Yesterday marked the opening of Fashion Week here in Amsterdam, and to spread the word today, they’ve enhance the front pages of every big newspaper in the Netherlands.

From de Volkskrant to Spits to Trouw and of course De Telegraaf - all of them have content waiting to be unlocked and viewed by scanning them with Layar. The fashion house Marga Weimans is behind the “take over,” which features a special video and other info about Fashion Week.

If you’re in the Netherlands, pick up a newspaper, scan it with Layar and check out the videos and other content. Watch the video below to see today’s papers come to life!

When we launched the Layar Creator, we created LAYARED Magazine as an example of just how interactive print can become when using the Creator.

The shining star of the magazine is cover, which comes to life when you view it with Layar. We wanted to share how we created this bit of magic, so we’ve created a video showing just how it was made (including some of Raimo’s outtakes and bloopers!)

So check out the video below, it’s a great showcase for using AR video - video which displays within the AR view on top of print, not in a separate window like a YouTube video.

And don’t forget, if you want your very own copy of LAYARED Magazine to hold in your hand, you can order one now!

Remember the fancy digital magazine with Raimo on the cover that we featured in our Layar Creator video? 

Well now you can hold your very own copy in your hands!

As of today, you can order a copy of LAYARED Magazine and see just what interactive print is all about. Read about the history of mobile augmented reality, meet the people already using it and view the latest industry statistics and showcases.

Best of all, it’s overflowing with digital content that we easily added to the pages in just minutes with the Creator. In fact, the hard part was getting the print magazine together! We now have a newfound respect for the print industry. It’s not easy making a magazine! But adding content with the Creator is.

So head on over to the LAYARED Magazine page to get yours delivered right to your door!

In 2011, author, Martijn Arets, visited 20 inspiring companies around Europe to learn how to build a better brand. The stories and lessons he learned became the book Brand Expedition. 

What Martijn set out to do was to visit these companies and understand them better. This became reality when he quit his job and went on the road to interview CEO’s, founders and brand managers. He captured his findings on video and shared his experiences by blogging and tweeting while on the road. At each stop, he requested that each CEO ask the next CEO a question on video. To engage more with his growing audience, Martijn asked them to help pick out which company to visit next.  

While Arets set out to capture his expedition in a digital format, he found that a book was the best way to share the stories and lessons. The book he wrote based on his experiences was a great success in Holland, and he set about crowdsourcing an international edition.

To improve upon that success and tie his online content to the book, Arets and Layar teamed up. For the release of the international edition, Arets used Layar to enrich the book with video interviews of the CEO’s pan-company interviews. Each page enhanced with video content has the View with Layar logo, indicating to readers when the special videos are available.  

At Layar, we think it’s a cool book and a great way to use our platform. The videos fit nicely with the printed content of the book. It gives the book experience something extra, which keeps the reader more enaged and in tune with the “how to build a brand” message and lessons.

We are very curious how the readers will like it.

Watch the video below to see how it works.  You can buy the book here to experience for yourself.

Almost a year ago we told you about (Un)seen Sculptures, and Australian augmented reality art exhibit at the Surry Hills Festival featuring 3D models created by 13 artists from across the globe. The digital exhibit returns again this year, presented by dLux MediaArts as part of Sydney Art Month, and is currently seeking submissions from artists.

If you’re not sure what a mobile 3D augmented reality art show is, (Un)seen Sculptures describes itself as “a sculpture walk composed entirely of virtual 3D works that have been ‘placed’ at specific geographic locations.” Using Layar, visitors to the exhibit can view the sculptures (and any accompanying media) with their smartphone.

To submit your 3D digital artwork, you’d better act fast, the deadline is this Saturday, February 25th. Essentially, anything that works on Layar should be accepted, but make sure to keep models below 5,000 polygons and, in general, keep any files to a low size to avoid slow load times.

Submissions should include the following:

• Artist name.
• Title of work.
• Any additional subtitles to be displayed in Layar.
• 200 dpi image of the artwork (for printed promotional purposes).
• An artist statement of short description of the work.
• Link to the artist’s website.
• 3D files of the artwork.
• Any accompanying media files.

Any submissions or questions should be sent to filmcement[at]gmail.com. For full descriptions of requirements and guidelines for submission, see this PDF. We’re looking forward to seeing what makes its way into the show this year!