Stato's delight, and things look bright.

If a few statistics get you going feast then your eyes on the latest mobile marketing research published in the Guardian:

"Ten years ago, using phones to download video clips, listen to music, play games or search the internet seemed a distant prospect. Now, those activities are commonplace. Research carried out by Orange earlier this year revealed the popularity of those practices among all age groups. Over half use their phones to access the internet, 64% send picture messages, 55% play games, 49% listen to music and 26% receive email. Some 87% use mobile media at home, and 73% when they are "out and about". Just under half said they used their phones to access the same sites they use on their PCs and 62% said they wanted their phones to do the same things their PCs can. The worlds of computing and telephony have already merged in the minds of many consumers."

With your audience permanently switched-on, impulsive and ready to interact at the drop of a hat, states James Robinson, who wouldn't want to tap into mobile marketing...and digital interpretation for that matter.

One more snatch of stats before we move on:

"...12 million people in the UK are now looking at the internet on their phones each month, and the number of consumers using handsets to search online increased by 37% in 2008, driven by 3G phones and new products, including the iPhone. Until the first few months of 2008, that figure had stubbornly refused to rise for many years. "

Now if those figures don't make you stand up and say 'I better get a wriggle on and develop some digital content for my site', then nothing probably will. Technology moves at a tremendous pace and as mobile internet becomes the norm visitors will increasingly expect to access information, in a variety of formats, to learn and discover the place they are visiting.

Whereas audio trails had to be downloaded pre- or post-visit just a year ago, today visitors can turn up on site, without any prior knowledge of any existing audio interpretation, open their mobile internet browser and play the tracks as they make their way around the route. Take a look at this working example in Kent. There is of course the caveat of reliable mobile phone reception, but if the experts are correct then this will only improve for the more remote locations we want to interpret.

The Telegraph's top ten audio trails, but do you agree?

I want this blog to start as I mean it to go on by offering you something to get your teeth into and encourage you to offer your own thoughts.

Having been contacted by the Daily Telegraph journalist Graham Norwood a month or so back I was aware an article looking at the phenomena of audio trails was being written. Last weekend (24th April 2010) the article appeared. iPod walks: nature treks go hi-tech is a really positive look at this increasingly favoured approach for interpreting heritage sites and the countryside.

It's not everyday you get mentioned in a national newspaper and after the excitement died down I began thinking about the influence these media machines have in shaping our opinions - very relevant considering the looming election.

The reason for this musing was the Telegraph's compilation of the top ten audio trails in the country. From a personal point of view it made great reading - five of the top eight were produced by Audio Trails. But how much should I read into this?

How was the list compiled and by what methods? I have listed that top ten below (although some of the links have been corrected). Do you agree with it and why? If not what are your favourite audio trails, guides and tours? And more importantly, why are they so?

Why do I ask? Not only am I a consumer too, but we should never blinker ourselves to learning from others (plus I like to keep an eye on the competition!)

TOP 10 TRAILS

1 Princetown This audio walk through moorland and old quarries includes music from folk star Seth Lakeman (dartmoor-npa.gov.uk)

2 Burbage Valley, Peak District 3,000 years of history are brought to life by this downloadable tour (moorsforthefuture.org.uk)

3 Ham Hill Two audio guides cover this country park's evolution from the Iron Age (visitsouthsomerset.com)

4 Tarka Trail Listen while you cycle along the old railway routes of north Devon (devon.gov.uk)

5 Brecon Beacon National Park Audio trails explain fossils, waterfalls and wildlife, in Welsh and English (breconbeacons.org)

6 Yorkshire Dales National Park Listen to advice on finding red squirrels (yorkshiredales.org.uk)

7 Offa's Dyke This audio guide leads walkers through Moel Famau Country Park up to Jubilee Tower (nationaltrail.co.uk)

8 North East Derbyshire Hear how Holmewood, a former mining area, has become an unlikely haven for wildlife (www.ne-derbyshire.gov.uk)

9 Bellever, Devon Local walkers give a potted history of the Dartmoor Pony (dartmoor-npa.gov.uk)

10 Hadleigh Country Park View Kent, Canary Wharf and the Dartford Bridge from the highest viewing points in Essex (visitessex.com)