Apple's iPad is key to visitor experience at new One World Trade Center Observatory

Posted:
in iPad edited September 2015
The newly opened One World Trade Center Observatory in New York City relies heavily on the iPad for its visitor experience, with Apple's tablet serving as both a virtual tour guide and a payment terminal.


Photo credit: Alexandra Hughes.


The 100th-floor One World Observatory opened to the public earlier this year, giving visitors breathtaking views of Manhattan and beyond. But the unique, sky-high experience is also aided by Apple's iPad, which can be made an integral part of the tour.

The destination's "One World Explorer" accessory is an optional personal tour guide that is powered by Apple's iPad. Using the iPad's gyroscopes, the device allows users to scan New York City's horizon and identify landmarks.

The iPad is encased in plastic, preventing users from accessing hardware features like the home button. But staff at the skyscraper and promotional materials make it very clear that it is in fact an iPad used to power the tour, as seen in the video below.





When a user selects a landmark, the One World Explorer iPad then begins a virtual helicopter tour from the top of the building to the destination. Users can move around the observatory, and the view on the iPad screen will move with them.

The history and stories behind each location are then presented for the user, as narrated by writer Jay McInerney. Over 40 landmarks are highlighted, and there's also a special section just for children.


Photo credit: Alexandra Hughes.


One World Trade Center is also using iPads for both customer and employee facing terminals when buying commemorative items from the gift shop.

Sponsored by MasterCard, the terminals includes an iPad Air that is used by employees to complete the transaction. Customers also authorize the transaction with an iPad mini that is mounted to the counter, and connected to the terminal through a Lightning cable.

Tickets to One World Observatory cost $32 for adults, $30 for seniors, and $26 for children. The One World Explorer iPad personal tour guide is an additional $15.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 17
    icoco3icoco3 Posts: 1,474member

    How much?????

     

    That would be $276 to take my family up there.

  • Reply 2 of 17
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    This is the iPad's future.

    I really want Apple to take iPad as a POS system seriously. ?Pay compatibility and some good IBM apps.
  • Reply 3 of 17
    icoco3 wrote: »
    How much?????

    That would be $276 to take my family up there.

    Yeah, that's rather high. It's actually cheaper to do the full tour of La Sagrada Familia, which, if I'm honest, would be a lot more impressive than this one.
  • Reply 4 of 17
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    icoco3 wrote: »
    How much?????

    That would be $276 to take my family up there.

    How many kids do you have? $32 isn't bad for 1 adult in NYC.
  • Reply 5 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by icoco3 View Post

     

    How much?????

     

    That would be $276 to take my family up there.




    Start saving.

  • Reply 6 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TheWhiteFalcon View Post





    Yeah, that's rather high. It's actually cheaper to do the full tour of La Sagrada Familia, which, if I'm honest, would be a lot more impressive than this one.



    No, it isn't. And nothing's going to replace the experience of the view from this new building and its observation deck.

  • Reply 7 of 17
    icoco3icoco3 Posts: 1,474member

    How much?????

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jungmark View Post





    How many kids do you have? $32 isn't bad for 1 adult in NYC.

     

    7

  • Reply 8 of 17
    nagrommenagromme Posts: 2,834member
    Very cool! Other iPad-based attractions/museums I've seen use what seem to be much better padded/armored cases, though. Hope these can stand the abuse!

    (And if $32 is too expensive for a given family size; three good options would be a) having fewer offspring, b) choosing cheaper field trips for bigger families, or c) only take some of the kids on trips, while raising the others in the basement like mushrooms. All good options.)
  • Reply 9 of 17
    jfc1138jfc1138 Posts: 3,090member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by icoco3 View Post

     

    How much?????

     

    That would be $276 to take my family up there.




    Central Park is free. So is the Brooklyn Bridge.

     

    Oh and the entertainment in Washington Square Park!

  • Reply 10 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by icoco3 View Post

     

    How much?????

     

    That would be $276 to take my family up there.




