It looks like Software developers have finally gotten around to combining all of the properties of the newer smartphones into applications that actually make good use of them.

Using a combination of the Camera, GPS and internet technologies found in modern phones, these applications allow metadata to be overlaid over what you can see through your phone cameras lens.

Commercial examples of possible uses of this new technology would be to give an overlay of house specifications including purchase prices of houses seen in the camera lens linked with the GPS, inbuilt compass and the overlay linking to Estate agents websites.

Other uses include virtual tour guide websites and a multitude of similar themes.

There’s talk of “Twitter” type applications showing you where you can meet your friends for coffee nearby, what the latest deals are in the shops you can see in your camera’s viewfinder and loads of other stuff.

The possibilities of this technology are endless but the one that I’m really looking forward to is the augmented gaming.

Real Life Gaming, Now when your kids get to you Fight Back!

AR-Quake, Quake overlaying real life backgrounds.

I want to pepper Cacodemons with shells from my double barrell  while running down O’ Connell Street and use a BFG9000 against a rocket totin’ Hell Demon superboss whose smouldering carcass lies  towering over Limerick’s City hall crushing hapless criminals escaping from the Cells in the courthouse next door.

Or even use my Dragunov to take down “Dirty Willie” from a distance on one of his walks about town and then escaping from his Demon horde made up of Irish Defence Forces.

Dirty Willie in my sights

It’s the way my mind works, I’m sorry.

Ars Technica about AR Baseball Cards.

More information: HERE and HERE