Posts filed under 'technology'
Icons on E-Tourism sites
An icon design is one of the designer’s hardest challenges. Since icons help us execute commands, open programs or documents quickly, it should be immediately clear what kind of thing is represented in them. Normally, the best rule would be to keep them as simple as possible. I read a great article lately about mistakes in icon design, not so long after finding two examples of bad icon design on e-tourism sites:
. What is it? come on, it’s the shape of Norway… everyone knows that. And if you didn’t, the site’s admin team added the word “map” just next to it – now you can’t go wrong. Well, let’s say that a good icon doesn’t need words to support it.
. Is it a link to an image gallery? or maybe a stamp-like icon, taking us to The Czech Republic postal authority? again, the supporting text only proves how bad this icon is.Add comment 25 mars 2008
2 future man-made islands
I have already shown you ”the world” in Dubaï. Hera are two other strange future man-made islands.
First of all, Zoran Island. Mr Gulu Lalvani, developer of the Royal Phuket Marina in Phuket, Thailand, has his eye set on a new project – Zoran, a man-made island located off the Phuket shoreline. Lalvani told local press that Bill Gates and his 54-meter yacht.provided the inspiration for this island. Phuket lacks a marina that can handle superyachts, a significant failing in light of the increasing number of super-rich tourists such as Bill Gates coming to this area. An Australian consulting firm has been hired to survey the proposed project site, which Lalvani named after his youngest son. Plans are developing for a hotel, luxury villas and berths for superyachts. So, if you have a hankering for such a place, then keep an eye on this future project.
Reef Island. You don’t need to wait until 2010 to invest in Reef Island. This man-made island paradise is gathering momentum as a flux of Bahraini and European investors have rushed to book up to over half the proposed housing units to date. Previously known as Lulu Island, this reclamation project is being built as a joint venture between the Bahrain government and the Bahrain-based Mouawad Group Real Estate Development Company off the coast of Al Manama, in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The development was designed by Australian-based Spowers and Pentago, and it is designed in the shape of the number nine. This freehold development project’s land reclamation is complete, and it covers an area of 6.23 million square feet. Construction has begun on approximately 1,200 condominiums, 65 villas and 49 beach fronted homes. Future plans include a 250-room five-star hotel, marina and yacht club, an aquarium, a well care center, a shopping mall, and a multi-function exhibition center.
thanks to Brian
1 comment 20 mars 2008
CouchSurfing, or how to travel differently!
This is the testimonial of a couchsurfer:
Ever wanted to have a local travel guide everywhere in the world? Here’s something I ran into about an year ago and have fallen in love with ever since. It’s called CouchSurfing and it’s an online community of travel-loving people. Officially, “CouchSurfing is a worldwide network for making connections between travelers and the local communities they visit“. Unofficially, it’s a belief-system… a way of life… and a passion that has overcome roughly half a million people from 225 countries… and the numbers just keep on increasing by roughly 1000 per day! (I know since I now volunteer on the site, sending welcome messages to new members or as we call ourselves, CouchSurfers)
Broadly, when you sign up, you define ways in which you would be willing to help travellers to your city – offering your couch and hosting travellers at your home or showing them around, meeting them for a cup of coffee or a drink, or simply offering them suggestions on places to visit, stay, eat and/or party while they are in your city. Likewise, when you travel to a new destination (or an old one, but in a different way), you can seek the help of local CouchSurfers for the same.
Already, I have hosted more than 10 people from all over (US, Mexico, India, Slovenia, Germany, Spain…) and have met numerous other wonderful people through regular CS meetings and it has been and amazing experience. I even managed to find a couch for myself in Ahmedabad where this guy let me sleep over at his place after knowing me for less than a couple of hours. Overall, a wonderful experience…so, the next time you’re planning a trip, do give CouchSurfing a thought… definitely worth a try. And if you do, don’t forget to let me know how it went…
Posted by shilpv on http://shilpv.wordpress.com/ , thanks !
Add comment 11 mars 2008
the AGV, next high speed train
The AGV (Automotrice à Grande Vitesse) was presented in France as the successor of the TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse = High Speed Train). The AGV can reach 360 km/h is 40 km/h more quickly than a TGV but it consumes 15% of energy less thanks to the improvement of its aerodynamism and the change of propulsion.
posted by nicolas nys for tourismtobe
Add comment 2 mars 2008
space tourism… coming soon!
Virgin Galactic will be the first private space tourism company to regularly send civilians into space, by training them for 3 days before their launch.
Virgin Galactic is planning to have passenger service on its first spaceship with the inaugural launch in 2008 and main flights beginning in 2009.The price is initially set at $200,000. Headed by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, Launches will first occur at the Mojave Spaceport in California, and will then be moved to the permanent spaceport in Upham, New Mexico. The spaceships used will go110km (or 68.18 miles) high and space flights will last 2.5 hours, carry 6 passengers, and reach a speed of Mach 3.
posted by nicolas nys for tourismtobe
Add comment 2 mars 2008
