Tag: Exploration »

Banksy is a mysterious soul indeed. A British graffiti artist and political activist, he travels around creating street art that's frequently dark and satirical. It's admired by many, considered as vandalism by few, but ultimately it's very memorable. Banksy himself is memorable by name and reputation but he's also an enigma as no one knows his true identity. That's boosted his career a fair bit however with books of his artwork selling well (I have one on my coffee table as I write this) and his first film Exit Through the Gift Shop also proving very successful.

While fans can always consult his work online or through his book, a much more satisfying way of doing so is to go to the artwork itself. A new app by the name of Banksy-Locations sets out to make that all the simpler by offering a personal tour of all the street art. The app allows users to find Banksy locations via dropping a pin on a map, looking up via the user's current location or by searching through images in a gallery or by name. It's pretty acurate stuff too and certainly saves a lot of aggravation.

For users who would rather stay at home, there's always the option of viewing videos by and about Banksy as well as the image gallery that offers photos of his street pieces as well as installations. Banksy news is regularly kept up to date too with presumably new artwork kept track of once he devises some.

Throughout the app maintains an appearance that is bound to appeal to the minimalist nature of Banksy style art with a great gritty edge. Banksy-Locations is a pretty comprehensive app for the graffiti or Banksy fan and looks set to be a great way of discovering new art.

It's out now, priced at $1.99.

Who knows the most about an area? Tourist spot or otherwise? No, it's not the travel guide writer. It's actually the local person. Local knowledge is worth countless travel books and it's nowhere near as easy to get hold of as people would like. Fortunately there's an app out there that could well bridge the gap. It's called SpotWorld and it's a free app that combines social networking functionality and the humble travel guide.

Users simply choose from a variety of destinations or tap on Spots Near Me and there's frequently a wealth of relevant information within easy grasp. All manners of different bits and pieces pop up. For instance, where I live, the nearby bus station was listed but also numerous castles near to me. Each entry coming up with a photo, a brief overview and the ability to add further information.

In bigger cities than mine, this app really comes into its own. Users can easily see interesting sights near them that might not neccessarily feature in travel guides. Plus there's always personal experiences to consult such as a quick note about the standard of food in a nearby eatery or specific exhibits that are unmissable in the local museum.

The beauty is that everything is so welcoming to new users. They can simply rate the places they've visited or add their own tip. Even new photos can be added if the user wishes to do so.

When exploring a large area, there's also the ability to create itineraries which can then be shared with the rest of the community, creating a great tour guide feature.

SpotWorld is a free app but there is some premium content available such as sets of hundreds of articles and audio readings from the locals of San Francisco and New York City. Hopefully more will be forthcoming for other major cities.

The app is out now for all iOS devices.