Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Y!kes: Implications for augmented reality

The current take on mobile applications demonstrated through the upcoming software Y!kes is an inspiration for us all. Too long have we lived in Descartes' rendition of cyberspace--a fact that is all the stranger given the ever increasingly pervasive smartphone. How is it that so few people are capitalizing on the capacity for this conveniently sized, networked, computer to augment our day-to-day reality? The answer eludes me. Nevertheless, I think the move Y!kes is taking is a big one, and not just for Hotels.
What Y!kes seeks to do is transform your mobile phone into a networked passport for your evenings away from home. Elevators pick your floor; doors unlock and lock themselves; your bed and breakfast is prepped on arrival at the airport. Surely, this is just the beginning.

I personally see this idea expanding into life in general and, especially, social networking. When you walk into your local store, relevant advertising and specials will pop-up on your phone (e.g., Google, Facebook, Cloudmade). Hotels will start registering you upon entering their establishment. Restaurants will start seating you, give you the menu, and begin ordering your food. Your mobile will create a seamless flow of relation without all the standard wait times and administrative hiccups. And this is just via position. Start scanning audio and this ever expands the framework of anticipation. Add visual scan and augmentation and you are really rolling. Perhaps this may all seem far away, but at the current rate of technological advancement how long, really, is 'far away?'

In the social sphere, I can see networking sites starting to really utilize the presence of the smartphone as Y!kes has. People will be able to scan for live profiles in their immediate vicinity, which will or won't be visible depending on the networks you are associated with. Social interaction will be augmented as individuals will already know each others likes and dislikes, favourite topics of conversation, and more. They will be able to ping one another to invite conversation or be in an 'open' status where meetings are always welcome. They will be notified when friends are close by, assuming they are 'live.' Social reality will be augmented.

So what are you waiting for Developers? Let the technological race begin!