You can experience it here.

By downloading a simple plugin, and accessing the users webcam, the Skullcandy Virtual Room tracks the users eyes and displays live footage wearing a 3-D virtual model of the headphones back on the screen.

The Virtual Room 3-D viewer utilizes new eye tracking technology that has only been executed successfully a handful of instances and was developed in conjunction with digital agency Rain (www.mediarain.com), a technology pioneer in the mobile app and web development space.

“We’re letting you see what our headphones look like from any angle, on your actual head, before you buy. This is some crazy stuff that’s never been done in our space…and could absolutely change the online retail shopping experience.” said Brett Barlow, Director of Interactive and Marketing Operations at Skullcandy.

To see a demo or try The Skullcandy Virtual Room for yourself, visit http://www.skullcandy.com/AR and see how good you look in your own pair.

Augmented reality is all the rage in the smartphone world, but is this something IT professionals should actually be planning for or yet another over-hyped science project? My bet is on the former.

With behemoths like Cisco believing augmented reality (AR) is the “future of shopping” and BMW considering it the “future of car repair,” your organization runs the risk of being left behind if you sit this trend out.

[...]

If you haven’t started planning for AR, here are five reasons you should start – today:

1. You’re probably already using AR

Defining AR can be a bit tricky, with anyone wanting to capitalize on the trend calling their solution an AR one. We’ve seen this before with any number of tech trends, with terms like “cloud,” “mobile” and “social networking” slapped on anything and everything.

Often, this is marketing b.s. Sometimes, though, the adoption of terminology related to a hot trend signals an important shift. I’m going to go out on a limb and bet that this is the case with AR.

“One of the earliest uses of augmented reality that masses of people encountered was with NFL games,” said Mike Schaiman, Managing Partner and co-founder of Helios Interactive Technology, an AR and interactive display company. “The yellow line indicating the first-down marker is augmented reality.”

Schaiman defines AR as any intersection of the digital, or virtual, world with the real one. By defining AR this broadly, many previous technology trends, such as location-based services and gesture recognition, would be lumped in as AR.

I agree with the definition to a point, sort of like how australopithecus africanus can be defined as early humans, but, well, it’s not really accurate to call them “human.” Schaiman’s broad definition makes an argument, though. AR is here; it’s been around in some form or other for quite some time, and each time it evolves end users benefit.

Think of a wildly popular example, yet one not typically thought of as AR: the Wii. The Wii changed gaming and lured entirely new consumer segments into the gaming world.

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L’Usine employs over 1500 people and serves almost 70 percent of all stores and retail chains in Saudi Arabia. L’usine currently produces 35 different products divided into five categories: Bread, pastries, cakes, mamoul and sambousa. The pastry line commands over 55 percent of the pastry category.

The experience is divided in 2 steps :

Packaging recognition : to activate the game you have to present of one the packaging to your webcam. (download packagings here).

Hand Tracking Control : to control the Tasbeera man, just use your hand on the screen!

Feel free to experience it and share your score on your Facebook account and on TI’s Facebook page !

We are currently looking for Los Angeles-based Contractor engineers who are proficient in C++, Java, or Lua scripting to learn additional skills in our proprietary software platform (D’Fusion) in order to perform contract work for Total Immersion.

We will pay to train experienced C++, Java, or Lua programmers for 2 days on our exciting AR technology.  The pay rate for the two-day training will be $100/day.

The training will take place on Tuesday, October 12^th and Wednesday, October 13^th (Dates subject to change.)

Once trained, TI services team will identify opportunities for you to work on-site on specific projects on a Contractor basis.  Salary DOE.

The ideal candidate will:

• Have 1-3 years of game developer experience preferred.
• Have experience with 3D and 2D (preferred.)
• Have experience with Lua, C++ or Java.  Ogre experience also a plus.
• Understanding of real time video formats and aspect ratios
• Work with Design and Engineering team to create the best solutions to quickly integrate our software on the customer end.
• React to design changes quickly with support for new or changed features.

****CANDIDATE MUST HAVE LEGAL ABILTY TO WORK IN US.

****CANDIDATE MUST BE AVAILABLE TO ATTEND TRAINING ON Tuesday, August 17^th and Wednesday, August 18^th IN LOS ANGELES in order to be considered for the position.

