Currently, ARWire has 4 main sections:

• BLOGS: Access to all of the top blogs that focus their coverage on AR.
• FACEBOOK AR: Access to all the items posted to the wall of Facebook’s largest AR group.
• AR PEEPS: Tracks the tweets of people and companies involved in AR (via @ChrisGrayson).
• AR TWEETS: Searches Twitter for “Augmented Reality” to show you what people are talking about right now.

Additionally, you can share the content above via whichever channel is right for you. Email, Twitter and Facebook are all integrated into ARWire and only one touch away.

Check it out (we’d love to hear your thoughts below), and please spread the word.  Currently, there’s a free version up in the iTunes store, but a premium version (with ads removed) should be going live soon.

UPDATE:  ARWire Premium is live, and can be found here.

]]> http://weareorganizedchaos.com/index.php/2010/03/05/arwire-zugaras-iphone-app-for-augmented-reality-news/feed/ 0 http://weareorganizedchaos.com/index.php/2010/02/04/zugaras-newest-technology-enables-augmented-reality-to-be-a-social-and-collaborative-experience/ http://weareorganizedchaos.com/index.php/2010/02/04/zugaras-newest-technology-enables-augmented-reality-to-be-a-social-and-collaborative-experience/#comments Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:21:48 +0000 Zugara http://weareorganizedchaos.com/?p=2413 ZugSTAR Combines The Interactivity Of Augmented Reality With The Immediacy Of Live Video Conferencing

For all press inquiries, please contact: press(at)zugara(dot)com

February 4, 2010, Los Angeles – Today Zugara is introducing “ZugSTAR” (Zugara STreaming Augmented Reality), a technology that allows people in different locations to have shared Augmented Reality experiences from within their video feeds. Picture a web based video conferencing system similar to Skype*, but with the added functionality of being able to see one another’s “augmented” experience in real time.  With ZugSTAR, Augmented Reality becomes a technology that facilitates collaboration, and physical distance becomes less of a barrier.

As a proof of concept, Zugara has already integrated this prototype within their Webcam Social Shopper to create a more engaging, and social, online retail experience. Whether its two lifelong friends attending different Universities, or a mother in NY who wants some quality time with her daughter in Dallas, online shopping can now be a more emotionally satisfying experience. And with the effectiveness of traditional forms of advertising in steep decline, what brand wouldn’t want to facilitate that type of branded experience for their consumers?

The video below demonstrates both the Webcam Social Shopper integration, and a few potential use cases that are currently in development:

“While integrating ZugSTAR into the Webcam Social Shopper is a natural extension of the tech, it’s certainly not the full extent of our vision.” said Matt Szymczyk, CEO, Zugara. “Gartner predicts that by 2015 200 million people will be paying for desktop video conferencing. Now, I don’t want to sound hyperbolic, but this tech has the potential to impact virtually every single industry. Anywhere distance is a barrier to real-time collaboration, ZugSTAR has the potential to provide a tremendous amount of value.”

To illustrate Matt’s point, here are a few potential use cases for ZugSTAR:

• EDUCATION (DISTANCE LEARNING): A science teacher can field questions and twist and turn a DNA helix as he/she explains their answers.
• MEDICINE: 3D models of an fMRI will allow a Dr. to either consult with other Dr.’s, or explain the test’s results directly to a patient.
• PUBLISHING: Augmented Reality Pop-Up Books can enable a parent that’s on the road to help their child to learn how to read.
• PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: A 3D model (e.g. of a shoe or a building being developed) can be shared, and discussed, with colleagues, clients, vendors, and partners.
• CASUAL GAMING: Augmented Reality based casual games can now be multiplayer.

So, what do you think? What other industries can this technology impact? We’d love to get your thoughts in the comments below.

About Zugara’s Proprietary Augmented Reality Technologies

The Webcam Social Shopper

For more information on the Webcam Social Shopper, click here.

Cannonballz, A Casual Game Using ZugMO Motion Capture Technology

For more information on Cannonballz, click here.

