Gizmodo: disaster

Plane Crash Kills 49 in Upstate New York

Elaine Chow — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 02:30:21 EST

Flight 3407, a commuter plane crashed into a home in upstate New York and erupted in flames earlier tonight. Authorities say the death toll is currently at 49 people. Update

The airplane was a Q400 Bombardier aircraft that was flying from Newark to Buffalo Niagra. It crashed into a suburban home at around 10pm, just ten miles from the airport in Buffalo. The reason for the crash is not yet known.

Update: A reader tipped us off that the Q400 had been previously banned in Scandinavia, after two crashes involving the plane - one in Lithuania and one in Denmark. In those cases, the landing gear had allegedly corroded. [AP]

LA Train Victim Makes 35 Phone Calls From Beyond the Grave

Sean Fallon — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:45:00 EDT

If you haven't been creeped out yet today, this crazy morbid story from the scene of the recent Metrolink train disaster should do the trick. Apparently, family members of passenger Chuck Peck received 35 calls from his cellphone throughout the night of the crash. There was nothing but static on the other end of the line, but Peck's fiancee used these opportunities to shout encouraging messages into the phone like "hang in there baby. We're gonna get you out. You're gonna be okay." The authorities managed to trace one of the calls which lead them to the first train and eventually to his body. Unfortunately, Peck died on impact.

It is logical to assume that the phone calls were the result of a technical malfunction and not supernatural forces. And, as far as I know, there has been no analysis of the condition of the cellphone itself. But consider this—all 35 calls were made to close family members only: his son, brother, sister, stepmother and fiancee. Plus, this is not the first time something like this has happened. OoOoOoOoh! [KTLA]

Death Toll Rises to 26 in LA Train Crash: Engineer May Have Been Text Messaging at the Time

Sean Fallon — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:00:00 EDT

The NTSB is currently investigating whether or not text messaging may have played a part in the tragic head-on Metrolink train collision last Friday in LA that has claimed 26 lives. So far, they have confirmed that the engineer, who was among those killed, failed to stop at the final red signal. However, two teens have come forward saying that they received text messages from him shortly before the incident. Yeah, that sounds creepy—but the teens claim that they befriended the engineer after expressing interest in his work, often contacting him with questions about his job.

Obviously, making judgments about whether or not text messaging was behind the crash is a bit premature at this point—but phone records from both the teens and the engineer will go a long way in determining a cause. But one thing is certain—had the proper safety technology been in place, the train would have automatically stopped when it did not respond to the signal. [SFGate Image via LA Times]

Dealzmodo: Ultimate Never Leave Home Food Kit, 275 Meals for $75

Mark Wilson — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:40:00 EDT

There's nothing worse than having to leave the comfort of your closed blinds and glowing computer in order to get dressed and and go outside on a sunny day just to pick up something to eat. Consolidate your trips with this emergency food kit. Lasting up to 20 years, the bucket contains 275 meals worth of sustenance so you never have to leave the house. And since you save $10 by ordering online, you could potentially never need to leave your house again. So here's your menu for the next few months:

30 Servings - Potato Bakon
25 Servings - Corn Chowder
25 Servings - Ala King
25 Servings - Cacciatore
25 Servings - Western Stew
25 Servings - Country Noodle
25 Servings - Rice Lentil
45 Servings - Whey Milk
25 Servings - Blueberry Pancakes
25 Servings - Barley Vegetable

It should be noted that all meals are vegetarian and vitamin-fortified. [CostCo via Gear Diary]

Question of the Day: What's Your Most Expensive, Dumbest Gadget Oops?

John Herrman — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 22:00:00 EDT

To many of us, our gadgets are like our babies: we bring them everywhere, they're expensive, and we would go to great lengths to protect them. But just like babies, sometimes gadgets get dropped. The results are often tragic, and the guilt crippling. Maybe you haven't drenched your new $1600 keyboard in coffee, but have you accidentally plunked your BlackBerry in a urinal? Put your iPod through the wash? Has your adorable puppy destroyed your new laptop in a territorial gesture? What's your worst, your most embarrassing, your most expensive or just your most ridiculous "oh, shit" gadget moment?