This may be vaporware but it would certainly be useful to find coworking facilities and wifi when you get to a new place.

Worksnug:

WorkSnug is an Augmented Reality application for the iPhone 3GS. It connects mobile workers to the nearest and best places to work.

We’ve personally reviewed hundreds of places to work and offer personal observations, a guide to power provision, atmosphere, noise levels and even the quality of the coffee. WorkSnug launches in London first, San Francisco soon after and will spread across the globe during late 2009.

[WorkSnug]

If you didn’t think Augmented Reality was a big deal you need to watch this talk. BTW, Bruce Sterling is a living god. The guy is off the charts brilliant.

I want this shirt:

[photo by thomaspurves]

“Augmented ID is a TAT concept that visualizes the digital identities of people you meet in real life. With a mobile device and face recognition software from Polar Rose, Augmented ID enables you to discover selected information about people around you. All users control their own augmented appearance, by selecting the content and social network links they want show to others. Modifying your augmented ID is easier than fixing your hair in real life and, of course, TAT Cascades will make sure you look great! ”

All we need now is a big brother style database of face photos… Oh wait we have Facebook already!

[TAT | YouTube]

“The World’s First Augmented Reality Browser. Layar is a free application on your mobile phone which shows you what is around you by displaying real time digital information on top of reality though the camera of the mobile phone.”

[Layar]

Augmented reality meets sketchup in this short film by Bruce Branit.

[Bruce Branit | Vimeo]

I’m not sure if this is the first augmented reality marketing campaign ever but it’s the first I’ve seen. The folks at GE obviously want a slice of the ’smart grid’ action. This campaign is super slick and has an incredible website. It’s worth checking out so follow the links below:

[GE Smart Grid Augmented Reality | YouTube]

[vimeo | papervision]

“Carcade is a concept for an in-car videogame for the passengers, which captures the landscape and uses it as a videogame environment. Existing objects, for example trees and architecture, are recognized by the camera and enhanced by videogame assets. The game is influenced by the manner of driving of the car. If the driver accelerates, the game becomes increasingly difficult. If the car comes to a stop a different game situation evolves. We developed a small game concept and a functional prototype, with which we did a test drive on the street. A webcam is connected to a laptop running camera tracking software which recognizes the horizon and objects in the environment. The player has to maneuver a spaceship and collect points whilst trying to avoid crashing into oncoming enemies.”

[Carcade | Oh Gizmo | via DVICE]

Japanese company Tonchidot makers of iPhone Applications have come out with a Social Tagging Device that tags a point in the real world using any or all of the media resources.

[Neil Duckett]