trains

Finally, there's a use for all the empty wine jugs that have been piling up in the basement.

The Sangria Surround Sound System from Carlo Rossi features jugs that once contained the Iberian nectar, according to Gearfuse, but presumably the speakers could be made from our brands as well. The 4.5-liter jugs are elevated by stands of neon tubes and rings that are sure to add the touch of class required for your next formal affair.

But don't go draining that Thunderbird yet. The specs sheet (PDF) bears this disclaimer: "Warning: Let's just say these … Read more

We've just witnessed a potentially disturbing marriage of basic street crime and the instant worldwide audience provided by video sharing and social networking sites such as YouTube and MySpace.

Criminals have often recorded their exploits for fun, but the ease of online sharing means that almost everyone can now witness assorted muggings, fights, and robberies from the safety of a laptop screen. At the same time, crimes posted to the Web get instant attention from law enforcement and the press, essentially acting as online wanted posters for the perpetrators. A perfect example is a recent subway attack video first … Read more

We've never quite understood the concept of phone straps, much less some of the odd trinkets often attached to them. (Well, perhaps there are one or two exceptions.)

But the "Super Shinkansen Bullet Train" could change our minds about the whole trend. It must have something to do with our first ride on them, a childhood rail trip that was the closest we've ever gotten to one of those human centrifuge machines that makes your head feel like exploding.

We wouldn't advise spinning your phone around lariat-style to get that kind of rush. But, as … Read more

If you grew up with a Nintendo Entertainment System in your house, then you no doubt remember the Zapper, the gray (or bright orange) light gun that let you shoot at ducks, bulls-eyes, and banditos. After almost 20 years, Nintendo has brought the Zapper, at least in name, to the Nintendo Wii. It's available in stores today for just $20, and it includes a free game, Link's Crossbow Training.

Instead of a light gun, the Wii Zapper is a simple gun-shaped plastic shell that houses the Wii remote and nunchuk attachment for use in certain shooting games. Simple, … Read more

The original 10 laughably bad tech ads got a great response, not to mention loads of suggestions for more. It seems that people get a huge amount of enjoyment from watching technology being sold in the most undignified and embarrassing ways.

The great news is the marketing men and women never rest: They won't give up until everyone is talking about their ad, and there's no better way to get people talking about your ad than by making it either very, very good, or a horrible train-wreck of strange themes and random celebrity endorsements.

Hopefully you'll enjoy … Read more

As part of a public experiment, some commuters in Singapore need only tap their mobile phones for bus and train fares.

They're part of the Near-Field Communication (NFC) phone trial jointly organized by Singapore service provider StarHub and partner EZ-Link. According to the press release, the trial is the first public NFC trial in the Republic and possibly one of the largest of its kind in the world.

Since the middle of last week, 1,000 selected trialists have been given a handset from Singapore phone manufacturer iWOW and a Sony PaSoRi card reader (EZ-Link card reader) which they … Read more

Google Transit has been around since late last year, and as early as this February, public transit stops started to pop up on Google Maps, alongside other landmarks and locations, indicating the service was slowly moving into the mainstream. This morning, Google Transit is alive and kicking as a "graduate" of Google Labs. You'll now find a new link on top of your driving directions in Google Maps to toggle the public transit directions, be it bus, train, or boat--assuming you're in one of the 10 U.S. cities (or Japan) with supported transit systems. You'… Read more

When Nintendo announced the Wii Zapper back at July's E3 show, the company promised the $20 add-on would be bundled with a game (a "pack-in," in gamer parlance). And today the company made good on the pledge: The Zapper will include Link's Crossbow Training, a Zelda-themed target shooter. The game will progress from simple bull's-eyes to moving targets (including enemies from the Zelda series), and--while I wouldn't expect much more than a glorified "how to use the Zapper" tutorial--something tells me Crossbow Training could be as infectious as Wii Sports. Either way, … Read more

Riding on a sleeper train for several thousand miles seems a bit silly sometimes when you can just hop a plane for a couple of hours and get to the same destination in a fraction of the time, especially when it's often cheaper to fly anyway. Amtrak, however, is attempting to counter that image by promoting its train service as the landlubber's equivalent of a luxury cruise--a booze cruise, that is. According to an Associated Press article, the passenger rail service is trying to "gin up new business" (Ha, ha! You slay me, AP!) by offering … Read more