Augmented Reality is a way to enhance what you see around you with the use of your mobile phone’s camera, sensors, and location services. If done right, applications of this technology can take the experience of the consumer to an entirely new level. Implementing this technology can be exciting and challenging at the same time. For those seeking a mature solution, we are extremely delighted about the recent announcement on the BlackBerry® 10 support for the Wikitude SDK.

Following up with that announcement, we are pleased to announce our next webcast on Augmented Reality (AR) Development for BlackBerry 10. Join us to learn how to make use of the Wikitude SDK to create cool AR apps and games for the BlackBerry 10. Get a deeper insight into the concepts of creating AR content using HTML5/JavaScript/CSS and integration into BlackBerry10 Cascades™ applications. Hear directly from Wolfgang Damm, Lead Software Architect from Wikitude Team that created the “Best Augmented Reality Browser 2012“.

Registration is open now! Please signup to reserve your spot for the webcast on November 20th, 2012 at 11:00am EST

http://www.blackberrydeveloperevents.com/events/webcast/registration/register.html?scoid=1075028770

Get up to speed on the features of Wikitude SDK for BlackBerry 10 before the webcast:

http://www.wikitude.com/developer/sdk/wikitude-sdk-blackberry-10

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

Towards the end of BlackBerry® DevCon Americas 2011 I had a chance to meet with Martin Herdina, CEO of Wikitude® GmbH to chat about the popular Wikitude app for BlackBerry® smartphones, as well as the concept of augmented reality. Wikitude integrates social discovery with mobile technology, specifically cameras and magnetometers, to facilitate the experience. Martin also spoke at the DevCon General Session Keynote, providing insights on integration of BBM with augmented reality. Try out the Wikitude app and see for yourself how easy it becomes to use your BlackBerry smartphone to discover your surroundings in an innovative way.

Are you integrating augmented reality into your next BlackBerry smartphone app? Post a comment and let us know!

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

We sat down with Sydney developer Paul Haenel to chat about his experience developing for the BlackBerry® platform. Paul has developed a number of apps for the Australian market, including the Australian Weather Channel, Channel V and Manly Fast Ferry, all available from the BlackBerry App World™ storefront.

In the video above, Paul shares his recipe for creating apps for the BlackBerry platform, and discusses developing for the new BlackBerry® 7 operating system Near Field Communication, Augmented Reality, Super Apps and distributing through BlackBerry App World.

For more news from Australia, follow @BlackBerry_AU on Twitter®.

(YouTube link for easy mobile viewing)

If you’ve been reading up on the BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900 and BlackBerry® Bold™ 9930 smartphones, then you’ll know they feature a built-in compass (magnetometer) designed to support location-based services and augmented reality. With BlackBerry® 7, new APIs will allow you to take advantage of this new functionality within your applications.

At the BlackBerry World™ conference, we featured a new application created by Mobilizy: Wikitude. The above Wikitude demo video showcases the power of BlackBerry 7 and the exciting opportunity augmented reality can bring to your apps. You can learn more and get started with BlackBerry 7 today.

Have you been thinking about augmented reality? Leave us a comment and let us know what you’re working on!