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  • The Daily Roundup for 07.30.2013

    by 
    David Fishman
    David Fishman
    07.30.2013

    You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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

    by 
    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    09.11.2009

    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]