Google's app for touring virtual art galleries

Google's attention to preserving and sharing artwork has always been admirable, and its new, updated Arts & Culture app for iOS and Android continues this work. The app first launched last year but was little more than a wrapper for the company's Cultural Institute webpage. Its redesign makes it easier to use on mobile devices, while also adding new features such as support for virtual reality via Google Cardboard.

As before, the app lets you explore artwork by everyday objects (glasses or apples or shoes, for example), as well as different mediums and movements. There's historical content, too, with generously illustrated articles on topics from the Moon landings to the achievements of Nelson Mandela. (For readers of a certain age, this will all be pleasingly reminiscent of Microsoft Encarta — sadly without MindMaze). There are also new daily articles on select topics and users can browse a section on "wonders," which covers geographical locations of interest, from the Great Barrier Reef to the castles of France's Loire Valley.

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