Augmented reality app reveals the world’s hidden stories

Now available for iPhone 3GS/4 and Android, Tagwhat’s “Great Stories at Places” app aims to let users experience hidden stories everywhere they go.

Much the way Walkabout3d uses augmented reality to provide a glimpse into the future of new building developments, so Colorado-based Tagwhat offers a look back into the past by revealing the stories associated with different geographical places. Now available for iPhone 3GS/4 and Android, Tagwhat’s “Great Stories at Places” app aims to let users experience hidden stories everywhere they go. The company’s team of new media journalists and filmmakers have amassed thousands of original and curated stories told in words, images, video and audio, supplemented by publishing partners including the Associated Press, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Virginia Beach Public Library system. Stories describe and enhance the places around the user, and are organized into channels focusing on topics such as music, food, nature and art. They pop up on top of real-life locations when users look through their phone’s camera, changing based on what they’re looking at. A unique digital postcard is even associated with each story, allowing users to personalize it and send it to friends via Facebook, Twitter or email. For armchair tourists, meanwhile, a “Visit” feature lets users travel virtually to featured cities including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, Chicago, Boulder, Portland, Austin and Virginia Beach. The video below explains the app’s purpose in more detail: New stories are being added to Tagwhat every day, the company says, while advertisers are invited to contact Tagwhat to learn more about its mobile advertising solutions. One to get involved in?