19 Weird but Real Gadgets and Gizmos

Take a walk on tech's wild side with some of the strangest, most original, and most bizarre gadgets you've ever seen. We've got vacuums for your lawn, swimwear that can charge your iPod, and grenades that don't explode but still go boom. 

Grassy Charging Station

 Think Geek has a great little solution that organizes your gadgets and brings a little bit of green into your office. The Grassy Lawn Charging Station uses soft artificial grass to cushion your camera, smartphone, or iPod while they're charging. The cables sit underneath the grass in a hidden compartment, and all you need to do is run your extension cord into the base of the charging station. Get it from Think Geek for $25.

Cheese! Police! 

 

No, that's not a 9mm handgun you're looking at, but a 16mm still-image camera. The Japanese-based Doryu Camera Company made the Doryu 2-16 from 1954 to 1956, according to Camerapedia. The Doryu 2-16 was apparently a police-issue device in Japan, and to make it seem even more like a gun, you'd load the camera with magnesium bullet cartridges and then just point, aim, and fire. The magnesium cartridge wouldn't discharge out the "nozzle," but come out the top and act as a flash for the camera; it would also make a large bang in the process. Very cool design, but something tells me you wouldn't want to be snapping pics near any national monuments with this thing.

Doryu 2-16 models are now extremely rare and valuable. In 2001, one specimen sold for close to $25,000 at Christie's auction house in London.

 Control Your PlayStation With Massage

 

Does your significant other complain that you pay too much attention to video games and not enough to him or her? Why not take care of your digital and physical worlds at once with the Massage Me video game controller? Massage Me is a soft, flexible vest with a video game controller built into the back that translates massage moves into video-game commands. The thing is, you can't buy Massage Me off the shelves. Instead, Massage Me creators Mika Satomi and Hannah Perner-Wilson would love to see people making their own Massage Me vests at home. So if you're the adventurous type, check out this handy online do-it-yourself guide showing you how to make the Massage Me vest, plus a custom cable and plug to connect the vest to the machine, and how to hack the PSOne controller.

Massage Me was originally designed to work with a hacked PSOne gamepad, but Perner-Wilson told me the vest will also work with other consoles and games that use the same controllers--some PlayStation 2 games, for example, will work with a PSOne Dual Shock gamepad. The Massage Me creators also say on their Website that you could probably adapt their methods to hack the controllers of other gaming consoles.

 EyeSeeCam

 

You definitely won't go unnoticed with this device strapped to your head. Researchers at the University of Munich Hospital have developed the EyeSeeCam, which lets you control head-mounted cameras just by moving your eyes. A doctor could use this device to film an operation for teaching purposes, or video game developers could use it to create an even more realistic first-person shooter or sports game. The craziest part is that the EyeSeeCam will record video onto almost any laptop with a 6-pin FireWire port.

The EyeSeeCam is currently being sold to the University of Munich Hospital's research partners for 25,000 euros (about $34,000) each. Dr. Erich Schneider, who heads up the EyeSeeCam project, said a smaller version of EyeSeeCam is in the works for other research groups and companies. Schneider wouldn't say how much this version would cost or what it would do, but believes the price tag will be north of 25,000 euros. Though that sounds like a lot, we're told it compares well with classical (and technically much simpler) head-mounted eye trackers.

 LED Umbrella

 

 Another ThinkGeek special, this umbrella comes with an LED shaft to light your way, and will probably scare off any Sith Lords that might be thinking you're an easy target. The LED umbrella sells for $25 and comes in red and blue.

 Robot Lawnmower 

 

Show up your neighbor's John Deere tractor-style lawnmower with this remote-controlled grass chopper from Husqvarna. Yep, it's like a Roomba for your lawn. The thing is seriously decked out, and Husqvarna says it can take care of your lawn without supervision. The Automower 260ACX has ultrasonic sensors to stop it from smashing into things, and when it needs charging it just heads home to the Automower charging station. If anything does go wrong, your lawnmower can send you a text message to let you know it needs help.

