Hasta La Gadget!

As of tomorrow, the longest flight in the world will shuttle passengers on a 747-400 from Sydney, Australia to Dallas, Texas. That 15-hour, 25-minute hop on board Qantas 7 may not be the lengthiest in duration, but at 8,578 miles gate to gate, it’ll lead the industry in miles flown. For a few more hours, however, Singapore Airlines’ decade-long run from Newark, N.J., to Singapore remains the record holder for both time (more than 18 hours) and distance (9,534 miles). It’s a journey that’s been on the bucket lists of the world’s most ambitious aviation enthusiasts since the city-state’s namesake airline first launched the service in 2004, and following tonight’s final jaunt, this record-setting A340-500 will touch down at Changi Airport for the very last time.

Despite this cheerless loss, it’s a spectacular time in the world of aviation. Sure, we don’t have our supersonic Concorde replacement just yet, and the Dreamliner rollout was not without significant heartbreak, but the past few years have represented a tremendous period, with banner launches from both Airbus and Boeing that will change the way we fly forever. But as with any category, aircraft manufacturing and design advances also serve to highlight the shortcomings of previous-generation products.

The Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 make massive efficiency boosts a reality, leading gas-guzzling greats like the aging A340-500 to a premature retirement. In this case, the A345’s departure from Singapore’s fleet represents not only better things to come, but also the loss of a landmark route — it’s an unavoidable compromise, and with the end in sight, I drained my frequent flier account in order to score a ticket, and set out to discover the significance of Singapore Flight 21’s retirement.%Gallery-slideshow123017%

Filed under: Transportation

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Pinterest doesn’t want to just be the place you hoard random internet goodies, or aspirational items for hobby boards — it wants to become a real social tool. And it’s doing that today with Place Pins: private or collaborative travel maps highlighting local places of interest and recommendations. If it sounds like Foursquare without the obnoxious check-ins and “Mayor of…” notifications, that’s because it is — the company’s API is powering these pins. Maps loaded up with recommendations for good eats and sights to see can be created in tandem with new boards or added to existing ones and feature all the necessary contact info, like address and phone number, you want when looking up where to go. Pinterest’s even set up a feed dedicated to Place Pins(piration) and curated by notable travel outfits like Condé Nast Traveler, Airbnb, Fodor’s and others, so you can get a sense of how it works. It’s pretty simple, but useful stuff. Now, all you need is a good cluster of jet set friends to get the recommendations rolling and maybe some cash to actually get you out of Podunk and into those real-world, pinned places.

Filed under: Internet

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Source: Pinterest, Foursquare

In an attempt to entice more people to travel on its airline, British Airways has created a couple of digital billboards to promote its ‘Magic of Flying’ campaign where footage of children pointing at actual planes flying overhead is displayed. The only problem is that’s actually a little creepy.

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Chinese cars have come a long way and they’ve made the journey in style! These 10 awesome Chinese cars aren’t sold here for reasons that aren’t always obvious but the fact they’ve been sold – or even built – anywhere at all is mind-boggling in itself.

It’s hard to have a decent meal when you’re traveling or are spending extended periods of time outdoors, where you might not have access to tableware and basic utensils like a spoon and a fork.

The designer behind Pop-up Tableware aims to change that with this relatively simple but ingenious concept. In its unfolded version, the Pop-up Tableware looks just like an A4-sized folder.

Once it is opened, a hexagonal bowl pops up. A spoon and fork can be removed from the folder, which also serves as a place mat. With a few quick folds, the spoon and fork are transformed into three-dimensional utensils.

Pop-up Tableware is a 2013 Red Dot Design Award winner. It was designed by See Yew Siang.

[via Red Dot]