Windows of Opportunity
Got backseat boredom? DVD players and Game Boys are so five years ago, but a new concept in rear seat entertainment technology that uses the windows themselves could replace squirminess and snoozing with interactive scribbling, sweeping and pinching. 
General Motors Research and Development put up a challenge before researchers and students from the Future Lab at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Israel. Their task was to conceptualize new ways to help rear seat passengers, particularly children, have a richer experience on the road.
Here is the outcome even though GM has no immediate plans to put the smart glass technology into their vehicles…
Samsung Smart Window
CES is the world's largest consumer technology trade show, at which this year Samsung has unveiled a new "transparent" window screen called "Samsung Smart Window". With this new window Samsung has brought the whole "Minority Report" experience straight into the real world!
The "Samsung Smart Window" is about to go into mass production and we should be able to buy one pretty soon.
Toyota Scion “Microsoft Surface Experience”
Auto Shows are known for innovative implementations of "todays" cutting edge technologies. In fact I experienced some of the cutting edge technologies first hand at the 2011 International Motor Show in Frankfurt.
If you are headed to any of the upcoming Auto Shows late this year or in 2012, chances are you'll get to play with the "Scion Surface Experience" showcasing Toyota's new all electric brand of cars on the latest Microsoft Surface tables.
Toyota's agency, Juxt Interactive has created the "Scion Surface Experience" to enable exploration of the brand's product, racing and cultural affiliations in an unexpected way. A deck of eight "collectible" cards have been created that when placed on the surface reveal photos, video content, regional sales info, and localized events.
When the cards are flipped over, they trigger a piece of a song (e.g. beats, bass or vocals). Placing all eight cards on the Surface at the same time plays the full song and gives guests a chance to remix the song in their own way, reinforcing the self-expression that is core to the Scion brand. Guests can also take their cards home and use them to download digital content related to the Auto Show experience.
The Volkswagen Beetle. Juiced Up.
Volkswagen has made their biggest ever re-vamp of their classic Volkswagen Beetle. With the help of their agency Red Urban, they launched the new VW Beetle through a series of standard billboards, bus shelters and just about every other traditional print-based media property that they could buy. So whats the big deal about that? Well, the twist was that every ad was an Augmented Reality marker that unlocked a 3D experience to the users who downloaded and pointed the custom VW Juiced Up app at the various ads.
The future of Augmented Reality
The Augmented Reality technology has come a long way over the last couple of years. Brands from around the world have been actively using it in their campaigns to engage their target audience. Still we are yet to see it play an everyday role in our life's.
A recent video released by Hidden Creative shows how cellphones or a digital devices can be used to scan ones surrounding and get live information on the spot. The video also demonstrates how augmented reality can overlay objects in a real-life space to help users with renovations by virtually rearranging furniture or configuring the colors virtually...
But before we even get to a future like this, companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft/Nokia, along with their developers, will need to standardize the Augmented Reality experience on their respective platforms. One master app that runs across all the platforms could be the start as right now the app stores are cluttered with a large number of Augmented Reality apps.
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