This article was first published in the August 2015 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online
Skignz is using augmented reality to create signposts in the sky. Available on iOS and Android devices, the startup's app is the latest in a wave of "serious" AR products which companies such as Blippar are also working on. "Up to now, augmented reality has presented itself as an image search engine," says skignz co-founder Si Brown, 40. "We want to use geolocation to combine maps and search."
Skignz users can place a virtual pin on objects -- pop one above your car, for instance, and it will help you find it when you're in the supermarket car park. Or you can drop a roving pin on a friend at a festival to keep track of them via GPS.
The Stockton-on-Tees-based startup -- the name is pronounced "skines" -- has signed a deal with drinks company Diageo to set up a pilot project flagging up bars in busy locations and take customers to its website. The real-world search engine may have finally arrived.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
