Week 1: Augmented Reality - One Step Closer to Web 3.0

This week we learned about the history of the Internet. We found out that in my childhood days, the World Wide Web was known as Web 1.0. This was our Netscape and Mosaic browser era, when computers ran on MS-DOS and information on webpages was static (remember Geocities?) and behaved more like bulletin notices; created by someone and put out there for our information.

Web 2.0 is what we're familiar with now. YouTube, Google Documents, Amazon.com, Facebook... These are sites that are driven by user-generated content and interactivity is what clearly sets it apart from Web 1.0.

There has been much talk about Web 3.0. According to Wikipedia, it is both about personalization of the Web to an individual's tastes and convenience and also about Semantic Web. Semantic Web is sometimes synonymous with Web 3.0, but according to HowStuffWorks, loosely means that computers of the future would be able to understand the meaning and context of say, our search engine queries, instead of just matching the words with similar keywords on websites. In short, Web 3.0 is supposed to be a mind-blowing experience of having the Internet streamlined to suit your personal tastes, understand the exact nuances of your requests and find information for you that is exactly what you're looking for.

Kind of like having your iPhone grow legs, hands and a brain and become your new BFF.

The good folks at Digital Inspiration have kindly compiled a simple table to illustrate the differences between Web 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0:

While we can't quite call the technology we have today Web 3.0, we are slowly getting there. Filling the gaps between Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 is augmented reality. In simple terms, with the right application, holding up your smartphone with its camera on and pointing it towards the thing you want to learn more about is the only thing you need to do to pull information about it off the web.

Here's a short video on what augmented reality is.

Breath-takingly simple yet unbelievably efficient, right? Augmented reality is available right now, even in Singapore, with popular iPhone apps like buUuk.

Imagine that - information is presented to you without tedious, manual, individual searches on the Web!

Not limited to food, there are also apps for astronomy like Pocket Universe; impress your date by buying a US$2.99 app that tells you the name of the constellation you're staring at.

Augmented reality even does real-time translation with Word Lens.

Notably, the most impressive use of augmented reality comes from an app known as Layar. When it was first introduced in 2009, it focused on the ease of search for things near you, much like the app, buUuk. However, it went further than just comparing information pulled off the web; it went for an interactive experience.

Look into the past, see into the future, play games and interact with others using your smartphone camera

While still buggy and sometimes prone to crashing, these apps are a clear sign that we are inching closer towards Web 3.0. It would be a completely personal, intuitive and simple experience. Though augmented reality is not what Web 3.0 is all about, with these technological advances, it enhances the entire experience of the web. The only thing lacking now is a way for computers to understand the semantics of our words. I wonder how much further can scientists take the concept of augmented reality when that day comes?