Layar, which is a free appliction for mobile phones – is the first to give you an augmented reality browser in the world.

What is an augmented reality you may ask and how does it work?

Starting up the Layar application automatically activates the camera.  What you see on your mobile is exactly what you see on your phone.  The difference with Layar is it would actually show you another layer (like an overlay) of specific things such as bars, restaurants, information on properties for sale and it can also overlay a map of where you are precisely located which moves with you as you move your phone.  In other words, if you start moving your mobile phone pointing from east to west, the map overlay also moves showing you exactly the way you are pointing your camera.

How does it work and what technology do they use?

Layar uses API from their launching partners and local market leaders such as ;

• ING(bank), Funda (reality website), Hyves (social network), Tempo-team (temp agency) and Zekur.nl (healthcare provider).
• Local search (powered by Google) which is said to be their first global layer in their application.  Through this, Layar is then able to use maps and locate your exact position in relation to your queries or search.
• Layar is derived from location based services and works on mobile phones that include a camera, GPS and a compass.  It is firstly available for handsets with the Android operating system (the G1 and HTC Magic).
• The embedded GPS automatically knows the location of the phone and the compass determines in which direction the phone is facing.  Each partner provides a set of location coordinates with relevant information which forms a digital layer.
• By tapping the side of the screen the user easily switches between layers.  This makes Layar a new type of browser which combines digital and reality, which offers an augmented view of the world

Here is a video to show you exactly how this works;

We hope this explains a little bit more of what Layar is all about.  Now for the final verdict of “pros” and “cons”.

Pros:

• This is the first of its kind and we’re looking forward to using this technology.
• The other possibilities to use this application are enormous.  Just the ability to point to a property and find out exactly its price and also to be able to drive around and find out which properties are for rent.
• This would be very useful in promoting local attractions and is a great promotional tool for the tourism industry.

Cons:

• The application is only currently available on the T-Mobile G1, HTC Magic and other Android phones in Android market for the Netherlands.
• The only country it’s available at the moment is in Netherlands and soon to be rolled out in UK, Germany and US this year.
• We would like for Layar to consider launching here in Australia this year as well.  We’re pushing hard for this folks and we’ll keep you updated. 

If you ever use your phone to go to the internet or make phone calls using Wi-Fi hotspot(s) – this video may be of benefit to you.

When you use your mobile or cell phone, you might be used to the same access points or Wi-Fi points that is close to your area or where you live.   But what if you travelled somewhere else or overseas?  It just so happens that you didn’t bring your laptop with you and just want to quickly access te internet or make a “sip” phone (free) call from your mobile phone.

Well, this is where We-Fi comes in.  We-Fi is an add on to one of Fring’s many mobile services.  We-Fi gives you the ability to access the many million Wi-Fi datapoints that is on We-Fi’s database.  So wherever you are, you can easily find the closest Wi-Fi to you.

In order to access We-Fi, you will also need to download Fring’s latest version here.  Have a look at this short video explaining briefly what We-Fi is about and what it does.

Fring is a cool application to add if you use your mobile phone a lot.  We hope that this helped you in any way shape or form. 

What about you?  Do you know of any cool applications for your mobile phone.  If so, please send them through on the comments below.

For all you die hard cricket fans out there, this is something that could be useful to you;

As a cricket lover, you would watch the game for hours in front of the TV screen so you couldn’t miss the scores and updates of your favorite game.  But what if you have an important appointment to go to?  Surely, you cannot keep making excuses at work saying that you’re sick (again) because of food poisoning.  Could you?  Nor could you say to your girlfriend or wife that you have to help your mate mow the lawn, just so you and the boys can watch the game?

Well, now there’s a solution with Cricinfo MobiCast.

Cricinfo Mobicast, is a service brought to you by Cricinfo and Plusmo.  They say that;

It delivers live cricket action to your mobile device as it happens on the pitch.  You get ball-by-ball updates and live scorecards for cricket matches delivered right to your phone.  The client offers a rich experience and optimizes over the air updates to minimize data charges.  And best of all it is FREE!.”

Watch the video below and see how cricket fans in India and around the world are using Cricinfo MobiCast.

To get the service all you need to do is point your internet or GPRS-enabled mobile browser to http://ci.plusmo.com, follow the instructions and you should instantly have your cricket updates wherever you are.

So best case scenario, not only will your boss think that you’re such a hardworker because you never call in sick anymore – but your girlfriend or wife will also think that you really did not forget your anniversary – in the first place.

Just make sure they don’t see you glancing over your cell phone all the time. 

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Pros:   Did I mention it’s FREE!

Cons:  Make sure your battery last longer than the cricket match.

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