Will This Motorized Unicycle Redefine Transportation? (VIDEO)

by Libby Zay on

Watch out, Segway – there’s a new kind of people mover in town, and you don’t even have to stand up to use it. Earlier this week, Honda introduced the UNI-CUB, a self-balancing electric vehicle intended to transport people inside large buildings such as airports, museums and shopping malls. The compact device looks kind of like a futuristic motorized unicycle, except there is an extra wheel on the back for maneuverability. Similar to the Segway, riders simply shift their weight to move backward and forward, side-to-side, or even diagonally. But unlike the Segway, users are free to use their hands and are able to buzz along on the compact device while sitting at eye-level with pedestrians, making the UNI-CUB an unobtrusive addition to foot traffic (besides, of course, all the people who stop to stare).

For travelers, especially those with disabilities, the UNI-CUB has the potential to revolutionize getting from place to place. People who cannot walk long distances are currently limited to using cumbersome scooters – especially when standing upright on a Segway for a long period of time is not an option. Since it’s less bulky, weights only 22 pounds, and can be folded up into a carrying case, the UNI-CUB also might be able to help users get through airport security and board planes with ease.

This is all just speculation, of course. Honda does not yet have a planned release date for the robot unicycle. Besides, we can’t forget that even the Segway never lived up to its hype as a product that would redefine the way we travel. Instead, the machine is most commonly known as a shopping center patrol vehicle. It doesn’t look like we’ll see armies of UNI-CUBs replacing the Segways that are now popular for city tours, either. The transporter is intended for indoor use only and moves at walking speed, about 3.7 miles per hour.

Is the UNI-CUB just another ridiculous people mover, or would you go along for a ride on the sit-down Segway? Personally, I think I’ll hold out for my own hovercraft.

Have Klout, Will Travel: Cathay Pacific Offers Klout Perk at SFO

by McLean Robbins on


Last week, Klout announced “Klout for iPhone,” and this week, the influx of app-based perks begins. Their first partnership is one we’d actually enjoy – if we were traveling internationally from SFO. The company that pioneered social media influence measurement has partnered with Cathay Pacific Airways to allow anyone with a score of 40 or over to show their Klout score at the door to enter the airline’s First and Business Class Lounge.

This applies to any visitor traveling through the “A” boarding area at SFO’s international terminal, even if they aren’t a Cathay Pacific passenger.

Inside the lounge, you’ll get access to the airline’s signature noodle bar, workstations and showers, as shown in the video above.

Have you used this perk? What did you think?

Time-Lapse Video Shows Europe’s Changing Borders, 1000 AD to 2003

by McLean Robbins on




This quirky time lapse shows how Europe‘s borders have expanded, contracted, and expanded again. We’re pretty sure the original intent was to help those studying for a World Geography test or the like, but it’s a fun tool for travelers too – is the area you’re visiting this summer a part of the original Hapsburg empire? Has the hotel you’re staying in always been in France? Watch it. We’re sure you’ll enjoy.

VIDEO: Vintage Turkish Taxis

by Meg Nesterov on


Millions of people get around Istanbul each day via dolmuş, a shared taxi. Similar to the colectivo of Latin America or the dollar vans of New York City, a dolmuş is generally a mini-bus or van that follows a fixed route for a fixed price. At the beginning of the route, the bus waits until it is full of passengers (dolmuş means stuffed in Turkish) before departing. You hand your money (theoretically a share of a private taxi’s rate, but usually 2-3 TL) up to the driver, and hop out whenever you get to your destination; there are rarely official bus stops.

The video above may look like it’s from the 1950s, but it’s actually from 1986. As recently as a few decades ago, the dolmuş vehicle of choice wasn’t the large yellow van you see today, but classic American cars from the mid-century and pre-war. Some of the vintage cars were customized with a third bench to stuff in more passengers!

Thanks to Turcopedia for the links and info.

Video Of The Day: Scary Russian Amusement Park Ride

by Libby Zay on

Something about this ride at the Divo Ostrov (Wonder Island) amusement park in St. Petersburg, Russia, seems a little bit off. Things start off pretty normal on the “Wind Shear,” but as you’ll notice about a minute into the video the ride throws all of the riders for a loop – or rather an upside-down nonsensical twist. Just watching the video is enough to make stomachs turn, especially when coupled with some knowledge on the park’s not-so-great track record. In 2010, ten riders on a rocket-shaped attraction at the same park were left dangling 229 feet above ground from a single thread when a cable snapped. Luckily, rescuers were able to safely unload passengers without any injuries being reported. Two years prior, however, a 12-year-old girl was not so lucky. She was seriously injured on a trampoline ride in an accident also involving a broken cable. Knowing the park’s disconcerting safety record, would you be likely to try a whirl on the Wind Shear? Perhaps a news report on the rocket ride incident (after the jump) will make you think again.