This device sells for about $5300, and is available only in Europe at the moment. No word on when the Automower is heading stateside, but with baseball season ramping up, now might be a good time to take a trip across the pond to get one of these babies for those lazy Sunday afternoons.

 Solar Bikini

 

Ladies, imagine having a bikini that will show off those abs you've been working on all winter while soaking up enough solar energy to power your iPod Shuffle. The Solar Bikini uses photovoltaic film strips, and a 5-volt regulator manages electrical output. The bikini was created by New York-based multimedia designer and performer Andrew Schneider for the 2006 winter show of the Tisch School's Interactive Telecommunications Program. Schneider's Website says he is also working on a male version called the iDrink that will produce enough power to cool a beer in its own custom-made drink cozy. So far neither swimsuit has hit store shelves.

Rover Cam

 

Ever wonder what the world looks like from your dog's point of view? Now you can travel along with him as he goes about his day chasing cats, sleeping in the backyard, and watering your neighbor's shrubs. ThinkGeek offers the Pet's Eye View Digital Camera for $50, and the device clips onto your pet's collar. It doesn't have video, but you can set the camera to take still images every 1, 5, or 15 minutes. The camera has a maximum capacity of 40 images through its 8MB of non-expandable internal storage. When it's time to take the images off the device, just download them to your computer via a standard USB cord.

Self-Propelled Suitcase

 

Travel in style and ease with a suitcase that has a mind of its own. Anytime you come to an incline like a hill or a ramp, this self-propelled suitcase from Hammacher Schlemmer will power itself up the slope up to a maximum speed of 3 miles per hour. Don't worry about the luggage taking off without you, though: The suitcase powers up only when it is in motion, carrying a minimum of 15 pounds (the maximum is 70.5 pounds), and the handle comes out of the suitcase at an angle of 15 to 35 degrees. This little battery-powered number doesn't come cheap: It's $1300. Check out Hammacher Schlemmer's Website for more details.

Beauty and the Geek Jeans

 

These pants may be just a concept, but they're also the ultimate in utility wear for any gadget-loving geek. Designed by Erik De Nijs, these pants use wireless USB to connect to your computer. Peripheral devices built into the jeans include a full-size wireless QWERTY keyboard, a wireless mouse that fits into a specially designed back pocket, and built-in speakers at the knee. The stitching for the jeans was inspired by the look of printed circuit boards. De Nijs recently founded a product design company called Nieuwe Heren (loosely translated as ‘new gents') with his business partner Tim Smit. Nieuwe Heren is currently looking for a manufacturer to produce the Beauty and the Geek Jeans. Check out Nieuwe Heren's Website for more design concepts.

LCD Belt Buckle

 

Turn your pants into a walking movie house with the Egokast LCD screen belt buckle. The device has a 320-by-240-pixel display and supports .mp4, .avi, .jpg, and .bmp files from SD cards, with a maximum 2GB of capacity.

Egokast belt buckles are currently out of stock, but the company says it's launching the next generation--with larger screens and improved functionality--in the next few months. It hasn't locked down an updated price yet, but the original cost $289.

 Brainwave Headphones

 

You may know NeuroSky as the (cough) brains behind Mattel's Mind Flex game. Here's the company's latest. The MindSet headphones have a medical-grade brain-wave sensor and can hook up to your computer (PC or Mac) or smartphone through a Bluetooth connection. The device also features noise-canceling technology, an omnidirectional microphone, and playback controls. MindSet comes with a brain-wave visualizer program that displays how you react to different sounds and rhythms. There's also a game called NeuroBoy that challenges you to move objects with your mind. You can grab MindSet for $199 from NeuroSky's online store, along with other MindSet games and educational applications.

