This Esquire magazine has an AR barcode that lets you manipulate 3D objects on screen by holding the magazine in front of a webcam. This is no cutting edge technology – the geeky bunch had already seen it and played with it months ago: PaperVision project, James Alliban’s AR Business Cards on Vimeo (his blog)…etc.

The question is, is it necessary? Does adding AR truly adds value to your product and makes things easier to use? It is like Twitter all over again: the geeks discovered and been using the service two years ago, until the marketing geniuses take the idea, educate (or spam) the general public with this “new and cool” technology, and then before you know it, everybody has to use it regardless. You now see those “@handle” everywhere, from news channel, coffee shop, bakery, you name it.

I predict that in 2010 we will have a AR virtual bread loaf or wedding cake on the bakery website.