As mentioned last week, a Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 recently made it’s maiden flight.  The jet is the world’s largest commercial airplane, and features first class amenities like a bar, and full beds.

With beds comes f-ing.  But unlike the traditional mile high club located in the bathroom, passengers will have private rooms with comfortable beds.  And with the thin walls on airplanes, this could become a bit uncomfortable for other passengers.

Well, Singapore Airlines is banning sex in the A380.  According to the airline, "If couples used our double beds to engage in inappropriate activity, we would politely ask them to desist."

So much for my statutory plans over international waters.

I apologize for the title, but it’s hard to resist.  By now you’ve probably heard that A-Rod announced that he is pursuing free agency during game 4 of the world series, which was won by the Red Sox.  A-Rod was criticized for the timing of the announcement, which directed some attention away from Boston’s win.

A-Rod is looking a nine figure contract, so this move is hardly unexpected.  But it does make A-Rod seem more like a mercenary than a traditional, feel good home-town player.

Plus, A-Rod has yet to win a world series himself - due in part to his poor play during the playoffs.  He’s not clutch, which makes A-Rod’s salary a bit harder to stomach.

A-Rod is surely going to a big market team, maybe the Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox?  Or perhaps the Giant’s decision to release Bonds was a move to free up some cash for an A-Rod bid.

Either way, A-Rod is quickly developing a Bond’s like reputation as an asshole…his arrogance, greed and ego overshadowing his accomplishments.  Like Bonds, I’ll bet that he’ll find few fans outside of his home town.

From Lifehacker, The Consumerist.

There are many strategies for weaseling your way from coach into first class, but this one seems to be the most promising.  Apparently there are special fares that give you a first class fare for coach prices.  These special fares are commonly referred to as a "YUPP", and are also sometimes known as a "QUPP" and "Z".

There are several articles that confirm that this fare is legit - supposedly it’s used to compete with other carriers for certain routes.  This is a must try for your next trip - and for all you hawaii residents this will net you a particularly sweet five hour ride over the Pacific if it pans out.

It’s kinda old, but I was watching this video recently.  It’s interesting because Avril is trying to cross over from a tomboy teeniebopper image into more of a sexually mature popy punky idol.

But really, this video is just a bunch of sophomoric pranks when in reality if Avril really wanted to get this guy she’d just drop to her knees and give some BJs like everyone else.

But, short skirt, short shorts, fishnet stockings…eh, yeah, worth a watch.  My version would have been waaay more entertaining tho.

 Honda is releasing a new version of it’s S2000 called the S2000 CR.  CR, as in Club Racer.  The car has a race tuned suspension, larger tires, a slightly modified interior, a huge spoiler, and a few other superficial modifications.

I have to say, I’ve never really liked the S2000 - it looks a bit too much like a Miata, and just way to skinny and girly in general.  But the S2000 CR looks like it was taken directly from the Fast and the Furious - like some asian kid in Mililani got hired by the Honda design department and went nuts.

Honda markets the car as “track ready,” which is odd, because I think if you actually showed up to a track with this car you’d be laughed at by both the teenage modders and legitimate racing professionals.  But I suppose there’s an aging asian-modder market - and it seems like Honda is targeting these yuppies with the S2000 CR just like Nissan did with its 350Z Nismo edition.

Pricing for the S2000 CR starts at $36,300.

Apple sold 1.1 million iPhone in Q4 of this year, bringing the total number of iPhones sold since the june launch to 1.4 million.  Apple also estimated that about 250,000 of the iPhones sold this quarter went to unlockers, and the company subsequently announced a two-iPhone per person limit.  Also, cash is no good at the Apple store - the company will no longer accept cash for iPhone purchases.

iPhone sales numbers are good, but not great.  They should pick up as the company releases the iPhone in additional countries in Europe.

As mentioned, the iPhone is awesome but the stock white Apple headsets are absolute shit.  The sound quality is poor, they fit poorly in your ear and let in lots of ambient noise, and are generally boring and inflexible.

There have been a handful of iPhone headsets released so far, but really I have been surprised by the lack of quality iPhone accessories.  Really, there are only a couple of unique features that a decent iPhone headset must have.  For one, they must actually fit in the iPhone - most headsets do not.  Secondly, they must have a mic for phone calls, as well as a button for call answering, play/pause and fast forwarding.  These features are central to the iPhone itself really, and included in the stock Apple iPhone headsets.

I’ve been looking around for a decent set of headphones for a while, and it’s been very very frustrating.  Take for example, V-Moda headsets that Apple sells in its stores for a cool $100.  Current models don’t even have an answer/play/pause button, a feature of even the stock headset…although a model with this feature, called the V-Moda Nero should be available soon.  Still, I’ve used the V-Modas for a short time, and they’re not worth the money.

I got a cheap pair of iPhone headsets off ebay for $10, and those broke in a day.  Keep in mind that you’ll use these day in and day out, so they have to be very durable.

After another set of disappointing off-brand headsets, I finally settled on the Rivet headsets.  These have all the requisite features, and also have kind of a cool around neck design.  This is hard to explain, but you wear them around your neck, and the earphone cords come up to your ears from the back.  The mic sits in front, so the setup is mostly unobtrusive, if a bit complex.