About Zugara

Zugara, a member of the Augmented Reality Industry guiding “AR Consortium”, is an interactive marketing company focused on emerging media and technology. Zugara’s main areas of expertise include interactive video, social media, mobile marketing and website / application development. In addition to the strategic marketing based services we provide for our clients, Zugara also creates proprietary Augmented Reality technologies and products, including The Webcam Social Shopper, and a web based motion capture interface, ZugMO. Founded in 2001, and based in Los Angeles, Zugara is currently in the process of expanding and opening a second office in New York.

www.zugara.com

www.zugarastudios.com

Copyright 2010 ZugSTAR Technology

Copyright 2009 ZugMO Technology

Copyright 2009 Zugara Inc.

Patent Pending

*Skype is not affiliated in any way with ZugSTAR, and was just used to give readers a frame of reference.

1. Jiim Immersive Image-Based Modeling: Create 3D Models While Capturing Video
2. Spatial Computing Part II: Shopping
3. Augmented Reality Event Is Coming in June 2010!
4. Hungry Hungry Eat Head: Outdoor Billboard AR Experience

POINT OF PURCHASE

POP might be the most advantageous channel for AR given that a well-planned and executed AR initiative can easily turn consumer purchase interest to intent in a matter of seconds.  Kiosk format provides little to no barrier of entry for consumer.

Developed by Metaio

INTERACTIVE DIGITAL BILLBOARDS

Numerous brands could leverage the unique participatory interaction of an interactive billboard.

Developed by Chris O’Shea

EVENT MARKETING

Event Marketing, like point of purchase, is also a great channel for AR, given most consumers will likely already have interest in your brand. Though most of these executions are gimmicks, this channel is maturing.

Developed by Total Immersion

Developed by Metaio

INTERACTIVE STOREFRONT DISPLAYS

AR-based storefront displays can be used in myriad ways to help drive consumers into your store.

Developed by Simon & John

Developed by Jim George & Karolina Sobecka

MUSEUM / PUBLIC WORKS

The binoculars or viewing mechanism mimic how optical AR can function in the future.  For now though, AR helps museums become interactive by making history come alive.

Developed by Mindpsace Solutions

Save the date now – June 2nd and 3rd in Santa Clara, California.  More info can be found on the ARE hompage here.

This is sure to be a great event  focusing on all aspects of the Augmented Reality industry including technical, financial and marketing.

1. The Augmented Reality T-Shirt, presented by T-Post, a magazine you can wear
2. 7 Futuristic Movies That Got It RIGHT
3. The archive video for ARNY – Augmented Reality New York January 2010 Meetup

As a marketing agency (Zugara) that also develops our own proprietary AR technologies (and seeing as how it’s the holiday season and all that jazz) we thought it might be nice to arm you with some important questions to ask your agency. This way, you hopefully don’t end up paying for an agency to simply have an AR execution that looks great on their reel, but never actually engages a consumer. Noted below, are a few questions/issues you should be cognizant of, and the reason they should be included in your thinking. HAPPY FESTIVUS!

The Question: Will this be built in Flash (if online)?

The Reason: One word: “Downloads”. We’ve harped on this before, proprietary technologies require downloads and a significant number of consumers drop out of a process when faced with one. So why do it? Flash’s install rate is nearly 100%. If you’re going to put your budget and time into AR, the least you can do is give your consumer the opportunity to enjoy it.  Below, you’ll see a tweet that was sent to me.  I track the term “augmented reality” on Twitter, and whenever someone tweets that term, I see it.  @woscholar tweeted about an unpleasant experience he was having with a Avatar cross-promotion that McDonalds is running.  I engaged him in a conversation, and here’s his feedback regarding the download that AR execution required:

The Question: Why aren’t we just creating this experience within the browser (i.e. Why isn’t this just a traditional web site?)?

The Reason: Is the idea you’re being pitched to just have a 3-D model pop out of a marker and essentially push your message to the consumer (be it via a key-ed out video or the like)? If the AR doesn’t truly add anything to the experience, why put the budget against it and limit your campaign’s potential reach (due to the need for a web cam)? Ask your team if you’re using this technology just to use it. Think about your goals. Think about your objectives. Think about your consumers. If AR can be a natural extension of the story you’re trying to tell, then perfect! If not, just keep it in your arsenal/thinking.

The Question: Will you walk me through the entire consumer experience?

