Family Credits Shark-Tracking App in Close Call with Great White
Posted on 07/29/2016, 8:30 AM
A Massachusetts family had a close call with a great white shark this week, and they're crediting a new app for saving the day. Kressley Goldstein, her sister-in-law, her husband, and their two kids were spending a quiet afternoon on Cape Cod's Chatham beach, when Goldstein got a notification from Sharktivity, an app launched by the non-profit Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. The app is des...
Rome Cracking Down on Fountain Swimmers
Posted on 07/29/2016, 8:15 AM
Authorities in Rome have started cracking down on those who engage in a supposedly romantic yet entirely illegal activity: climbing into and splashing around in the city's fountains. A pair of tourists from California were fined 450 euros (equivalent to about $500) for trying to recreate the Trevi Fountain scene in Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita. Other recent offenders include a 22-year-old...
Robotic Suitcase That Follows You Around
Posted on 07/28/2016, 9:00 AM
We are truly living in an age of innovation when it comes to wacky luggage. This week alone we've told you about the luggage clip that lets you pull your suitcase without using your hands and the motorized carry-on bag you can ride around the airport. Now somebody has invented the Cowarobot R1, a robotic suitcase that follows you around instead of requiring you to drag it (or piggyback on i...
International Tourism Boom in South Africa
Posted on 07/28/2016, 8:45 AM
South Africa experienced an international tourism boom in the first five months of the year, according to the country's Tourism Ministry. The number of travelers from places like the United States and Germany visiting South African game parks, beaches, and vineyards was up 19% compared to last year. The surge can largely be attributed to South Africa's falling currency, spurred on by economic...
State Parks on Big Sur Coast Closed Due to Wildfire
Posted on 07/28/2016, 8:30 AM
Due to a huge wildfire that has already destroyed more than 19,000 acres in California, a number of iconic state parks along the Big Sur coast have been closed until further notice. That means that the California Department of Parks and Recreation has barred access to some of the most popular campgrounds and hiking trails in an area noted for its awe-inspiring oceanside scenery. The drive alo...
A Carry-On Bag You Can Ride Around the Airport
Posted on 07/27/2016, 9:00 AM
Here's a novel way of getting around the airport: hitching a ride on your carry-on bag. A contraption called Modobag lets you do just that. Equipped with an electric motor, it's a suitcase you can sit on and ride at speeds of up to 8 miles per hour. It has a range of about 8 miles, a size and battery that you can take on planes, and a memory foam seat strong enough to support a rider weighing...
American Airlines Adds More Checked Baggage Fees on International Flights
Posted on 07/27/2016, 8:45 AM
Once the norm, free checked bags on domestic flights are few and far between these days. Now at least one major airline is adding more fees for your first checked bag on some international flights as well. As pointed out by travel blog One Mile at a Time, American Airlines now charges $25 to check one bag on flights to Mexico and the Caribbean, as well as to Central America and South America ...
Russia's Harassment of American Visitors
Posted on 07/27/2016, 8:30 AM
Russia's recent treatment of Americans should make anyone considering visiting that country give the idea a second thought. Shortly before Secretary of State John Kerry landed in Moscow to discuss Syria, Russia expelled visiting NBCUniversal executive Jeff Shell, saying he was on a blacklist assembled in retaliation against U.S. sanctions targeting those responsible for Russia's illegal annex...
A Guy Named Hemingway Wins Key West's Hemingway Lookalike Contest
Posted on 07/26/2016, 8:45 AM
A guy named Hemingway won the annual "Papa" Hemingway Lookalike Contest in Key West, Florida, over the weekend. White-bearded 65-year-old Dave Hemingway—who is in no way related to the famous author—had entered the contest six previous times but never won it until now. Held at former Hemingway hangout Sloppy Joe's Bar, the event is a highlight of the Hemingway Days festival, held yearly to ho...
Fans in Uproar Over Closing of Disney's Tower of Terror
Posted on 07/26/2016, 8:30 AM
The gut-wrenching Tower of Terror elevator drop at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim will let fall its last batch of thrill seekers in early January of next year—and fans are none too pleased. When Disney announced plans to turn the tower into a Guardians of the Galaxy attraction, reaction on social media was swift and overwhelmingly negative. Many have accused the park of selling out i...
