Author: Lucy

Augmented reality book to launched by Crimson Publishing

| February 9, 2013

augmented reality bookThe printed business publication includes AR technology in its jacket.

Crimson Publishing has partnered up with the Aurasma app in order to add its latest publication to the growing number of books that are including augmented reality features on their covers and in their pages.

In this case, it is on the jacket cover of the business book that the advanced features can be found.

The book will be available for sale as of March 2013. It was written by technology reporter Kate Russell and is entitled Working the Cloud. In order to make the augmented reality feature work, smartphone and tablet users need to download the Aurasma application onto the device. Once it has been installed and opened, the camera of the device must be pointed at the jacket of the book. This launches a video introduction to the book and discusses its contents.

Though still relatively uncommon, the number of print books being published with augmented reality elements is on the grow.

According to the book’s author “I’ve been reporting on this kind of development for a few years and it’s very exciting to now become part of an augmented reality experience myself.” She also went on to say that “It’s like having a video teaser embedded into the cover of a physical book and I’m thrilled to have such a skilled producer as Aurasma working on this with me.”

The augmented reality video uses the technology to make it look as though Russell is crawling her way right out of the graphics and bumping the title letter graphics aside as she prepares to introduce the product.

This is a concept that is quite similar to another publication by Goosebottom Books, called “Horrible Hauntings” which was only recently released. Each of the legendary characters had an augmented reality that made them appear to come to life.

Even the Guinness Book of World Records jumped on the augmented reality bandwagon for its 2013 edition, which added around half a dozen AR elements to its pages for an enhanced experience for its readers. It is expected that as the popularity of smartphones and tablets grow, so will this type of trend.

QR codes with nutrition information added to Nestle packaging

| February 7, 2013

QR Codes NestleThe barcodes will be launched for use by consumers in the United Kingdom, first.

Nestlé has just announced that it is updating its packaging to provide a more mobile friendly experience through the use of QR codes that will provide consumers with nutrition and other relevant information.

Scanning the barcode also reveals the social and environmental impacts of the company’s products.

The first consumers who will have access to these new packages that feature QR codes will be those in the United Kingdom. They will be available on the multipacks of the Kit-Kat two finger chocolate bars in Ireland and England. Consumers will be able to read more about the ingredients that make up the product and how they can be enjoyed as a part of a balanced diet and more healthy lifestyle.

The QR codes also reveal how the chocolate bars were produced to bring them to their store shelves.

The Nestlé product QR codes will direct consumers to mobile friendly websites which contain farm more information than could ever be printed onto the actual product labels on the packaging. The company intends to spread the use of these quick response barcodes across all of the products that it has to offer, and is only getting started with the U.K. and the Kit-Kat bars.

The goal is to help its customers to enjoy its products through more informed choices about what they are purchasing and eating. According to the head of strategic business units, marketing, and sales at Nestlé, Patrice Bula, “We hope that consumers, wherever they are in the world, will use these QR codes to learn more about our products.”

Bula went on to say that “We have a wealth of information about the nutritional value and the environmental and social impacts of what we produce, and it makes sense to share that with consumers.”

A simple scan of the QR codes using a smartphone or tablet that has a free scanning app will allow consumers to obtain added information about how to live a healthier lifestyle in general, even with the occasional treat such as a Kit-Kat. It includes guidance about proper portion control, healthier recipes, and the role that all of this plays in a balanced overall diet and lifestyle.