    You think that is expensive trying living here without a 6 digit income. NYC has changed a lot in the past 10 years and it is not for the better for its residents. Small businesses are being forced out by landlords hoping to get a high end boutique or worst corporate America chain store or restaurant. Everything it seems is developed for tourist. Some might say that's a good thing because tourist bring in money, wrong. Tourist do tourist things like take sightseeing buses, hang out in Times Square and eat at national "Olive Garden" corporate restaurants. These places pay employees minimum wage and the profits go back to middle America to the executives that run these companies. Tourist do not shop  or eat at mom and pop stores or restaurants, they want the familiar in a giant city that is already blowing their minds. Tourists clog up sidewalks near popular buildings, parks and sites. Most NYers purposely plan routes to avoid WTC, Times SQ, Madison part and the once lovely now suffocating High Line park. Tourists have no idea how regular people like themselves cannot afford to live here because Billionaires from Russia and China buy apartments (which they never live in) to hide some of their billions from their own nations, they pay almost no tax in NYC, and the towers built for them are actually taller than the #1 WTC. 

     

    Please stay home or go somewhere other than our city, and if you do come here, please support businesses actually owned and run by New York families and not corporations. 

  • Reply 11 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by sinus tree View Post

     



    You think that is expensive trying living here without a 6 digit income. NYC has changed a lot in the past 10 years and it is not for the better for its residents. Small businesses are being forced out by landlords hoping to get a high end boutique or worst corporate America chain store or restaurant. Everything it seems is developed for tourist. Some might say that's a good thing because tourist bring in money, wrong. Tourist do tourist things like take sightseeing buses, hang out in Times Square and eat at national "Olive Garden" corporate restaurants. These places pay employees minimum wage and the profits go back to middle America to the executives that run these companies. Tourist do not shop  or eat at mom and pop stores or restaurants, they want the familiar in a giant city that is already blowing their minds. Tourists clog up sidewalks near popular buildings, parks and sites. Most NYers purposely plan routes to avoid WTC, Times SQ, Madison part and the once lovely now suffocating High Line park. Tourists have no idea how regular people like themselves cannot afford to live here because Billionaires from Russia and China buy apartments (which they never live in) to hide some of their billions from their own nations, they pay almost no tax in NYC, and the towers built for them are actually taller than the #1 WTC. 

     

    Please stay home or go somewhere other than our city, and if you do come here, please support businesses actually owned and run by New York families and not corporations. 




    That's what happens when you have rent control and a limited amount of available space for new developments.

  • Reply 12 of 17
    jfc1138jfc1138 Posts: 3,090member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TheWhiteFalcon View Post





    Yeah, that's rather high. It's actually cheaper to do the full tour of La Sagrada Familia, which, if I'm honest, would be a lot more impressive than this one.



    Sure and adding in airfare from NYC to there for a family of nine?

  • Reply 13 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post

     



    That's what happens when you have rent control and a limited amount of available space for new developments.




    You have no idea what you are talking about. 

  • Reply 14 of 17
    [QUOTE]Please stay home or go somewhere other than our city, and if you do come here, please support businesses actually owned and run by New York families and not corporations.[/QUOTE]

    My wife and I will be visiting in October. We plan on going to the WTC observation deck. If you don't think NYC wants my tourist dollars please petition your city government to make everything free. And where is that Olive Garden you recommended?
  • Reply 15 of 17
    jfc1138jfc1138 Posts: 3,090member
    Towers taller than 1 WTC? Name one that's taller than the 1,776 feet of 1 WTC.

    Because last I read it was the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere which would, I'm pretty sure, cover anything
    being put up in NYC....

    ETA: Ah, the thing about the spire... Yeah I'd agree, spires are sort of cheating imho.

    http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/10/14/nyregion/432-park-avenue-tower-the-tallest-if-not-the-fairest-of-them-all.html?referrer=
  • Reply 16 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by icoco3 View Post

     

    How much?????

     

    That would be $276 to take my family up there.


    I imagine it would be discounted on the New York Pass, we had them when we visited last September, certainly got our money's worth several times over. I don't think we paid full price for any touristy thing the entire holiday because of the passes.

  • Reply 17 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Firelock View Post





    My wife and I will be visiting in October. We plan on going to the WTC observation deck. If you don't think NYC wants my tourist dollars please petition your city government to make everything free. And where is that Olive Garden you recommended?



    Make sure you ONLY shop at chain stores and corporate restaurants like most Americans. Help crush the American dream of small business owners and stay "safe" with Olive Garden's food (which is most likely prepared in Ohio and shipped nationwide where it is then defrosted and reheated for your enjoyment and sophisticated palette). I was actually thinking the city should triple admission for all the tourists spots and charge anyone that does not live in the city to enter Times Square, Central Park and "911" land. 

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