Best location possible now available on popular augmented reality browser
BOSTON, MA – September 13, 2010 – Skyhook, the worldwide leader in location positioning, context and intelligence, today announced that Layar, the world’s leading augmented reality browser platform, has added Skyhook’s Core Engine to its Android application for improved location results.
The Layar Reality Browser displays real time digital information on top of reality in the camera screen of the mobile phone. While looking through the phone’s camera lens, a user can see houses for sale, popular bars and shops, tourist information of the area, play a live game, etc. The Layar platform serves as an enabler for mobile location services – any database with geo-location information can easily be turned in a content layer.
"Because the purpose of Layar is to only show content within a user’s immediate surroundings, precise location is critical for our app," said Raimo van der Klein, CEO of Layar. "The Skyhook SDK provided greatly improved accuracy and speed over the native Android platform."
"Hyperlocal apps like Layar require exact positioning to show a user what’s nearby," said Ted Morgan, CEO of Skyhook. "Integrating our SDK into the Layar app is the perfect solution to achieve the best location results across all Android devices."
Skyhook is the recognized leader in geo-location technology and fulfills hundreds of millions of location requests every day across millions of handsets, netbooks and cameras. Skyhook’s ground-breaking location system uses a combination of Wi-Fi, cellular and GPS readings to produce a single, accurate location quickly and in all environments.
Layar’s Android app is currently available for download in the Android Marketplace. Skyhook offers a publicly available SDK for Android developers, available here: www.skyhookwireless.com/developers/sdk.php.
About Skyhook
Skyhook is the worldwide leader in location positioning, context and intelligence. In 2003, Skyhook pioneered the development of the Wi-Fi Positioning System to provide precise and reliable location results in urban areas. Today, Skyhook’s Core Engine provides positioning to tens of millions of consumer mobile devices and applications. For more information visit www.skyhookwireless.com.
About Layar
Layar is world’s leading Augmented Reality Platform on mobile. The Layar Reality Browser currently has more than 1 million active users, is available on Android, iPhone and Bada devices. Also it comes pre-installed on tens of millions of phones from leading handset manufacturers and carriers. On Layars publishing platform over 1200 layers are published. These layers are developed by the global community of 5,000 Layar publishers and producers, and by leading brands and agencies. Layar is located in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The company is VC funded and has 32 employees.