I don’t know if you noticed, but a parallel Earth has merged with our own, overlapping our reality no matter where we go. I’m talking about the digital realm – the confluence of internet, data, and social networks that we spend so much time with every day. As you walk around, the digital realm comes with you and augmented reality (AR) is your portal to merging that information with the world you see. With AR you can pick up your mobile phone, turn on the camera, and look as icons and virtual objects overlap with the real environment you see on your screen. Mobile AR lets you see reviews for restaurants as you glance up the street, or see new dimensions to the ads and posters around you.

Metaio, based in Munich, is taking AR to the next level. Their free mobile app Junaio seems like just another AR interface. Fire it up, look at the world, see digital information layered on top of it. But Junaio has been downloaded 1.7 million times! Why? Junaio’s attracted 5000 third party developers creating their own personalized layers or “channels” for the app. Channels give Junaio users amazingly detailed AR tools through which they can view their world.

Now Metaio is leveraging that AR marketplace in a great new way, with an AR browser. Junaio 3.0 lets you simply look through your mobile, and press scan – instantly all the channels relevant to what you’re looking at will appear. A barcode – channels about the product will come up, maybe pointing you to the nearest store where you can find it, or the best recipe that uses it. The same thing can happen with a QR code, or a famous piece of art. GPS and compass integration means you can point your mobile anywhere and the relevant channels for the area will instantly appear for you to select from. AR browsing takes thousands of independently created AR channels and turns them into one mighty mobile application. Check out Junaio 3.0 in the video below. Metaio has hit upon an incredible idea, one powerful enough to succeed no matter which company ultimately does it best.

Read the full article at Singularity Hub