a bit more.
[Source: Gamasutra]
NBA King of the Court is an augmented reality basketball game that involves geolocation. It's developed by new mobile developer Ogmento, who are focusing on augmented reality and geolocation games, such as this one. Players compete to get the high scores on courts located near them. Hoops are located and played by pointing a camera-equipped iOS device around them to find hoops to shoot on. Players then try to sink as many shots as possible in a short time limit, by using a timing bar-based shooting system. Success earns coins that can be spent on powerups and other items. Additional attempts on a court can add to the player's high score, although players only have a limited number of balls to shoot, though more are added over time.
Once they become the king of the court (hey, there's that title!), then they can customize the hoop to their liking. This includes things like team logos, purchased with those coins. Feel bold enough to rock a Spurs logo in the middle of Lakers country? Go for it. As well, defensive powerups can be purchased to make potential court usurpers' job much more difficult, such as ones that make the good shot area much smaller.
NBA King of the Court launched on December 1st, and is a free to play title. It requires a camera-equipped device, though iPad 2 owners should note that the app is not universal as of launch.
Find Out NYC offers users the opportunity to explore a virtual landscape via REI adverts across New York. Six separate scenes are unlockable through exploring the city and discovering the special posters around the area. There's more than just fun to be had here though. With each scene that the user unlocks, there's a chance to win great outdoor equipment such as a Burton snowboard, a Novara Buzz One Bike and the grand prize of them all: a trip for two to Costa Rica.
It's a very neat move that's bound to encourage outdoor enthusiasts to check out Find Out NYC. The Manhattan store is set to open on December 2nd, located in the Puck Building at 303 Lafayette St. In SoHo.
:: SAND-TRAPPED
The app uses augmented reality to help users see what the TV will potentially look like where they want it. Users print out an AR marker from the Philips website, and either lay it down flat on the area where the TV will be placed, or put it up on the wall in the area where the TV will be wall-mounted. Then, the user fires up the app and points their camera at the AR marker, and a 3D model of the TV will appear. Users can choose from a variety of Phillips TVs to display, can choose from different sizes of TV to sample, and can even get a sample of how the Philips Ambilight feature would appear in their actual room. A snapshot of the model of the TV in the room can be taken and shared, as well.
This is an example of how augmented reality can be used to benefit both consumers and corporations; users interested in Philips TVs can get a sample of how the TV will look before they buy it. Also, Philips gets to put out an app that could catch some eyeballs and help sell their TVs. It's a win-win situation, and an interesting use of this kind of technology. While the requirement of an AR marker is a hindrance to using the app (and it won't work if the marker is just displayed on an iPad screen, it needs to be printed out on a piece of A4-sized paper), it's still a very inventive use of augmented reality.
Technology is cool and moving rapidly. We all know that, right? Sometimes though, something will catch the eye that is just mindbloggingly cool. The kind of thing that makes the future seem more like present day. One such technology is that of Autonomy's Aurasma platform.
It's an app that can be installed to then allow the iOS device's camera to see and recognize images in the real world. In doing so it then allows for the possibility of adding a virtual world layer that can then provide anything from a 3D animation to a trailer of a film or game. As the demo below shows, it can enhance a regular paper advert, showing a trailer for a movie or how a piece of furniture could be implemented. It's impressive stuff and certainly futuristic in nature.
The Aurasma app also offers the ability to create individual channels with users able to make their own virtual worlds for their friends. As well as that, exclusive deals and content can be accessed from participating movie studios and retail stores. Such partners range from Paramount Pictures and Universal to publications such as New Scientist and The Wall Street Journal, as well as shoe retailer Tsubo.
Aurasma is available now for all iOS devices and is a free app. All users need to find is the relevant content!
