Sometimes, You Can See The Next Big Panic Coming...

I was browsing the Apple iPhone Application store at the weekend ('Spore:Creatures' is fab!) and came across a new app called 'The Hidden Park', one of the first big new apps for kids to use augmented reality (AR).

So, how does it work?

The Hidden Park is an iPhone adventure game created especially for young families. The application uses all the features of the iPhone to lead children into a fantasy world of trolls, fairies and tree genies - right in their local park!

Trust me, in most inner London park, you aren't going to want to walk around with an expensive bit of technology in your hand!

Luckily, the two London parks so far available are family friendly (Kensington Gardens and South Bank) but I'm sure it won't be long before less inviting destinations are added. Still, the AR-generated fairies and dragons will hopefully hide the used condoms, broken bottles and flashers hiding furtively in the hydrangeas...

I can't wait for the first 'Hidden Park'-related mugging or bullying case to hit the headlines, so the 'Mail' and others can work themselves up into paroxysms of moral outrage at 'new technology endangering our children!'.