Layar Reality Browser review

Damien McFerran

We review Layar Reality Browser - one of the first "augmented reality" search tools to hit the Android platform

Rating:

Verdict: Layer Reality Browser has bags of potential and could revolutionise the manner in which we search our surroundings, but there's still some work to be done before it becomes a truly essential application

Platform: Android

Pros: Supports a decent range of "layers" each with its own unique information. The concept is geniunely exciting and makes browsing the world around you a more interesting experience than simply looking at a 2D map

Cons: The app struggles when there's a lot of data on-screen and the high amount of lag when moving around can be disorientating

Version: 2.1

Publisher: Layar

Price: Free

More Info: http://layar.com

There was a time when finding your local Chinese restaurant was a case of simply leafing through the Yellow Pages but in today’s high-tech world performing such an act would probably result in you getting mocked openly by net-savvy youngsters.

These days all of the information you could possibly require is at your fingertips; services like Yelp, Where and Google Maps contain information about everything from taxi cab firms to pizza parlours, and all of it is displayed helpfully on a map for you to peruse.

However, even this impressive system is being made to look out of date by the latest concept on the virtual block: Augmented Reality.

It may sound like something out of a Sci-Fi movie but it’s essentially a way of displaying information about places around you in a more intuitive manner. For example, if you searched for that previously mentioned Chinese takeaway, your phone would take the live image feed generated by its camera and show you – in real time – the location (and distance) of the eatery. To get there, you would simply have to hold your phone aloft and walk in the direction specified.

Layar’s Reality Browser is just one of the many apps available that offers this kind of functionality, but it doesn’t end with just looking for local businesses or restaurants. Reality Browser is also able to communicate with other data providers – such as Twitter, Wikipedia and Flickr – to present all kinds of information.

For example, if someone has taken a photo of a nearby building and geo-tagged it in Flickr, Reality Brower will display it for you as you walk past. Likewise, if the town you’re visiting has an entry on Wikipedia you can quickly consult it and learn about the settlement’s history, thereby arming yourself with some small-talk if you happen to be accosted by one of the locals.

It’s a very grand idea and obviously has bags of potential, but after using Reality Browser we can’t help but feel that technology has some way to go before we’re seamlessly navigating the world around us using nothing but our phones. The app is quite slow and if you have several different layers switched on at once, getting the relevant information is quite time-consuming.

Still, it’s an app that is sure to impress your friends and given time the developer may well be able to streamline the interface and make it more efficient. If you’re bored with the usual methods of searching for local points of interest or you merely want to explore your area with a fresh set of eyes, then this is a recommended download.