Top 7 Augmented Reality Apps

Augmented reality apps are still very new, and while they may be only beginning to transform our lives, taking a look at whatâ??s out there now gives us an idea for their full future potential. These apps have the ability to blur the line between reality and imagination, and can literally transform the world around us by adding new information or exploring hypothetical possibilities in an interactive way. This sophisticated technology is already available to use on your iPhone, iPad or Android phone now. Check out 7 of the top augmented reality apps which are both useful and fun.

1. Acrossair. This augmented reality application allows you to overlay useful information on your surroundings when you hold up your phone. You can choose to overlay only what you want to seeâ??information on restaurants, hotels, movie theaters and more. Itâ??s like overlaying information from an online map onto your physical surroundings so you can see relevant destinations in your immediate surroundings.

2. SnapShop Showroom. This app lets you overlay furniture items from online catalogs onto rooms in your house so that you can see what the item would look like were you to buy it and physically install it in your house. Itâ??s a great way to test a major purchase visually before buying it.

3. Star Chart. Try using Star Chart the next time youâ??re looking up at the heavens and youâ??re wondering, â??What is that bright star? Is that a planet? Which constellation is that?â? Star Chart will overlay a constellation map on top of the sky you see. You can also tap on any celestial object you see for more information.

4. Peaks. Likewise, if you enjoy hiking, you probably have looked out across the landscape many times and asked yourself which mountain peaks youâ??re looking at. Peaks will label them appropriately so you can tell instantly which mountains youâ??re seeing.

5. Spot Crime. This interesting app shows you where crimes have recently occurred around your vicinity.

6. Sea Breeze 3D. This app is great for anyone who lives in a windy area (such as a coastal region). It will overlay information about the wind direction and speed and other weather conditions in your area.

7. Barbershop HD. Thinking about shaving a beard, growing a beard, or growing a mustache? Making changes to hair, especially facial hair, can drastically alter your appearance, which is why itâ??s great to be able to see what the effect might be before you actually decide to try it. Of course, the results you see on the screen would depend on you purchasing a useful pre shave and other shaving products to ensure that you achieve the best result in real life.

So there you go. Augmented reality may be in its infancy, but already it is transforming the way we look at the world and at ourselves. Augmented reality can fill in information about things which we canâ??t see at a glance, like stars, mountain peaks and weather conditions. It can also tell us something about future possibilitiesâ??what a room would look like with a new sofa or bed, or what you would look like if you decided to grow a beard.

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