Check Halal on your phone

Hazel and Kamarul showing how the AR technology works.

Augmented Reality can help you find out if a food item is halal, writes IZWAN ISMAIL.

Hazel Hassan Hisham is not sure if a new fusion restaurant in Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, is halal despite the logo displayed at the entrance.

No problem. She takes out her hand phone and points its camera at the halal logo.

Clicking on one of the soft buttons, more information about the restaurant is shown on the screen.

Now that she knows that the restaurant is fully-certified by Jakim (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia), and the ingredients used are sourced from halal outlets, she can have her meal there without worries.

This is an example of how the new Augmented Reality (AR) technology is used. AR provides a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment where elements are augmented by virtual computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video or graphics.

“There must be wireless broadband connection on the phone for this to work as, once the image is captured, the data will be transmitted onto the phone screen, giving users additional information on the products,” says Hazel, chief operating officer of watchtower & friends (wtf), a local company that is pioneering the use and development of AR technology here.

“Businesses can develop the AR content using wtf’s AR software. Currently wtf’s AR software can be used on Symbian and Android platform, but by first quarter of next year the software will be ready for iPhone and Blackberry platforms,” she adds.

“The International Halal SME Report Directory will promote knowledge about the industry to both businesses and consumers,” says H-Media editor Kamarul Aznam Kamaruzaman.

“AR will help the players to penetrate the market here and abroad,” he added.

The inaugural International Halal SME Report Directory 2011/12 is due to be published in April 2011 in time for MIHAS. Halal certified or Muslim-owned businesses can apply to be listed for Free in the globally publication by signing up here. More information are available here at HalalSME.com. Deadline for a free listing submission is Jan 31 2011.

Source: NST Tech: Check it on your phone