• VentureBeat, Tuesday, December 1, 2009 1:25 PM

Meet AcrossAir -- an "augmented reality" startup, and what some argue is the future of the mobile Web. AR is a new and arguably over-hyped field that relies on a mobile phone's viewfinder to let users overlay 3-D graphics and information over the space around them. Specifically, AcrossAir makes apps that let people find nearby subway stops and restaurants.

It just released a new bar finder app in partnership with beer maker Stella Artois that lets you hold up your phone, pan around and see info tags superimposed over your surroundings pointing to nearby bars serving its beer. Thanks to co-branding partnerships with such top tier marketers, the UK-based startup even claims to have turned profitable last month.

Other apps include Nearest Tube, which helps you find subway stops, to Nearest Tweets, which shows you tweets from close by. There was also a deal to create WorkSnug, an augmented reality app that helps you find coffee shops to work in with WiFi and outlets.

Read the whole story at VentureBeat »