iPad 4.0? I'm ready now! Gary Hayes sent me the link to his video on YouTube illustrating the augmented reality (AR) experience would be on an iPad-sized screen. It is a great video; it really captures a sense of the potential of AR across a gamut of applications. After you check out the video, go to Gary's website and read the blog entry "Where Industry and Academia Fear to Tread – StoryLabs Launch" on the need for storytelling in effective message construction and delivery--and the conundrum of finding someone who knows how to speak "transmedia." As someone who teaches digital storytelling and emerging technologies, it was exciting to see his take on it. The world is no longer linear. Well, it never was, but before it moved slow enough so our inability to see it wasn't such a problem. Now, it is. And we have to learn to be nonlinear, multidimensional storytellers. To do this, we need to become nonlinear thinkers. This isn't just about storytelling. … [Read more...]
Who Wants More Reality?
Previously published on Psychology Today.com "Positively Media" ---------- Sometimes when new technology is introduced, you get a glimpse of the future. The iPad was like that for me. Now Samsung is introducing the Galaxy Tab (tablet) on September 2. This time, the glimpse of the future comes from their marketing pitch not their product. The top item the Galaxy Tab offers those who want “more”? Augmented reality. Samsung's Galaxy is an interesting and slick entrant in the tablet field. Size-wise, it's halfway between the size of a cell phone and an iPad with a screen big enough to see things without squinting. (I’ve heard the iPad called an iPhone for old people.) Personally, I really didn't expect to like the iPad as much as I do, but I carry it everywhere. It's pretty hard to be an Apple-killer these days, but Samsung got a couple of things right that Apple missed in the first generation: the camera/video function. It is those added features that … [Read more...]
Sneaking in a Little Culture Amidst the Marketing in Las Vegas using Augmented Realty Apps
AR has lots of benefits, such as portability, interactivity, and personalization. But an under appreciated feature is that it can be a stealth contributor to cultural literacy while it pushes a marketing agenda. By including the arts and other cultural offerings and previews in the line-up of “attractions,” AR has the potential to increase awareness about the fine arts. By including accessible information about artists, musicians, and performances, AR can demystify, humanize, and normalize appreciation for the fine arts into a Main Street rather than Park Avenue experience. In the world of “money is no object” and "larger than life," who better to engage the use of augmented reality to show people around town than Las Vegas? The MGM Mirage properties has launched Vegas’ first AR iPhone apps available through, you guessed it, iTunes. This is just a taste of things to come for the hospitality industry sectors willing to make the investment in creativity and innovation. … [Read more...]