Power Pooper Scooper 

 

Tired of picking up after Rover's daily droppings? Do it the easy way with this inventive and battery-powered poop vac that can pick up 150 pieces of waste between charges. The Pet Pooch Power Shovel weighs 4.25 pounds, and its motor spins at 30,000 rpm to get even the toughest waste off your lawn. The waste goes directly into a biodegradable plastic bag, and never touches your hands or the machine. Check out the Pooch Power Shovel in action on the Pet Power Products Website. Warning: This video is rated NSDL (Not Suitable During Lunch).

Toaster Printer

 

Add that feeling of efficiency to breakfast with this toaster-printer concept by Swiss-based industrial designer Othmar Muehlebach. Just top-load your toast like you would a stack of inkjet paper, and the toaster takes care of the rest, one slice at a time. Muehlebach won second prize at the Berner Design awards with this creation. This may be only a concept now, but Muehlebach is actively looking for a manufacturer interested in producing the device. So far, Muehlebach tells us, some investors have been wary of the toaster-printer concept because it has been so widely featured on gadget blogs.

Sonic Grenade

 

This grenade may not explode, but it can still make a lot of noise. Just pull the pin, toss it, wait about 20 seconds, and the grenade lets out an annoying beep that puts your alarm clock to shame. To silence it, hold down the trigger arm or replace the pin. The sonic grenade has three volume settings and is powered by three AAA batteries. Buy it from Firebox for about $15.

Disinfection Scanner

 

It may look like a flip phone, but this device, available from SkyMall, is claimed to kill 99.9 percent of all bacteria and viruses. All you have to do is open up the Nano-UV Disinfection Scanner and wave its nano-UV light over anything that needs disinfecting for 10 seconds. Ideal for combating creepy crawlies that might be hiding in mattresses, pillows, or carpets, according to SkyMall. The gadget costs $60, is just one inch thick, and is powered by two AAA batteries.

Spy Camera Pen

Forget about the shaky hat cam; take covert video recording to a whole new level with a pin-hole video camera disguised as a pen. The device has a built-in lithium battery that you can recharge via any USB port, and it records up to 2GB worth of video. Get it from DealExtreme for only $22--but you also might want to check your local state laws about video recording in public before taking notes with this pen at your next board meeting.

Bug Zapping Racket 

 

Mosquitoes and flies will be invading your house in just a few months, but this summer why not use your bug-swatting time to improve your tennis game? Bug-zapping tennis-style rackets usually take a couple of AA batteries and cost from $10 to $30-plus on Amazon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Because I was asked... some Oscar predictions

I was asked to participate in an Oscar Competition, hosted by VoucherCodes.co.uk, and while the Academy Awards have been a sore subject with me this year, I've made some predictions, all of which are mostly speculative. For past two years, I've actually managed to see every nominated film in the major categories (excluding foreign and documentary, as they weren't as easy to come by). This year, I've seen maybe half of the nominees, most of which have underwhelmed me (to say the least). As the competition doesn't require me to predict all of the nominees, I've only selected predictions in the categories where I thought I had a clear enough idea of who might be taking home the gold (and I'm purposefully staying away from that scary Best Actress category). These are not the people or films I think should win, mind you. For those in the UK, be sure to check out VoucherCodes.co.uk's deals on amazon.co.uk and lovefilm.com (like Netflix, only in the UK). So here goes...

Picture: Avatar
Director: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Actor: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Adapted Screenplay: Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
Cinematography: Mauro Fiore, Avatar
Animated Feature: Up
Song: "The Weary Kind," Crazy Heart
Documentary: The Cove
Sound Editing: Avatar
Sound Mixing: Avatar
Visual Effects: Avatar

I might fill in the blanks by Sunday. We'll see.

