TourGuide
Latest
Google Earth's tour guide feature swells to the tune of 100K new attractions
Hate flying? Google Earth could keep you visiting attractions anyway for the next, oh, rest of your life or so, thanks to 100,000-plus new tours it just added across sites and cities in over 200 countries. That's on top of the 11,000 tours that came with its recent launches on iOS, Android and more recently, the desktop app. The option provides a virtual video flyby of the selected area, adds Wikipedia snippets and concludes with user-provided Panoramio photos of the area. You'll need not lift a finger to get it, as all the tours are automatically available -- provided you're running the current Google Earth 7.0 for desktop or mobile. Check the video after the break to see how to use it.
Google Earth 7 update brings 3D imagery, tour guide features to your PC
The latest update for Google's efforts to index of IRL mapping information is focused on your computer. Google Earth 7 for your desktop is finally ready to match the Android and iOS versions, with support for its 3D renderings in 25 cities, and "tour guide" feature that drags you through 11,000 locations around the world, no passport or Frommer's required. This update for PCs comes alongside the addition of 3D imagery for Avignon, France; Austin, Texas; Munich, Germany; Phoenix, Arizona; and Mannheim, Germany, which all apply to both the desktop and mobile editions. Hit the source link for more information or head to the Google Earth website to check it out yourself, who knows, you might find a pyramid.
PSA: Google's 3D City View and Tour Guide arrives for Google Earth on iOS today
Google's 3D City View is now available on iOS. The Google Earth update adds three-dimensional imagery to major locations including Washington D.C, San Francisco and Boston. It's arriving alongside Tour Guide; select a notable attraction to go straight to it, with accompanying trivia you can bore your friends with later. Sadly 3D maps requires the processing hardware of the iPhone 4S, iPad 2 or the third-generation iPad, but other iOS (4.2 or higher) device users can still get access to Tour Guide. Unsurprisingly, the update's available via the App Store -- but you shouldn't need a map to find your way there.
Addon Spotlight: Leveling your pre-Cataclysm alt
Addon Spotlight focuses on the backbone of the WoW gameplay experience: the user interface. Everything from bags to bars, buttons to DPS meters and beyond -- your addons folder will never be the same. This week, level those alts quickly! It's been a heavy past couple of days in Azeroth. First, we've got heroics on the beta. Second, the public test realms are lighting the world up pretty good. Third, the clock is ticking faster and faster down to Cataclysm, so time is running out for getting those pre-Cataclysm alt characters ready. This week, Addon Spotlight focuses on a few of your old favorites -- addons to help you level up that pre-Cataclysm alt faster, hopefully ready in time for the big shakeup. From reputation trackers to quest helpers, these addons will make leveling a breeze. Let's roll!
Disney converting Droid Eris into GPS tour guide (update: video!)
If you shed a tear when Verizon put the Droid Eris out to pasture, it's time to dry your eyes; it seems the handset's found greener fields in Florida, at Epcot Center to be precise. That's right, Walt Disney World is reportedly testing out Verizon's HTC Hero as a GPS navigator and tour guide for the entire park, complete with shopping discounts, special bonuses and up-to-the-minute wait times for rides. How or when you'll get your hands on one is presently up in the air, though the man who snapped these shots told Mickey Updates the phones may be an inexpensive addition to your vacation -- perhaps like the $10 BREW-based Mobile Magic application Verizon and Disney introduced last year. Here's hoping that chunky case includes an extended battery -- there's no way a stock Eris could last as long as Nintendo's guide. Update: A video walkthrough of the whole shebang is posted after the break. Thanks, Matt! %Gallery-99188% [Thanks, Durango Jim]
What happened to TourGuide?
There have been many Addon stories that will live through World of Warcraft's history and beyond, as cautionary tales, expressions of visions or the refinement of a segment of the MMO genre that, rapidly, is becoming the norm in most games. Tekkub's TourGuide is going to be, if it is not already, one of those stories. Join me on this adventure where we discuss what all the drama was all about and an interview I did with Tekkub concerning the transpired events. [This article has been updated.]
Toyota's TPR-Robina facility guide leads you straight to your doom
You know Toyota, adding a fancy haircut and skirt to your latest meet 'n greet robot doesn't make us any less afraid. Note how the "fingers" on Tipper (with gore) Robina's hands are perfectly aligned to hold your face like an organic bowling ball. Just sayin's all. [Via WaziWazi]
Square Enix brings lifestyle titles to DS
Continuing its praiseworthy support for the Nintendo DS, Square Enix has announced DS Style, a new line of software for the casual gaming audience. According to the latest issue of Famitsu, the company is venturing away from its RPG franchises for a moment, focusing instead on leisure activities like yoga, classical music, and gardening. It might not sound as exciting as SRPG battles or Chocobo mini-games, but different strokes for different folks.Square Enix will also be releasing DS travel guides based on the popular World Walking tour book series in Japan. These guides will provide maps and other useful information for sightseers visiting countries like France or Thailand. Check past the post break for the full list of destination guides and verbose titles from Square Enix's DS Style lineup. [Via NeoGAF]
Bar Z Adventures unveils educational GPS Ranger
If you're one who likes to roam solo, but still yearns for that oh-so-knowledgeable tour guide when strolling through historic landmarks or animal havens, Bar Z Adventures has just the thing to quench your curiosity while on the trails. The GPS Ranger (and self-explanatory Zoo Ranger) handheld devices are being aimed at historic sites, monuments, national parks, cruise lines, and zoos in hopes of giving tourists of any tongue the chance to soak up information about the area they're in without having to play follow the leader. The Windows CE-powered unit sports a 3.5-inch outdoor viewable LCD, 4GB of storage, and integrated GPS that allows a plethora of content ranging from movie / audio clips to lines of text to be displayed when the user encounters certain geographical coordinates. Multimedia tidbits describing statues, animals, battlefields, and essentially anything associated with a given attraction can be triggered when approaching a given landmark, and the device also packs support for a multitude of languages to cater to those international visitors. While we aren't sure how much these tour enhancing gizmos will inflate your activity costs (or how many jobs they'll replace), we can't wait to see the movie clip that gets queued up for these guys.[Via jkOnTheRun]
