Remember laughing at past movie characters as they would physically interact with "highly advanced computers"? They typed on virtual screens and shook hands with holograms while we smiled and shook our heads knowingly. Yet today, some of these far-fetched interactions are closer than you might think.

You may have heard of it already. If not, get with it, because it's rapidly becoming part of our standard vocabulary. According to James Gurd, Augmented Reality "is the enrichment of your physical experience with virtual information and interaction," and it's making the improbable possible at a commercial level.

Although "Augmented Reality" is only a concept, there are actual applications being derived from it: through webcams, virtual mirrors can show customers how physical products like eyeglasses will look on them, holograms can be generated and manipulated in real-time, and physical objects can be mapped with digital layers for virtual elements to interact with.

However, webcams aren't the only vehicle to achieving AR. Transparent surfaces of widely varying forms are being converted into AR portals. Goggles as slim as sunglasses reveal entire virtual interfaces that respond to physical interaction, space, and even eye movement. Concepts for automobile windshields that utilize AR are also being developed in ways to enhance safety; roads can be highlighted and animals can be flagged as warnings. And as with any innovative technology, there's no telling how fast these breakthroughs will inspire new ideas that get us closer to experiencing ultimate AR.

One thing is apparent, AR's immediate future will be driven by mobile technology. Mobilizy, developer of the first AR app, has recently proposed ARML (Augmented Reality Markup Language) as the standard representation of AR data, allowing for consistency and facilitating development. Given the vast use of mobile technology, this is sure to catapult AR into the mainstream. Various apps have already been developed that identify physical objects through smartphone cameras in real-time. Big players like McDonald's and Starbucks have implemented AR advertising campaigns through app developer Brightkite. These apps pinpoint a product's location, whether in its own store or another's, and provide further information - all through the phone's camera feed.

Clearly, the applications already created hold a great deal of potential for AR as a promotional tool. Virtual mirrors alone open up a whole new way of simulating an in-store shopping experience. It brings retailers one step closer to creating a fully-functioning, virtual "dressing room." The only element missing is physical touch. Real-time holograms provide customers the advantage of looking at items the way they want to. Standard 3D product views will seem practically restrictive compared to holding the item in the palm of one's hand. Considering that the quality of these holograms and animations will only improve over time, the uses for this technology are certain to grow.

As AR is accepted by the mainstream and demand for it increases, so will its strength as a promotional tool. AR's commercial debut is rapidly approaching; the latter will inevitably follow: "The practical success of an idea, irrespective of its inherent merit, is dependent on the attitude of the contemporaries. If timely it is quickly adopted; if not, it is apt to fare like a sprout lured out of the ground by warm sunshine, only to be injured and retarded in its growth by the succeeding frost." -Nikola Tesla