Swarm Of Bees Delays Delta Flight From Taking Off

by Jessica Festa on

Here’s a new reason your plane could be delayed. Last week, a Delta flight from Pittsburgh to JFK was grounded when thousands of bees clung to the aircraft’s left wing.

According to news.com.au, passengers looked on in shock, snapping pictures with their phones. The flight was delayed 20 minutes as beekeeper Stephen Repasky removed the insects.

Repasky explained the honeybees were harmless and were resting. Moreover, he believes there is a colony somewhere on the airport grounds.

That would make sense, since, according to Pittsburgh International Airport spokeswoman Joanne Jenny, this is the fourth time this year bees have invaded the airport.

What’s the strangest reason you’ve ever had a flight delayed?

[Image via MarkSweep]

India Attempting To Use Human Waste To Light Up Bio-Toilets

by Kyle Ellison on

Perhaps in the middle of the blackout, which recently left 620 million people without power, an enterprising young Indian engineer found himself sitting on a toilet in the dark.

While this is most likely not the case, it’s an explanation which could potentially explain the news recently released by The Siasat Daily that India is attempting to power 1,000 eco-toilets by harnessing the methane released by human waste.

Having just recently installed the public eco-toilets in a bid to stave off open defecation, it became apparent that when using the government-supplied loos that night time visitors were left to do their business in total darkness.

When it came time to evaluate the design, in addition to widening the toilets and adding cross-ventilation, the possibility of putting a light inside of the toilet was also raised. This inevitably prompted researchers to figure out how to harness the methane accumulating inside of the toilet and use the gas to power a simple light.

According to the article, these eco-toilets use “bio-digester technology,” where bacteria feeds on the human fecal matter and releases two byproducts: methane and water.

While the jury is still out on how to effectively use the methane, solutions have already been found as to what to do with the water.

Apparently, the idea is to use it as a safe source of drinking water for local animals; it has also recently been used in the irrigation of local vegetables.

[Image courtesy of Flickr user Sustainable sanitation]

New Zealand’s Mount Tongariro Erupts For First Time In Over A Century

by Jessica Festa on

For the first time in over a century, New Zealand‘s Mount Tongariro has erupted. While there have been no reports of deaths or injuries, the eruption has spewed ash everywhere and is prompting a threat warning for the central North Island.

According to news.com.au, the event threw rock and ash from the area of the volcano known as the Te Mari craters. As of now, the situation on Mount Tongariro is unclear.

“For the moment, things are quiet (but that) doesn’t necessarily mean that the eruption is over and done with – it could reactivate at any time so we’re watching pretty closely,” explained GNS Science volcanologist Michael Rosenberg.

The volcanic alert level for Mt Tongariro has risen from one to two. Moreover, the aviation color code has been raised to red. Roads are closed, domestic flights have been disrupted and nearby residents are being advised to stay indoors to avoid falling rock and ash.

If the wind was to blow towards the north, major cities like Waikato, Auckland and the Bay of Plenty could be affected. Luckily, forecasters are predicting mild winds for the upcoming days.

Mount Tongariro’s last eruption was from November 1896 until October 1897, following eruptions in 1869 and 1892.

[Image via Mirko Thiessen]

5 Secret Tech-Savvy Tips For Traveling Abroad

by Elyse Pasquale on

As a perpetual wanderer who spends roughly half the year outside the United States, I’ve learned a few savvy tricks for bettering my own travel experience. From making free phone calls to accessing the entire “Doctor Who” series, here are five tech tips for the modern traveler abroad.

1. You can watch Netflix out of the country.

You can also watch HBO Go and Hulu, listen to Pandora Radio or access Facebook in China. All you need is a VPN. This stands for “Virtual Private Network,” and what it does is run your Internet traffic through a network with a different IP address, making your computer look like it’s back in the states, while you’re typing away in a hostel in Beijing.

StrongVPN and Hide My Ass! are two reliable and cheap VPN services, starting as low as $6.55 per month.

Once you sign up, you’ll have access to a number of servers around the world. The set-up instructions are also easy to follow, and both companies have excellent 24-hour customer service. A VPN will work on your iPhone, iPad and computer.

2. You can make free calls to the United States.

T-Mobile is the best cell service for travelers abroad, but they don’t really want you to know it. They certainly won’t advertise the fact that all calls made to the United States from abroad over a Wi-Fi connection are free. As in, totally free. No roaming or data charges apply.

