A new and very interesting report has surfaced suggesting that the Pope has now approved the iPod Touch for Vatican use, and will be issuing visitors an iPod Touch with their visit, pre-loaded with a custom app that will help improve their experience.
The Vatican’s goal in this move is to reduce the noise generated by tourists and tour guides by offering them an alternative (and much quieter) means to communicate, learn, and interact while visiting. The scheme will reportedly begin next Wednesday as a pilot program, and run until December.
From The Huffington Post:
…with a tap of the finger, tourists can zoom in on high-resolution images of artistic details, like the starry blue canopy above the towering high altar, decorating vaulted ceilings. The apps user also can refer to images from the Vatican Library not usually available to the public to enrich their understanding of their basilica tour.
This seems like a very interesting concept, and one which might enrich vacations, field trips, and tourist attractions of all kinds. It might someday even do away with the need for tour guide in museums and other tourist locations.
What are your thoughts? As always, sound off in the comments!