Posted on Monday, September 28th, 2009 by Shachar Pessis
360 Cities – There are many ways of exploring our wonderful world, and doing so online is possible via maps, stories/blogs, photos and videos that circulate the Web. That’s all nice and dandy, but is it enough? Despite the copious number of tools and applications one can use to learn about locations and cities around the world, it’s impossible to get the true ‘sense of the place.’ Personally, I think that technology, however sophisticated and advanced, will never be able to substitute the experience of one’s actual presence in a physical environment.
As of today, the only two exceptions to this are the Holodeck on board the US Enterprise (Star Trek) and 360 Cities. The latter does a wonderful job at bringing us closer to the ‘being there’ feeling. How do they do it? As the site’s name suggests, they provide 360-degree views which are possible thanks to their network of panoramic photographers. The site’s admirable concept and good execution made me spend a couple of hours in this site, which actually felt like 10 minutes. Although all locations featured on 360 Cities are spectacular, my personal fave is Roof4 in New York City.
