Esquire Launches First Augmented Reality Magazine

An anonymous reader writes "We've seen augmented reality applications for years (and seen the GE windmill replicated in PopSci), but now Esquire Magazine seems to be trying to show off the undying value of print by launching its 'AR issue' — which, from the demo video, looks pretty cool. Applications include a 3D cover with Robert Downey Jr., a weather-changing fashion portfolio with The Hurt Locker's Jeremy Renner, a time-sensitive Funny Joke from a Beautiful Woman with Community's Gillian Jacobs, plus a song, a photo slideshow, and a face-recognition ad from Lexus. From the behind-the-scenes geekery: 'Advancements to further involve the user were happening even as we produced this issue, and while motion-sensor recognition already exists, so-called "natural-feature tracking" technology could soon put you inside AR without any googly-looking [note: not in the Google sense] boxes at all.'" Enjoying Esquire's AR issue requires downloading software — Windows and Mac only.

Comments

Bah

[mister_playboy]

Enjoying Esquire's AR issue requires downloading software — Windows and Mac only

I use Linux, you insensitive clod!

Re:Bah

[Anonymous Coward]

You wouldn't use the software any; the cross section of Linux users and people who would care about this is non-existent.

Re:Bah

[Interoperable]

I use Linux

You may not be in their target audience.

Re:Bah

[apoc.famine]

I'm a 30 year old, college educated male. I'm seriously not their target audience?
 
I don't have a webcam. While I run linux, I have Windows and Mac available to me. But I'm still not going to download some random-ass application which requires a webcam to view whatever shit they are offering me.
 
If you're offering something other than The Internet, you damn well better have a FANTASTIC bit of information about how it benefits me. Esquire doesn't have that.

Download the software here to make Robert Downey Jr. pop to life on our cover and see other things in the magazine start talking and moving.

Really? That's your fucking hook? It's about a blowjob short of what I'd need to go for it. We have something called Flash which already does that. Tell me why again I need to download software for that?

Re:Bah

[pmontra]

I belong to that cross section. Either I'm non-existent or your post has to be modded as flamebait or troll.

Whatever the case, Esquire made a mistake not using a technology that could be ported easily to any platform (Java?)

Re:Bah

[vegiVamp]

Shut up, voice in my head.

Re:Bah

[bobzaguy]

"a blowjob short of what I'd need to go for it. We have something called Flash which already does that." Flash blow jobs? what version?

That buzzing sound you hear....

[syousef]

...is Buzzword Compliance Magazine.

Re:That buzzing sound you hear....

[Anonymous Coward]

How do I subscribe to your magazine?

As a business I regularly need to know
  . whats hot, whats not, what hot means this week
  . if virtualizing is good or evil this week
  . what the hot new startup this month is and why its going to create the first .com billionaires signalling an economic recovery
  . why last month's hot new startup failed to create the first .com billionaires signalling an economic recovery
  . the current evil/not evil status of companies like google, nintendo, sony, yahoo, redhat, ms
  . apple - just a plain white page with an apple logo on it will do here.. preferably waterproof
  . what your magazine will be called next month. a magazine about buzzwords must update its name monthly to reflect the latest buzz words

Re:That buzzing sound you hear....

[tomhudson]

... is the sound of magazine pages fluttering in the breeze as Esquire jumps the shark.

But it's still clunky and silly

[NoSleepDemon]

I fail to see what's so impressive about the magazine, they seem to have taken 'save PINs from bottle caps of Coke and enter them online to win!!' to a whole new silly level. Claiming that this is somehow augmented reality is ridiculous. Why would I want to buy a magazine and then hold it up to my PC? If I'm reading a magazine I don't have my PC handy, if I'm reading stuff on the web then I don't want to have my magazine handy. And I hear I have to download some spiffy software too? Why not just have the whole thing online? Ugh, this is almost as bad as when some tool decided to call Fear Factory's sound 'Terrorkore', almost, but not quite.

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[Anonymous Coward]

Augmented Reality part is likely due to the fact that how you hold the thing in reality affects things as is viewed in the computer. It is clunky and silly, but this is still the beginning.

Baby steps, friend. Baby steps. The fact that media is slowly getting into this means we'll be getting a ton of funding. And the more funding, the faster it progresses.

Perhaps, in the future, we'll all have tiny monitors in glasses and all billboards, etc, will be flat and featureless. Depending on what programs we've got installed in our computer glasses, the ads will change. Some people will, of course, see nothing but the fact that you could sell infinite ad space on one billboard would probably be worth it.

