In April, with the release of Layar 7.2.2, we included language support for Dutch, French, German, Japanese and Spanish. Today, with the release of 7.2.3, we’ve added another language to Layar - and it’s a big one!

Chinese has come to the Layar App! Check out some of the screenshots below.

Now users in China will be able to read the Layar App’s menus and help-text in Simplified Chinese characters, making for a better user experience.

This makes it easier for publishers in China to create a seamless and engaging experience for their customers. Publishers could already tailor their interactive print content into the language of their choice, and now the Layar App itself can do the same.

Layar 7.2.3 is available now in the App Store and Google Play Store.

As we’ve shown here on the Layar blog, interactive print is really starting to take off across the world. And with it, downloads of the Layar App are soaring to new heights.

We are very close to hitting the 30 million downloads mark, so we decided we’d take this opportunity to share the numbers behind the growth of interactive print in a countdown to 30 million. You can follow the fun on Twitter by following @layar and watching for the #Layar30M hashtag.

30 million is a nice, big number, there is so much more behind it than just downloads of the Layar App. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be telling the story of 30 million with interesting facts, numbers and more – some serious, some for fun, but all true!

You can follow our progress on Twitter, or right here on the Layar homepage. We’ll have a count of downloads updated daily on our homepage and over at layar.com/30m. You can watch as we approach 30 Million downloads and read all of our interesting bits of information about the story behind it all.

When all is said and done, we’ll be publishing a report of all the interesting interactive print data and Layar facts that comprise #Layar30M. For now, if you want more info, or want to share your genius ideas for the future of interactive print? Send us a tweet with the #Layar30M hashtag and let us know!

It’s no secret that interactive print is exploding across the globe.

From real estate agencies in Australia, to big brands and publishers in Canada and the United States, to the biggest publications in France and the Netherlands, and even a boom in downloads of the Layar App in Saudi Arabia – Layar is a truly worldwide company. We’ve even taken it upon ourselves to make sure content is distributed across dozens of servers worldwide for greater speed.

As the international market for interactive print emerges, it’s time for us to take the next step in providing the best possible user experience to as many people as possible. Available today for iOS and Android, version 7.2.2 of the Layar App  includes support for the following languages:

Combined with English, these languages make up a large portion of Layar users around the globe, but this just the beginning. To provide the best experience to more users, we will add more languages based on usage and demand over time.

The inclusion of native language support within the Layar App makes it easier for publishers to create seamless and engaging experiences for their readers. Publishers could already tailor their interactive print content into the language of their choice, and now the Layar App itself follows suit to provide an immersive experience in a user’s native language. It’s simply a better all-around experience for users.

Want your language supported in the Layar App? Let us know in the comments section which one we should do next!

We’ve just released an update to Layar that includes some new functionality that may surprise you. With the new Layar App v7.2 for iOS and Android, you can now also scan and view content from QR codes – but not in the way you might think. It’s way better than that.

When we launched the Layar Creator and interactive print, some said we were sticking the knife in QR codes, or even providing the final nail in the QR code’s coffin.

We’re not killing the QR code. We’re making the QR code better than ever by pairing it with interactive print and bringing the two technologies together in a single app, providing a better user experience. No more switching from one app to another; now the Layar App does it all.

With QR codes, Layar first analyzes the content and determines what it is. Then, instead of suddenly whisking users away or abruptly performing an action on their device, Layar displays the content in AR just as it does with interactive print. It’s QR with an AR twist.

You’re then just one tap from viewing a web link, watching video, listening to audio, sending an email or SMS, adding an event to your calendar and more. It’s a truly engaging mix of technology, bringing the power and engagement of augmented reality to QR codes.

A growing number of people scan items with the Layar App every day, and we noticed that a large portion are attempting to scan QR codes. Now, users won’t need a second app to view both interactive print and QR code content – Layar does it all, turning any normal QR code into interactive print.

Be sure to download Layar 7.2 for iOS and Android today.