Avatar Toys Have Avatars!

How did James Cameron hack your web cam?

The premiere of James Cameron’s ridiculously anticipated 3D alien epic Avatar is less than three months away, so chances are you’re probably reading this on your smart phone while already camped in front of a theater. Well, it’s time to call mom and have her make a toy store run for you, because the first batch of figures based on the film are already out. Admittedly, the toys themselves are nothing particularly revolutionary. (Unless you’ve long been clamoring for something that looked like a smurf—but lankier.) What’s impressive are the toys i-TAG augmented reality cards.

First, download some software. Then, hold the card up to your computer’s webcam. The software will overlay a 3D digital image of the toy on the web cam footage, as if that toy is hovering on the i-TAG card. Move the card around and the image moves with it. Push buttons on the card and the virtual toy will maneuver or open fire. To get a better idea of what that means, check out this demonstration video. Sure, it’s not as revolutionary as what you’ll see in theaters, but go ahead and check it out anyway. Hey, if you’re already in line, you’ve got some time to kill.

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