Aurasma and The Philadelphia Inquirer Deliver Next Generation Publishing Experience

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Aurasma

03 Apr, 2012, 13:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, April 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

- First augmented reality newspaper in North America

Aurasma, the world's leading augmented reality platform, and The Philadelphia Inquirer, announced today at the Newspaper Association of America mediaXchange 2012 conference the launch of the first ever augmented reality powered newspaper in North America.

The Philadelphia Inquirer will be the first newspaper in North America to offer consumers an enhanced reading experience. By pointing their iOS or Android devices loaded with a customized app at the pages of the newspaper, readers will unlock enhanced editorial content such as animations, videos, and audio that complements the print content.

To see a short video clip of this experience click here.

For the first time ever, The Philadelphia Inquirer readers will have access to interactive content from the printed page. Static images come to digital life with videos that augment the printed story. Furthermore, readers can use the app to engage with the content throughout the day and watch breaking news updates as the story develops. Readers will no longer have to remember web addresses, links or codes because the content is delivered straight to their mobile device.

All of this is possible through Aurasma's cutting-edge augmented reality platform. The Philadelphia Inquirer will embed the digital content through "auras" that serve as triggers to unlock the content. The visual technology behind Aurasma eliminates the need for any special design layouts, codes or colors, so the newspaper will preserve its traditional look and feel, while offering a whole new experience to its audience.

"Augmented reality was not the first idea we had when thinking of ways to engage with our readers, but once we saw the Aurasma technology - everything changed," said Jerry Steinbrink, chief brand officer, The Philadelphia Inquirer. "Aurasma gives us the capability to deliver interactive content through a customized app without investing heavily in technology, programming or production. We're thrilled to be the first newspaper to venture into the augmented reality territory."

"Our augmented reality platform gives publishing a new avenue to connect with readers. Newspapers can now merge their print and online content into one and deliver a unified experience to their readers. This is an exciting shift for the publishing industry, because printed news is no longer constrained to a moment in time and the newspaper becomes a new medium for breaking news updates," said Lauren Offers, director of marketing, Aurasma. "We are thrilled to partner with The Philadelphia Inquirer and help bring to life the first ever augmented reality newspaper in the country."

The first augmented reality edition of the The Philadelphia Inquirer will be available on newsstands on Sunday, May 6, 2012. The free app will be available to download for newer iPhones, iPads and high-powered Android devices in May 2012.

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About Aurasma:

Aurasma is the world's first visual browser - a new augmented reality technology that merges the physical world with the virtual. Available as a free app for newer iPhones, iPads and high-powered Android devices or as a free kernel for developers, Aurasma uses advanced image and pattern recognition to recognize and understand real-world images and objects in much the same way as the human brain does. It then seamlessly blends the real-world with rich interactive content such as videos and animations called "Auras". Auras can be created for printed images, product packaging, clothing, physical places and users can even use the app to create and share their own.

Since its launch in June 2011, Aurasma has had more than three million downloads. Over 3,000 partners in markets including retail, fashion, sport, automotive, consumer electronics, entertainment, advertising and publishing are using the free technology in their campaigns, on their products or embedding the technology in their own applications. Aurasma was developed by and is part of software company Autonomy - an HP Company.

About Philadelphia Media Network:

Philadelphia Media Network, Inc. (PMN) is the owner of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia SportsWeek, and Philly.com. With its multiple brand platforms and integrated print and digital products, PMN is the tri-state (Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey) region's largest media network and the industry's technological leader and innovator. PMN reaches an average weekly audience of 2.2 million adults - more than the combination of the three evening television news shows or the combination of those radio stations ranked in the top ten during drive-time programming.