Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Professional Augmented Reality Browsers for Smartphones: Programming for junaio, Layar and Wikitude (Wrox Programmer to Programmer)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Professional Augmented Reality Browsers for Smartphones: Programming for junaio, Layar and Wikitude (Wrox Programmer to Programmer). Check out the link below:
>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers
Professional Augmented Reality Browsers for Smartphones: Programming for junaio, Layar and Wikitude (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) ReviewI'd been planning on working on an AR-ish game idea for a while so I thought I'd take a stab at this book to see if it's got anything I could use.As it says on the cover, the author focuses on three existing AR platforms that are primarily about providing you with a set of tools to build "apps" on the respective platforms that tie in to Points of Interest (POIs). The author does a great job of giving you an overview of the "state" of AR and goes into the different platforms in order of complexity and features.
He starts with Wikitude since it's the simplest (no programming experience required) though it's also pretty limited. Layar is next (programming optional) and ends with junaio (you'll have to get your hands dirty). As a side note, these platforms are just that and mean that anything you build for one, is largely staying on their platform. In other words, you aren't going to be publishing your app on the Apple App Store. You're publishing them on Wikitude, Layar or junaio. Each has an app for iPhone and Android that anyone can install for free. Your app will appear on the respective platform's list of available AR apps, though. And, while there are some commonalities (like the KML supported by Layar and junaio), it's generally going to involve some work (not tons) to port your app over to another platform.
He covers the gamut from basic POIs with information (say, historical information on the location) to 3-D models tied to locations that can be used as landmarks and the like.
The disappointing part for me is that's as far as it goes. If your app is all about layering basic content on POIs around town, then you're going to be all set with this book. If you want to do something more advanced (say location-based app that overlays an interface on the camera image so you can play space invaders "on" that location--I'm just making this stuff up as I go so bear with me here), you may not get as much out of this book.
The only downside to the book (for everyone in general) is it contains the usual (seemingly required) typos and skimpy information for the code samples. It's not pervasive but it's there. For example, there was one code example using XML that had a spare angled bracket. If you know XML, you'll know it's the most sensitive to odd characters of all "languages". For someone who's not used to XML and not paying attention, typing that example in character for character, you'll get an error that you'll have no idea how to fix. Plus, there are places where the author uses placeholders (granted they look like this: in the middle of some PHP code so if you're familiar with PHP you'll know it's not PHP) but doesn't always tell you that they're there and what they mean. Again, for a programmer already familiar with PHP, it won't be a problem. For someone who's not (and who's relying on the code examples to work right if they just copy it), it'll be a frustrating exercise. For all the programming books I've read, it's not that bad since ALL of the books I've ever read (and I've read a TON) always had some typos in the code examples (leading to a lot of frustrating exercises).
All in all, it's a great book if you're truly interested in AR specific to POIs and aren't looking for anything fancier (custom applications, etc.). You can technically be up and running with a simple POI-based AR app in minutes. If you've got the content, you're all set. This book's definitely for you and the price really isn't bad at all.
But, if you're looking to build some new cutting-edge location-based app that does something no one else has done (isn't every app?), then you'll only get something out of the introductory chapters--a relatively expensive purchase.Professional Augmented Reality Browsers for Smartphones: Programming for junaio, Layar and Wikitude (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) OverviewCreate amazing mobile augmented reality apps with junaio, Layar, and Wikitude!
Professional Augmented Reality Browsers for Smartphones guides you through creating your own augmented reality apps for the iPhone, Android, Symbian, and bada platforms, featuring fully workable and downloadable source code. You will learn important techniques through hands-on applications, and you will build on those skills as the book progresses.
Professional Augmented Reality Browsers for Smartphones:
Describes how to use the latitude/longitude coordinate system to build location-aware solutions and tells where to get POIs for your own augmented reality applications
Details the leading augmented reality platforms and highlights the best applications
Covers development for the leading augmented reality browser platforms: Wikitude, Layar, and junaio
Shows how to build cross-platform location-aware content (Android, iPhone, Symbian, and bada) to display POIs directly in camera view
Includes tutorials for building 2D and 3D content, storing content in databases, and triggering actions when users reach specific locations
wrox.com
Programmer ForumsJoin our Programmer to Programmer forums to ask and answer programming questions about this book, join discussions on the hottest topics in the industry, and connect with fellow programmers from around the world.
Code DownloadsTake advantage of free code samples from this book, as well as code samples from hundreds of other books, all ready to use.
Read MoreFind articles, ebooks, sample chapters, and tables of contents for hundreds of books, and more reference resources on programming topics that matter to you.
Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.
Want to learn more information about Professional Augmented Reality Browsers for Smartphones: Programming for junaio, Layar and Wikitude (Wrox Programmer to Programmer)?
>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
