The cardboard box Amazon ships your order in becomes a waste product once you've opened it and (hopefully) put it out for recycling. However, Amazon just launched a new augmented reality app that should help extend the life of each box, at least for a few minutes.
As TechCrunch reports, an Amazon Augmented Reality app has appeared on the App Store and Google Play, which "introduces interactive, sharable augmented reality experiences—delivered wherever you are." Once downloaded and installed on your phone, it's possible to point your phone camera at the QR code on the side of each Amazon cardboard box to trigger an AR experience.
As the video below shows, Amazon is focusing on Halloween for the launch of this app:
You can imagine the many ways Amazon can re-promote its use for other holidays or important events. We may even see Amazon offers appearing as part of the experience if it proves popular enough. And it seems some of the experiences are interactive, encouraging drawing on the box, which then gets scanned into the AR app for modification.
If you have an iPhone with TrueDepth technology support, Amazon is offering something extra as part of the AR experience. It's possible to track your facial movements and enable a selfie mode to bring you into the action.