****CANDIDATE MUST BE LOCAL LOS ANGELES AREA RESIDENT

If interested, please submit your resume and cover letter to melissa.mcmanigal@t-immersion.com

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VTC Solution (VTCS) is providing most of the Greentech, Engineering & Scientific virtual simulation solutions and consulting to various of industries ( automotive, aerospace, marine, oil & gas, home appliance, research centre, universities…) in the Asia region.

With the creative Augmented Reality technology like D’Fusion experience through hybrid marketing media ( stage presentation, website, mobile phone..), we able to synergize the power of Advanced Marketing ( with AR) and other technology solutions for our clients to create the new wave or de factor in their specific industry.
“ Synergize Quality with Advanced Marketing Technology ”

As kids in the U.S. begin that annual back-to-school ritual, Total Immersion has joined forces with two environmental organizations to bring an engaging lesson in eco awareness to children visiting SEA Lab in Redondo Beach, just south of Los Angeles.

In association with the Montrose Settlements Restoration Program and Pavement LA, Total Immersion developed an environmental kiosk that uses AR to teach kids about pollution and its effects on wildlife and the environment.  DDTs and PCBs dumped in the ocean near Los Angeles decades ago continue to contaminate natural resources in the area.  The Montrose Settlements Restoration Program is taking action to restore these resources.

Kiosk visitors can sample any of three augmented reality experiences, each accompanied by an embedded informational video.  As kids witness the nesting habits of bald eagles, they learn about the lingering impact of DDT on the species.  A separate vignette highlights habitat restoration among native seabirds, known as murrelets, while a third promotes safe fishing via an animated look at the white croaker, a fish at risk from DDTs and PCBs that are still found in the sand and mud on the ocean bottom.

Mariah Carey’s Lollipop Bling Augmented Reality Tour. The AR, powered by our D’Fusion software, was created by Total Immersion in conjunction with Click 3X for Elizabeth Arden.

Heritage Prod proposes the promotion of prestigious sites and historical monuments using Augmented Reality technologies as well as real time 3D and films in 3D.

A bicultural background and years of experience in the IT and software industry gave Daiji Hanaoka the preparation he needed to establish and run the Tokyo office of Total Immersion. He and his staff are at the cutting edge of an exciting young industry called AR, or augmented reality, working with both Japanese and multinational clients across a broad range of industries.

What is your background and how did you arrive at your current position?

I grew up in Paris, France as a half French and Japanese national, and I arrived in Tokyo in 1997 when I was 20 years old. I did a few part time jobs before I found my vocation in sales, marketing, business development, and management. For more than ten years I have worked in the computer and software industry. I had a few sales management positions in leading software business applications companies including Hyperion (now Oracle), Cartesis (now SAP), and Nuance Communications. In April of this year I decided to stop working in the business applications area in order to join the leading AR (augmented reality) solutions company, called Total Immersion, and to set up their Japanese operation.

Can you tell us a bit about your company?

Total Immersion is the global leader in AR and a pioneer in commercializing this technology. Augmented reality technology integrates 3D objects into live video; the video is digitally processed and ‘augmented’ with the 3D components. In other words, this digital processing mixes real and virtual worlds together in real time. Recently, this technology finally reached maturity in the consumer market. The era of social media, web2.0 and announced web3.0, user generated content, internet and mobile generation, interactive and digital immersion associated with favorable devices and network evolutions is today the perfect grounds for massive augmented reality deployments. Total Immersion is now the main AR platform for both computers and mobile phones.

What do you think are the main differences between the Japanese and international markets?

The Japanese market is more specific than the rest of the world, and has to be considered different even from other parts of the Asia Pacific region. Many foreign executives and managers still forget or do not realize this important point. This is mostly due to their isolation on an island and from their cultural background. Even with the arrival of internet, Japan often developed its own standards and platforms. The country is quite reluctant to use global standards, and mostly wants the market to be treated in a local manner. Long term relationships and partnerships are key for the development of a successful business strategy in Japan. There are always key players to work with and rules to respect in order to enter the Japanese market.

I also think that there is a lack of leadership in corporate governance. This is mostly due to the fact that in Japanese culture, decisions are made by a group and not individually. The most challenging thing is to find solutions that reconcile the difference between a company’s business policy and the Japanese culture.

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