Augmented reality or AR combines a camera, GPS and compass in a smartphone, so that the phone can "recognize" an object or spot that a user is pointing to by computing location data and displaying it on the screen. A traveler points the phone's camera at a particular spot and small icons appear on the screen, representing various points of interest: restaurants, museums, hotels, transit stations. Tapping on the icon renders more information: address, phone number, historical background or Wikipedia description.
Augmented reality is a nifty and fun time-waster, but I don't think it's ready for prime time in its current form. Too often, the icons are twitchy and stacked on top of others, making them difficult to separate and read. AR apps could be more helpful if they could point to a building or a structure and tell travelers what they are looking at or what shops or tenants are inside.
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