I signed up and paid my initial subscription on-line while still in Victoria - $28 for a month, which covers any number of 30 minute trips (as long as they're at least 5 minutes apart) during the month. Any number, not one per day. When I arrived back from Victoria, helmet in holdall, my package was waiting, including a shiny red plastic key with an identifying number and embedded chip-that-tells-all, and a small foldout map indicating stations and coverage and bicycle routes. The only complaint I have about the latter is it doesn't show the direction of these bicycle routes. I had to log in to the website to activate the key, and on Wednesday August 5, I was ready for my maiden voyage, down...

Read More

Horn Bike from Fruitshop (I'm guessing the names sound a lot cooler to Taiwanese ears) features a small horn that passively amplifies the sound from your iPhone's built-in speaker. A Taiwanese company figures that if you're going to spring for a handlebar mount for your iPhone , you should get a little sound amplification in the bargain. But a set of decent bicycle-mounted speakers will set you back $60-$120, and if you crank them up you risk some dirty looks. He edits Technology Research News , where he gets to preview the cool technology we'll all be using 10 years from now. Bicycling around town wearing earbuds isn't a great idea and is even illegal in some places. The silicone iPhone 4 mount doubles your phone's volume, making it loud enough to hear well--given not a whole lot of ambient noise. Crave freelancer Eric Smalley has written about technology for more than two decades.

Read Article