DeputyDog shares these photos of an outdoor "living room" in Switzerland. Yes, you read that right; This is outside. The city of St. Gallen laid out plush, red carpet among the stodgy buildings of their financial district. The installation is called "Stadtlounge" which translates from German to English as "city lounge." I love how the fabric pours out over the streets and rises in gorgeous curves to form ultra-chic couches.

If you'd like to learn more -- and you can read German -- check out the official Stadtlounge site. If you can't read German, or if you're just lazy, sneak a peek at more city lounge photos after the jump...

[via Reddit]

Thomas Beagle is a shining example of why we love geeks here at Gadling. Thomas and his partner Kim planned a backpacking trip around Central America and southern Mexico, but they did more than just thumb through a Let's Go guidebook. The duo took a very careful and considered approach to packing for their long journey, and Thomas shares the technological aspect of the trip planning on his blog:

• Carrying Important Documents: Thomas and Kim scanned their passports, civil union certificate, and other important documents. Then, they encrypted the files, and saved them to USB flash drives. Each person held onto a flash drive during the trip. This is a twist on the traditional approach of carrying all of your important documents on you in case of an emergency. It might be difficult to access the files while you're away with nature, but it's good to be prepared.
• Securing Bank Accounts: They chose a bank that offers an extra layer of security when accessing your accounts over the Internet. HSBC Bank New Zealand offers a keychain-sized device that displays a rotating code for the bank's website. A thief would need to know your secret login information and would need to steal the device to get access to your account. That's not impossible, but it's safer than only using an online password that someone could catch by looking over your shoulder.
  
• Protecting Digital Photos: The pair knew they were going to snap a lot of digital pictures on the road, but they did more than sign up for a Flickr account. They also burned CDs of their photos and mailed copies home. That's a great way to backup those priceless memories in case something happens to your camera's memory cards before you return home.
  

Thomas lists a few more tricks and tips he used while abroad on his blog which is aptly titled The Compleat Thomas Beagle.

Here's a video for the "I Need New Pants" file. It's a KLM 747 making an extremely low landing at an airport in St. Maarten. I love how everyone on the beach is transfixed by the giant flying object hurtling towards them. Me? I'd be the guy ducking for cover and screaming like a little girl.

I'm not one to doubt the usually reputable content on The YouTube, but can this possibly be real? Judge for yourself; check out a video of another St. Maarten landing after the jump.

Prices of metropolitan hotels got you down? No worries. Michael Rakowitz' P(Lot) project has the answer for cheap stays in the city: car cover tents! Plop one down in a parking space, feed the meter, and you've got yourself a campsite. Break out the s'mores! Sure, vagrancy laws might cut your stay a little short, but the memories would last a lifetime. [via]

Check out more urban camping photos after the jump.

Here's a video that will actually make you glad you're sitting in front of a computer instead of being out on vacation. It's footage of an unbelievably long security checkpoint queue in Heathrow Airport for passengers changing flights. The cameraman for this particular film spent over three and a half hours waiting in it.

The piece is almost three minutes long, and that wasn't even enough time to film all of the people in line!

[via Boing Boing]

Not too long ago, I mentioned 3M Computer Privacy Filters. Remember? The filters are thin plastic sheets that attach to your computer monitor so the display is only visible to someone directly in front of the screen. (You can see the effect in the pictures above.) They're perfect for business road warriors who want to keep their sensitive work away from those pesky corporate spies.

I picked one up the other day for my traveling laptop, and I've been quite pleased with the results. I took a few photos of the privacy filter in action, and you can check them out after the jump.

More and more people rush to the beaches with iPods, mobiles, and cameras in tow, and it seems these people have bigger concerns than which level sunblock to wear. The question on their minds: "How do you keep those electric doodads safe from sun, sand, and surf?" The Associated Press' Jackie Farwell answered with some tips to keep your electronics safe at the shore:

• Carry your devices in air-tight cases. These enclosures can protect from the big three beach baddies: moisture, sand, and dust. (Such cases are available from Pelican, Otterbox, and Anvil.)
• Keep your electronics out of the sun. Direct sunlight can make electronics overheat causing possible damage, so keep your devices in cool, shady areas. The article recommends buying a tiny umbrella, but that's just silly.
• Cover any open ports. Plug up any holes because ports like headphone jacks and DVD drives are vulnerable to vicious sand attacks.
• Clean with compressed air. If sand does get into an open port, blast the area with a puff of compressed air to dislodge any stray beach particles.
• Wipe your hands clean. Your iPod's worst enemy could be you! Be sure your hands are clear of any lotions that could discolor rubberized skins.
• Let your toys cool down. Bringing a hot device into an air-conditioned room might cause condensation inside the case. Let your items settle to room temperature before bringing them across extremes.

I can vouch for the water-proof cases. I once lost a camcorder and a cell phone to a rogue wave from a wakeboarder. It was a drench and run.

Heed these warnings and stay safe this summer!

This gorgeous structure is the Apeiron Island Hotel complete with a private lagoon, a few exclusive restaurants, and an art museum. The building appears to rise from the ocean like a graceful fountain of water... or maybe some kind of space taco. Unfortunately, this is just an artist's rendition of the conceptual, seven-star luxury resort; With a price tag of $500 million, the Apeiron will probably remain just an eye-catching picture.

Born Rich offers up more Futuristic Luxury Hotels that will never be built. For example, there's a picture of a flying hotel. How about an inflatable space station hotel over Las Vegas? My personal favorite is actually the hotel shaped like a ferris wheel. Why? Because everyone should spend a night on an amusement park ride.

Have a look at this movie "poster" found in Belarus. Any idea what American movie this is? I'll give you a minute. (The answer is after the jump.)

You can check out more posters at the wonderful English Russia site. I love these images because I think films can be a good common ground to share with others in a foreign country. I once had a very interesting conversation about American films with some German guys at Oktoberfest in Munich. I learned from them that the Cameron Diaz movie The Sweetest Thing was called Super Sweet and Super Sexy in Germany. Yeah, shocking stuff, I know.

(Thanks for the tip, Mike!)

Calling all artists! Your talents could snag you a free trip to Paris* courtesy of Moleskine and Air France. The pair want to you create a work of art based on your travels for their "Invitation Au Voyage" exhibition.

All you have to do is transform any Moleskine notebook -- Classic, Cahier, Reporter, or City -- into a travel journal. Take a trip somewhere and document it using any artistic style you want: words, paint, collage, etc. The only thing that matters is that your work is interesting, unique, and creative.

Judges will select the 50 best journals for display in their traveling "Invitation Au Voyage" exhibition. If your work is chosen, it will make its way around Asia during August and September 2007.

The first prize is an economy class ticket to Paris, France. Second place will receive Moleskine's entire set of city notebooks covering Europe and America. Moleskine will also give a set of three notebooks to each of the remaining 47 artists chosen for the exhibition.

The contest ends on June 30th. *Anyone can enter, but Moleskine recommends entrants reside in Asia since the 1st prize will only fly from Asia to France. Give it a shot even if you don't live in Asia. Your work could still end up in the art exhibit!

[via Moleskinerie]

Related articles on Gadling:

• Moleskine Journals
• Moleskine City Guides