Giant Rabobank safe marks the spot [for game play] at the Efteling.

In fact, the Walt Disney Company was the first to rake the AR plunge, producing layers for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World last year to help guide visitors around the parks’ many attractions.

Yesterday, however, the Netherlands’ own [fairytale] theme park destination, the Efteling (in cooperation with Dutch bank Rabobank), took its augmentation to the next level by creating an AR game experience for visitors to play on their mobile devices.

The layer, Feetje en de Kluis, aka “Fairy and the Safe” in English, includes an interactive game where you have one minute to collect and save as many coins as possible while avoiding the witch, who will steal them from you if you run into her. There’s also as an interactive audio fairytale about teaching a witch to save money (presumably so she won’t have to steal anymore).

You can launch the fairytale from any location, but in order to play the game you must be in front of the giant Rabobank safe/ATM near the entrance of the Efteling.

Check out this video (in Dutch) that illustrates the Efteling’s magical Layar integration:

Longtime Layar Partner TAB Worldmedia worked with the Efteling and Rabobank to create the Feetje en de Kluis layer. You can check out other cool projects from the folks at TAB Worldmedia on their blog, or follow them on Twitter.

Resistance is futile; the best you can hope for is survival.

These menacing extraterrestrials are highly-intelligent and have made their presence invisible to the naked eye. In order to view the threat, you must engage the Battle: Los Angeles layer through your mobile phone.

Once you launch the layer, you’ll see alien commanders and battle drones, but there are also alien command centers attacking US capitols and landmarks. If you see one, take a screenshot and share it on Twitter or Facebook to warn others.

… Ok, so there isn’t really a threat in “physical reality,” but there is a very serious alien invasion happening on Layar as a fun and interactive way to promote the film Battle: Los Angeles‘s Blu-ray/DVD/iTunes release on June 14.

The Battle: Los Angeles layer was a creative collaboration between Sony Pictures and Layar Partner Zehnder Communications, and it’s a great example of how to integrate Augmented Reality into a multi-platform digital marketing campaign.

The layer includes several multimedia options in the actions menu, allowing users to launch movie trailers and sneak previews, enter a sweepstakes to win a PS3, and purchase/pre-order the movie on Amazon.

It also highlights some Layar 5.0 features, including social sharing of screenshots, high-quality 3D models and both locative and dynamically generated POIs (aliens and droids appear near you no matter where you are, but command centers are only visible at specific locations, like over the White House, for example).

Check out this ultra cool promo video highlighting the Layar integration:

For more ways to survive the alien invasion (and possibly win prizes in the process), visit the Battle: Los Angeles website, “like” its Facebook page or follow @BattleLA on Twitter.

We’ve all got a little freak and geek in us, and there is no prouder community of nerds out there than the fans of the epic saga that is Star Wars.

Star Wars fans come in all shapes and sizes and hail from all around the world - including Logroño, a city in the north of Spain.

Last week, the city’s residents celebrated “Frikoño 2011” - a week long fiesta dedicated to all things geek. To mark the occasion they dressed up as Star Wars characters, held a 12-hour marathon viewing of the television show “Big Bang Theory,” marched through the streets in “Lord Vader” parades and even competed in “Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock” - a nerdy twist on a classic game.

In addition to these geeky festivities, local technology company Esidea created a layer to promote Frikoño using augmented reality. Keeping with the Star Wars fandom, the layer features detailed 3D models of classic Star Wars ship and vehicles, including the Death Star, Star Destroyers, AT AT walkers and more.

Check out the layer on your mobile device (if you’re in Spain) or simply watch the video below to see the Empire and the Rebellion in Layar!

You can scrub ahead to the 30 second mark, or you can submit yourself to the strangely entertaining introduction (in Spanish, of course).

It’s a busy day for iPhone news at Layar today. If you haven’t already, make sure you hit up the AppStore and upgrade to the most recent release of Layar. There’s nothing different, no new features or anything, but this version fixes a few bugs that were occurring due to the release of iOS 4.3 by Apple.

And while you’re in the AppStore, search for an app named SurpriseMe AR - the latest app that makes use of our brand new Layar Player. The Layar Player allows iPhone developers to easily implement augmented reality into their very own iPhone apps by simply copy and pasting a few lines of code.

SurpriseMe AR is an app from Elipse Analysis and Design that lets you give and receive gifts to and from your friends using augmented reality. You can add your friends, pick a gift and place it in virtual space for them to discover. Or perhaps you will be the lucky recipient of an AR gift from them!

The app supports 3D models, photos, audio files and text gifts. You can place the objects like dropping a pin on a map, and your friends see the gifts pop up around them in augmented reality. The application connects to Facebook to help you add friends and manage gifts both on the app and on your personal computer.

To see how it works simply check out the video embedded below after the jump! And don’t forget to upgrade your iPhone to the newest version of Layar!

Watch out that you don’t get pinched today, because that’s your fate should you fail to adorn yourself with something green. Yes, it’s that time of year again where everyone abandons their differences and unites under a common nationality - the Irish!

St. Patrick’s Day began as a day of feast in honor of Ireland’s favorite patron saint, but now it’s an excuse for everyone to find the Irish in them, wear green, chase leprechauns to the pot of gold and - of course - drink lots of beer. Green beer, especially!

And who are we to get in the way of a good time? So here’s a couple of layers you can use to find your way to a memorable St. Paddy’s (not Patty’s) Day.

Irish Pub - [Launch now!]

If you’re not in Ireland, you’ll need to find a good Irish Pub, and what better way than with the help of Layar? And what better name for this kind of layer than “Irish Pub”? The Irish Pub layer from HPSC has a database of over 1400 authentic Irish pubs, so chances are there’s one in your area. Simply navigate to this layer and you’re on your way to a hearty celebration that will make you think you’ve teleported to Dublin.

Ireland.com - [Launch now!]

But maybe you’re the kind who takes this holiday seriously, making a pilgrimage to the land of the Irish. In that case, check out the Ireland.com layer, the “definitive guide to what to do in Ireland,” with news, entertainment venues, eateries, hotels, activities and - wait for it - pubs! Over 3,000 pubs, to be exact! With that many how can you ever choose? Don’t worry, we have faith in you.

With these two layers in your pocket, a good time is inevitable. Enjoy yourselves, be safe, and happy St. Patrick’s Day!