Talking Train Windows (Silently) Play Ads

by Libby Zay on

No, tired train traveler, you’re not hearing voices. That’s just an audio advertisement that can only be heard when resting against a train window. Seriously, is there any way to escape anymore? A new German technology can deliver ads to weary travelers through vibrations. Silent to everyone else on the train, the ads seem to come from directly inside the brain. Let’s just hope companies use the technology for good and not evil, and instead send us soothing nature sounds. Get a full idea of the new concept in the promo video above — and enjoy being able to sleep during transit while you still can.

[via tnooz.com]

New York City Installs Pedestrian Maps (Finally)

by Libby Zay on

New York is introducing wayfinding map kiosks throughout the city, a godsend for anyone who has ever emerged from a subway exit disoriented (don’t be ashamed, that’s pretty much everyone who has set foot in the city). The maps are not only helpful, but also match the graphic language established in the 1960s for the subway system, as Michael Bierut from design team Pentagram explains to Wired:

“All of this was deliberately echoing the way the subways look… We wanted people to be able to ride the subway, come out and orient themselves.”

The new monolith-style kiosks display two maps, a zoomed-in glimpse of what’s within a five-minute radius, and an overview of the location in relation to a larger patch of the city. The first kiosk was installed last week in Chinatown, with more to follow soon. In a city where an estimated 30 percent of all trips are made by foot, we can’t be the only ones excited this subway improvement is here. With the recent addition of free solar-powered cellphone charging stations, the city seems to be getting more tourist-friendly every day.

Space Shuttle Atlantis Exhibit Honors 30-Year NASA Program

by Chris Owen on

Now open on Florida’s Space Coast, the $100 million Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit features over 60 interactive experiences and celebrates the people, passion and patriotism behind the shuttle program.

“It’s true that there is more than one space shuttle orbiter out there, but there is nowhere else on Earth like Space Shuttle Atlantis,” said Bill Moore, chief operating officer of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in the Miami Herald.

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The 90,000-square-foot Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit is not funded by tax dollars or appropriated funds but by ticket, food and merchandise sales – part of a 10-year master plan developed by Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, operator of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex for NASA since 1995.

Admission is $50 + tax for adults and $40 + tax for children ages 3-11 and includes the Kennedy Space Center Tour, which features the Apollo/Saturn V Center with an actual Saturn V moon rocket, the new Angry Birds™ Space Encounter, Shuttle Launch Experience, 3D IMAX® space films, Astronaut Encounter, Exploration Space: Explorers Wanted and other interactive exhibits.

“This completely immersive experience is about much more than seeing Atlantis close up,” said Moore. “With hi-fi replicas, simulators and interactive activities touching on all aspects of the shuttle program and its accomplishments, including the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station, it’s the closest guests can get to living and working in space – short of applying to the astronaut corps.”

Admission also includes the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame®, featuring historic spacecraft and the world’s largest collection of personal astronaut memorabilia.

Avoid New York City Traffic With MotoShare

by Chris Owen on

Travelers come to New York City from all over the world, for business or pleasure, and they all need to go from place to place. Sometimes they get out of the city too, exploring the Hamptons, Upstate New York, Connecticut and the Jersey Shore. They might be on a tour, with a local friend or on their own via public transportation or a rental car. Becoming more popular all the time: renting a motorcycle.

Anyone who lives in or has visited New York City and been in a cab knows that traffic can burn up a lot of time. Locals accept it as part of daily life. They walk or are able to plan ahead, knowing how long it takes to get somewhere. But travelers visiting New York know they are using up limited time stuck in traffic. For locals and visitors alike, Jupiter Motorcycle Rentals has an answer.

Visiting New York City, daily or weekly rentals are available and allow riders to “experience the brilliance of riding a premium BMW motorcycle for at least two days of unforgettable riding and the potential of an adventure day-by-day,” says the Jupiter website. Two-day rental packages start at $214 plus tax, inclusive of insurance.

Great for those who live in New York City too, Jupiter’s exclusive MotoShare program is an exclusive motorcycle club. Like ZipCar for motorcycles, the MotoShare program offers all the benefits of owning a motorbike without the hassle. Members pay $200 per year to belong, $80 per month, and can try a variety of motorcycles.Hiring a motorcycle for the weekend to get out of the city or taking a bike to see New York City in a whole new way, Jupiter Motorcycle Rentals has a variety of programs available. Offering a full fleet of European motorcycles including BMW, Triumph and Ducati, Jupiter caters to experienced motorcycle riders as well as first-timers.

For riders who are renting with Jupiter for the first time, the First-Time Rider package features 10 percent off motorcycle rental, plus complimentary helmet and gear rental ($70 value).

A full selection of gear rental is also available on-site at their retail location, steps from the subway in Gowanus, Brooklyn, and a 40-minute subway ride from Manhattan.

See Jupiter Motorcycle Rentals or call 718-788-2585

Need a little inspiration? Check this video:

Planetary Defense, Future Of Space Travel Could Hinge On Kickstarter

by Chris Owen on

Planetary Resources, the group of world leaders charged with building the ground floor opportunities for a space travel industry, needs our help. One of those opportunities involves mining asteroids, believed to hold riches beyond belief. Developing technology that will enable travel to those pots of gold is already a daunting task, but the real concern is finding those asteroids in the first place. Luckily, Planetary Resources has a plan.

This week, Planetary Resources announced plans to empower citizen scientists to aid in the search for potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) and support planetary defense. Funded by the ARKYD Kickstarter (if it reaches $1.7 million by Sunday, and you can help make that happen), Planetary Resources will partner with Zooniverse to create Asteroid Zoo, a program to find potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) at home.Asteroid Zoo will allow students, citizen scientists and space enthusiasts to search through terabytes of data collected by Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) for undiscovered asteroids in a fun, game-like process from their personal computers, and help train computers to better find them in the future.

Sound interesting? Want to have a hand in forging the future of space travel for all? Check out this video from Planetary Resources with Chief Asteroid Miner Chris Lewicki: