Sigourney Weaver and Jerry Stiller’s voices pop up as narrators for Talking Street, a series of cell-phone tours that guide visitors through the Lower East Side, Lower Manhattan and the World Trade Center site.

Those in the industry agree these experiences probably won’t replace traditional tour options like books and live guides. But they’re confident that as air time gets cheaper and mobile technology improves, the popularity of such tours will grow.



“It’s meant to be more vivid, more immersive, more enriching and more exciting than (books or live tours),” said Talking Street creator Miles Kronby.



Kronby came up with his idea several years ago, and in mid-September 2003 the Lower East Side tour began. He won’t say how many have taken Talking Street’s $6 tours, but said responses to the first tour were encouraging.



This September, tours launched in Lower Manhattan and Boston, and the company plans to launch one soon in Washington, D.C. Musician Steven Tyler narrates the Boston tour and journalist Larry King talks up D.C.



Cell-phone tour content will only improve, Kronby thinks, as it becomes easier to view video and pictures on phones.



More here.