Miniature Thailand – tilt-shift video

by Justin Delaney on


Bustling Bangkok never looked so tiny and cute. Tilt-shift video makes everything look like a miniature play set, and this video of various Thailand locales employs the technique perfectly. The Chao Phraya river that runs through Bangkok looks like a tiny stream in some sort of elaborate diorama, and people taking to the sea in the Phi Phi Islands near Phuket look like small articulated action figures. The effect is both interesting and surreal. Be sure to check out Gadling’s guide on the similar tilt-shift photography technique. “Toy Thailand” was shot in Bangkok, Phuket, Ton Sai, and Railay in Krabi.

Toy Thailand from joerg daiber on Vimeo.

Tokyo flights canceled, diverted after tsunami

by Chris Owen on

In the wake of a giant tsunami wave that battered the east coast of Japan, sending a 10-metre high tidal wave crashing on to coastal areas, airlines have canceled and diverted flights.

The 8.9-magnitude quake, Japan’s worst and the 7th strongest ever recorded has caused massive damage to coastal areas by triggering a tsunami wave that now careens across the pacific heading for the U.S. west coast.

Tokyo flights canceled include Nippon, Virgin, British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France and Malaysia Airlines have have all canceled flights to and from both of Tokyo’s airports.

Japan’s All Nippon Airways Co. told the Wall Street Journal that “131 domestic and international flights were canceled, grounding 32,700 passengers. Including flights which changed destinations, the earthquake affected 162 flights and 37,800 passengers”

“We have received notification from the airport authorities to suspend our flights in and out of Narita Airport and Haneda Airport,” Malaysia Airlines Director of Operations, Captain Azharuddin Osman said in a statement. “We will only be able to confirm our flight schedules once we receive clearance from the relevant civil aviation authorities.

AOLnews reports the Red Cross in Geneva saying the wave was higher than some Pacific islands, and a tsunami warning has been issued for the whole of the Pacific Basin, including Hawaii, the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan and Russia. Authorities in Hawaii ordered the evacuation of coastal areas.

Flickrphoto by Bejnamin Thompson

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Japan hit by massive earthquake- U.S. west coast prepares for tsunami wave

by Chris Owen on

A massive 8.9-magnitude earthquake off Japan’s northeastern coast has at least 19 countries under tsunami alert. The U.S. west coast from Alaska to California is preparing for waves of three to four feet high representing a tremendous amount of energy expected by about 7:00 AM Pacific time.

Here, we see raw footage of the 32-foot tsunami wave that hit Japan’s Sendai airport

Caused by the earthquake that hit at 2:46 PM local time in Japan, the tsunami wave is estimated to hit Hawaii just about any time now.

In the Philippines, Guam and Northern Mariana Islands, evacuation of communities along the eastern coastal areas is underway with the populations being advised to get at least 50 meters above sea level.

USS Essex, USS Blueridge, USS Tortuga have been deployed and are on their way to Japan to help in anticipated relief efforts. U.S. Navy ships in Guam are being told to head out to sea for safety reasons

“Hawaii ordered evacuations from coastal areas due to the threat of a tidal wave set off by Friday’s earthquake in Japan as a tsunami warning was extended to the whole of the Pacific basin, except mainland United States and Canada.” reports Reuters.


Early reports from Japan’s Kyodo news indicate at least 10 people killed and many injured but that number is expected to rise. After a 7.7-magnitude earthquake and 10-foot tsunami hit Indonesia last October hundreds were reported dead later in the week. Early Tsunami warning systems put in place between 2004 and 2008 are hoped to have help minimize casualties.

SkyNews video

Top 20 travel destinations – The 2011 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report

by Justin Delaney on

Every couple of years, the World Economic Forum crunches a bunch of numbers and releases a list of the top countries in the world to visit. While ranking 139 countries, they measure aspects such as pricing, culture, environmental protection, safety, and infrastructure. For the 2011 report, Switzerland remained at the number one spot – the returning champion from the last report in 2009. Nine out of the bottom ten countries are located in Africa, and seven out of the top ten are located in Europe. Chad ranked in at 139 out of 139. Italy, one of the most visited countries in the world, placed 27th. For the full list, download the PDF at the World Economic Forum website under the ‘reports’ tab.

20. Norway
19. New Zealand
18. Portugal
17. Finland
16. Denmark
15. Luxembourg
14. Netherlands
13. Australia
12. Hong Kong
11. Iceland
10. Singapore9. Canada
8. Spain
7. United Kingdom
6. United States
5. Sweden
4. Austria
3. France
2. Germany
1. Switzerland

flickr image via jeffwilcox

Russia plans Las Vegas clone in Siberia

by Justin Delaney on

Siberia is known for many things. Long train rides that cover almost 6000 miles, massive tigers that hunt wild boar in snowy enclaves, and a lake whose depths reach deeper than any other lake in the world. Oh and cold. Wintry, unrelenting, freezing cold weather drapes Siberia in snow and below freezing temperatures for roughly half of the year. It is a place so remote and foreboding that if you look up “Siberian” on dictionary.com, you will be greeted with this definition:

“any undesirable or isolated locale, job, etc., to which one is assigned as punishment, a mark of disfavor, or the like.”

Despite this damning etymological association, Russia plans to build its version of Las Vegas in the wintry depths of Siberia. This Las Vegas East has been given the moniker “Siberian Coin,” which sounds more like a local band from Moscow than a mecca of gambling. The Altai region of Siberia will host the ambitious project located near the boarder of Kazakhstan and China. Russian developers have budgeted about $1 billion for the cause which includes the construction of 15 casinos and 30 hotels. According to Businessweek, outside experts expect the project costs to total $50 billion.So why Siberia? Several years ago, “President” Vladimir Putin banned casinos in all major Russian cities, restricting gambling to the far flung reaches of the Russian Federation. Overnight, successful Moscow gaming parlors shuttered their doors forever, and it is estimated that the edict cost Russia about half a million jobs. So far, casinos have been built in three faraway locations: Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, Azov City, and Primorsky in the Far East. None have been very successful. While hopes for the “Siberian Coin” are high, its fate may follow a familiar trend due to the sheer remoteness of its geographical location. Siberia is known for many things, but it will be a long uphill battle before gambling is added to that list of associations.