Video: The unsettling truth about our augmented reality future, starring Brad Pitt

With more and more phones featuring beefy processors, GPS, HSPA data, and compasses, augmented reality apps are ready to take off in a big way. Layar, in particular, is shaping up to be the platform of choice from which to overlay information onto the streets that surround you. This is great for serendipitous discovery of cafes, ATMs, real estate, and even jobs, but at what expense? Recently, we casually joked about the ability to "hunt down tweeps with cold, calculated precision." Now a Dutch crew from Beste Product took up the task by giving Layar and its "Famous People Finder" feature a real-world test on the streets of Amsterdam with the help of Samsung's i7500 Galaxy. The results are unsettling as demonstrated by the celebrities, including Brad Pitt's, reaction to being discovered. Is our near-term future to be filled with people laughing maniacally while pointing their cellphones at each other? The video is in Dutch, but the reaction that unfolds at 2 minutes and 40 seconds is universally human. See it after the break.

[Via @Dutchcowboy]

[Andir Posted Sep 11th 2009 10:55AM]

Well, you could tell it was a phone review, there are some words that are English (proper names) and your brain formulated an adlib to the words you didn't understand. Whether they were right or not is up for debate. ;)

[Wwhat Posted Sep 11th 2009 11:29AM]

Didn't you just describe the dutch language?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2009 2:22PM]

The video made me feel like i had audible dyslexia

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2009 9:34AM]

Brad Pitt lookalike people! Go look up the word gullible on Dictionary.com right now. LOL

[Wwhat Posted Sep 11th 2009 11:30AM]

Nah I hate the picture of me they use next to it, I had a bad hair day.

[Agenor Posted Sep 11th 2009 9:47AM]

blah blah blah... the samsung galaxy.... blah blah blah brad pitt.... blah blah... film! film!... haha... wait, what?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2009 10:01AM]

Ain't no way that is Brad Pitt.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2009 10:43AM]

Actually, I am Dutch and I can tell you that this pretty genious. Layar is a Dutch company by the way. The guy can not spot people like Engadget writes, but it can find houses owned by BN-ers which means Bekende Nederlanders, or Famous Dutch people. The addresses he goes to are all owned by such people. J. De Mol is the son of Billionair John de Mol, who dominates most of you guys's television in America now with shows like Big Brother and all that reality crap. (sorry for that on behalf of us Dutch). It's kind of strange that Brad Pitt's house is listed on Layar, as he is not a BN-er, but it could certainly be a random coincidence that it was him. not sure, but the presentor seems pretty surprised to me. Anyway it's awesome that this video made it all the way to Engadget. But I guess most of that has to do with the alleged presence of mr. Pitt.

[Wwhat Posted Sep 11th 2009 11:32AM]

It's basically an ad for the phone though, so how convenient it all is eh.
But the concept of enhanced reality was nicely demonstrated though, so it's not a waste watching it.

[Pies Posted Sep 11th 2009 8:08PM]

If this is an ad then it's brilliant.

[ushneb Posted Sep 11th 2009 10:44AM]

That is not Brad Pitt. This is stupid. Nuff said.

[Hackettman Posted Sep 11th 2009 11:03AM]

Thats freaky and unnecessary.......... Imagine getting into a bar fight and then the person finding you due to this bullcrap...... Its enough to make you want to drop off the grid and live on a mountain.....

[Dante of the Inferno Posted Sep 11th 2009 11:18AM]

With this power lying around, the paparazzi will be the least of celebrities' problems.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2009 11:30AM]

Hmm, I'm going to go into a new career of stealing phones. This augmented reality makes it so much easier. People are practically holding it up for me to swipe.

:+

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2009 1:09PM]

Brad Pitt? He looks more like Brangelina, lol. Dude's got fuller lips than brad.

[niclet Posted Sep 11th 2009 11:33AM]

So we finally know who it was in this mysterious (and real) video :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51qKgctnUTk

[JZeke Posted Sep 11th 2009 11:57AM]

If we're going to have augmented reality, we need rights and protections so we can opt-out of being readily available. Too bad courts are nowhere near savvy enough domestically to begin to understand how best to design laws that encourage more development of this tech, while protecting the rights of private citizens.

[Wwhat Posted Sep 11th 2009 12:03PM]

You have more chance on getting some rights when rich and famous than as private citizen, be realistic.

[Willus Posted Sep 11th 2009 12:51PM]

Stalkers have a new tool in tracking down their celebrity crushes. I'm sure someone will figure out how to tag them with gps that way they could find them any time. Big Brother is here and there is no where you can have some privacy now.

[SOOPERGOOMAN Posted Sep 11th 2009 1:42PM]

Except in your Bathroom... maybe..

[Blackflag486 Posted Sep 11th 2009 1:21PM]

I showed this APP Layer to my friends the other day.. Now oddly they find me a bit creepier.... ?!

[SOOPERGOOMAN Posted Sep 11th 2009 1:41PM]

I wonder if the Pitt sued for image rights?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2009 2:19PM]

Guys, sure it was Brad Pitt, why was he in the house wearing sunglasses? Because he just got back from a local Amsterdam coffee shop. Brad even admitted that he likes to smoke the "good stuff". He reported on E or something that he has given it up but maybe he didnt want the news to get out that he hasn't entirely given it up.

[Marmite Turkey Posted Sep 11th 2009 2:31PM]

If you're looking for the National Enquirer site, you've come to the wrong place.

[ernie Posted Sep 11th 2009 5:20PM]

Wait!? That was in Dutch!? How come I could understand it!?

[Landtat Posted Sep 12th 2009 10:52AM]

wow, the first 2 post are pure snark. Guess childishness is every where.

[Slevine Posted Sep 13th 2009 2:04AM]

That was not Brad Pitt. It didn't remotely look like him. The nose was pointy and narrow, and according to the date this video was made, Brad at that time had quite long hair and a small mustache from filming his movie with Quentin Tarantino. A bad impersonator at best.

But judging by the overall tone of the video, I think the stunt was meant in parody.

[jnickence Posted Sep 13th 2009 8:52PM]

Brad who? Seriously, anybody wanting privacy needs to do one simple thing: turn your phone off. Oh, two things. Get a land line. It's not Layar's fault you believe in social networking.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 16th 2009 8:30PM]

I live right on the canal where this is filmed, a few yards further up.
That is Brad Pitt. Or he must have agreed to let a lookalike play him in his house.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 22nd 2009 9:14AM]

And this is how I met...

Tyler Durden

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 23rd 2009 7:49AM]

brad pitt has a turtle head and a pig nose

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 23rd 2009 7:56AM]

even if it was tyler durden , brad pitt and tyler had turtle heads and whats up with the pig nose

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 16th 2009 3:51PM]

check it out
http://augmentedr3pt0.wordpress.com/augmented-reality-branding/