Spoke to Soon; More from the Warner Archive

The day after I mentioned a number of new films coming to the Warner Archive, The New York Post revealed even more titles becoming available on 16 March (thanks, Eric). Funny enough, all of the titles I give a shit about seem to be the ones the writer doesn't as they're all listed near the end. The ones I didn't mention yesterday include Lina Wertmüller's Night Full of Rain [La fine del mondo nel nostro solito letto in una notte piena di pioggia] with Candice Bergen and Giancarlo Giannini; István Szabó's Meeting Venus with Glenn Close and Niels Arestrup; James Ivory's Surviving Picasso with Anthony Hopkins, Natascha McElhone and Julianne Moore; Art Napoleon's Too Much, Too Soon with Dorothy Malone and Errol Flynn; and Dino Risi's The Priest's Wife [La moglie del prete] with Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni. Arizona Dream, Rabbit, Run, A Man and a Woman: 20 Years Later and Saint Joan will also be available on the 16th.

"The Carroll Myth" - Alice Liddell and Lewis Carroll

 

On 4 July 1862, in a rowing boat travelling on The Isis from Folly Bridge, Oxford to Godstow for a picnic outing, 10-year-old Alice Liddell asked Charles Dodgson (who wrote under the pen name Lewis Carroll) to entertain her and her sisters, Edith (age 8) and Lorina (age 13), with a story. As the Reverend Robinson Duckworth rowed the boat, Dodgson regaled the girls with fantastic stories of a girl, named Alice, and her adventures after she fell into a rabbit-hole. The story was not unlike those Dodgson had spun for the sisters before, but this time Liddell asked Mr. Dodgson to write it down for her. He promised to do so but did not get around to the task for some months. He eventually presented her with the manuscript of Alice's Adventures Under Ground in November 1864.

 

In the meantime, Dodgson had decided to rewrite the story as a possible commercial venture. Probably with a view to canvassing his opinion, Dodgson sent the manuscript of Under Ground to a friend, the author George MacDonald, in the spring of 1863. The MacDonald children read the story and loved it, and this response probably persuaded Dodgson to seek a publisher. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, with illustrations by John Tenniel, was published in 1865, under the name Lewis Carroll. A second book about the character Alice, Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, followed in 1871. In 1886, a facsimile of Alice's Adventures Under Ground, the original manuscript that Dodgson had given Liddell, was published.

The relationship between Liddell and Dodgson has been the source of much controversy. Many biographers have supposed that Dodgson was romantically or sexually attached to her as a child, though there has never been any direct proof for this and more benign accounts assume merely a platonic fondness. Karoline Leach has claimed this supposition is part of what she terms the "Carroll Myth" and thus wildly distorted. The evidence for any given interpretation is small, and many authors writing on the topic have tended to indulge in a great deal of speculation.

Dodgson met the Liddell family in 1855. He first befriended Harry, the older brother, and later took both Harry and Ina on several boating trips and picnics to the scenic areas around Oxford. Later, when Harry went to school, Alice and her younger sister Edith joined the party. Dodgson entertained the children by telling them fantastic stories to while away the time. He also used them as subjects for his hobby, photography. It has often been stated that Alice was clearly his favorite subject in these years, but there is very little evidence to suggest that this is so. Dodgson's diaries from 18 April 1858 to 8 May 1862 are missing and may have been destroyed by his heirs.

The relationship between the Liddells and Dodgson suffered a sudden break in June 1863. There was no record of why the rift occurred, since the Liddells never openly spoke of it, and the single page in Dodgson's diary recording 27-29 June 1863 (which seems to cover the period in which it began) was missing. Until recently, the only source for what happened on that day had been speculation, and generally centered on the idea that Alice Liddell was, somehow, the cause of the break. It was long suspected that her mother disapproved of Dodgson's interest in her, seeing him as an unfit companion for an 11-year-old girl.

In 1996, Karoline Leach found what became known as the "Cut pages in diary" document — a note allegedly written by Charles Dodgson's niece, Violet Dodgson, summarizing the missing page from 27–29 June 1863, apparently written before she (or her sister Menella) removed the page. The note reads:

"L.C. learns from Mrs. Liddell that he is supposed to be using the children as a means of paying court to the governess — he is also supposed soon to be courting Ina". (Leach, 1999)

This might imply that the break between Dodgson and the Liddell family was caused by concern over alleged gossip linking Dodgson to the family governess and to "Ina" (Alice's older sister, Lorina).