The same could also go for magazines. You'd buy a yearly subscription and they'd send you a small tablet looking thing with an ir tag inbuilt. The tablet's ir tag would then be translated in our glasses to a magazine that changes monthly. Or so on. This is only the beginning!

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[sexconker]

There's nothing impressive.

1: It's not augmented reality - it's a shitty flash site that scans a 2D barcode using your webcam and gives you some shitty ads and "content" deemed to shitty to go in the magazine proper.

2: Even if there WAS an aspect of augmented reality - augmented reality is shit. The ONLY area where augmented reality can ever be not shit is applying an overlay over a recorded image (or sound, I guess). Though this is only ever useful if it can be made completely dynamic.

Useful: A pair of glasses that tags the people in the board room with names and titles, since you can't be assed to remember their fucking names.

Useful: A car HUD that projects 2D tags on stuff as you drive by. That highway sign could have tags that always face you head on, with a larger font, etc. That gas station? Nobody buys premium - replace the whole price sign with the fucking cheapo price, so you can actually see it from far enough away to get off in time. Color code it based on prices further along your route, if one is planned. Again, the tag would always be facing you head on.

Useful: Headphones you lock onto your kids heads so you can swear all you want and have it get bleeped out. (Though I guess this would be more of a demented reality.)

Fun: Some games where characters dynamically react to real-world environs.

Shitty: Some games where characters simply appear with standard scripted animations as an overlay of a video of real-world environs (see that shitty PS3 card game).

Super shitty: Delivering fucking scripted ads based on real-world environs.

We're miles away from useful augmented reality, and we're going in the wrong direction. We're using it as a gate to shitty ad content, when it should be used to generate useful contextual content, or at least fun shit for games/porn.

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[Anonymous Coward]

mod this cocksucker down - he almost always talks complete shit, and is known for it.

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[Anonymous Coward]

Exactly. Nothing to see here. It's the same stuff I saw done on CDs for music/artsy stuff back in the late 90's. It's just Web 2.0 now. Plus, using bar codes to go to a web site? Can you say CueCat?

The only good thing is that Esquire is at least trying new things.

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[ceoyoyo]

Rather than showing off the "undying value of print" it would seem to do the opposite - it emphasizes that the print version of the magazine can be much enhanced with a computer. The next thought is, why do I need the magazine?

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[Shadow of Eternity]

Still, the more money they pour into it trying to spam us with ads the more money goes into developing the tech and assuming it doesn't die out entirely (which I doubt, too many people concurrently trying to do useful things with it, too well known as one of the SciFi dreams of the future) eventually someone will grab it and run with it in the right direction. Probably all the way to the bank.

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[Anonymous Coward]

So, tell us how you really feel.

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[Ethanol-fueled]

Mod that ^ cocksucker down - he almost always talks complete shit, and is known for it.

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[Thansal]

Because it is cute, and amusing, and to people who read esquire magazine it is an interesting introduction to a technology that is gaining in popularity.

Congratulations, you aren't the target audience. However I suspect that the target audience will have fun messing around with it.

As for all of the "This isn't AR" comments. No shit. But it is what is currently being called AR, and in a sense it is AR. IT isn't very good AR, or very usable AR, but it is AR. Instead of the ideal overlay of images on reality, it is an overlay of images over a live video. Not perfect, but close enough to entertain some people, and to give proof of concepts ideas.

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[Anonymous Coward]

is there an echo in here? either that or another one of those cocksuckers who doesn't know what he's talking about.

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[RobertLTux]

lets not mention CueCat some marketing pinhead may want to try and bring the things back!!

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[icepick72]

Equally as bad as the scent producing peripheral devices from 2007 http://www.buzzle.com/articles/day-smelly-computer-has-arrived.html

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[Anonymous Coward]

Many people buy premium gasoline, many cars require it (or at least run better using it)

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[Zerth]

No, lets do convince them to bring it back. I could use some free/subsidized barcode readers. Especially if they make them non-contact this time.

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[YourExperiment]

Yeah, that Anonymous Coward bloke really does talk some crap, I don't know where he gets it all from.

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[rundstykke]

NO this is nothing new, fancy or what-ever. But for the target audience, this is probably the first time they have heard of AR. And yes of course it's used for advertising - it's a magazine, that's where the money is. But it's a little more than "overlay of images over a live video". The angle and perspective changes as you tilt and rotate the barcode. It even zooms in and out. Try it yourself. Here are the barcodes used in the video . Print them, cut them apart and try it for yourself. -- Nothing to see her, move along people.

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[rundstykke]

Damn, forgot the link. http://www.filedropper.com/esquire-barcodes

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[xtracto]

Hello, I think you should go slower on the caffeine.

