If there’s a kind of apps which evolution has amazed us in the last times, that’s it Augmented Reality (AR) apps. From mere emerging software projects few months ago, they’ve become a reality today. The development of high-end smartphones has been the pre-condition for making it happens. So here we are. Although the uses of AR apps are growing day by day (games, advertising,…), the original application has been searching nearby places and resources. Actually, that’s the issue in which AR apps have been further evolved. And that’s the kind we’re reviewing in this post. Let’s zoom in it!

Layar

We’re starting from the most complete app in this regard: Layar. The amount of layers (500+), its 35 different categories, its good-looking layout and its ease of use raise it to the top. You can search nearby accommodation, museums, city tours, dating, employment, Health, Tweets around, sports and leisure… among many other resources. Seeking out with Layars is as easy as applying as many layers as you want and hold your phone up. Aim with your camera around and walk to the places. There’s a list an a map view, the distance to the place, comments and rating from other users and integration with sharing resources. Hundreds of databases made layers up and the amount of info available it’s huge, no matter which country you are.

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Wikitude Let’s say that Wikitude is the little brother of Layar. However, it’s growing up fast despite of it has released later. Wikitude is a multiplatform app that uses geolocation to find places and resources in AR. Thus, it’s works similar to Layar, but it provides some innovative resources. For instance, it calls each layer “World”. There are hundreds of them, although not as many as in Layar. From our point of view,Wikitude’s layout is better: it provides a dashboard for a fast access to your favorites resources. It has full integration with social media resources: Flickr, Youtube, Twitter, Facebook and above all, with Wikipedia entries. We liked the bar to choose the searching distance, and the map/list view, as well as the ease of sharing places. However, accuracy could be improved and more layers are always welcomed. Wikitude was featured in one of our videoreviews.

Lookator Finally, an specific-feature AR app. Layar and Wikitude aim to cover all searching resources by applying layouts. However there are some specific apps which make a category up by themselves. That’s Lookator’s case: an app for searching WiFi hotspots nearby by using AR technology. This is specially useful in this moment due to smartphones are spreading and there are coming up thousands of bars, restaurants, libraries and other local places with free WiFi access. A light app for a specific purpose set in a user-friendly UI. Interesting use of AR. .

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Today is the day when we exit our common world and step into the augmented reality universe. Here, in AndroidZoom, we’ve come across three apps that feature this kind of great experience and we want to share them with all of you.

The first one is called Augment and it helps you picture how a wallpaper would fit in your wall (although you can replace the concepts “wallpaper” and “wall” for anything else) just by using a special marker and setting it where you want it to be. The application can be used to decorate your bedroom or even as a tool for interior decorators, so it’s pretty useful altogether. If you aren’t anyone in the trade, don’t worry, Augment has a gallery of 3D items -and the option to create your own- to play around between the real world and the augmented one.

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On the other hand, our next augmented reality applications are not tools but actually entertaining games that offer a brand new way of playing with your devices.

AR Blitz is a simple game where you need to print out the marker and start playing the game by trying to hit all the shapes that keep coming out of the holes. Although this game needs some improvements in terms of playability, it definitely has potential and could become a great and innovative app. It’s interesting because you can easily let your imagination run wild and try to foresee how future augmented reality games will be. .

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Chinese Butterflies, seems even a weirder game at first (catching butterflies?), but it turns out to be a really entertaining and fun application for everyone. Your goal is, as we just said, to catch as many butterflies as possible by following the green arrows that appear on screen and turning your phone down quickly -as if it was a butterfly net- once you spot one.

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With these three applications, we want to encourage you to take a little break from the usual and try these innovative experiences in the augmented reality world.

What do you think about them? What does the future hold for us?

Why sharing the place? This is one of the issues that raise people’s hackles, specially that people that overprotect their privacy. Although there are some sensible reasons to fear it, there are some advantages of sharing location. First off, it talks about you. Sharing your fan pages, status or interest is a way to show the others who you are. Sharing where you are chases the same goal. Second, it’s a way of rating a place. The more visits a place gets, the more popular it becomes. What’s more, you can even review the place. That’s a reference for new visitors. Finally, it has become a game. The success of most of the location-based social networks lies on the badges system. As you check-in places, you unlock badges that make you earn points, deals or special status. A real-life game.

Foursquare

Let’s start with the most popular: Foursquare, a location-based social network. It’s probably the first that integrated the badge system. Badges are like achievements: first time you check-in you unlock the “Newbie” badge, if you check-in the gym everyday you will the “Gym Rat” badge, if you share your check-ins all the time you will unlock “Socialite” badge, etc. There are up to 35 badges to unlock. What’s more, you can get the “mayorship” of a place if you are the one that checks-in most there. Some places make special discounts and deals for its mayors. Finally, you will earn points for check-ins and unlocking badges. You can also add friends or import them from Twitter and Facebook. Actually you can share you check-ins, badges, and other status through these social networks. You can view the nearby or trendy places, comments posted by users, and how have they rated it, the same way that they can read and view yours. Foursquare has become the standard, with all the ensuing good and bad consequences.

Geosocials

Geosocials works quite similar to Foursquare but it gives more importance to the game. Actually, this is a new concept of game based on social network and location. It makes the whole world becoming a board (although you will play most nearby your location). What you have to do is to collect diamonds and treasures that people dropped in the street. You can drop some as well (you get 25 by default, but this increases as you collect diamonds from other people). No matter where you’re, in a bus, at school, work… you can drop and collect treasures wherever. Try to drop it in interesting and beautiful places to challenge your friends. You can see on the map other GeoSocials users. Check their profile out and add them as friends if you want to. Send them a message if you just want to say something to them. This way you can socialize while playing. There’s a dashboard where you can track how many diamonds, treasures or locations you have. Check your position on the online leaderboards. It isn’t crazy for us to think that somewhen in the near future, any chain of shops will promote itself thanks to Geosocials or any other Geosocials-like game.

FollowMe

This app is a bit different, although equally useful. FollowMe uses the GPS to track your routes. You can check-in places and add photos and comments. Once you’ve complete the route, you can share it with your friends. It’s useful because it allows you both to recommend your friends specific routes and places, and let them know what you’re doing in your day-to-day or holidays. You can share your routes via e-mail or post it in Facebook. Full integration with Google Earth. It’s interesting that when we have just started to play around places, there’s someone who starts to talk about playing with routes. Will be mixing routes and times the next step?

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While you enjoy any of the aforementioned apps, don’t forget that our awesome Facebook contest, AndroidZoom Cartoons, is still going. This week we’ve androidified Captain Tsubasa / Flash Kicker, that series from the 90s based on soccer, friendship and never ending shots in the time lost of the extra time. You’re on time to propose witty comments and like your favorites.

Happy location-sharing apps discovery!