I have seen so many mobile applications in the past few years come across my desk, all accompanied by grandiose claims on how it will revolutionise the way we search for property.
However, maybe, just maybe, someone might be into something here. It is called Layar and it has been developed by an innovative team of Dutch developers at www.sprxmobile.com
How it works
Layar is derived from location based services and works on mobile phones that include a camera, GPS and a compass. Layar is first avaliable for handsets with the Android operating system (the G1 and HTC Magic). It works as follows: Starting up the Layar application automatically activates the camera. The embedded GPS automatically knows the location of the phone and the compass determines in which direction the phone is facing. Each partner provides a set of location coordinates with relevant information which forms a digital layer. By tapping the side of the screen the user easily switches between layers. This makes Layar a new type of browser which combines digital and reality, which offers an augmented view of the world.
Can it work as a standalone tool? I don’t know, but I would say Google, MSN and Yahoo would be very interested in the technology. Maybe the technology could work integrated into a mobile browser or tool. I just love the innovation though. Just imagine the uses for it!