Today at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, I got to play with a 3DS for the first time, trying different pieces of software, including an augmented reality card game.

FORBES: Hands On With The Nintendo 3DS

Then, using "augmented reality" technology from Total Immersion Software, the device translated the Mandarin characters on the sign into English, and in real time, super-imposed the characters on the device screen with English translations.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Software developers are now working on ways to make augmented reality as integral a part of the Internet as Flash.

FORBES: Names You Need To Know: Augmented Reality

"Until now, there hasn't been a simple way for developers to experiment in augmented reality, especially for gameplay, " said Adam Wilson, co-founder and chief software architect of Orbotix.

ENGADGET: Orbotix launches new Sphero AR tools to get the ball rolling on development

While virtual reality has tried (and till now failed) to entice us into a virtual world, augmented reality overlays digital, virtual information onto the real world with the help of a simple camera, screen and software in between.

FORBES: Hot, New 'Word Lens' App Is Founder's First Project In Augmented Reality