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3D Social Media Augments Reality with Crowd-Sourced Geo-tags

R. Colin Johnson | Date: 08-26-10 | Comments

The emerging spate of augmented reality apps�of which Sekai Camera is the first�uniquely meld social media, geo-tagging and crowd-sourced entertainment to allow iPhone, iPad and Android smartphone users to look through their handset's camera and see the world around them augmented with informational icons added by other users.

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3D Social Media Augments Reality with Crowd-Sourced Geo-tags - Air Tags Act as Digital Post-its

Called "air tags," these digital Post-its can house text, pictures or voice messages. Originating in Japan, where more than 10 percent of iPhone users downloaded Sekai Camera within the first four days of its announcement, the Tokyo skyline already has thousands of air tags visible through Sekai Camera. To narrow things down, "air filters" allow users to sort through them by type, distance and the time at which they were left. If you see a tag that you particularly like, you can use your air pocket like a bookmark, allowing you to view that air tag later, even when you are no longer at that location. You can also "warp" through space to other locations�such as in other cities around the world�to pan around and see the air tags left there, as well as leave your own. Also, when you encounter other Sekai Camera users, above their heads appear "halo" icons containing their air profile information, similar to your "bio" on Twitter or Facebook, prompting the company to call Sekai Camera "3D social media."

Sekai Camera users can have virtual pets, which mingle together at your feet when you meet another Sekai Camera user (source: Sekai Camera).

Sekai Camera also offers gaming options, such as a digital treasure hunt called Sekai Life that lets you leave a floating log of your travels�a kind of digital breadcrumb trail. Your friends can later follow the trail while viewing your comments and perhaps re-enacting your actions, such as "try the ice cream at this shop, then follow my path down to the pier to eat it." Sekai Camera is also supporting a game called "Kaboom" that allows you to leave virtual bombs for competitors to defuse, and "Hero" (Japanese only for now) that lets you choose a superhero avatar to represent you while you fight to rid the world of air demons.

Games use icons too, such as this fishing game where you try to hook fish icons swimming around courtyards (source: Sekai Camera).

Would you download an augmented reality app onto your smartphone? Let us know below in the comments section.