A new mobile application produced by Manchester based Magnetic North in collaboration with Manchester City Council and NOMA will allow user to explore the city and discover its defining moments in a totally new way.
The app, which is layered with content from the city’s archives, gives a ‘heads-up’ experience by plugging in your headphones, popping your mobile device in your pocket and following the audio directions without ever having to look down at a screen.
All the content is location triggered using the GPS functionality of your iPhone, which means you can explore an area at your own pace.
The app, which has initially launched as a pilot, has launched with two tours to explore, an architecture highlights tour and a Northern Quarter & NOMA tour.
Compiled with the help of expert local tour guides they reveal the untold stories of the city using routes created by the people who know Manchester best.
The Northern Quarter is the centre of alternative Manchester and a must for anybody interested in seeking out the city’s cultural life, arts scene and nightlife.
The tour lasts for around an hour, starting at Piccadilly Gardens, passing through the city’s NOMA neighbourhood, and ending at The Printworks. Stopping points include Stevenson Square, the Dry Bar on Oldham Street, Band on the Wall, and 1 Angel Square.
The Architectural Highlights tour covers Manchester’s outstanding historical and modern buildings, beginning opposite The Britannia Hotel on Portland Street, and ending at The Great Northern Railway Company Goods Warehouse on Peter Street.
The route can be walked in around 45 minutes and takes in the Chinese Arch in Chinatown, Central Library, the Beetham Tower and the Midland Hotel, among many other impressive architectural gems.
The Manchester Walking Tours app is powered by Under The Paving Stones, a new digital platform created by the team at magneticNorth. It allows you to create a custom audio and visual experience of a place using GPS to trigger audio.
The platform is available to be commercially used, extended and licensed for any kind of location, from cities and public spaces to retail and tourist attractions.
Sounds like a great app. is this available on other platforms?