A mobile computing device comprising: a user-interface, UI, system comprising: (i)input sensors for capturing input information, wherein the input sensor comprises a digital camera and (ii) a visual display for displaying a digital image comprising a real-time video image of the digital camera's field of view; a memory for storing a data cognition layer, DCL, software program comprising a plurality of software plug-ins; a communication module for transmitting and receiving information to and from a remote device; and a processor communicatively coupled to the UI system, the memory, and the communication module, the processor configured for executing the DCL software program to: (i) receive the input information from the input sensors the input information comprising one or more real-time images of the digital camera's field of view comprising a barcode; (ii) filter the input information through each of the plurality of software plug-ins to recognize the input information; (iii) determine at least one software plug-in of the plurality of software plug-ins that is capable of acting on the recognized input information, wherein the acting on the input information comprises recognising the input information and performing a task specific to the at least one software plug-in with the recognized information; (iv) utilize the at least one software plug-in to decode the barcode to generate decoded information and transform the decoded information into a set of information elements; (v) convert the set of information elements into a contextual message, wherein the contextual message is further determined based on machine-recognizable objects in the video image, user behaviors, and a GPS location of the user of the mobile computing device; and (vi) transmit the contextual message to the UI system for display; and (vii) overlay the contextual message onto the one or more real-time images. a user-interface, UI, system comprising: (i)input sensors for capturing input information, wherein the input sensor comprises a digital camera and (ii) a visual display for displaying a digital image comprising a real-time video image of the digital camera's field of view; (i)input sensors for capturing input information, wherein the input sensor comprises a digital camera and (ii) a visual display for displaying a digital image comprising a real-time video image of the digital camera's field of view; a memory for storing a data cognition layer, DCL, software program comprising a plurality of software plug-ins; a communication module for transmitting and receiving information to and from a remote device; and a processor communicatively coupled to the UI system, the memory, and the communication module, the processor configured for executing the DCL software program to: (i) receive the input information from the input sensors the input information comprising one or more real-time images of the digital camera's field of view comprising a barcode; (ii) filter the input information through each of the plurality of software plug-ins to recognize the input information; (iii) determine at least one software plug-in of the plurality of software plug-ins that is capable of acting on the recognized input information, wherein the acting on the input information comprises recognising the input information and performing a task specific to the at least one software plug-in with the recognized information; (iv) utilize the at least one software plug-in to decode the barcode to generate decoded information and transform the decoded information into a set of information elements; (v) convert the set of information elements into a contextual message, wherein the contextual message is further determined based on machine-recognizable objects in the video image, user behaviors, and a GPS location of the user of the mobile computing device; and (vi) transmit the contextual message to the UI system for display; and (vii) overlay the contextual message onto the one or more real-time images. (i) receive the input information from the input sensors the input information comprising one or more real-time images of the digital camera's field of view comprising a barcode; (ii) filter the input information through each of the plurality of software plug-ins to recognize the input information; (iii) determine at least one software plug-in of the plurality of software plug-ins that is capable of acting on the recognized input information, wherein the acting on the input information comprises recognising the input information and performing a task specific to the at least one software plug-in with the recognized information; (iv) utilize the at least one software plug-in to decode the barcode to generate decoded information and transform the decoded information into a set of information elements; (v) convert the set of information elements into a contextual message, wherein the contextual message is further determined based on machine-recognizable objects in the video image, user behaviors, and a GPS location of the user of the mobile computing device; and (vi) transmit the contextual message to the UI system for display; and (vii) overlay the contextual message onto the one or more real-time images.