Cool Interfaces: From the Top of Mt. Everest to Typological Experimentation

What I find often to be one of the biggest cool factor of the Internet is its ability to introduce new ways to interact with and visualize information. There are just so many things that can only be done online, it's mind-boggling. Here are some more examples of my continuing exploration into new interfaces and online visualizations.

Top of Mt. Everest
I've linked to this website before, but wanted to do so again as I found this 360-degree panorama--which are their specialty--to be particularly striking. It basically shows what your view would look like if you scaled Mt. Everest. The image runs across the entire browser window and features pretty impressive clarity. For the highest impact, I recommend clicking on the fullscreen button in the lower righthand corner. It expands the view to take up your entire screen. This is the first time I've seen this done and it definitely ranks high on the cool factor.

Never Been - A Graphical Story
Here's something that's neat on multiple levels. It's a story told with illustrations instead of words. What makes it unique is it's interface. To move forward you don't turn to a new page, instead your grab the image and drag it around to unveil the rest of the story. Too add interest, it's not a straight line but instead takes turns. In total the original art was nine and a half meters long. Online, though, it can all be fit inside your browser.

Typographical Madness
Have to admit, I'm not sure how functional or practical anything in this site is, but I still did find it interesting perusing through this series of experimentation when it comes to using interactive text. In particular I liked the Description and Good News, Bad News sections best. Beware Motion Sickness as if you're prone to becoming sick due to motion then this might not be the most pleasant experience.