Advantages and disadvantages of augmented reality

Augmented reality is very good for playing games and accessing extra information on local areas. It's a new and advanced way of looking at life and reality. With over 1 billion of the worlds population owning a smartphone augmented reality is soon to expand. New products such as google glasses are a prime example of this.

They are a brand new technology created by google to view the world through augmented reality. But in my opinion they are hazard! While wearing them people are consentrating on the screen so are not looking where they're going. This will cause more irritation on the pavements. People will end up walking into others and oblects. This could potentially cause injuries which we could avoid. Another factor which I think is bad is the style. In my opinion they would look stupid and too strange. Also they cost a huge $1,500;more expensive than an iPhone.

More Augmented reality apps

Name	Cost	Requirements	Internet access	Operating system	Size	Created by	Rating	No. of downloads			What does it do?
Junaio augmented reality	Free	Camera	Yes	Android, iPhone, iPad	6.2M	Metaio GMBH	2.5/5		100,000 to 500,000	It’s a browser that displays information on local areas. It can also scan qr codes.
Wikitude	Free	Camera	Yes	Android, iOS, Bada, Blackberry, Windows phone	7.7M	Wikitude GMBH	4.1/5		1 to 5 million	It finds information about local areas. It finds restaurants and lets you play games.
Wow Gorilla App	Free	Camera Being in Bristol	?	Android, iPhone	2.8M	Mubaloo Ltd	4.1/5		1,000 to 5,000	Helps you find 60 gorilla sculptures around Bristol to celebrate their zoo’s 175th birthday.
Paparazzi- Augmented reality	67p	Camera $1 bill or printed marker	?	Android, iPhone	12M	Pixel Punch	3.2/5		1,000 to 5,000	You can take pictures of the celebrity but they will get angry and try to break your camera. You have to stop him.
Ghostbusters: Paranormal blast	£1.24	Camera	?	Android, iOS	38M	XMG Studio	4.6/5		5,000 to 10,000	Rid your city of ghosts. Blast them and steer them into traps to get rewarded.

 

Augmented reality app reviews

Here are some reviews on augmented reality apps. I haven't tested them so all comments i've made are from other reviews on the internet or from iTunes.

Layar

Price: Free
Platform: iOS, Android, BlackBerry

This app locates and finds services in close locations, from restaurants to shops. You can scan magazine pages and QR codes. It can also generate tweets from specified locations.












 

Wikitude

Price: Free
Platform: iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7, Symbian

It’s a browser that shows Wikipedia entries imply by pointing your camera at them. It finds vouchers for local stores and you can mark favourite spots and share with friends on Facebook.

Sketchwiz

Price:£1.49
Platform: iPhone
It turns photos from your camera into sketches. It changes the way you see the world and creates some amazing pieces of art.

Sky siege

Price:£1.49
Platform: For iPhone
An addictive and fun game. It has a unique 3D gaming experience. You can fly around and shot other planes.

AR Basket ball

Price: Free
Platform: iPhone
 
It turns reality into a mini basketball court so you can play basketball. All you need to do is print of a marker.

The wikitude app seems really good. It lets you look at local shops, restaurants and landmarks. It also gives some discounts for local stores. Some reviews on iTunes say it doesn’t work but others say it’s great. For a free app it’s worthwhile.

Layar looks good but on iTunes the description is minimum and it only looks like a scanning app. A review said it had great potential for the future. I would say if this app interests you give it a go.
Compared to the games, AR Basketball is free.  For the price it’s very good. From reviews on iTunes its a good app but the hoop jerks a lot. The sketchwiz app  has great reviews on iTunes but doesn’t use the iPhones HD camera well. It’s sounds like a good app if you want to see the world differently and to have amazing sketches. The sky siege app seems great at a first look but reviews on iTunes say the app is a waste of money and the free apps from the same company are much better. They liken buying the app to throwing away good money. They also said it was slow, inaccurate and that it kept crashing.

Introduction

Introduction

 

 

This is a blog I'm creating in IT lessons at school. It will be about Augmented reality. Each week I will add new, interesting information.