Credit: Bareburger

If we look far enough into the future, it's entirely possible that mixed reality will completely replace paper. Environmentally inefficient, things like newspapers, books, and loose-leaf advertisements are likely only a few short decades from extinction.

Could restaurant menus also be at risk for being replaced? One burger chain in New York City seems to think so.

The chain in question, Bareburger, has recently partnered with augmented reality startup Kabaq, in order to transform its traditional laminated paper menu into a digital masterpiece. Instead of an app of their own, customers will make use of Snapchat's AR features to access the menu.

Kabaq is also behind the augmented reality-fication of NYC-based Magnolia Bakery. Having done away with paper menus entirely, customers of this New York landmark can now "see" the cake they plan to order via their smartphone.

As competitive as restaurants are, it's not surprising to see them turning to new technology for an edge over their competition. And it wouldn't be the first time that AR has lead to an increase in sales, albeit indirectly.

For example, when Pokemon Go launched in 2016, Revel systems (a POS platform for brick and mortar stores), discovered that over 80% of businesses saw an increase in foot traffic, while over sixty percent saw an increase in weekly sales volume.

Whether or not AR will be an effective selling tool in restaurants remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure - mixed reality technology is rapidly being embraced by a myriad of businesses around the world. And it's only a matter of time before we have metrics on how it outperforms other tech in the human economic ecosystem.

What do you think about augmented reality menus? Let us know in a comment!

IMPORTANT NEWS: Lucyd Update August 6th

Hello Lucyd community! Thanks for your interest and support. We have a lot of exciting developments in the works for 2018 and beyond.

Di Valdi by Lucyd fashion frames

1. The Lucyd eShop opened last week. This will be our sales platform for all Lucyd products. We have launched with four main lines of frames, international shipping, a variety of Rx and plano lens options, and more. The first four lines are Lucyd Loud, a Bluetooth "soundglass" that enables handsfree music and voice assistant; Turboflex, a line of durable, flexible frames; Di Valdi, cutting-edge Italian designer frames, and Lucyd Looks, basic frames with a unique understated style.
   In addition to our in-house development of Lucyd Lens and Loud, we are continually researching the best tech and fashion forward glasses worldwide, to make them available on the eShop. We are also making ongoing improvements to the UX of the eShop, so please give us a few weeks as we polish the mobile and desktop experience.
   Some of you may be surprised by our decision to launch an eShop, because this is a new development not outlined in our roadmap. But we realized it was needed to allow for the proper customization of our hardware to address the visual requirements of our customers, and the concept of an eShop for tech glasses was born. It has already become one of the only places in the world to purchase Bluetooth glasses with prescription lenses, and likely the only one to deliver in a timely fashion. It is also the first online store in the world for purchasing prescription eyeglasses using crypto as well as fiat currency.

2. The LCD token. Many of you are wondering when LCD will come into play. We are currently developing a wearable app for LCD to enable its use with both Lucyd Lens and Loud. We are also developing integration into the eShop for a rewards program, and redemption for hardware and software. We expect to have these utilities in the next 6–7 months.

3. Lucyd Loud, the Bluetooth soundglass, is still a beta product. We plan to make several enhancements to both the style and technology in this product over the next year.

4. Lucyd Lens, the visual AR smartglass, is expected to enter beta on time in Q1 2019. It will be released via the eShop.

5. We are also developing an app called LINK to improve the usability of smartglasses for common smartphone tasks, with a focus on messaging, navigation, social and search.

6. The LCD token portal at lcd.lucyd.co is temporarily down. It will be back up shortly with an access link in the footer of the eShop.

That's all for now! Stay tuned for more updates, and upgrade your eyewear now at lucyd.co!