augmented reality

Augmented reality is everywhere, from cars to advertisements, even magazines. But if these cookies are actually real, they may be the coolest example of augmented reality I've seen.

While they won't work for you and me, one crafty design student created a recipe for augmented reality cookies that, when followed explicitly, produces cookies that "come to life" in front of a webcam. He posted detailed instructions — as well as a video of the completed cookies — on his blog. To see what you'd need to make these work, just read more.

• Steve Jobs explains his position on Flash — Apple
• Little kids perform The Hills — Urlesque
• An LED lamp inspired by Avatar — Unplggd
• Augmented reality floor tiles turn your basement into a beach — Dvice
• Best and worst hotel WiFi — Gizmodo
• The 25-year-old who live blogged her death — Lemondrop
• Jon Stewart weighs in on the Gizmodo/Apple fiasco — Mashable

• It's what you need to know: five safe sexting tips for adults — Urlesque
• The t-shirts you can wear to support the robot uprising — io9
• Seven ways to make your home office look less like a cubicle — Unplggd
• Warner Bros. hiring students to spy on torrenters — Gizmodo
• Augmented reality pop-up books from Korea — Dvice
• Get your Lost bobblehead toys while they last! — PopCandy

Source: Flickr user quinn.anya

The good thing about living in California is that Disneyland is only a few hours' drive away. I recently turned a long weekend into a Disney getaway and found out just how geeky the park is really getting. Besides bringing back the 3D version of Captain EO, Tomorrowland is boasting a new augmented reality mirror to help the kids see into the future of technology and try on a few new outfits (without entering a dressing room) while they're at it. Now, this demo was totally directed at the little ones, but us grownup geeks were pretty taken by how seamlessly the virtual clothes moved on the Disney cast member in the AR mirror. See what I mean in the video below!

• Rounding up the best DSLR packs from the high-tech to the highly mobile — Switched
• The Noteput: if Beethoven designed the Microsoft surface — Gizmodo
• Augmented reality tattoo turns your body into virtual art — Dvice
• Is your ereader damaging your eyes? — Unplggd
• The Brick Lamp is minimalist chic — Oh Gizmo!
• The Nikon Coolpix P100 reviewed — Crave

• Bus drivers and truckers are now banned from texting while driving — Switched
• Air New Zealand is the geekiest airline ever (even in coach). Sorry, Virgin. — Gizmodo
• I gotta get my hands on these Helvetica cookie cutters — Unplggd
• Adidas can't stop, won't stop at Star Wars shoes. They're now selling augmented reality-enhanced sneaks — Kotaku
• Bill Gates lets loose at Robert Redford's Sundance party — The Social

I know it's only Tuesday, but everyone can appreciate a good drinking app, am I right? Did you happen to catch the Android 1001 Cocktails App from last week that helps Android owners mix-up some fancy cocktails?

Well the latest comes from Stella Artois, which is pretty clever since it utilizes the same augmented reality feature that the latest Yelp app boasts (yes, you need an iPhone 3GS since it's dependent on your phone's GPS and compass). With this free Le Bar Guide app, you can see which bars and pubs closest to you offer the Belgian brew, Stella Artois. It's currently only available in the US, but international databases are in the works. Can I just say how much I love that this photo is of a street I used to live near in London?

Augmented reality seems to be the next big thing on the tech horizon — already new apps and even umbrellas are using the technology — and it doesn't seem to be in short supply either. Just after we learned that Esquire will be using augmented reality in their upcoming issue, I realized that James Cameron has also harnessed the feature to promote his next big blockbuster. Every time you buy an Avatar product — whether it be an action figure or a branded can of Coke — you can use your webcam to have some fun with 3D right in your home. Just hold the product up to your webcam, and you'll see a interactive 3D character on your screen. Sure, you can't do much with a 3D character, but it might make me pick up a can of soda next time I hit the convenience store!

In addition, the latest three minute Avatar trailer was released over the weekend to the "world's largest trailer-viewing audience", proving that Mr. Cameron is willing to use a pretty big bag of tech tricks to get our butts in the theater next month!

The December issue of Esquire magazine has a little geeky extra built right in. It features augmented reality technology on its cover and several inside pages, meaning that when you hold those pages up to a webcam, they'll "come alive" in 3D, with flying text and images.

Esquire teases the feature on their cover, calling it a "Living, breathing, moving, talking magazine." It's not the magazine's first geeky cover; for their 75th anniversary issue, they featured a blinking cover using e-ink. While the augmented reality concept isn't new, it's a first for magazines, and I think it's a pretty cool update to a traditional print medium. The augmented reality issue will be available at newsstands on Nov. 9.