Trentino: Traditional Flavors (video)

Enjoy this video about traditional food flavors of Trentino region. I previously covered this area in a podcast with the Trentino Tourism Office, which kindly granted me permission to post this video and a few more to come.

- Can't see the video? Watch it from YouTube
- iPod version (MP4 - 12Mb)

Italy online maps getting more sophisticated

Last January I posted a video demoing how you can explore Italy from the sky using Google Maps and Microsoft's Live Search Maps. They are both excellent tools and you'll not be disappointed either way.

Working myself at Microsoft though, I've done some extra research about the recent coverage improvements of the Italian territory using our services, and here is what I discovered.

New bird's eye views
Live Search Maps now offers bird's eye views for 70+ Italian cities. What it means is that you can enjoy aerial views at low altitude of several important cities in Italy and at different angles too!
Check out Udine, Milan, or Padua.
Here is a current unofficial list which will grow overtime.

To try yourself, go to Live Search Maps, enter one of the cities in the list, zoom a little closer until the Bird's Eye label in the toolbar is enabled. Then click it and enjoy!



Photosynth technology meets maps
I already blogged about this cool technology which turns photo into 3D experiences. Photosynth is still an unreleased product incubated by Microsoft Research. What excites me are the integration possibilities with online mapping services.
For example, you can start from a satellite view of Rome and drill down to the details of St. Peter's cathedral.
This video demos exactly this scenario.

Listen to Italian music online

Are you wondering where to find and/or discover new Italian music?
Check out Italia.fm, an aggregator of various Italian private and public radio stations that broadcast music, news and other shows over the web.

Podcast #14 - The Italian truffle

The truffle (tartufo in Italian) is a rare type of edible mushroom, or fungus that develops underground in relation to and dependent on the root of a tree. In ancient times truffles were considered the food of the Gods, with powerful aphrodisiac properties, much favoured by the passionate Jove.

The subject matter expert of this podcast is Mauro Mencaroni of Giuliano Tartufi, an Italian shop specialized in truffle products. He'll share some interesting insights about this very expensive garnish.

Please note that this interview is conducted in Italian.
We'd love to hear your feedback if you like us to continue producing from time to time some podcasts in Italian too.


Listen / Download this episode in MP3 format
(6Mb - 8:21 mins)

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