Whilst trying out an augmented reality App the other day I was initially impressed but then slightly underwhelmed with it’s real world practicality, I then started to think about really good ways that this could be implemented that could actually be used by millions.

Sat Nav, by now most of  us have it or have at least used it, I’ve noticed a trend towards more realistic looking maps with 3d buildings and landmarks, this I assume is to help the user know where they are and where they’re going!

Maybe Augmented Reality would be the ideal solution, imagine not just seeing a graphical representation of where you are, but what you can actually see yourself, except with directional overlays such as arrows showing you where to turn.

You would see a big tree on the left, and your satnav would display the same image except with an arrow telling you to turn left, which would allow you to have an obvious ‘landmark’ to aim for.

Because many SatNavs are mounted on the windscreen they could be fitted with a camera lens to ‘film’ the view, obviously it would be a good idea to have the option of traditional maps for night driving, or maybe a hybrid view option similar to the google maps page, this could be enabled just as the night colours function is now.

The biggest problem I can see with such a system is matching the live video feed to the on-board mapping, maybe the user would have to perform an initial setup routine to calibrate the device, or maybe future devices would be smart enough to know what angle they have been positioned with the use of tilt sensors?

Will this ever happen? who knows…is it actually a good idea?…well maybe not…(hey I’m just a Web Designer!) but I’m sure other brilliant AR applications will be heading our way pretty soon!

Just got my new 3GS iPhone this week, Yippee!

I had the original iPhone when it was first launched but sold it soon after I got it as I realised it just couldn’t cut it as my full time all-in-one gadget and had to resort to a Pocket PC device…urgh.

This latest iPhone really was worth waiting for and can finally compete with any other smartphone on the market, but there’s one thing that no other mobile phone has and that’s the gorgeous user interface ( and stunning good looks ).

What I’m most impressed with though is the apps, it’s tightly integrated into both the itunes interface and direct from the iPhone, there is a huge range of brilliant applications available for the iPhone and no other mobile device benefits from Apples huge resources and infrastructure.

I was using a Nokia 5800 as my daily mobile device as I couldn’t face getting lost in yet another windows mobile sub-menu to perform the simplest of tasks, to be fair the 5800 is a great phone, it has all the features anyone could really need and is tough enough to take the everyday bumps and knocks, a complete new housing can be purchased for a mere £25, so even a heavily abused 5800 can be made as good as new with a new case.

The trouble is, once you’ve seen and used an iPhone you really won’t want to use any other device, sure the S60 interface is much better than the nightmare that is Windows Mobile, and a device like the 5800 is perfectly adequate, much cheaper and much more sturdy than an iphone, but it just can’t compete with the ease of use and the amazing range of apps available for the iPhone.

One area where the iphone was lacking is a SatNav application, however Navigon have just released their Navigation app and TomTom are soon to release a bracket and app which will finally make the iPhone a viable option as a Multi-use device and is what led me to finally come back to the iPhone.