Other than that, you offer some interesting uses of augmented reality. I would like to offer another:

A month ago or so I went to Rome for vacation. During my visit I was lucky enough to enter the Roman Forum. While I was visiting, I had a book guide on hand, which provided me (and my wife) with really interesting information.

Although we did not get an audio guide (don't even remember if it was available to rent), I think this kind of places would *really* benefit from things such as augmented reality.

Imagine that you put your glasses before entering the forum (or coliseum). The technology is a combination of really-good GPS (knows your exact position, orientation, etc) and 3D modelling/animation.

With the glasses, you can stand in any place within the forum while looking at the ruins and at the press of a button you would turn on a graphics layer which showed you the complete buildings as they were originally.

If you were in the Colliseum, you would get a similar view, in addition, you may be able to get a nice video recreating a day in the colliseum.

That could be used for the majority of archeological places. Such as Mayan/Aztec, Roman and Greek ruins.

In addition, it could be used for places such as ex-concentration camps (I've recently been to Buchenwald).

My take is that, more than a service to rent from the site administration, this may be delivered by a specialized company which sells to you the Augmented Reality glasses along with an ipod touch like program.

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[Grizzley9]

Why use glasses? They already sell books there at the entrance of the Forum that have the clear cellophane overlays of existing pictures that fill in the gaps with what it used to look like. I have one. If you are thinking of a virtual tour with guide and interactive scenery, hollodeck like (except based on reality), we are a ways away from that becoming reality in terms of portable handheld devices that would provide a unique experience. Otherwise it's just an audio tour with a book with overlays just as above.

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[Anonymous Coward]

I appreciate the humor in your forceful rant, yet feel compelled to point out that augmented reality is an effective and engaging medium for advertisements which is likely to grow in scope and depth. Consumers like brands and enjoy being part of the community around a brand, as part of their self-identification (or projection, if you prefer). A large number of folks have found and will find it quite entertaining to play with an augmented reality advertisement. Fun is subjective, I'll grant you. Some people enjoy Antonio Carlos Jobim and family dinners, whereas you apparently enjoy vitrolic and hyperbolic attacks against most anything just to get a laugh in the race to the bottom. Just don't convince yourself that you're in the normal majority, because you'll be much happier smugly basking in lonely superiority.

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[FarFromUnique]

One important difference from the book-based experience: you don't have to hold it up. Slashdotters seem to have a tendency of "if I wouldn't use it, nobody would", but not having to hold something up could be a fairly large selling point: No tired arms, no lost / damaged book (no lost investment means they can charge more!), less waste (which means the don't have to charge as much, plus they get in friendly with the green crowd), and if they manage to update the information (somehow), you can update it oand not have an out of date book to get rid of.

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[mrboyd]

It will be cold in hell when I voluntarily wear ad-displaying glasses.

Re:But it's still clunky and silly

[mrboyd]

and wireless.

Sounds like someone has never heard of . . .

[rev_sanchez]

a little periodical called High Times.

Er..

[Anonymous Coward]

WTF? Where's the VMS version of the software? Or hell at least OS2!? Screw this.

Re:Er..

[MichaelSmith]

Not sure how I would fit an 11/750 into the pages of Esquire.

What a world we live in

[Anonymous Coward]

Did I just watch a commercial, in order to see a advertisement ABOUT a stupid gimmicky magazine, that's basically just a giant advertisement?

Re:What a world we live in

[Ihmhi]

Yes you did. Somewhere in the world, an advertising executive just creamed his pants.

Re:What a world we live in

[tomhudson]

Yes you did. Somewhere in the world, an advertising executive just creamed his pants.

Somewhere in the world, an advertiser just pissed off another customer by insulting their intelligence.

There, fixed it for you.

Re:sell:shoes,handbags,T-shirt,Jeans,sunglass

[Hamsterdan]

Now the fun begins...

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PunnyCode : coolforsale.com
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Updated Date : 2009-11-02 12:25:21
Expiration Date : 2010-11-02 12:24:27

Registrant:
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Administrative Contact:
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    Fax : 86-0594-5298858
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Technical Contact:
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    Address : lichengdadao
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    Phone Number : 86-0594-5298858
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Billing Contact:
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sixth sense

[Anonymous Coward]

It becomes *surprisingly* relevant if you are informed of MIT media labs development of their 'sixth sense' technology.

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/11/09/171204/MIT-Grad-To-Make-Digital-SixthSense-Open-Source?from=rss Article from today.

