SeeBeale.com — the first interactive multimedia virtual tour of the famous Beale Street in Memphis, Tenn. — has been completely redesigned, adding a new discussion forum, Memphis links and an updated events calendar.
QuickTime VR is Apple’s award-winning, photo-realistic, cross-platform virtual reality technology that makes it possible to explore places as if you were there. All major applications that play QuickTime movies can also play QuickTime VR movies.
Named after an unknown military hero in 1841, the blues have been played on Beale Street for more than half a century. And on December 15, 1977 Beale Street was officially declared as the “Home of the Blues” by an act of Congress.
SeeBeale uses Apple’s QuickTime VR (QTVR) technology to showcase 360-degree panoramic views all the way up and down Beale Street. Some panoramas contain 3D directional audio to enhance the experience, and there are many bonus views and a few secret links, Webmaster Craig Isley told MacCentral.
SeeBeale.com was photographed in the fall of 1999, and has been posted free to all as a permanent document of Beale Street at this time. The site has received thousands of hits from hundreds of countries, and used by educators as an example of what is possible with QTVR, Isley said.