<div id="article-header"><div id="main-article-info"><h1>Augmented reality: it's like real life, but better</h1> <p id="stand-first" class="stand-first-alone">Charles Arthur investigates how the ways in which we watch sport, read magazines and do business with each other could change for ever</p> </div> <ul id="content-actions" class="share-links"> <li class="third-party-tool digg"> <a title="Digg this article" id="share-link-digg" href="http://digg.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.uk%2Ftechnology%2F2010%2Fmar%2F21%2Faugmented-reality-iphone-advertising&amp;title=Augmented+reality%3A+it%27s+like+real+life%2C+but+better"> <img src="http://static.guim.co.uk/static/87672/common/styles/wide/images/icon_digg.gif" alt="Digg it"> </a> </li> <li class="third-party-tool buzz"> <a title="Buzz up" id="share-link-buzz" href="http://uk.buzz.yahoo.com/buzz?publisherurn=the_guardian665&amp;targetUrl=http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/mar/21/augmented-reality-iphone-advertising&amp;summary=%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECharles+Arthur%3C%2Fstrong%3E+investigates+how+the+ways+in+which+we+watch+sport%2C+read+magazines+and+do+business+with+each+other+could+change+for+ever%3C%2Fp%3E&amp;headline=%09%09%09Augmented%20reality:%20it%27s%20like%20real%20life,%20but%20better%20%7C%0D%0A%09%09%09%09Technology%20%7C%0D%0A%09%09%09%09The%20Observer"> <img src="http://static.guim.co.uk/static/87672/common/styles/wide/images/icon_buzz.gif" alt="Buzz up"> </a> </li> <li class="third-party-tool facebook edge"> <a title="Share on Facebook" id="share-link-facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.uk%2Ftechnology%2F2010%2Fmar%2F21%2Faugmented-reality-iphone-advertising"> <img src="http://static.guim.co.uk/static/87672/common/styles/wide/images/icon_facebook.gif" alt="Share on facebook"> <span class="share-count">(64)</span></a> </li> <li class="tweet b3"> <!--<a href="http://topsy.com/tb/www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/mar/21/augmented-reality-iphone-advertising">Topsy</a>--> <a class="tweet-link" title="Tweet this" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.uk%2Ftechnology%2F2010%2Fmar%2F21%2Faugmented-reality-iphone-advertising" id="share-link-twitter"> Tweet this </a><a class="topsy-count" href="http://topsy.com/tb/www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/mar/21/augmented-reality-iphone-advertising"><span class="share-count">(271)</span></a> </li> <li class="b3"> <div class="pluck-init-block" id="comment-info-related"> <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/mar/21/augmented-reality-iphone-advertising#start-of-comments" class="comment-count-info comment-icon">Comments (<span class="comment-count">18</span>)</a> </div> </li> </ul> </div> <div id="content"> <ul class="article-attributes multi-pub"> <li> <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/charlesarthur"> <img class="contributor-pic-small" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Media/Pix/pictures/2007/10/17/charles_arthur_140x140.jpg" alt="Charles Arthur" title="Contributor picture" width="60" height="60"> </a> </li> <li id="contrib-shift"><ul> <li class="byline"> <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/charlesarthur">Charles Arthur</a> </li> <li class="publication"> <a href="http://observer.guardian.co.uk">The Observer</a>, Sunday 21 March 2010 </li> <li class="history"><a class="rollover history-link" id="history-link-byline" href="#history-link-box">Article history</a></li></ul></li> </ul> <div id="article-wrapper"> <div class="image"> <img src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/3/20/1269125712641/Augmented-reality-001.jpg" alt="Augmented reality" width="460" height="276"> <p class="caption">Augmented reality on the iPhone</p> </div> <p>Don't act too surprised if, some time in the next year, you meet someone who explains that their business card isn't just a card; it's an <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/augmented-reality" title="More from guardian.co.uk on Augmented reality">augmented reality</a> business card. You can <a href="http://jobmob.co.il/blog/augmented-reality-business-card-designs/" title="">see a collection</a> and, at <a href="http://www.visualcard.me" title="">visualcard.me</a>, you can even design your own, by adding a special marker to your card, which, once put in front of a webcam linked to the internet, will show not only your contact details but also a video or sound clip. Or pretty much anything you want.</p></div></div>