HearPlanet featured in the Washington Post

HearPlanet featured in the Washington Post

The iPhone also functioned as an interactive tour guide. One evening, after enjoying a sunset view of the city from the top of nearby Mount Washington, I rode the Monongahela funicular down to the bottom. Curious about the funicular's history, I opened up Hear Planet Lite (free), an app developed by PassingLane that "geotags" (geographically pinpoints) all Wikipedia and Wikitravel articles. Hear Planet Lite listed all the sights closest to me at the time, and after I clicked on "MonongahelaIncline," what sounded like a robot read me a Wikipedia article. Although the voice was a monotone and read every word of the Wikipedia entry, including some interminably long links, it was a worthwhile listen. I learned that the funicular is the oldest continuously operating one in the United States, originally built by German immigrants who modeled it after ones in their homeland.