This year Augmented Reality (AR) is becoming huge hype worldwide. We have seen first creative solutions by most forward looking and innovative marketing people.

AR is a way to link physical world to the virtual world, whether trough markers or gesture recognition. Simply put it ads rich media (video, 3d…) to live video picture of reality. AR comes at different levels: from simple physical world hyper linking to sophisticated augmented vision.  In broadest sense of view we could account well known bar codes system or systems of image recognition such as company logo as AR that link to the website for more information or video. The hottest trend right now is the marker based AR connected to graphics on top of web cam live video, basically the first level of AR. Emerging trends are mobile device AR, followed by 3D object recognition and connected to GPS.

Next big thing will be markerless AR linked to 3D object, gesture, person or movement recognition. This is still in development but you can se some in UNIKI projects. As a technological specialist in intelligent media UNIKI has already been working on projects using augmented reality in past year. UNIKI has developed AR projects at first level (markers) and future levels (gesture recognition).

UNIKI is looking forward to develop augmented reality according to your needs http://www.uniki.si/augmentedreality.

Some hot international campaigns:
Toyota IQ
Benetton catalogue
Tissot watches

Publishing Expo – the must attend event for anyone working in the changing world of publishing - will take place at Olympia, London from 24th – 25th February. UNIKI will present their solution for Magazine page flipping without a single touch uni.flip together with partner Citadela and their advanced technologiy for digital magazines eDition.

Publishing Expo combines a showcase of suppliers demonstrating exciting new products with a free education programme incorporating seminars, workshops and demonstrations, all offering the latest up to date information. It attracts thousands of publishing professionals involved in producing magazines, newspapers, brochures, newsletters, directories and catalogues – covering print, digital, electronic and online. It offers the latest ideas, the contacts, the products, the services and solutions to enable publishing teams to compete effectively in their markets. This year Expo will feature more exhibitors, more seminars and workshops – and more visitors, all coming to do business at what is the UK’s only dedicated exhibition for publishing professionals.

Looking forward to see you!

More info: http://www.publishing-expo.co.uk

Digital Signage Association (DSA) published The top 10 digital signage trends that will shape the market of digital out-of-home market in 2009. According to Keith Kelsen, chair of the Content Committee for the DSA, one of the huge trends will be interactivity with cell phones, touch screens, floor screens, window touch screens and gesture-enabled interaction. “Interactive technologies will propel the industry to enhance new consumer experiences, because the engagement of the consumer adds tactile to visual, and helps to create an emotional connection with the brand and product,” says Kelsen. Furthermore measurement of data collected from interactive solutions, will give another powerful asset in the form of market intelligence and direct consumer feedback for marketers and agencies.

The other forces that will determine the development of DOOH are: Focus on content not hardware; Traditional broadcasters getting into marketplace; Agencies awaking to the power of market; Brands shifting money to this market from traditional TV; Cross-platform and interaction with cell phones; Cost of displays is entering next phase of cost down; Consolidation and failures will continue; Growth for the industry is positive despite recession; Data-driven content or ad search (metadata matched for the right time, place, target and behavioral attitudes).

Read more on: digitalsignagetoday.com

Under the banner of A NEW CULTURAL ECONOMY – The Limits of Intellectual Property the 2008 Ars Electronica Festival will take place from from 4th till 9th September. This most important international Festival for Art, Technology and Society will question the interplay of freedom of information and copyright protection, big profit-making opportunities and the vision of an open knowledge-based society. 

The age of copyright and intellectual property has namely reached its expiration date. A development that already manifested itself in the technical fundamentals of the Internet has reared its head in the actual practices of a young generation of users and is bringing forth a new economy of sharing and open access.A nd this is also a matter of practical, workable regulations governing this new reality, rules whose formulation ought not to be left up to lawyers and MBAs alone.

The 2008 CyberArts Exhibition at the OK Center for Contemporary Art will once again showcase this year’s prizewinning projects in the Prix Ars Electronica’s Interactive Art, Digital Communities and Hybrid Art categories. The Ars Electronica Center will be exhibiting works from the u19 – freestyle computing category and also staging the u19 Animation Festival. The Brucknerhaus will be the setting for an exhibition elaborating on the 2008 festival theme, A New Cultural Economy. Intellectual property and copyright issues will also occupy the focal point of two highly diversified exhibitions on the Linz Art University campus and on Pfarrplatz.

UNIKI technology will be at display at Lentos Museum of Modern Art where exhibition Ecology of the Techno Mind presents a selection of works representing Featuring Art Scene, artists who are deploying technology and science as a means of delving into social reality today. Among the projects’ themes are new media, biotechnology, space exploration and the use of computers in the medical field. Ars Electronica will be featuring works by the following artists and artistic groups: Iztok Amon, Marko Batista, skupina BridA umetnikov Tom Kersevan, Jurij Pavlica, Sendi Mango, Miha Ciglar in Nika Autor, Patricia Ando Cvetkovič,Luka Dekleva in Luka Prinčič, Stefan Doepner iz f18instituta, Tomaz Grom, Janez Janša z Aksiomo, Andrej Kamnik v sodelovanju z Markom Pihlar, Sasa J. Maechtig z Uniki, Octex, Marko Peljhan, Borut Savski, Saso Sedlaček, Irena Tomažin, Polona Tratnik, Tao G. Vrhovec Sambolec, Dunja Zupančič & Miha Turšic & Dragan Živadinov.

More about Festival Ars Electronica: www.aec.at