On Air New Zealand’s new 777:

When the so-called “friendly skies” are mentioned, a few airlines in particular come to mind: Virgin America, Singapore Airlines and Qantas, for starters. Starting today, you can safely include Air New Zealand in that discussion. In a bid to turn long-haul international travel on its head, the outfit has today revealed a freshly outfitted Boeing 777 with a coach cabin that easily puts every coach cabin found in the US to shame. Designed by Recaro, the world-class coach area includes 11 rows of Skycouches that can actually fold flat in order to create (admittedly short) beds for two. The best part? The “third seat” in the row will only cost a couple 50 percent of what it normally would, making it somewhat more affordable to buy a bed without springing for first class. You’ll also find power sockets, USB ports and iPod connectors in every single coach seat, leaving the plane a Gogo-module away from being absolutely perfect.

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While many companies do contract work for NASA, this really doesn’t sound like a good idea.

Andy Pasztor for the Wall Street Journal tonight:

The White House has decided to begin funding private companies to carry NASA astronauts into space, but the proposal faces major political and budget hurdles, according to people familiar with the matter.

The controversial proposal, expected to be included in the Obama administration’s next budget, would open a new chapter in the U.S. space program. The goal is to set up a multiyear, multibillion-dollar initiative allowing private firms, including some start-ups, to compete to build and operate spacecraft capable of ferrying U.S. astronauts into orbit—and eventually deeper into the solar system.

WeHeart.co.uk on this one-of-a-kind luxury hotel for 2:

Sauna, jacuzzi, 24/7 hostess, 3 flat screens, Blu-Ray player…… sounds like a hotel suite and half hey? What about the Cold War-era cockpit? Yep, you heard correctly… Cold War-era cockpit! Serving as a restaurant for 15 years following German reunification, this 1960, 120 seater plane, that was once an East German government vehicle serving the likes of Erich Honecker, is now a full-on luxury hotel suite, grounded at Teuge Airport. The clean, modern white interiors and luxury facilities installed by Dutch company Hotelsuites.nl mean that the past can easily be forgotten, however stepping into the untouched cockpit offers a real glint of excitement… if that’s not enough however, parachute jumps or stunt plane rides can also be arranged. In search of something truly unique? This has to be it.

Want! The Complete National Geographic on a hard drive:

Explore 120 years of amazing discoveries, fascinating maps, and the world’s best photography with The Complete National Geographic. This…

Want! The Complete National Geographic on a hard drive:

Explore 120 years of amazing discoveries, fascinating maps, and the world’s best photography with The Complete National Geographic. This definitive collection of every issue of National Geographic magazine, digitally reproduced in stunning high resolution, brings you the world and all that is in it. Use the advanced interface to explore a topic, search for photographs, browse the globe, or wander on your own expedition.

Access all of the maps, photos, and magazine issues found on the DVD collection in one external hard drive. Browse and search the entire collection without needing to swap out DVDs. Lightweight and travel-friendly, the hard drive is just 3″ x 5″ and requires only a USB connection. We’ve left plenty of hard disk space to accommodate future upgrades. We’ve also allocated approximately 100GB of hard disk space for your own personal use.

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