Augmented Reality and My Life

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Today’s Blog Post
Augmented Reality and My Life

This subject may well be the turning point where people over 55 will become the Dinosaurs in their community. Simply put people will age must faster than they have been doing in the community up to now… That will be true socially in particular. They will be more and more isolated from the world that is coming.

What a harsh thing to say to most of my friends who are over 55!

When I wrote yesterday about the Mall and the Text Message Teenagers, TMTs – it made no sense to those over 55 – many of whom have never tried to Text from a small Cell Phone. Many of the Oldies will never buy a Cell Phone – because they have no one to call…. Let alone Text they talk over coffee an that is enough for them.

In fact a new generation is about to be developed that will be a “Communicator” – that is only a “Textor”… it will still be like a Cell Phone but never need to send or receive voice messages. It will only send and receive tapped out messages on small keyboards.

And even that will soon change… with no need to even carry a small unit that you type on. Let me explain.

A new term being used is “Augmented Reality” that describes the next generation of computers that have been developed… and are developing now at breakneck speeds.

Anyone over 55 understands the two words – Augmented & Reality… but put together they take on new meaning entirely.

Wikipedia offers definition that reads… quote…
Augmented reality (AR) is a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are merged with (or augmented by) virtual computer-generated imagery - creating a mixed reality. The augmentation is conventionally in real-time and in semantic context with environmental elements, such as sports scores on TV during a match. With the help of advanced AR technology (e.g. adding computer vision and object recognition) the information about the surrounding real world of the user becomes interactive and digitally usable. Artificial information about the environment and the objects in it can be stored and retrieved as an information layer on top of the real world view. The term augmented reality is believed to have been coined in 1990 by Thomas Caudell, an employee of Boeing at the time. End quote.

Now I know that even if you re-read that paragraph three times you likely still cannot grasp what it means. Don’t worry. If it helps you…just about the time that you understand what it could mean it will have changed again and the reality will be new… or not like it was.

You will need an example… for that they have provided some YouTube Videos to help people like us. (But you have to understand what YouTube is and be willing to use it..)

In the first video they demonstrate an AR Jet Fighter. The young fellow is sitting in front of his Lap Top computer(or Desk Top) with a Video Cam. He lifts a simple card that may be about 5 inches square and has a black square on it(this is to help you see what he is holding and it doesn’t need to be this large at all… but rather at this point – only the size of a credit card at the present time).

As he lifts the card a Jet Fighter appears between him and the computer on his Computer Screen… and it flies… engines roaring… and it also shoots missals at himself – but they are not real missals and the air plane doesn’t exist.

Now are you confused? Look at the video link given below under Source.

The Stock Car is too cool. Talk about changing Modeling… The guy simply moves the card and the car can be seen from all sides. And to think that I spent hours building model cars from the plastic pieces in that silly box! – using all that Model Cement!

Now I know you are confused if you haven’t or can’t look at the YouTube of these examples.

Let’s make it easier for some of the Dinosaurs reading…

They now have a “SixthSense augmented reality system lets you project a phone pad onto your hand and phone a friend -- without removing the phone from your pocket.”

And because you need a photo – here it is…

The image of a telephone key pad is projected on to the palm of your hand… and then using your finger located on you other hand – you punch in the number that you want to call.

Sheesh now I know that you are confused!

Now if I have on my Blue Tooth Ear Piece that I now use… adding a very tiny projector to the ear piece… I need only bow my head slightly until the tiny projector spills its image on to my palm… and punch in the numbers. Tada – the call is made.

But that is silly and too much work to make a call. At present I simply reach up and touch the button on my ear piece and the lady in my head asks me what I want her to do… I say, “Call Home” and away she goes – within seconds my wife is talking to me from in my ear.

Why project it on to your hand?

Well if the projection is a Game… I need only hold out my hand to play the game in my palm. Duh!

And for that matter it could be a calculator on my palm!

My life is changing… people are now being put into AR as well. The video below shows the latest super model that has been created in AR.

Imagine – all the kids that are now stuck into Gaming Modes and have little or no contact with real people – will now grow up and be able to meet the most beautiful people in the world. By pushing a button and looking at the chair next to me… or across the table from me… I will be able to have the AR lady of my dreams sit and talk with me – like any other relationship might offer…only she is an AR Person.

NOW I know that you are confused as a Dinosaur. Sorry.

It could and will change church.

You do not need an expensive building at all. You need only have the congregants buy into the program… get the AR Minister, Pastor AR… hold the card in front of the Computer Monitor and Bingo… he will appear… Then all you have to say is “Preach Now” and away he will go.

If you want to sing along you need only touch the song sheet that appears beside the minister… and then make your choice as to which song you will want to worship with…(no more music that you don’t like)…

And if you don’t like the AR Pastor – you select “Change the Pastor”… make him wear whatever you want him to wear… and then tell him what you want him to preach too. The possibilities are unlimited!

There is no need to pass the offering plate either… the cost of the AR Church Unit that you bought to attend an AR Church will include your annual offerings divided into 52 parts a year.

Think of the money we could save and not have to give to support the monster churches that are all around us.

This is the IDEAL CHURCH!

Now I know that you are confused totally. But it is coming. Everything is changing – completely!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Source:
Examples of AR - videos
http://www.e-axis.com/solutions_ar.php
AR Jet Fighter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jptva4S3LwE&feature=player_embedded
AR Car
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n_Asbi6L-Q&NR=1

http://www.howstuffworks.com/augmented-reality.htm
http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/members/members_detail.do?locale=en&ID=13
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality