The White House and Google launch a new virtual tour with audio captions, Spanish translation

2025-01-13 17:15:21 source:lotradecoin fees category:Finance

WASHINGTON (AP) — Can’t come to Washington? Couldn’t get a ticket to tour the White House? Don’t worry.

The White House, Google Maps and Google Arts & Culture launched a new virtual tour of the famous mansion on Friday, which is also National Civics Day.

With a computer or smartphone, users will be able to see all of the rooms that they would have seen had they been able to go on a public tour of the building.

The updated virtual tour is part of a mission by first lady Jill Biden to make the White House accessible to as many people as possible. Biden, a longtime community college professor, hopes teachers will use it to educate students about the White House and its history, said Elizabeth Alexander, her spokesperson.

Other news White House throws lavish state dinner for Australia but turns down pizazz a notch in time of war Biden calls Australia ‘an anchor to peace and prosperity’ during state visit from Albanese White House scraps plan for B-52s to entertain at state dinner against backdrop of Israel-Hamas war

“Not everyone can make the trip to Washington, D.C., to tour the White House, so she’s bringing the White House to them,” Alexander said.

The tour is the first Google virtual tour of the White House to include audio captions for people with disabilities. The captions are narrated by White House social secretary Carlos Elizondo and pop up on the screen to offer viewers historical information on each of the rooms.

It is also Google’s first virtual tour of the White House to have Spanish translation.

The tour opens with a brief video of President Joe Biden and the first lady welcoming visitors, the same message that plays at the White House Visitors Center for those who visit in person.

Google Street View technology was used to capture the imagery, starting at the East Wing Entrance and moving through all rooms on the public tour route, including the library, the China Room, the Green, Blue and Red rooms, the East Room and the State Dining Room.

The tour was created using Google Arts & Culture’s storytelling tool.

Ben Gomes, senior vice president of learning and sustainability at Google, said the mission of its arts and culture division is to open the world’s culture to people everywhere.

The tour is available on the White House website, as well as on Google Maps and the Google Arts & Culture page.

More:Finance

Recommend

How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast

After 14 years, the police procedural "Blue Bloods" is coming to an end.Season 14 has been released

Supreme Court Declines to Hear Appeals From Fossil Fuel Companies in Climate Change Lawsuits

WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear five appeals from the fossil fuel industry s

New Study Bolsters Case for Pennsylvania to Join Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

Pennsylvania could speed its pace cutting carbon emissions, raise new revenue and boost the state’s