Amsterdam rolls out tour-guide PDA
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]
