I was just thinking, computer graphics are getting very life like and the idea shot in my head....
Virtual Tourism!, just imagine it, you decide to take a trip to Japan but don't want to waste time on traveling and don't have enough money for things like hotels and air fare and stuff. Well put a DVD in your computer and there you're in Tokyo, and while your there you don't have to spend 3 hours trying to get a train from 1 side of the city to the other, just click on a map and your there. Also you could turn crowds on and off. Then you decide you want to go to NYC for the rest of the day, put another disk in there and your in NYC. You can go whereever you want and don't have to sit in a cab for 8 hours in the insane traffic.
I am not gonna say this is the worst idea I have ever heard because when my brother and me made Banoffee...... (Bannana And Coffee Flavored Icecream), ok back to the topic there is an incredible amount of work that would have to be done for it to be prepared, and it would not be popular because people like to touch and feel things around them. A grocery store in Florida called Publix tried online grocery shopping but it failed badly because people like to touch and feel their surroundings.
... Personally, I'd scale it back a notch and say "Virtual Home Tours" (Real Estate) and "Virtual Polling" (Voting and Elections) may hit the mainstream prior, IMHO.
There is such as thing as folks wanting to be "touchy feely" with certain items ... but this is evolving beyond that at a much faster pace with rentals, condos, vacation homes, and even residences, IMHO. "Voting" is a different animal, really ... but I think we'll see a lot of new offerings - beginning at the local levels - in 2006/2008, and beyond.
Never boring ... and convenience is KING!
Really, I didn't know that and I live walking distance from a Publix. But the reason for this is for people who can't afford to go places can still sorta visit. This is not meant for the billionaires but for the average person who wants to go on exotic vacations but only has $100 on them.
Personally I would do this but I don't know how much my oppnion matters because that ice cream sounds pretty good.
And CoolJeff's post confused me too much for me to reply.
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Run with it. With the speed that technology is advancing, we are limited only by the breadth of our imagination... well, and also our pocketbook.
I'd love to be a fly on the wall 100, or even 50 years from now. Maybe you'll just have to throw in a chip, or repatch something and you will be able to have a 3-D holographic vacation that feeds all of the senses.
I'm not up on games, at all, but isn't virtual reality, ie headgear, gloves, etc kinda of been on pause for bit?
Guys, the whole point of a tour is to see it while your there. How seriously lame would it be to sit at your computer for a tour of tokyo or any other place? That'd be ridiculous.
Woah..dude..that Porject Entropia thing is awesome..and free...awesome...
About your idea..I think it's weird...I mean, I thought you were gonna say something like, "A holgraphic thing"
Like..going into a small room and then like images appear in 3d and stuff...how that'd be cool...and you could interact with the people...now that would be awesome..
If you want to visit some place, but can't afford to, then just read a book. Because you have to use your imagination, books could be better than "virtual tours" where you are spoonfed the sights and sounds. Ever watch a movie after reading the book? The movie is usually a letdown. Same with "virtual tours", IMO.
Well I like thinking of the future and what it will be like, I predict that before I actually die you will be able to clone your brains memory and place it onto a game a walk around etc.. Then it will all backfire and police will make virtual prisons with monstors that are created.
I'll try that Keyhole thing. Well we are still not advanced enough to have great graphics, we'll need a few decades of advanced technology before this will really work well. But once it does....
Well it appears to have equal oppnions (actually more people think it's a bad idea but so I don't sound as stupid I'm saying it's equal) so I guess it will depend on how many people would actually use it. Land prices everywhere are going up dirastically. Meaning hotel costs will be going up too. So it will be even harder to afford to go on vacations. Now imagne in 30 years, you can go where ever you want in high quality for 1000 a year. Still expensive, but compare what it'll cost to go to... New York for a week....
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Well I went to it, it's a start but not really what I meant. I wanted you to be able to walk around and stuff like that. Sorta simulate a vacation not just look over on the top of it. But this is certinly a decent start. But still not worth anything.
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I recently came to notice this "keyhole" service. And I noticed that satellite images seen sometimes on TV news channels.. give credit to "keyhole technologies"..
Interesting "profile on this company"
Founded in 2001, Keyhole received initial funding from Sony Broadband to develop its groundbreaking solution. In a few short years, Keyhole has acquired over 10,000 customers including hundreds of Fortune 1,000 companies and a cross-section of government agencies. In June 2003, Keyhole further defined its leadership position with funding from In-Q-Tel and deployment by NIMA, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency, one of the most prominent users of earth imagery and information. http://www.keyhole.com/body.php?h=about#board
I heard the story of a guy who started that whole virtual tour for
real estate and build it into a billion dollar company. Definitely
not a bad idea but you have to isolate many flaws for it to be
successful. And it's probably being done already
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