Wi-Fi calls connect to a UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) network. Much like a VPN, UMA gives the Wi-Fi caller external IP access to T-Mobile’s core network, making the phone act like it’s in the United States, even when it’s not.

Heads up, university students heading overseas in the fall: it might be worth it to invest in a T-Mobile plan for the year to keep in touch with friends and family back home.

T-Mobile and Blackberry also have the best-combined overseas data plan. For $19.99 a month, unlimited emails are covered. This service doesn’t cover apps like Twitter and Facebook, but once on the UMA Wi-Fi network you can access the phone’s web browser and log onto your favorite social media apps.

3. You’re at risk for being electronically pick-pocketed

RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) “skimming” is the world’s latest, greatest form of pickpocketing. RFIDs are the radio frequency chips in your credit cards and passports that carry all sorts of personal data, and stealing that data is a piece of cake. All it takes is someone with a portable card reader to simply walk closely past you in a crowd.

I personally know travelers whose data has been accessed while in transit, and their bank accounts drained. Crowded transport hubs like airports, train stations and shopping centers are pickpocketing hotspots, electronic or otherwise.

How to protect yourself: invest in an RFID-proof wallet or passport case. I swear by PacSafe‘s anti-theft and travel security products, carrying the RFIDtec™ 150 RFID blocking passport wallet everywhere I go.

4. You don’t need a converter.

I’m often asked which adaptor plugs are used for different countries, and if purchasing a converter is necessary. Today, most – if not all – modern electronic equipment comes with a converter already built into the charger. This covers your camera, iPod, computer and cellphone.

What you do need is an adaptor plug. Different countries use different types of plugs. In Europe, the plugs are two-pronged and round. In the United Kingdom, they’re three-pronged and square. It’s always a good idea to do some research in advance and determine which plug adaptors you’ll need when traveling.

I recommend purchasing an all-in-one or universal plug adaptor that will work in Australia, Europe, Asia and the United Kingdom, currently available on Amazon.com for less than $5.

So when DO you need a converter? The answer is: for a hair dryer, curling iron or electric shaver. If you absolutely have to have your styling products abroad, then you’ll need to invest in a good step up/down voltage converter. Be warned: even with a converter, I’ve seen rural European sockets melt American appliances to mush, with a good dose of indoor fireworks to boot.

Take my advice: buy a hair dryer abroad. It will most likely cost you less than buying a voltage converter and it will be one less thing to lug in your suitcase.

5. There’s an App for that.

Need some helpful phrases in Amharic? A guide to traveling to Paris with kids? European train schedules? Where to find Madrid‘s best tapas? There’s an app for that. Really, there is.

It’s a good investment to purchase destination-specific travel apps before you leave on your next trip abroad. Mobile guidebooks, language lessons, city maps and comprehensive transit information are just the tip of the travel tech iceberg.

Apps don’t take up that much room on your electronic devices, and they don’t cost a lot. What’s an extra $20 in your travel budget if it means you can competently navigate the London Underground or effortlessly order the next round in Moscow?

Backpacker Left Blind After Drinking Cocktails In Bali

by Jessica Festa on

If you’re planning a trip to Indonesia, be careful what you drink. Recently, a 19-year-old backpacker was left with permanent vision damage after consuming 8 to 10 cocktails containing methanol, a substance used as antifreeze, fuel and windscreen de-icer.

According to news.com.au, the cocktails contained a mixture of Arrack, which is produced commercially and illegally in Indonesia. This combines coconut flower rice, sugarcane spirit and fruit juice. Most likely, however, the drink also contained local “moonshine” alcohol tainted with methanol.

When the traveler arrived home to New Zealand, she felt short of breath and had impaired vision. Although she was treated at Christchurch Hospital emergency department for methanol poisoning, her vision continued to deteriorate over the next month.

Dr. Paul Gee and Dr. Elizabeth Martin from the hospital explained it’s not uncommon for methanol side effects – which include nausea, vomiting, anxiety, headache, weakness, blurred vision, seeing spots, photophobia and loss of vision – to take up to 50 hours to show. When consumed, methanol can lead to coma, blindness and death.

Sadly, this isn’t the first case of methanol poisoning in Indonesia. For example, last year a 25-year-old Australian nurse suffered brain damage and kidney failure after drinking Arrack. Moreover, in 2009, 25 tourists were killed after drinking a batch in Bali.

[Image via indi.ca]