Museums Begin Offering Audio Tours on Cell Phones

[Kris Kumar]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060317/ap_on_hi_te/museum_phone_tours;_ylt=AlHClexmp5pT2UyohpvAo4Rj24cA;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--' target='_blank'>http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060317/ap_on_hi_te/museum_phone_tours;_ylt=AlHClexmp5pT2UyohpvAo4Rj24cA;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Art lovers, history buffs and science devotees, take note: To get the most out of your next museum visit, make sure you have your cell phone with you. Not to gab on, of course, but to listen to audio tours that weave music, narration and recordings from historical archives designed to bring more context to the exhibitions. For many visitors, it comes as a welcome alternative to the decades-old system of museums renting out expensive handheld devices. Museums across the country, once averse to noisy cell phones, are suddenly encouraging their use. In the past year, about a dozen art institutions — including museums in Los Angeles, Berkeley, Calif., Tacoma, Wash., Minneapolis and Greenwich, Conn. — have begun offering cell phone tours, mostly for free. Dozens more are in the process of implementing the service."</i><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Kris-mar06-museum.jpg" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/> <br /><i>Image courtesy of <a href="http://museum411.com">Museum411.</a></i><br /><br />In today's world where cell phones are getting banned or shunned in most places, the museums are welcoming them. Now this is a pretty innovative use for the cell phones. But I think the even better option would be to have a mobile friendly Web site, so that the visitors can point their smart phone browsers to that Web site and have all the information, including the audio-video presentation links, at their fingertips. ;-)

[kerrins]

I would like to see something similar at amusement parks. Point my cell phone or PDA at a kiosk and have it download a map of the park. Then depending on where I was when I downloaded it would let me know "you are here" and service locations (food, restrooms, emergency)

[Mike Temporale]

I would like to see something similar at amusement parks. Point my cell phone or PDA at a kiosk and have it download a map of the park. Then depending on where I was when I downloaded it would let me know "you are here" and service locations (food, restrooms, emergency)

Oh, That would be so cool. :D

[Mark Kenepp]

I would like to see something similar at amusement parks. Point my cell phone or PDA at a kiosk and have it download a map of the park. Then depending on where I was when I downloaded it would let me know "you are here" and service locations (food, restrooms, emergency)

That is an interesting implementation of location based services. Amusement parks, museums, local walking tours (or driving tours for that matter).

No matter where you are...there you are.

[shindullin]

I'll bet you the malls you finance the technology, and then it could be implemented cheaply in all the above mentioned locations. Someone should bust out a business plan and get this moving... Sounds super useful.

[Kris Kumar]

I would like to see something similar at amusement parks. Point my cell phone or PDA at a kiosk and have it download a map of the park. Then depending on where I was when I downloaded it would let me know "you are here" and service locations (food, restrooms, emergency)

Pretty cool. 8) I wonder if Bluetooth can do that. Serve a map image file. ;-)