The Reason: Taking the time to answer this question can expose fundamental flaws with the concept. Sometimes an idea can sound fantastic on the surface, but when you go step by step through the consumer experience you begin to realize something: no consumer would ever do everything it takes to participate (e.g. you may realize that the user would need to put their computer or web cam on the floor to get the necessary camera angle). Seeing as how you want consumers to “do stuff”, this can be a good way of vetting ideas.

The Question: Why do you think a consumer would do this?  What is their payoff?

The Reason: Obviously, the days of the consumer sitting there patiently listening to your entire message/ad are long gone. It’s the consumer’s world, and we’re just living in it. They need a compelling reason to interact with your engagement… to give you their time. One good litmus test is to put your “consumer hat on”. Odds are (unless you’re working for Nike, Apple, or a few others) most of your consumers “like” your brand, but aren’t passionately fanatical about it. So, think about a brand you “like” (not yours), and think about whether or not you would interact with it if they launched an execution similar to the one you’re contemplating. If the answer is “no”, then think about what it would take to make you participate. If you can’t find anything to make the offering compelling, perhaps this execution is not “the one”.

The Question: Why are you pitching me a mobile idea, versus an online idea?

The Reason: A mobile execution would be cool and cutting edge, granted. But for the near term, it’s limited in its reach (do more people have computers or iphones/blackberrys?), and functionality. Although not widely publicized, the fact is the hardware running on smartphones is not ready to deliver the consumer experience you’re expecting (I wrote more about this back in June), and the much beloved iPhone’s API still remains mostly closed to developers (which means you can’t have an iPhone read a marker like online unless it’s been jail-broken – which most consumers would never do). Not to mention, there’s apparently no rhyme or reason as to how Apple accepts/declines apps for the app store… so there’s the potential for your investment to never see the light of day.  To be clear, in our opinion mobile AR will be huge in the future, it’s just not there yet.

The Question: What’s the experience for the consumer that doesn’t have access to a webcam?

The Reason: There aren’t any publicly available, industry standard metrics on web cam penetration rates. This much is certain though, as of today, a significant number of your audience doesn’t have a webcam and you can’t ignore them because they will come to the site looking for an experience.

The Question: Are you sure this is even possible?

The Reason: Odds are, you’re being pitched by someone who’s not an expert in the technology. They’re creative, and smart, but most of the time their ideas just flat out aren’t doable (either in the near term or without a ton of R&D). Before you get your boss excited about the idea, it’s probably prudent to make sure that it’s technologically feasible.

So, what do you think? Agree? Disagree? Are there other questions that brand managers should be asking their agency? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

You can find me on twitter @jack_benoff

I embedded the case study below as there are some great stats from the campaign (more than 1 million Augmented Reality users!)  Definitely worth checking out below:

The following list is by no means all inclusive, but these are a few examples of Utility-Based AR currently out there. Not just a video or concept, but a working example you can use right now. I also often cite these examples when asked how AR can rise above the current gimmicks being used in the marketing and advertising worlds…

SAMSUNG

Link: http://testlab.samsung.com/

This execution is quite simple.  Print out the marker, tape it to your wall and see how the Samsung TV will measure out for placement on that same wall.

USPS

Link: https://www.prioritymail.com/simulator.asp

Another simple yet effective use of AR.  This application allows you to see how your item will fit in respective USPS packaging.

FASHIONISTA (Webcam Social Shopper)

Link: http://www.tobi.com

This application uses AR to overlay images of clothing on an individual to enhance the online shopping experience.  Motion capture also adds ability to stand from computer and navigate controls.  (Disclosure:  Zugara created this application…)

SUNSEEKER

Link: http://ajnaware.wordpress.com/2009/10/06/sun-seeker-seeing-the-light-with-augmented-reality/

Not an example of AR you would initially think of but brilliant once you understand how it works.  This mobile AR app allows you to see how the sun is positioned at any time during any day of the year.  This then shows you how sunlight would fall into your bedroom (for new home shoppers), where to plant a garden, etc.

HONORABLE MENTION

LEGO

Though this is technically not utility-based it’s still very effective and great use of AR at retail.  How can any father resist purchasing this for their child after seeing the Lego’s build out?

Those are my top 5.  If you have any others, add them in the comments and we’ll post them on the site (if they’re actually utility-based or you can make a strong enough argument for it