Birth of a Buzzword; Augmented Reality, and Apps for Tech PR

It is a phrase that conjures interesting imagery.

Some might think it is what happens when you have one drink too many.

Others would say people experience this when they become politicians (or when joining the PR profession, for that matter; there are no sacred cows here).

Actually, augmented reality refers to a relatively new class of cellphone apps that superimpose data over visual displays to enrich the viewing experience. I first saw it in action when a buddy of mine proudly showed me his new Google Android phone. Being a geek from way back, of the programming and Trekkie variety, Charles was stoked that he could point his cell phone at the night sky and see the constellations conveniently named and drawn on the display. As he panned across the sky, the display changed to show the ones that were in view.

Being a wordsmith and geek too, I am fascinated by jargon, and like to follow the usage and evolution of buzzwords. I thought I'd search Factiva to find the first mention of the term.  I was surprised to learn that augmented reality has actually been around for quite awhile (the first article, at least in their index, was an EE Times piece about virtual reality from 1992).  So I am apparently incorrect when I refer to the phrase as a new one, or technology that necessarily relates to cellphone apps.

However, as the graphic below shows, usage of the term has skyrocketed recently in comparison to 2001, which is as far back as their chart goes.

I thought I'd explore (with tongue firmly planted in cheek) potential augmented reality apps that could be a boon for those in the tech PR profession:

Real Time Thought Bubbles

This app interprets the incredulous or bored looks of reporters or analysts as they take in demos and PowerPoints and superimposes what they most likely are thinking over their heads like the thought bubbles you see in comics; it can be an invaluable aid to the spokesperson and PR rep.

BS Detector/Crash Saver

Designed to rescue your client when an otherwise great briefing is going off the rails (think software demo crash, or perhaps the hype is going into overdrive). The app superimposes a screen that says "Sorry for the interruption, we will soon return..." or "This is a test of the emergency broadcast system..."

Jargon Translator

This app can be used by the reporter or analyst - it miraculously and in real time translates indecipherable jargon and superimposes it as sub titles.

Comments

[Andrew]

Nice. I'd like to see an app that sends an electronic shock to a highly sensitive area on the body (e.g., genitalia) when using words like: leading, solution, best of breed, etc., in press release and/or pitches.

[rgeller]

Thanks, sounds like a great app to me (would lend a whole new flavor to media training)