Game

Honda bicycle simulator teaches safety without all the scrapes

Some lucky folks in Japan will be able to learn about bike safety using Honda's fancy simulator setup you see above, rather than flying over their handlebars and developing forehead welts the size of golf balls. (Thanks, dad!)


While it looks like something you'd see in the corner of an arcade, the arrangement adds up to more than just a game. The system can simulate different conditions — demonstrating the danger of riding in the rain or snow, for instance — can detect when someone gets on or off the bike and allows the rider to see replays of her riding experience from multiple views, after she's all done.

Honda plans to install 500 of the units in schools and offices in the company's native Japan. We probably won't ever see it here in the States, though it's not like Japan hasn't surreptitiously slipped bike-ride-simulating gaming into the States before.

Cool Rider oozes hipness at 12mph

Far be it from us to say that Segways aren’t cool or that riding one makes you look really dorky…but those things are absolutely true. If you still want to get around without actually moving your legs (that’s soooo 20th century) but don’t want to look like a mall security guard, we may have found a way for you to do just that. You can thank us later.




The Cool Rider is a pretty simple gadget: it’s a motor attached to a wheel with a long handle sticking out of it. You can attach the included platform for scooter-like riding, or let it pull you along on your rollerblades or skateboard. The rechargeable battery lets you zip around for up to an hour per charge. Its top speed is only 12 miles an hour, so you won’t be able to outrun the mall cop on the Segway (which goes 12.5 mph) but you’ll definitely have him beat out in hipness points.






The Cool Rider also costs about 1/4 of the Segway’s price, only setting you back a cool $1250. The only danger – aside from gaining considerable mass from never walking again – is the position of the handlebar. We know low-riders are cool, but it seems to be in a position that’s just asking for trouble.

7 Unique Beach and Lake Houses: Part One in an Eight-Part Amazing Houses Series

A house with a water view is a dream come true for house hunters and vacationers alike. The tranquil sound of lapping waves, the beauty of sunsets over the water, and the feeling of being in one’s own paradise retreat make beach houses and lake houses perennial favorites for everyday living and relaxing getaways. Sometimes, the proximity to the water inspires owners or architects to create homes that are truly unique masterpieces. Whether you will ever find any of these beach houses or lake houses for sale is another question entirely!



Castel Meur, also known as The House Between the Rocks or La Maison de Plougrescant, was built in 1861. It’s nestled between two natural granite pillars on the English Channel coast in Brittany, France. Those rocks and the waterside location make Castel Meur an extremely photogenic abode. The house became somewhat famous when postcards featuring a beautiful photograph of the property were sold in gift shops around the world. Unfortunately, tourists lacking respect for the residence have caused damage to the home and property, prompting the owner to prohibit commercial sale of images of the home.





This amazingly creative weekend beach getaway near Melbourne, Australia was dreamed up by McBride Charles Ryan Architects. The Australian firm based their design on the Klein bottle, a mathematical conceptual shape with no discernible interior and exterior sides. Although it sounds like an odd (not to mention impossible) concept for a home, they pulled it off brilliantly. The home’s black metal roof folds down in some places to change the shape of the home and form part of the exterior walls. The central courtyard and flexible living space make the occupants of this amazing house feel like they exist indoors and outdoors at the same time.



Some of the most beautiful houses are the result of the owner’s direct involvement. So it is with Robert Bruno’s steel house, a creation that he’s been working on for more than three decades. The architectural sculptor began building his home near Lubbock, Texas in the mid-1970s. Today, its impressive form – part 1950s Chevy, part airplane, part sci-fi spaceship – rises tall above the surrounding landscape to give those inside a spectacular view of the nearby lake. The interior is reminiscent of a huge steel cave, filled with curves where one would expect angles.



After a series of devastating hurricanes and tropical storms battered their home in the 1990s, Mark and Valerie Sigler decided that there must be a home design that would withstand the most severe Florida weather. Working with architect Jonathan Zimmerman, the Siglers brought their dome home to life. It’s a sturdy structure, but it also has its share of beauty and uniqueness. And if you’re ever in Pensacola Beach with $5600 a week to spare, the five-bedroom Dome of a Home is available for rent.





This spectacular piece of architecture isn’t even built yet, but that didn’t bring down its price any. It recently sold for $14.4 million to an undisclosed buyer. The eco-friendly Orchid House, built on a lake in a privately-owned Cotswold (U.K.) nature reserve, is predicted to produce more energy than it uses. The house, which was designed by Sarah Featherstone, won’t be finished until approximately 2011. If the owners ever put it up for sale one has to wonder if anyone else would pay so much for something so strange.