march-2010

visitors can point their phone at a street
and all the relevant Spotters’ tips appear
on the screen. In this way local knowhow
and the latest technology come
together to give travellers up-to-date, on
the spot, insider information.
However, this is is just the
beginning, as more and more websites
are creating their own augmented
reality content. In Liverpool, there is a
special augmented reality Beatles
discovery tour. Your phone shows you
the way as you go and the tour includes
3-D features you can only see on your
mobile. Point your phone at the Abbey
Road pedestrian crossing, made
famous by the Beatles’ album cover,
and you can see Ringo, John, Paul and
George superimposed on the street.
From here it is a small step to other
3-D features, such as virtual artworks,
which are now starting to make an
appearance. There is nothing to stop
these creations from becoming
attractions in their own right.
“In a few years, augmented reality
will be as common as email today, not
only in mobile phones but also in our
glasses and contact lenses, or it will be
projected from street lamps,” predicts
Kerchmar. “The digital skyline will
become just as important as the urban
landscape,” he adds.
24 hours in
Zagreb
Local Tomislav Perko’s
quick tips
“Go hiking north of Zagreb
around Medvednica
Mountain. Or go to Maksimir
Park for lots of nature,
lakes, and animals – a
paradise if you feel like
walking in the wilderness,
even though it’s right in the
city centre. Have lunch at
Fortuna, and try a local
dish like štrukli (a type of
pastry) or purica s mlincima
(roast turkey with pasta).
On a sunny day, head for
Lake Jarun. That is where
everyone will be.”
For more tips, see
www.spottedbylocals.
com/zagreb
TECH TRAVEL
While benefi ts abound – no
more wrestling with giant paper maps
or traipsing around with your nose
buried in a bulky guide book – what
about serendipity? Surely part of the
fun of travel is to wander around, get a
little lost and stumble upon things
yourself, purely by accident? By always
knowing where we are going, are we
not cutting out the best experiences in
our quest for a fast travel fi x?
“That’s why you have an on and off
button. You can still get lost, but can
fi rst choose the right area to get lost
in – it’s like a controlled random
experience,” says Kerchmar. So in a way
augmented reality is not that different
to plain old reality. You can still take
things as quickly or slowly as you want.
But you have to admit, in the time you
gain from not getting lost, you can
savour an extra course at that idyllic
local restaurant you’ve always been
looking for, but have until now been
unable to fi nd.
www.spottedbylocals.com
www.layar.com
FAST Holland Herald 43