It is uncertain who wrote the note. Leach has said that the handwriting on the front of the document most closely resembles that of either Menella or Violet Dodgson, Dodgson's nieces. However, Morton N. Cohen says in an article published in the Times Literary Supplement in 2003 that in the 1960s, Dodgson's great-nephew Philip Dodgson Jacques told him that Jacques had written the note himself based on conversations he remembered with Dodgson's nieces. Cohen's article offered no evidence to support this, however, and known samples of Jacques' handwriting do not seem to resemble the writing of the note.

After this incident, Dodgson avoided the Liddell home for some six months but eventually returned for a visit in December 1863. However, the former closeness does not seem to have been re-established, and the friendship gradually faded away, possibly because Dodgson was in opposition to Dean Liddell over college politics. Other explanations involving romantic entanglements and broken hearts have also been put forward, but while there is some evidence to suggest these as possibilities, nothing definite is known. John Ruskin states in his autobiography Praeterita that after the rift between Dodgson and the Liddells, the sisters pursued a similar relationship with him.

The extent to which Dodgson's Alice may be identified with Liddell is controversial. The two Alices are clearly not identical, and though it was long assumed that the fictional Alice was based very heavily on Liddell, recent research has contradicted this assumption. Dodgson himself claimed in later years that his Alice was entirely imaginary and not based upon any real child at all.

There was a rumour that Dodgson sent Tenniel a photo of one of his other child-friends, Mary Hilton Badcock, suggesting that he used her as a model, but attempts to find documentary support for this theory have proved fruitless. Dodgson's own drawings of the character in the original manuscript of Alice's Adventures under Ground show little resemblance to Liddell. Biographer Anne Clark suggests that Dodgson might have used Edith Liddell as a model for his drawings.

There are at least three direct links to Liddell in the two books. First, he set them on 4 May (Liddell's birthday) and 4 November (her "half-birthday"), and in Through the Looking-Glass the fictional Alice declares that her age is "seven and a half exactly", the same as Liddell on that date. Second, he dedicated them "to Alice Pleasance Liddell". Third, there is an acrostic poem at the end of Through the Looking-Glass. Reading downward, taking the first letter of each line, spells out Liddell's full name. The poem has no title in Through the Looking-Glass, but is usually referred to by its first line, "A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky".

A boat beneath a sunny sky,
Lingering onward dreamily
In an evening of July--

Children three that nestle near,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Pleased a simple tale to hear--

Long has paled that sunny sky:
Echoes fade and memories die.
Autumn frosts have slain July.

Still she haunts me, phantomwise,
Alice moving under skies
Never seen by waking eyes.

Children yet, the tale to hear,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Lovingly shall nestle near.

In a Wonderland they lie,
Dreaming as the days go by,
Dreaming as the summers die:

Ever drifting down the stream--
Lingering in the golden gleam--
Life, what is it but a dream?

 

Top 10 Most Dangerous Roads in the World

At one time or another, most drivers encounter unsafe road conditions. Hazards can appear in many different forms; for instance, poor weather, drunk drivers, and simple human error can all complicate an otherwise uneventful journey. On the other hand, sometimes the condition of the road itself can put your life in jeopardy.

Some of the following roads appear normal, but actually have high death rates. Others just look outrageously insane. And, of course, some roads fall into both categories.

This list is dedicated to all the white-knuckled, terrified drivers who are forced to brave dangerous roads – and to all the crazies who navigate them for fun.

1. Old Yungas Road (Bolivia)
 

According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel, the title for World’s Most Dangerous Road goes to Bolivia’s old Yungas Road, which twists and turns for about 40 miles between the capital city of La Paz and the town of Coroico in the Yungas jungle region. If other roads seem risky, the old Yungas Road is nothing less than a suicide mission.
Built in the 1930s by Paraguayan prisoners of war, the Yungas Road was until recently the main route from La Paz to Bolivia’s northern Amazon rainforest region. Dropping nearly 12,000 feet in overall elevation, the road is extremely narrow, subject to frequent landslides and fog, and offers no protection from the sheer cliffs that drop straight down for a couple thousand feet. Before a modernized and safer route was completed in 2006, somewhere between 100-200 fatalities occurred every year, and the roadside is presently littered with crosses and memorials. For obvious reasons, locals have given it a simple yet somber nickname – Death Road.

