Layar has developed an Augmented Reality program that currently runs on Android on the G1. Sure it only works in the Netherlands right now, but there will be other layers soon. What makes it great is is constant connection to the internet and its ability to tell you whats around you.

I remember reading articles on AR systems that required the users to carry around large backpacks with a huge antenna sticking out of it. They also had to wear large helmet visors just to be able to see simple things like way points. Now they have these systems built into phones that require no external attachments.

Imagine being able to pull up points of interest when traveling and be able to find them by the floating arrows above them. Never get lost in a city. Best of all, play games in the real world making it way cooler than the Wii. There are all kinds of different uses that are yet to be dreamed up. This is the stuff of sci-fi!

The Treo 650 was my first smartphone, followed by the Treo 700p that I have now. I thought that it was great having a small (but weak) computer in my pocket. I could play games, write memos, and use all kinds of programs, but something was still missing. I had horrible, overpriced, web access. I tried using the web during the free weeks that they (first Sprint, now Verizon) gave me for signing up. It was slow and had no features, I could hardly load up mobile sites.

Then came the iPhone. Normally I am against Apple products, mostly because of the people that use them, but this one caught my eye. I knew that version 1 wouldn’t be great, but they had a good idea. When they released a 3g version, that’s when I started to look at them a lot more seriously. Now being a Verizon customer, I had no way to switch over and buy an iPhone, especially with the price of canceling a contract, buying a phone, and a new contract. I am stuck.

Then the G1 came out with Android, but for T-Mobile only. My ears perked up when I heard about jailbreaking the iPhone or hacking the Android to put either on any network, but it was still all useless to me because Verizon decided that it wanted to stay a CDMA network. I could put either of those phones on almost any network. (By the way, I’m still trying to find a way to get either of those phones over to verizon, so if you hear anything, please drop me a link or something.)

Back on topic, Android was from Google, my favorite super-corp. I already have all sorts of stuff on Google plus it’s all open-source. It sounded perfect to the developer in me. I guess I can still dream though can’t I?

The Palm Pre sort of slipped by under the radar. I heard of it a long ways out and checked out some of its features, but again, for another network. I join the network with the best coverage (in my area), the best customer service (in my area), only to get left in the dust with no cool phones. At least the Pre is on Sprint’s CDMA network so I have a lot more hope of this one getting hacked. Either way it will reach Verizon eventually.

So here I am, still looking at these phones on ebay, hoping that I can score something cheap enough that I can get a simple data contract (if they even let you do that) just so I can finally play with the new toys that everyone else is getting bored with. New phones will always come, I just hope that I happen to be in the right place at the right time to see them shine.