Remember Tom Cruise using his hands to move data around in the futuristic film “Minority Report”? Well it turns out that this image is not that futuristic after all: you can more or less do it on your iPhone right now.

The key phrase you need to know is “augmented reality”, and it is becoming increasingly mainstream these days as more applications are found and the media keep jumping on the “OMG this is so cool” bandwagon. (Which it is, to be fair). But what is it and how does it work? Put simply, augmented reality (or AR) is a digital overlay on the real world. A camera takes a picture, and then the computer overlays King Kong (or whatever) onto your screen. The cool thing is that this can be done in real time while you’re walking down the street.

This knowledge has existed for years, but its potential is being unleashed by modern phones and handheld devices which have decent cameras and enough power to cope with the demands of processing live video.

Companies are starting to use this technology in all sorts of ways, bringing interactivity to their products, websites and marketing campaigns. A great example is this microsite from General Electric. I suspect it won’t be long before we see AR implementation wherever we go – iPhone apps, storefront displays, advertisements, product websites and on our TV screens. Need to know how you’d look in those new shades you want to buy from a website? Why not try them on, Sir…

I wonder how long before Minority Report looks distinctly old skool…

GE’s EcoImagination Microsite

Zombie shooter played around a desktop map

Realtime data as you walk the street.