This year has not held positive news for the publishing industry, there have been numerous press releases about publications closing or consolidating. So when I heard about the “augmented reality” feature that Esquire is building into its magazine, I wanted to learn more.
The basic definition is a layer of data (audio, video, graphics and animation) over live video. With webcams on most computers, this technology has been used in other applications - but Esquire put it into their publication for the subscriber.
I went to Esquire's website and watched the brief video on how the marker on the cover turns the magazine into a live video. Not only does Robert Downey Jr. come alive, but there are jokes and fashion pages which change based on the weather.
I am absolutely intrigued and I will be making a stop to pick up my copy of Esquire. It may turn me into a subscriber.
