Allow me to geek out a bit.  This isn’t anything all that new, but I’d never seen it for myself and thought I’d share a little.

Have you ever been walking down the sidewalk or standing in a square and wondered what you were looking at?  Perhaps a bit about the architecture, the history of a particular building, or whether that restaurant with that great happy hour deal is in fact any good?

Enter Augmented Reality.  These applications for iPhone, Android and others use the phone’s camera, GPS, accelerometer and compass to overlay graphical information on the live camera view.  Hold the camera up to the building, and peer through the looking glass to reveal the dense world of information behind it.

On my way home from the gym yesterday, I stopped in Trafalgar Square to give acrossair a spin…literally.  See my photos below with Wikipedia entries floating about.  You can also display Yelp reviews, bars, subways and more.  Really incredible stuff.  I look forward  to (read: dread) wearing contact lenses that do the same thing in a few years.

I’m pretty excited.  In September, I will move to London to begin a master’s program at the London School of Economics.  The year-long program, MSc Politics & Communication, addresses the changing relationship between politics, the media and global communications.  What interests me the most is the impact of technology and the Internet on political discourse and citizen engagement.

Leaving DC after 7 years won’t be easy.  I love my friends here and have enjoyed the collegiate and professional life.  Transitioning from my nice apartment to a tiny dorm room may also have its challenges.  But, it’s time for an adventure and I’m thrilled to take it in Europe.

September may seem a litte far off, but I figure it will come rather quickly.  I will continue in my current job through much of June before taking some time off for all that “personal exploration” stuff, to master my skills at eBay and Craigslist, to travel home for a big family reunion, and, of course, to start studying.  I will also try to find some source of income so my roommate doesn’t kick me out.

As for after LSE, I’m not there yet.  Right now, I’m just focusing on this Visa…

Photo: MSH* on Flickr