20 years of change – Shanghai skyline then and now
The top photo is taken in 1990, bottom photo earlier this year. Can’t think of anything clever to write, the pictures pretty much speak for themselves.
via Gizmodo
The London bus v2.0 due 2012
I’ve never been to London myself, nor have I been to England, or any part of the glorious British empire for that matter. Still, I feel like I can relate somewhat to London, like I know it just a bit.
Of course, this has to do with my time in school and time spent watching British television (not so much Eastenders as you’d think). There are a few things that says “England” as first association: Tea and scones, the Mini Morris, the Queen, The Beatles. And then there are things that makes London … London: Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the Milennium Eye and the London bus. When the old signature red double-deck Routemaster buses was taken out of service in 2005 it didn’t feel right. Since then, London has seen bendy-buses run the routes instead, to much dismay – even internationally.
But soon the red behemoths will once again be seen in the streets of London!
London’s mayor Boris Johnson unveiled “the new bus” today, promising they’ll hit the streets by 2012. They’ll use less fuel, have better ventilation, and will “use the latest green technology” according to Transport For London. Exactly which green technology hasn’t been confirmed. (Gizmodo)
The new Routemaster has kept the naive and hydrocephalic look (google it), but it also looks a bit like a spaceship. Mix old nostalgia with spaceship awesome, a recipe for success guaranteed! I like.
London.gov.uk via Gizmodo
Colour photographs from 1940s nazi Germany
LIFE Magazine has made a compilation of amazing colour photographs showing nazi soldier and officers, and also civilians – all taken in the late 1930s / early -40s. Spectacular and highly interesting. Click the image below for more photos.
via 2leep
Oh so seriously cool and scary!
Right. So, here in Europe, we kind of consider Americans to be strange and eccentric. If any strange something something is done somewhere, there’s a good chance that that somewhere is somewhere in the US. OR JAPAN! Seriously, woohoo! How disturbingly cool is this monster statue? If I was eight again, I’d die of pride if I lived near this collossus. The “Gundam”, a 30th anniversary celebration of the Japanese game franchise is 18 meters tall and can move its head. It has fifty light points set at different spots, and it has mist coming out from 14 different holes. And, and, and! Now it’s going to be fitted with a light sabre! It owns!
via Geekologie
360° video view of Haiti
CNN made this fascinating video January 18th, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Hit the link and use your mouse to control the camera.
CNN via BoingBoing
My brain hurts from studying this photo
Nice mind-bending picture. Also, can you spot Trogdor?
via Bitsandpieces.us
Golden calf or holy cow?
This calf was born a week ago in Sterling, Connecticut. Owner is one Brad Davis, who says “Well, I think it’s maybe a message from up above. I’m not sure. We’re still trying to figure that out.”
via BoingBoing
Virgin Galactic unveils SpaceShip 2
When I was 17 or so, I had a moment of clarity one night walking home from a night on the town. I then told my friend who was walking with me that I had two ultimate goals in life: The first was having children (-check-). The other was to visit outer space.
I first heard of Virgin Galactic two years ago. The company’s been around since 2004 though, and has always had a plan to allow for commercial sub-orbital travel, with the possibility of orbital travel some time in the future.
Interstellar voyages still seems to be a bit far away (dlum-tss!), so for now I’ll be content with weightlessness and seeing the Earth from above, if even for just a little while.
Now, Virgin Galactic has released the first photos of the SpaceShip 2, which will hold six passengers in addition to flight crew. The starting price for flights starts at $200.000 though, so it might be a while until I get to finish my to-do list.
http://www.virgin.com/travel/inside-virgin-travel/virgin-galactic-unveils-spaceshiptwo-1/