Gemsta

This site takes the concept of a virtual mall and makes it even better. Gemsta immerses you in an incredibly detailed 3D environment of streets and stores, letting you browse and buy products from hundreds of brands across dozens of categories. But it's the extra features, such as a price-comparison tool, discount vouchers and integration with loads of useful external sites, that lift Gemsta above similar portals. You can watch film and game trailers in the multimedia zone and use the Postcard function to send snapshots of your travels. With ambitious expansion planned for 2010, including a Desktop download for people on slower connections, Gemsta is a veritable shoppers' paradise.

Reviewed in: Issue 228 (3 December 2009)