*sigh*

[noirsoldats]

Stupidest thing I've ever seen... Honestly they think this is advanced tech or anything even remotely impressive?

Cat's meow

[imageek]

Wired magazine and Radio Shack did something like this about ten years ago. CueCat anyone?

Re:Cat's meow

[Anonymous Coward]

GE did this in some of their print ads, the SmartGrid has an Augmented Reality feature

System Requirements

[Lord Byron II]

It says "XP or better". Surely, any recent distribution of Linux meets that, right?

Re:System Requirements

[tomhudson]

It says "XP or better". Surely, any recent distribution of Linux meets that, right? Missing option: [_] I am Russian botmaster, you ignorant clod!

Besides, the "requirements" for this Esquire thing include "readers with IQ less than last years' Thanksgiving turkey". Considering where THAT turkey ended up ...

Re:System Requirements

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe if it said windows 98 or better.

This is not the Augmented Reality you're looking 4

[tomhudson]

Enjoying Esquire's AR issue requires downloading software -- Windows and Mac only

I use Linux, you insensitive clod!

It's LAME. Basically, it's some software that uses your webcam to recognize which page of the magazine you're holding up to the camera, and how the page is oriented - you're using the magazine as a mouse or pointer.

This is NOT "augmented reality" - it's print media going "OMFG I'M DYING HELP.Me.be.relevant.agggghhhhhh...." and FAILING!

This is about as "smart" an idea as the cue cat. Or for us really old farts, remember those weird graphics strips in PC Mag that you were supposed to scan in?

Why should I use a magazine as a controller? I'm going to look even stupider than the loon in the next cube with their light sabre.

Re:This is not the Augmented Reality you're lookin

[bennomatic]

it's print media going "OMFG I'M DYING HELP.Me.be.relevant.agggghhhhhh...." You actually made me LOL with that.

Esquire jumps the shark, film at 11.

[tomhudson]

Actually, they're lying. Robert Downey Jr. doesn't come alive on their cover. You use their cover instead of the mouse. Orient it different ways and the image on your computer (not the dead-tree cover) moves.

If this is "augmented reality", a Wii+balance board+wimote+nunchuck is SuperDuperAugmentedReality. As an added bonus, with a Wii I don't have to look at Robert Downey Jr.

It's official, folks, Esquire has jumped the shark.

Re:Esquire jumps the shark, film at 11.

[Jarik C-Bol]

That, and popular science did this about half a year ago with there issue that had the wind turbines on the front.

not so first there esquire.

Re:Esquire jumps the shark, film at 11.

[Farmer Tim]

Robert Downey Jr doesn't come alive in anything I've seen him in, so jiggling around a photo makes an exciting change of pace IMO.

Re:sell:shoes,handbags,T-shirt,Jeans,sunglass

[Anonymous Coward]

Not trying to be a pain but I think you meant bear with me. Bare can mean naked!

What does this have to do with augmented reality?

[Hurricane78]

Nothing. Period. Plain and simple.

As I work a bit in that field, I think I could define it like this:

If it's inside a computer, it's not reality. If it's happening in reality, it's not augmented. :)

What I see there, is him holding up the magazine, against what appears to be a camera with special software that reads the fancy bar code, and shows a silly animation of what a 70 year old guy from the last century would think is "this fancy virtual reality".

I wonder how that software got on there. And who turned on the camera and all that stuff? Veery "all by itself", those things...*cough*. ;)

It's basically just a normal feature detection combined with one of those completely pointless supposed-to-be-artsy Flash websites. And an old man of a dying industry, who, in his desperation to gain some attention from the youth, got beautifully ripped off by some guys on drugs.

I wouldn't hire those guys as augmented reality experts. I'd hire them as sales men, or perhaps con men. ^^

Re:attention all faggots

[speedingant]

Damn harley owners...

Re:sell:shoes,handbags,T-shirt,Jeans,sunglass

[BluBrick]

Return to your dictionary and look up the word "whoosh". You'll be glad you did.

No good for reading in the john...

[marciot]

If I want to go online to read my dead-tree edition magazine, I'ld just subscribe to the freaking digital edition.

Didn't Wired do this ten+ years ago?

[elistan]

I don't remember the exact timeframe, but I recall Wired (and possibly other mags) doing the exact same thing during the dotcom bubble. Hold up your print magazine to a webcam on a computer running the right software and it'd scan embedded codes and you'd get what you've always wanted - more advertising! This Esquire thing has been done before, and failed before, and hopefully it'll fail again. Next thing you know, they'll be shipping out little cat-shaped barcode readers to their circulation for those people who don't have webcames. Now THAT'S innovation!