By the way, there are quite a few companies in La Paz that offer extreme bike tours of the Yungas Road for adventure seekers. If you like teasing death, then this is the road for you. 

 2. Nairobi – Nakuru – Eldoret Highway (Kenya)

 As anyone who’s ever driven a car before knows, a road can qualify as dangerous without having muddy, hairpin turns thousands of feet in the air. People die on roads around the world because of other irresponsible drivers, and that’s why this road in Kenya made it onto the list. It looks like a decent place to drive, but speeding, unsafe passing attempts, and drunk driving have inflated the death toll to over 300 every year.

In other words, you might actually have a better chance of surviving on one of those precarious mountain roads.

3. Fairy Meadows Road (Pakistan)

 

Situated at the base of Pakistan’s 26,660-foot Nanga Parbat, Fairy Meadows is a picturesque destination for backpackers, photographers, and mountain climbers who want to get closer to the enormous peak and enjoy the scenery. Getting to Fairy Meadows, however, is not such an attractive experience. Part of the trip involves surviving a 6-mile, hour-long drive on an unstable gravel road hacked out of the barren hills.

From Raikot Bridge to the village of Tato, this ‘road’ offers the motorist all the insane features of your typical mountainside dirt trail. It’s narrow, unpaved, steep, and of course there aren’t any guardrails to prevent your Jeep from rolling down into the gorge. You can’t even drive it all the way to Fairy Meadows; the last section has to be covered by bicycle or on foot.

A great road for adventurers, Fairy Meadows Road is definitely not for the faint of heart.

4. Luxor – al – Hurghada Road (Egypt)

 

The road connecting Luxor (the site of the ancient city of Thebes) with the Egyptian Red Sea resort town of Hurghada is paved, marked, and appears to be relatively safe. However, bandits, terrorist attempts to undermine the tourism industry, and frightened drivers have all combined to turn this route into a major nightmare.

The violent attacks along this road are dangerous enough by themselves, but what sometimes makes it even worse is the fact that most people who drive at night don’t use headlights for fear of announcing their approach. Yes, it could be a great way to avoid unseen enemies, but it also invites other disasters in the form of head-on collisions.

Invisibility might save you from one threat, but there’s a good chance it will deliver you into the hands of another. Consider buying some of those night vision goggles if you plan to drive this road after dark.

5. Patiopoulo – Perdikaki Road (Greece)

 

In the mountainous Agrafa region of Greece, the route connecting Patiopoulo and Perdikaki is an unnerving example of roads that require constant attentiveness and care from their travelers. Potholes and loose, slippery gravel weaken a driver’s control while distractions from heavy traffic, pedestrians, and livestock create additional hazards. Many sections are very steep and narrow, demanding the utmost of caution.

But there’s more madness involved here – the road apparently includes sharp drop-offs on not just one, but on both sides. And there aren’t any barriers. Strictly for your driving pleasure, of course. 

6. Halsema Highway (Philippines)

 

Located on the island of Luzon, the Halsema Highway runs through the Central Cordillera Valley in the Philippines from Baguio to Bontoc and farther on toward Tabuk and Tuguegarao. Landslides and rock falls are common, often stranding motorists for long periods of time. Many portions of the road are still unpaved, although work is supposedly in progress to bring about some improvements, and there are plenty of drop-offs that are steep enough to kill you.

