A step toward Augmented Reality with data over a live image on your smartphone

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As seen in this wired.com article, Augmented Reality is the combination of real world and computer generated data. Most know this as science fiction with examples that movies like Iron Man where the data could be displayed on the helmet glass as Iron Man flys through the air on in cars like the speedometer seen as a head up display on the Chevrolet Corvette.
As seen in this article, the progression toward Augmented Reality is just around the corner. With a Smartphone equipped with a digital camera lens, wireless internet access, GPS and the right software, you could have real time data available on the lcd, just as if you look at a map on Google maps and it can show data and locations of nearby entertainments and dining venues.

This is not science fiction since most of the technology and infrastructure is available to do this, only the software programming as well as higher wireless bandwidth may be necessary. Though we may be years off from having the display on Oakley sunglasses, smart phones as well as free services (like Google funded by online advertising) would be the gateway for this technology to reach consumers.

Like all free services that are location or user based, concerns of privacy will also be an issue. Since a “free” application such as Google services can track your online surfing habits to serve you more relevant ads, Augmented Reality programs could in addition store your GPS locations, interests, favorite locations traveled in real time to a database, which could be analyzed like automobile traffic patterns. From an online advertising perspective, such a device would allow personalized ads while walking through the city as seen in the science fiction movie Minority Report