Aurasma

Designers say the mobile browser Aurasma links the digital world with the physical world. A user points a mobile device's camera at an image, like a movie poster, and can either get more information about the image, or the image seems to come alive.

The obvious application for Aurasma is advertising, but developers see it going way beyond that.

"You can see it also in education bringing textbooks to life, in museums bringing paintings to life, in architectural firms bringing structures to life," says Jennifer Rapp of Aurasma. "Consumer products is a great application for it. We all know that experience when you get something and you're not quite sure how to put it together. Imagine you can aim your phone at it and suddenly get instructions — the IKEA desk, the router, anything like that."

Aurasma is a free app available now for iOS and Android devices.

Watch With eBay

Meanwhile, eBay is adding a new feature to its iPad app, "Watch With eBay," which links to what users are watching on TV. Once the app is installed in the cable system, the cable system's guide shows the user a bunch of stuff for sale on eBay that is related to the channel or program currently viewed.

Developers are hoping to integrate the app so well with programming that users will be able to see items a show, like the shirt a favorite character is wearing, and then display those items for sale.

At the moment though, most listings are merchandise based on the show, such as DVDs or shirts with the show's logo on it.

The eBay app is free for pretty much all devices, but the "Watch With eBay" feature is only available for iPads.