Amsterdam rolls out tour-guide PDA
posted Mar 10th 2005 9:30PM
When we're traveling we usually prefer to use the "wander aimlessly until you find something interesting" method of
sightseeing, but we can see why some people might prefer something that gives them a little more guidance. Amsterdam,
always a forward-thinking city, is trying out a new digital city guide called Timespots. Unlike other city guides like
Vindigo or Zagat's PDA products, Timespots works on a dedicated unit that you rent from your hotel. The Timespots
device (which looks like a Pocket PC — no specs are available on the developer's web site) includes an embedded city
guide with data from the Rough Guides group, a phone, web and e-mail access, and a camera. If successful, the service —
a joint venture of the City of Amsterdam, Rough Guides, Vodafone, and developer Nika Productions — will expand to other
European cities. We like the idea, though we can't help but wonder how Timespots will deal with the inevitable lost,
broken or stolen units that are sure to turn up — especially if tourists decide to use the device to track down the
city's best "coffee shops" and get carried away sampling the wares.
[Via SmartMobs]
As long as it helps me find any of the three Bush Dokters, I'm sold.
I wonder if this thing can stream reggae from the Easy Times?
Does it support a USB butane lighter?
It should have Zagat-style ratings directing the user to where the least drilled out hookers are.
Sounds like the device will get sold on the market in return for a fix of some kind by the people above me.
I think it is a great concept, which is being held back by a very unclear website. Bits of it are in English, others are Dinglish. When I want to reserve, there is no mention of the price and it already sounds scary when you're talking about insurance. The button says "MacBike" which is a totally different website. They don't tell me why I need to have your gadget instead of a guide book - or the great free newspaper that Boom Chicago publishes (is it more accurate? Do I get lots of discount coupons just be showing the device? Can I get a 2 for 1 at the Pathe cinemas? And the "about us" section hasn't been updated since last year.
Amsterdam has a lot going for it. It could be a leader in some creative projects.....but it is not there yet. Too much is too mediocre which is why there is an intellectual exodus from Holland at the moment, biggest in a long time.