Sports Technology & Communications News from Around the World

In case you've emerged from a coma over the past week, the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics are being held in Vancouver. And Lonely Planet – you've heard of Lonely Planet, surely you weren't out for that long? – is reportedly offering a free iPhone (News - Alert) city guide application to the city.

 

"Vancouver Travel Guide: The Sights" offers all the sights and wonders of cosmopolitan Vancouver. We've never been there but we hear the German pastries are unusually good. This free application can be downloaded via the iPhone's application store or on iTunes.

 

"From UBC Thunderbird Arena and the Pacific Coliseum, to the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Capilano Salmon Hatchery, Lonely Planet has listed over 70 top sights and shows where they are using location-aware maps," Lonely Planet officials say.

 

Yep, be sure not to miss the salmon hatchery, honestly, we hear it's interesting. Seriously.

 

Plus, "by tilting the iPhone, users can access facts on Vancouver, special tips on what to do, see or eat, photos and much more." And it has location-based navigation as well as integrated Google (News - Alert) Maps.

 

And if you're interested, Lonely Planet Vancouver author John Lee will be running a daily blog throughout the Winter Games and tweeting through @lonelyplanet, "focusing on the experience of being in Vancouver in the middle of the Olympic party." Of course if you're there yourself hey, have a great time. Go Tim Burke.

 

Last week, The Vancouver Organizing Committee announced it was offering an official Vancouver 2010 iPhone app that is geared more toward spectators, as it features event schedules and directions to venues that are playing host to the Games in and around the city. This app is also free.

 

"With the Cowbell 2010 App, an iPhone or iPod Touch becomes a personalized clanging cowbell, draped in the country flag of choice," TMCnet reported. "The Cowbell2010 App offers everything needed to be a part of the experience including news and info, such as a schedule of events, real-time medal counts and a Twitter feed following hundreds of athletes to boot. So it's more than just a cowbell, and the app comes in very handy when trying to keep up on the more esoteric events at the 2010 Winter Olympics."