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RUN@LONDON This Year with Panasonic!

July 23, 2012

(OLYMPICS TECHNOLOGY)

Ever wondered what it would be like to run the official Olympics 2012 marathon course in London? What if you got the chance to do it virtually? The thought alone is not only intriguing, but if implemented correctly, could be a real hit on the Web. That is exactly why Panasonic (News - Alert) capitalized on the idea by introducing its brand new special website page – RUN@LONDON – as an Official Worldwide Olympic Partner for the London 2012 Olympic Games.


Panasonic has now made it possible for you to run the London 2012 Olympic Games marathon course with friends from around the world. Users can easily access the course by logging in using pre-existing information from their Facebook (News - Alert) or Twitter accounts, and those who do not have a social media presence can click a button for those without an SMS account.




I decided to check out this awesome opportunity for myself. Choosing the Facebook option, I logged in first, permitted the site to access my information, and then was able to create an Avatar with its very own nickname and look to best fit and compliment mine – from shoes to hair and eye color, then choosing which team I wanted to be on. Upon agreeing to the terms of use, the fun then began! 

Above, a screenshot I took while running on my way to Trafalgar Square.

I very literally felt like I was running the streets of London, where I could slow down or speed up accordingly. When slowed down, you feel like you’re going for an everyday, realistic run; when sped up, it’s like a scene from an artistic music video, which complements the soft alternative music playing in the background.

Goal points had also been set up for me to include iconic sites like Trafalgar Square, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Buckingham Palace and Big Ben, where I could also stop and enjoy a 360 degree video of every point and a brief, interesting blurb about each spot. Even better, you could speed up to which destination you wanted to go, allowing you to completely skip certain parts of the course to access others. Most importantly, there was no waiting time or glitches in the program. Panasonic’s reputable technology is really what brings this idea to life and allows the user to not miss a thing.

Similar to Panasonic’s renowned HD videoconferencing solutions aimed to ease the cost and increase the convenience of traveling, this interactive site essentially eliminates the need for a passport or extensive travel expenses; it has crystal clear, crisp imaging with amazing and life-like detail depiction – from cones in the street from construction work to advertisements on the sides of buses and trucks. The accompanying sounds were also extremely impressive, where you could even hear the pitter patter of your own steps as you run and the bell of Big Ben as you pass it to your next destination.

At the end of the course, your avatar happily runs through a white finish line and is greeted by a cheering crowd and confetti while doing so. You’re even invited to share your finishing photo on any media site or download it for yourself.

Not only is this an extremely refreshing and innovative program, but it also left me feeling like I did my work out for the day by sitting at my desk! While I’ll still be putting on my real running shoes towards the end of the day, I can definitely say I enjoyed this inventive idea by Panasonic, where the idea was brought to life with its high-quality technology and video services.

I highly recommend you try it out for yourself by clicking here, it’s definitely worth it!

Panasonic will be exhibiting at the ITEXPO West 2012. To be held Oct. 2-5 at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, TX, ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations.






Edited by Amanda Ciccatelli