Visit Baton Rouge launches new ‘augmented reality’ app

With a new app from Visit Baton Rouge, locals and visitors alike can point their smartphone in any direction to get information about nearby restaurants, retailers, bars and events. “It’s called an augmented reality browser, and that’s just a fancy word for a specific kind of browser that puts stuff on your phone screen,” says Chris Gautreau, spokesman for Zehnder, which created the app. It’s like the first down marker you see on the TV during a football game. This kind of app is really being touted as the new wave of marketing.” Theresa Overby, Visit Baton Rouge director of communications, says the app was developed to give everyone in Baton Rouge an easy way to discover events and entertainment in their vicinity, wherever they are. “If you’re standing outside the Shaw Center and point your phone down the street, all these little icons for bars, restaurants and events will pop up, and then you can get more information about them,” she says, adding there’s also a list view option. iPhone users can preview the app and download it here. Android phone users can find it via LAYAR reality browser here. —Steve Sanoski