Category: Transport
Barely into the new year and already there are new toys and gizmos for us to enjoy. One of the most eye catching is the partnership between Ford and Microsoft. They have put together an in-dash tool that is practical and really cool.
Called Sync, the new offering of Ford-Microsoft is built into 12 Ford models. Sync is a wireless, voice operated system in-car computer system that allows you to easily access your mobile phone and music player. A driver would easily be able to make calls, send text messages and select songs without having to take his hands off the wheel. Sync can even read back text messages received. This provides increased safety for people driving – one less distraction while on the road.
The 12 vehicles slated to have Sync built in are:
- Ford Focus
- Fusion
- Five Hundred
- Edge
- Freestyle
- Explorer and Sport Trac
- Mercury Milan
- Montego and Mountaineer
- Lincoln MKX and MKZ
No final price has been released yet but this definitely looks like the next wave in car entertainment systems.
The year is almost over and everywhere people are getting ready to countdown to a brand new year. 2006 has been quite an eventual year indeed for many.
There are parties going on everywhere. All the major cities have plans for fantastic fireworks displays and celebrations. Whether you go to London, New York, Paris or down under to Syndey, the new year will be welcomed in with a bang. In New York’s Times Square, plans for 19 stellar performances from some of the Grammy award winners are lined up including Christina Aguilera, the Rascal Flatts and more.
For those who will be joining the London celebration, good news. You need not worry if you don’t have a car since the public transportation system will be running later than usual. In fact, NatWest is sponsoring transportation on the 31st via the London Underground, London Buses, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and via the tram. Just don’t wait til the last minute since there is bound to be quite a crowd.
You’re sure to be partying hard on this last night of the year but do keep yourself safe. This can easily be done by following a few simple safety tips:
- Stay with your friends. There is always safety in numbers.
- Keep your valuables safely at home or very carefully guarded. There are often pickpockets at crowded events such as these.
- Drink responsibly. No point in getting so drunk you miss out on all the fun. That’s no way to start a new year.
- Wear shoes that you’ll be comfortable in. You’ll have a long night ahead of you. There is no reason not to be both stylish and comfortable.
- Dress warmly. No point in catching a cold when a little common sense will keep you from this annoying bug.
Its not exactly the most appealing of ideas, but by next March, Smintair or Smokers International Airways is planned to take to the skies.
The novel idea of smoker’s airline is the brainchild of former stockbroker Alexander Schoppmann (obviously a pack-a-dayer himself), who plans to offer flights from his hometown of Dusseldorf to Tokyo, another smoke-friendly destination.
Its all about service and the luxury of the old days, he says, and smokers will now be able to travel in comfort and style. Cramped economy seats will be non-existent and every smoke-friendly seat will be either business or first class quality. Havana cigars will be at hand, as will modern frills like internet, phones, DVD and flight attendants decked out in couture.
The German entrepreneur explains:
“I’ve been an airline passenger for 50 years….It made me very angry that the gap between service and price became so big with regular airlines. Especially in the first class and business class, service is at its lowest point ever.”
And how much is this new level of comfort going to cost smokers?
“We are on the same price level with Lufthansa, British Airways and other airlines that operate on similar routes…..Frankfurt-Tokyo and back costs $12,500 with Lufthansa for the first class and $8,125 for business class both ways. And those are exactly our prices.”
[tags]Smoking,Travel,Airlines,Germany,Tokyo,Dusseldorf,Luxury Travel,Air Travel[/tags]
After my post a few days back on Venezuelan President Chavez‘ somewhat amusing oration at the United Nations, it was even more amusing for me to see how his words, dismissed as mere “thug talk” by the Bush folk, has indeed hit some sour feelings with America’s patriots.
I’m talking about convenience store giant, 7-11 (where you can pick up some necessities like blue slurpies and overpriced chips, anytime anywhere in the world), who, has dumped Venezuelan-owned Citgo as their petroleum supplier.
In spite of the converience store chain’s 20-year-old relationship with the supplier, they’re sudden decision to change was partly because of “political reasons”. They made no excuses for this and even seemed proud to have acted in this patriotic (and emotional?) manner.
Of course, 7-11’s officials later took back what they said and in a very politically correct commercial fashion said that it was because they simply wanted a cheaper supplier.
Now your car can be cleverer than you. Nissan is hoping to commercialize their groundbreaking “Intelligent Transportation System” in 2010 and are starting by a 30- month experimental stage in Tokyo involving 10,000 drivers on October 1st.
The new system sends wireless messages by antenna to passing cars with voice messages from other cars and roadside optical beacons. These messages are aloong the lines of: “School ahead- Watch your speed!” or “Car approaching from left”.
Although the system seems to be a highly workable one in Japan, where over 50% cars are already equipped with navigational gadgets, the questions remains whether such a high-tech system could work in Europe or the US where a mere 10% of cars are equipped in this capacity – let alone developing countries, where old jalopies are more the norm.
The system though has a lot of very useful and perhaps life-saving functions, such as a warning that tells you if there is a speeding car ahead at a blind intersections, and a quick route finder which tells you the quickest way to your destination through probe data collected from mobile phones.
