Once a book is printed, it's printed - nothing changes without a reprint. But what if you could add contextual digital content to enhance the book with real-time information on the fly?
We're experimenting with just that in partnership with Layar, a free augmented reality app available on Apple iOS and Android devices. To start, we've enhanced all 42 Lonely Planet European city guidebooks (city guides, pocket city guides and Discover city guides) to work with the Layar app. Simply by scanning the cover through the app, travellers can enjoy live weather feeds, exclusive videos and photos, transport planners, activity ideas and hundreds of bookable hotel and tour listings - all for free. All you need is a book and a phone.
Video and links to online content and services added to the new Lonely Planet London city guide
Don't have a Lonely Planet European city guide at hand? See the app in action in this video, or try out the Layar app now on the picture below (click the picture for a larger version). Simply download the free Layar app for your Android or Apple iOS device, open the app and point the camera at the image, and explore the array of options that the Layar app adds to the book cover.
