As Tech Crunch notes ” Without a decent amount of usable layers, none of these AR browsers are going to see mainstream adoption any time soon, and Layar is the first to attempt luring third-party developers into creating layers on top of their system by means of an extensive API.”

This is a great step for AR — as the race to develop the best platform with maximum content while also supporting an array of devices. We are going to see some create stuff come out of this API opening.

This standard could offer a significant shift in the 3D web by breaking down the end user barriers of entry. With the increase in web applications, people are reluctant to download bulky plug ins or software, but if the 3D environment is native to one’s browser, the potential is incredible. This team of developers and thinkers are industry leaders — allowing them to trail head this initiative will undoubtedly yield industry shifting results. I look forward to the release.

As reported by Engadget, Scheduled for an April Launch, the product is to facilitate communication between users and health “agents” to provide health guidance. The service is said to be compatible with Wii Fit and the balance board as well as NEC’s mobile health platform.

Slashdot reports “this service will will be introduced by Panasonic Medical Solutions to health care workers with its Plissimo Sigusa health care plan. What’s more, Panasonic Medical Solutions is offering the program to the country’s health insurance union.”

We are seeing the age of self-directed health care take hold and deeply intertwine itself with technology. The deep knowledge available to patients over the internet and the resulting discussion of health care topics offers user a more comprehensive look into their health then just a simple visit to a physician. More and more people are being given the tools to be in more control over their care and thus be conscious of preventive medicine. Products such as Wii Check Up are in their conceptual infancy. As these products evolve they will allow users to see the impact of day to day activities on projected health goals.

For example, one will enter certain weight and exercise goals into your Wii interface. As you work towards these goals, they will interface (hopefully voluntarily, but that is a different discussion) with your EHR (Electronic Health Records) which will give you a real time look of the ongoing impact of these goals on your detailed medical issues (blood, cholesterol, hypertension et cetera). In turn, your doctor will be able to interface back with your Wii or other tech unit giving your real time feedback and advice. Reality, Fantasy or scary? As larger institutions (such as health care facilities, insurance and pharmaceutical companies) move towards embracing this multi-avenue technology we will see the development of intricate health feedback systems. Unsure how this will develop, but we shall see. What do you think?

[Via: Engadget, Slashdot]

Twitpay sees the service as a way to quickly settle a lunch tab or small amount of money owed here and there. Michael D. Ivey, CEO, states: “Ideally we want to enable social giving on Twitter…But beyond that, we could enable charitable giving, such as to the Red Cross. We’re very excited to be able to help people do good over Twitter.”

The New York Times did a nice little write up and explains the process: “For example, posting the update “@johnsmith twitpay $10 for lunch” would deliver the cash to that Twitterer’s Twitpay account. The company monitors the public stream of messages for the keyword “twitpay” and facilitates the exchange. You replenish your Twitpay account using a site like PayPal. Once recipients have accumulated more than $10 in their accounts, the balance can be cashed out in the form of an Amazon gift card. For all transfers exceeding $1, Twitpay will take a flat cut of 5 cents.”

Twitpay is an interesting service, and I am fairly confident it will catch on. Personally, I am not sure I want everybody in my Twitter community knowing who I owe lunch money to, however, I could have seen this program as an asset during the Mumbai crises and the heavy twitter activity then.

The third party additions to Twitter are an interesting phenomena and speak to the unique ecosystem that is building around the service. In the coming month, we will see all kinds of interesting ancillary Twitter services/products arise. As Twitpay’s FAQ page states: the app was created “because Silicon Alley Insider said it was a billion dollar business (and) a billion dollar business sounded good to us.” That sounds good to a lot of (smart) people.

[via nytimes]

The paper also has an insightful discussion section looking at the relationship between the incubation of virtual worlds and how it parallels that of the web in the 1990s.

Read the paper here.

I would also like to draw your attention to a quote in the research regarding the versatile nature of collaboration in Virtual Worlds. This quote brings up the term “emotional bandwidth,” which I believe to be one of the mantras of the future of virtual worlds technology and health care.

“Because the full-colour, multifaceted nature of the experience offers so much more “emotional bandwidth” than traditional Web sites, e-mail lists and discussion groups, users say the experience can feel astonishingly real. Participants develop close relationships and share intimate details even while, paradoxically, remaining anonymous. Some say they open up in ways they never would in face-to-face encounters in real support groups, therapy sessions, or even with family and close friends in their true lives.”

In this video, Lessig presents a persuasive argument on Law and Creativity and its relationship to the world of user generated content. He explores our societal movement from a ReadWrite culture to Read culture (Top-Down) and now back to a ReadWrite (Bottom-Up) culture with Web2.0.

This video comes form TED:

As I have become mesmerized with Lessig’s work, I’ve been checking out some of his books, which are particularly interesting. A few are available for free — off course with Creative Commons licensing. Check them out here.