The Rivets also have an in-ear design that blocks ambient noise and has decent quality sound.  They also have a durable protected cord that seems pretty high quality.

Best of all, they’re only $20 or so, including shipping.  Stock iPhone headsets go for $30 - so they’re quite a steal.  iPhone users, check them out.  I’ve been through a bunch of these headsets, and the Rivets are actually very decent, especially considering their low price.

Below is a link to Amazon - great price, quick shipping.

There is no question that the whole green movement is big bucks…but the alcohol industry has yet been untouched by these treehuggers…until now.  Enter 360 Vodka, From McCormick Distilling Company.

360 Vodka is a typical 80 proof vodka that has been distilled four times and filtered five times.  The greenness comes from the bottle, which is made with 85% recycled glass and a recycled label.

It’s an interesting marketing approach for what seems to be a high quality vodka.  I’d imagine that vodka in general helps to mask the environmental problems of the planet, so an environmentally friendly vodka has questionable value.  And really, who drinks so much vodka that the vodka bottles and labels are having a negative impact on the environment?

I really think "green" branded products are becoming the easy sorority girl that gets trained by every frat boy around the block.  Once mother nature spread her legs, it seems like every company far and wide is taking a turn in some way or another.  But the penetration of the greenies into industries of sin is certainly interesting…next up?  Green cigs?

After the market close today, Microsoft announces stellar quarterly earnings of $4.29 billion, or 45 cents per share.  The company generated nearly $14 billion this quarter, driven by strong demand for Vista and the release of Halo 3.

It’s been a long time since Microsoft had such a solid quarter, and the stock soared over 11% in after hours trading to a five year high.

Of course, I sold my Microsoft earlier this month, but still, it’s an impressive quarter for the big M.

On Howard Stern today a good 30 minutes was dedicated to listening to Artie sleep on air.  And that’s it…just some guy snoring, some narration of his movements.  And it was great.

You gotta give them credit - the show always seems new, it’s nearly always entertaining…and if I can listen to a guy sleep on air for half and hour and still be entertained, well, that’s a great show.

After last month’s disappointing Woot! Off I’m expecting some excellent deals for October.  These Woot! Off’s are always important because they provide oh-so-essential xmas gifts…to friends that know nothing of Woot! of course.  FYI, I think it’s pretty bad form to give a Woot! Off gift to a Woot! user, because if they wanted it, they would have got it themselves.

For me, I’m looking for some nice parental gifts.  Maybe a customized throw rug?

 For all of you iPhone users, guess what?  Gmail is now IMAP enabled (well, for the most part).  Google announced that it is adding IMAP support to Gmail starting today…you should be able to see this feature in your ’settings’ screen.  If not, just be patient - mine hasn’t been updated yet but the big G promises this feature will be rolled out soon.

What does this mean?  Well, for one, it’s great for iPhone users because it will make managing Gmail messages that much easier.  In a nutshell, IMAP allows different email clients accessing Gmail to know what’s going on with other clients - so if you read a message in one client, it’s marked as read in all clients.  Folders and deletions will similarly be synched.  Trust me, it’s good.

Now if Google will just update my account already…

Today the double decker Airbus A380 took it’s first flight - an eight hour trip from Singapore to Sidney.  The jet is the biggest in the world, and some passengers paid over $100k for the opportunity to be on the maiden flight of the A380.

Although the aircraft can fit over 800 passengers, Singapore Airlines configured the jet with lots of luxuries, including individual flat screen TVs for first class passengers, and full length bed.

Kinda cool, I think.  I like the idea of a full bar in an airplane, and you got to have your own TV nowadays.

But, it’s unlikely that we’ll see the A380 in the states because airports need to be specially configured to accommodate the large jet…and ours haven’t.  But it looks like these planes will be all over Asia very soon.

The BoSox handily beat the Rockies in game one of the world series 13 to 1.  Boston scored 3 runs in the first inning and 7 runs in the fifth inning - so, the game was over half way through.

Tomorrow Curt Schilling, who has an unbelievable record in the playoffs, will pitch.  I’m still betting this series will be done in five, but looks like the Rockies will need to pick up a game at home.

Dice-K will start on Saturday, FYI.

From Consumerist.  Some call it xenophobia.  Others call it not being poisoned by lead.  In either case, there has been substantial US backlash against chinese products after a series of problems with chinese imports.

Now, Trader Joes is announcing that is will stop selling all single ingredient Chinese products by January 1st, 2008.  I don’t remember seeing many single ingredient chinese products at Joes - maybe a few sauces or spices here and there - but this is definitely a strong vote against the quality of chinese foods.

It’s an interesting move that may make Joes seem more health conscious than markets that do sell chinese products, in a twisted, racist sort of way.  Either way, I have so many chinese products in my fridge I’m pretty much f’ed either way.

I almost feel sorry for the chinese, but man, they do some dirty shit.  White people just won’t stand for it.  I remember going to Hong Kong and seeing animals butchered and food prepared literally in the middle of the street.  And after working in a chinese restaurant, I know that the chinese have no concept of cross contamination - especially when their only cutting board is a 50 pound piece of wood that is impossible to safely disinfect.