In its simplest terms, augmented reality (AR) is the merging of computer-generated imagery within a real-world environment. The most common examples of AR are found on broadcast sporting events. Yellow first down at American football games and world record positions at swimming event are all superimposed onto video to give added information to viewers. Although AR has been around for decades, only recently has the technology become powerful enough for the average person to utilize in any practical manner. Nowadays there are a plethora of websites that create AR through the use of webcams, but my favorite application of the technology has got to be on smartphones. With its built-in video capabilities, today’s smartphones create an amazing amount of opportunities for AR developers.

One question haunts me nearly everyday of the workweek, “What should I eat for lunch?” Applications like Urban Spoon and Yelp are stepping up their game to help in making that ever-so important decision. Both applications now include modes that display info on restaurants viewed through your phone’s camera.

Want to play games on your phone without being totally disconnected from the real world? Firefighter 360 lets you put out flames that spontaneously combust around you.

If you’re going to waste a few minutes out of your day, why not feel like a hero doing it? With Sky Siege you can shoot down planes and cause destruction wherever you happen to be pointing your phone’s camera, even around your coworker’s head.

Or become a graffiti artist without the pesky fear of being caught by the cops! Virtual Graffiti allows you to stick it to the man in relative safety. Take a picture and tag up whatever you’re looking at on your phone. Then upload it for other virtual taggers in the area to see how awesome and rebellious you are.

For the avid hiker, the theodolite app can use your camera to tell you exactly where you are. It acts as compass, GPS, map, and inclinometer.

Should you find yourself gazing at the stars you can use Star Chart to tell you what constellation you are looking at.

Never forget where you parked your car again with Car Finder. Set a visual marker on where you have parked. There are other apps that can direct you via satellite, but it is much cooler to find on a real-life display.

Should you find yourself lost in a Spanish speaking country without knowing the language make sure to have Word Lens on your phone. This amazing app recognizes text through your phone’s camera and will track and replace it with translated text. Now you can confidently find your way around without calling attention to your gringo status.

Nielsen Reports currently places an average person’s time online at 60 hours a month. This equates to an entire month out of a year and that number is poised to go up.  AR provides an entirely new level of interactivity by bringing the best that the digital world has to offer to our current reality. No longer are we bound by physical limitations. If it can be thought up it can be created in AR through a camera phone. For better or worse the line between these two worlds are becoming increasingly blurred. With the pace of our technology it may be that someday all information one can ever hope to learn will be delivered via smart phone and enhanced with AR.

–Vu N.