Welcome to the future of pay as you go air travel. We’ve already seen paid luggage, paid carry-on’s and proposals for paid bathrooms, making concept of the pay-to-use life jacket a little bit less stupid. And yes – this is a spoof, but definitely a well made one!
VIDEO: Inside new German high-speed train
In 2013, Europe could become even easier to navigate, with a new high-speed train connecting Germany with other major cities in Western Europe. The new Deutsche Bahn train would travel at 200 miles per hour from London through the Euro Tunnel, arriving in Amsterdam in four hours (currently only reachable with a connection) and Frankfurt in five hours (down from seven hours on DB). Additional services are planned for Brussels, Cologne and Rotterdam and officials are hopeful this could pave the way for additional high-speed routes.
The above video from BBC goes inside a prototype train currently at London’s St. Pancras Station for safety checks and a test run. Reporter Richard Scott shows off the train’s reclining seats, real-time travel information, and even multi-country emergency stops. Let’s hope they work out any air conditioning problems for the new trains.
Baby snow leopard captured on camera for first time in Bhutan
Snow leopards are amongst the most elusive and shy creatures on the planet. The big cats live at high altitude and are rarely seen by man, let alone captured on camera. But the BBC is reporting that a snow leopard cub has been caught on video for the first time when it triggered a camera trap in the mountains of Bhutan recently.
The video was captured by a camera trap that was set by a BBC film crew who were hoping to get some footage of the rare animals in their natural habitat. The device has a built-in motion sensor that is designed to turn the camera on when something moves within range of the lens. This allows a crew to set up cameras and leave them in the field for extended periods without the need for a cameraman or requiring the batteries to be charged on a daily basis. The team then returns every few days to review the findings and check the status of the device.
This particular trap was activated when the young snow leopard wandered into range. After surveying the area nervously, the cub begins to wander up hill directly at the lens. Looking straight into the camera, the cat sniffs it curiously before slowly moving on. The entire encounter was a brief one, but for the veteran BBC crew, it was the shot of a lifetime.
The footage of the young leopard will air this week on the BBC’s nature special Lost Land of the Tiger a show that also captured video of tigers living at higher altitudes than had ever been recorded before. It seems this particular film crew had lightning strike twice while producing this show.
[Photo credit: Aaron Logan via WikiMedia]
BBC and Lonely Planet team up for a new travel site
The BBC and Lonely Planet have joined forces to create a new travel section for BBC.com. Of course, since the BBC owns Lonely Planet, it makes sense that they turned to them for their excellent content. The site has a great look, and the same easy to navigate layout you’ll find on other BBC sites.
At its launch, the site offers a huge assortment of content, including destination mini guides, an overview of the best seaside resorts and where to watch the best wildlife in Australia.
You’ll find the new BBC travel site at BBC.com/travel.
GadlingTV’s Travel Talk – Behind the Scenes of BBC’s ‘Life’ with Roger Munns!
GadlingTV’s Travel Talk, episode 19 – Click above to watch video after the jump
For Roger Munns, jumping in the ocean with 100 ton whales while they fight for the female is just another day at work; come with us as we go behind the scenes of BBC’s ‘Life’ series. Roger gives us the inside scoop on what it’s like to dive with whales, all while holding his breath and keeping the camera steady.
Click through to check out the interview and see some of the amazing footage he shot while capturing the never-before-seen Humpback Whale Heat Run for BBC’s ‘Life’.
If you have any questions or comments about Travel Talk, you can email us at talk AT gadling DOT com.
Subscribe via iTunes:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Travel Talk feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.
Links
Read more about Roger right here!
Check out BBC’s ‘Life’ series – just in time for Father’s Day!
Find out more about Humpback Whales & heat runs.
Want to see who else is behind the cameras? Check out award winning filming/photography company ScubaZoo.
Hosts: Aaron Murphy-Crews
Special Guests: Roger Munns
Produced, Edited, and Directed by: Stephen Greenwood, Aaron Murphy-Crews, Drew Mylrea