"AR" my ass.

Re:sell:shoes,handbags,T-shirt,Jeans,sunglass

[Anonymous Coward]

Hey asshole. You know that buttplug you sold me? It's shit! I mean, it falls right out! CoolForSale.com sucks ass!

Re:sell:shoes,handbags,T-shirt,Jeans,sunglass

[Anonymous Coward]

In order to let you know how much your crap spam pisses us off, you will find yourself moderated to oblivion every time you post. Now fuck off.

Eh...

[FlyByPC]

I'll wait for the Arrrr edition. That, I could at least pirate and get some enjoyment from.

This isn't augmented...

[Anonymous Coward]

When I read the title, I thought it was going to be a magazine with that nifty electronic paper that we hear so much about on this site. Then it could do something neat like allow you to pick which articles and ads would be in it.

Re:This is not the Augmented Reality you're lookin

[CarpetShark]

It's LAME. Basically, it's some software that uses your webcam to recognize which page of the magazine you're holding up to the camera, and how the page is oriented - you're using the magazine as a mouse or pointer.

Precisely. I don't see anything about this that would appeal to anyone but a child, much less Esquire's audience.

This is about as "smart" an idea as the cue cat.

Since I've never heard of "the cue cat", it's probably safe to agree :)

Oh, THOSE strips

[CarpetShark]

Or for us really old farts, remember those weird graphics strips in PC Mag that you were supposed to scan in?

Oh, you mean the ones with the babes sitting backwards chair so they weren't quite so naked? Yeah, I remember those. Scanning took forever...

Just a moment...

[ctrl-alt-canc]

First they announced a 3D TV, now they come out with an aumengted reality magazine. Is the media industry trying to physically invade our homes ?!?

Re:sell:shoes,handbags,T-shirt,Jeans,sunglass

[Hamsterdan]

That's really mature. Of course, posting as AC proves my point

Wired also

[koogydelbbog]

the issue of Wired (american edition (17.10?) bought in the uk, the one that's already available via the web) that i picked up yesterday claimed in the editor's preamble to do the same thing.

personally i spend the first 5 minutes of reading any issue of wired ripping the adverts out. ads for cigarettes that they always print on stiffer card and which makes it impossible to leave the mag open on your desk are the first to go...

ARToolKitPlus

[guardia]

The markers they are using come from the open source ARToolKitPlus http://studierstube.icg.tu-graz.ac.at/handheld_ar/artoolkitplus.php for those interested... The demo marker is actually the one with ID = 0 ...

Re:This is not the Augmented Reality you're lookin

[Schadrach]

Hey now, the cue cat was great. Not for it's *intended* uses, admittedly, but a PS/2 barcode scanner that was basically given out for free from Radio Shack had uses for certain. =)

Re:What does this have to do with augmented realit

[Angostura]

Actually, if you look at the site, you'll find that it is an application that you download, not a flash Web site. The app uses your Web cam and displays you and the magazine fullscreen, overlaying the display with various animations. movies etc.

Rocket science? No. A bit of fun that's quite innovative, yes. Augmented reality? At a push.

Bah.

[vegiVamp]

Webcam and "magic" markers ? Have an eyepet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPENA1Bpm68

Its an embarrassment, that's what it is.

[Anonymous Coward]

Its an embarrassment, that's what it is.

An awful lot of wet blankets in here

[Absentminded-Artist]

It's a gimmick. Obviously. Meant to generate sales. And it will work for some people and not work for others. It's not meant to be new technology to people such as slashdotters who are generally on the cutting edge. Magazines using marketing gimmicks to boost sales isn't news. However, it is a use of technology that we haven't seen magazines do before. As e-ink becomes more affordable and viable, we'll see more magazines trying to stay in business with interactive gimmicks, perhaps even on the page itself. Where's the harm in it? I only hope they sell enough magazines to recoup their investment.

Esquire most likely paid RDJ and other actors to produce video content for a special edition magazine. They had software for both PCs and Macs produced. And they're advertising it on the web. It's all pretty slick, even if it IS limited. Has your favorite blog produced something like this lately? Personally, I'd like to see more ad campaigns using current technology in creative ways.

Re:An awful lot of wet blankets in here

[Absentminded-Artist]

Downside for Esquire is that with a web image of the front cover (or of Gillian Jacob's page, etc.) viewed on my iPhone, I could trigger the AR event in their Mac software and enjoy the content without buying Esquire.

I'll still buy the magazine anyway since a) my iPhone's reflective glass screen is not optimum for recognition and b) I'd like to support their ingenuity and effort.