You can never bee too safe when traveling to unfamiliar regions. These Scottevest Travel Boxers ($20) feature dedicated iPhone and passport pockets — the better to keep them safe during your adventures — as well as more normal features, such as a button fly, anti-microbial odor- and stain-resistant treatment, and Nylon and Lycra construction that allows them to dry quickly, hopefully helping to avoid the dreaded “swamp ass” -:]
Passengers traveling with Emirates and Qantas will now be able to log on to the internet, while up in the air! Using the OnAir network, passengers on board A380 flights travelling with these airlines will have access to the internet while journeying through the skies. Emirates will soon kick-off WiFi connectivity on 11 of its 19 A380 aircraft will Qantas will begin OnAir trials on six of its aircraft from next month onwards. Also, Qantas will make the service available to passengers travelling in first class and business class initially while Emirates currently plans to offer this service across its entire fleet in the future.
Amsterdam is not just one of those places a man has to visit once in a lifetime, it’s also the home of the leather goods maker Travelteq. They’ve now joined forces with the denim experts of Teneu de Nimes to creat a laptop bag crafted from Florentine Vacchetta leather and premium Japanese selvage Chambray lining. The limited bag reveals 8 practical compartments to hold your wallet, ipad or the book you are reading at the moment alongside your notebook, and quick-access compartments on the outside for your tickets, specs or other things.
iPads are about to join the mile-high club in the captain’s cabin of American Airlines planes, as the FAA has now approved the use of iPads by pilots in the cockpit.
As of Friday 16th December, pilots will be able to replace their bulky flight manuals with one of Apple’ sleek touchscreen tablets, letting them more easily browse the reams of information stored within the paper tomes.
Rigorous testing by both American Airlines and Alaskan Airlines was carried out to ensure both the hardware and accompanying software we’re reliable enough to work consistently across long-haul flights.
“Pilots will use iPads as electronic chart and digital flight manual readers,” the source told ZDNet.
“The airline will begin iPad operations on B-777 aircraft, and then implement across all other fleets. By using electronic charts and manuals, the safety and efficiency on the flight deck is significantly enhanced.”
However, the move is sure to miff frequent flyers who are regularly told to refrain from using electronic devices during take off and landing, as well as needing to switch off wireless equipment. Won’t the pilots’ tablets interfere with equipment too?
Perhaps airlines will relax rules on in-flight electronics following this new allowance.
A new invention out of Norway promises to keep the skies of the world open. When a volcano in Iceland erupted in 2010, it spewed out invisible clouds of ash that spread across Europe – effectively shutting down all civilian and military air traffic, stranding millions of people and costing the world economy billions of dollars. Now, a new camera has been developed that will allow pilots to see and avoid volcanic dust clouds, making similar eruptions in the future much less disruptive.
Enter Australian Fred Prata of the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU). Under funding from Easyjet airlines, Prata has developed AVOID (Airborne Volcanic Object Imaging Detector). Based on technology originally designed for Earth-orbiting satellites and built by Nicarnica Aviation, his wing-mounted infrared camera closes the gap between the volcano and the computer model without having to build expensive fleets of sample planes. Since it works in the infrared range of the light spectrum. AVOID can see the ash particles in day or night up to 60 miles (100 km) away and when combining what it sees with air speed and GPS data, it can display ash concentrations in real time. Since the ash is in plumes and clumps, AVOID can tell planes where to fly safely even in conditions produced by the 2010 eruption.
But the really clever thing about AVOID is that it isn’t intended to be used in special meteorological aircraft. It’s meant to be mounted on ordinary airplane wings, so airliners can look out for themselves. In this way, a continental disaster can be reduced to a local problem.
After previous experiments with volcanoes in Japan and the Mariana Islands as well as during the 2010 eruption, AVOID has undergone extensive testing recently, including 10 days guiding a light aircraft through the ash plumes from Italy’s Mount Etna. Easyjet was so impressed with the result of their investment that they are installing AVOID on 20 of their Airbus aircraft in 2012 and will make the technology available to other airlines. It may not keep volcanoes from exploding, but it does make the aftermath a little easier to deal with.
Any former art school student knows the drag of carrying around a box filled with various pencils, pens, and other tools of the trade. With the Travelteq Pencil Holder (€65) you can ditch the box for a stylish roll — assuming you can make due with color pencils. Made by hand using Florentine Vacchetta leather, this unique accessory has slots cut for 19 pencils, and even includes some high-quality colors from
The GoldenEye Hotel and Resort in Jamaica was the island retreat of James Bond author Ian Flemming. It has seventeen beach cottages on the turquoise blue Carribean Sea each with its own plunge pool and hot tub. It is situated near the quiet country town of Oracabessa on the north of the island. There are two highly acclaimed restaurants on the sea which serve both traditional Jamaican and modern cuisine.
Located in Pfronten, Bavaria in Germany, Waldseilgarten is an adventure mountain resort that offers guests a thrilling night in the wilderness. Nestled at the top of a mountain summit, daring guests can spend the night hanging off the tree tops, suspended over a cliff face, or within a hand built igloo. Just be careful when they start jelling “Draus”!!!
It’s not every day you come across a real innovation in backpacks, but then again, it’s not every day you come across a Solid Gray Backpack ($165). These unique bags feature a folding hardshell design, EPDM foam lining and straps for keeping your tablet or laptop safe and secure, two interior compartments for keeping small items handy, a built-in document clip — so your papers don’t end up smashed at the bottom of the bag — and a flexible fit, which means your back will like it just as much as your eyes do.
For those who are planning an adventurous trekking trip to high altitudes and are looking for some fun filled luxury options, the LEAP (Living Ecological Alpine Pod) is something that is a must for you. Located in the shadow of icy backgrounds, the Alpine huts are designed by Luca Gentilcore and Stefano Testa in Italy with the help of CRT Foundation and Goretex. These sophisticated, environment friendly huts are technologically advanced that are prefabricated and assembled offsite.
These huts are perfect replacements for the traditional camp huts or tents that are neither safe nor environment friendly. Fast getting popular amongst the Alpine mountaineers, these pods are all set to be installed on the glacier Fréboudze, the Mont Blanc and Lyskamm, Monte Rosa. The pods are effortlessly installed and transported through helicopter. Besides the modest luxury facilities, the pods are also designed with state of art technology to sustain any kind of atmospheric pressures while it is perched atop a rock. The outer body of the hut has photovoltaic film that will provide constant energy to run the equipments installed inside the pod. The pod has four units namely; dining room, entrance units, unit bed and bathroom unit with 12 additional beds. This structure is a perfect example of luxury in limited space and it utilizes its restricted space in an efficient way. The interior has been crafted with hi quality robust material, keeping the safety and durability in mind. The pod is equipped with hi tech devices such as web cam, emergency rescue communication, temperature control units all connected with rescue headquarters.
The pod has a dining unit with pantry that has an electric induction unit for hassle free cooking. There are several adjustable bed units that can be modified according to the number of users. Most importantly the pod is equipped with biological toilet that sets out the waste without polluting the environment. The hut also has a drying and storage rack along with a rescue equipment compartments. The person living in it can also enjoy the scenic beauty as the pod has vast window outlets. The modules/units can be customized according to the specific need of the user.
The replacement of any module can be done easily as every unit is detachable and can be lifted effortlessly with a helicopter. As the pod is completely environmental friendly it leaves no permanent mark on the location it was placed. The designers have left no stone unturned to deliver the best out of the ecologically certified materials so that the visitors can marvel at the beauty of the snow peaked mountains in the vicinity and safety of these pods.