Photo of the day (10.7.10)

by Meg Nesterov on

I’m one of those weird adults who doesn’t know how to ride a bike. No great excuse, just never bothered to learn as a kid, preferring indoor pursuits and walking on nice solid ground, and it’s become harder to learn as an adult. My husband has attempted several times over the years and now I’m sort of like Toonces the driving cat – I can ride, just not very well. Maybe this fellow in Tokyo is also a non-bike rider and thus looks a bit shamed by the row of bicycles. No matter the reason for his sour face, this photo by Flickr user jrodmanjr is a nice composition in black and white of a city that takes its eco-friendly commuting seriously.

Have a great travel photo you’d like featured here? Add it to our Gadling group on Flickr and we might choose one as our Photo of the Day.

Qantas flight attendants restrain would-be murderer

by Tom Johansmeyer on

A man threatened to kill the other passengers on a Qantas flight from Melbourne to Hong Kong, forcing flight attendants to restrain him. An airline spokeswoman wouldn’t confirm what some were saying – that the would-be murderer was praying before threatening to kill himself and others and said, “You will all die.”

The Sydney Morning Herald continues:

But an Australian passenger, Helen, said another woman on the flight told her a man, whom she believed was praying in Hebrew, suddenly started shouting: “I’m going to kill myself, you are all going to die, it will be God’s will, what will be will be, I’m going to open the door.”

Helen noted that the crew was “fantastic,” adding, “the boys held him down and subdued him and one of the female crew cuffed him.”

The crew turned the passenger over to the authorities in Hong Kong. Apparently, they are trained to handle these situations.

So, if you get annoyed about not getting your beverage service quickly enough, keep your mouth shut while you’re flying Qantas.

[photo by notsogoodphotography via Flickr]

Singapore Airlines to roll out ‘total connectivity’ in 2011

by McLean Robbins on

Travelers have long found the electronics ban to be a mixed burden and blessing – for some, it’s an oasis of peace and quiet during an otherwise hectic day. For others, flights, particularly long ones, are time sucks of lost productivity. In recent years, the roll-out of in-flight Wi-Fi services has dramatically improved the ability of business travelers to stay on top of their work.

Now, Singapore Airlines is entering the race to become the first major “fully connected” airline in Asia, rolling out the ability to make and receive phone calls, texts, and use Wi-Fi Internet on long-haul flights. Part of a collaboration with in-flight connectivity provider OnAir, the carrier will debut a range of on-board communication offerings as early as the first half of 2011.

These services will will be introduced progressively on flights operated by the Airline’s A380, A340-500 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

“The environment that our customers have gotten used to on the ground can soon be replicated in the air, when they fly with Singapore Airlines on aircraft fitted with this new connectivity platform. Traveling for business or pleasure, they are just a click or a text message away, with access to live information, social networking and news updates, as well as in-flight shopping,” said Singapore Airlines’ Senior Vice President Product & Services, Mr. Yap Kim Wah.

“The agreement is extremely significant. It sends a strong signal to the industry that in-flight passenger communications has come of age – and is a must-have for airlines looking to remain competitive in the future,” said Ian Dawkins, CEO of OnAir.

Customers who use the mobile services will see their usage reflected in the monthly bills from their telecommunications provider where international GSM roaming rates apply.

We’re curious to see the backlash from this, particularly as abuses of the new-found “power” begin to occur. Will your overweight, unshowered middle eat companion now be allowed to yap endlessly to their friends about last night’s escapades, or will calls be limited in time and duration? Will flights have a designated “quiet zone”? We’ll be sure to follow up on any developments, and any airlines that follow suit.

[Flickr via William Hawkins]

Photo of the Day (10.5.10)

by Stephen Greenwood on
Contrary to what it may look like, today’s Photo of the Day is not from the set of Indiana Jones 5. Welcome to the Karakoram; one of the greatest and most sparsely inhabited mountain ranges in the world.

Apart from being home to K2, the Karakoram is most well known for hosting the highest international paved road in the world – the Karakoram Highway. Completed in 1986, the 1,300km road connects Kashgar in the Xinjiang region of China with Pakistan’s modern capital, Islamabad. This dramatic shot (don’t worry, this isn’t the highway) was captured by Flickr user madang86 over the Hunza River near Passu, Pakistan. It certainly gives a new meaning to the phrase “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it”.

Have you risked life & limb to capture a great photo on your travels? We can’t wait to see it. Share it on our Flickr Pool and it could be our next Photo of the Day.

The beach town you’ll probably never see: Wonsan, North Korea

by Tom Johansmeyer on
Umbrellas are firmly planted in the sand, and children splash through the water in pursuit of a ball or each other. The scene is exactly what you’d see on either U.S. coast, or at any number of beaches around the world. And, because access is free, all walks of life can be found lounging on the sand, dipping a toe or simply enjoying each other’s company. Yet, this isn’t just any beach – it’s one of the toughest in the world to reach.

The seaside community of Wonsan affords a bit of relief from what can be a difficult life in North Korea. Food isn’t always easy to come by, and low pay leads to little disposable income – not that everyone would have ample opportunity to use it. None of this prevents people from spending some of their time at the beach, however, a true equalizer in a political environment that seeks exactly that goal (regardless of whether it attains it … or even truly pursues it).

Anyone who’s taken the family to the beach here in the United States, doubtless, knows that snacks can be a bit pricey – and it usually makes sense to bring your own food. Well, it’s time to stop complaining! Compared to the costs in North Korea, you have it easy. Back in Pyongyang, where the sartorial freedom of the beach is not permitted, you’ll drop £4 on a pizza, which is equivalent to three months’ salary for the average person in this “workers’ paradise.”

Check out the original coverage in the Mirror for a glimpse into daily life in North Korea (through authorized photos).

[photo by stngiam via Flickr]