Foggy conditions paired with the lack of much-needed guardrails in certain areas only complicate the Halsema Highway’s already dangerous conditions. Local accounts also indicate that buses traversing this route are less than considerate when it comes to road rules, so watch your step. Photo: http://www.dirjournal.com

 

7. Skippers Road (New Zealand)

 

In 1862, a couple of shepherds discovered gold in the Shotover River near Queenstown, New Zealand, prompting an immediate gold rush. This in turn necessitated the creation of an access route, and the result was Skippers Road, a narrow, winding, and exhilaratingly treacherous pathway that twists and turns for about 16 ½ miles through Skippers Canyon.

Carved and blasted right out of the solid rock by Chinese laborers, Skippers Road took 22 years to complete, and it doesn’t look much different today than when it was first created. In most places it’s too narrow for vehicles to pass each other, there are no guardrails, and the drop-offs leave absolutely no room for error.
Beautiful, yes, but also risky. Unless you’re a thrill seeker, leave the driving to the tour guides, and keep in mind that car rental companies probably won’t allow you to explore Skippers Road with their vehicles. 

8. Sichuan – Tibet Highway (China)

China’s high-altitude Sichuan – Tibet Highway covers about 1,500 miles between Chengdu in the east and Lhasa (Tibet) in the west, offering the choice between the northern or southern route. Both options boast beautiful scenery, enormous mountain peaks, various cultural and historical attractions, and many famous rivers. Que’er Mountain pass, the highest point on the route, rises to over 20,000 feet.
Like many other roads that cut through mountains, the Sichuan – Tibet Highway is prone to landslides, falling rocks, and extreme weather conditions that can close roads for a month at a time. Add avalanches and altitude sickness to the lineup, and you could find yourself in rather unsafe driving conditions. It’s certainly a great route for sightseeing, but keep in mind that it will also add a good dose of intensity to your driving adventures.

9. San Isidro de General – Cartago (Costa Rica)

The Pan-American Highway has plenty of dangerous stretches, but the old road that passes through the Costa Rican mountains to link San Isidro de General and Cartago is especially hazardous.

The high point in the pass is known as Cerro de la Muerte, or Mountain of Death – not technically because of the road, but because people traveling through the pass before the road existed often didn’t survive the cold journey. However, the name happens to be an apt descriptor for the road itself, which tests drivers with excessive potholes, steep, narrow curves, and plenty of fog. The road’s height (13,000 feet) can also cause altitude sickness, further impairing drivers.

In addition to these perils, you can also expect to deal with the imprudent habits of local bus and truck drivers, who tend to drive very aggressively and irresponsibly despite the unsafe conditions. Fortunately, a new paved road between Quepos and Dominical has recently been completed, which will give travelers an alternative to the Mountain of Death route.

10. Grand Trunk Road (India)

 

Constructed by the Pashtun emperor Sher Shah Suri in the 16^th century, India’s Grand Trunk Road (also known as GT) spans more than 1,500 miles from Bangladesh in the east to Pakistan in the west, serving as one of the main thoroughfares across the Indian subcontinent. Over the years, it has functioned both as a major trade route and as a convenient right-of-way for invading armies.

GT is considered dangerous not because of risky heights or disheartening road conditions, but because of the traffic congestion. Trucks, buses, bicycles, pedestrians, and animals have turned parts of this heavily-used road into a major headache. If you’re planning to drive here, you’ll want to be as alert as possible. Photo: by Beardy Git

Many more examples could probably be added to this list, but the ten included here should be enough to keep most people’s eyes glued to the road – or, in some cases, whatever’s in front of you that looks like it might be passable.

Stunning Pictures Of Animals Inside Womb

These amazing embryonic animal photographs of dolphins, sharks, dogs, penguins and elephants are from a new National Geographic Documentary called “Extraordinary Animals in the Womb”. The show’s producer, Peter Chinn, used a combination of three-dimensional ultrasound scans, computer graphics and tiny cameras to capture the process from conception to birth. They are the most detailed embryonic animal pictures ever seen.

10 Photos

 

  

  

  

  

  

 

 

Warner Archive, TCM Vault, Online Streaming and the Usual DVD Update

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