European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 23, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Rall quiet in Economy class thanks to noise Buster by Hans fan tet the new York times no i did t sleep. I can never sleep on air planes. But after More than eight hours overnight from Kennedy International Airport i arrived in Vienna Austria surprisingly rested and fresh. The noise Buster a new portable device to combat stress and fatigue caused by noise did the trick. Basically a Small electronic Box wired to a pair of Sony Mdr-84 stereo headphones the system can create what seems like a personal Island of quiet in noisy settings like planes trains buses or factories. Ear plugs or Bulky ear protectors which can Cut Down the higher frequencies Are ineffective against Low droning sounds like air plane engine noises which penetrate. Mechanical barriers. It is precisely such throbbing vibrations that can cause tension and fatigue. Pointers the noise Buster deals with sound of this kind by artificially creating Quot anti noise a which for the person wearing the earphones cancels the unwanted noise in the environment. Until now devices of this kind came with four figure prices and were used mainly by the military. At $149, the noise Buster made by noise cancellation technologies inc. Of Stamford conn., is the first Model priced for the average consumer a Simitar kind of anti noise Headset is under development by the Koss corp. Of Milwaukee the largest maker of earphones in the United states. The device uses a technology known As Active noise cancellation in which unwanted sound Waves Are snuffed out by the sound Waves of the same frequency but in opposite phase. It As if a 2-foot Ocean wave were to meet a 2-foot trough the result would be Flat water. So too. When a sound wave meets its Mirror opposite a sonic Calm is created. As a journalist who writes about audio equipment i was Lent a noise Buster for a working vacation with my wife Shea to my native Austria. When i slipped on the earphones during the flight it suddenly seemed that the plane a two engine Airbus 320, had stopped flying and was quietly hovering in midair. A person tends to associate engine noise with motion so when the noise stops we think the plane is standing still. Very relaxing. Despite the feeling of sonic privacy i was t really isolated. My wife sitting next to me could easily talk with me because the noise Buster does not Block frequencies above 1,500 Hertz that make human speech intelligible. But because the lower frequencies were missing it sounded As if she were talking on the Telephone. Other ambient noise a. A Rushing sound reminiscent of Ocean surf a also persisted. But the More disturbing growl of the aircraft was virtually eliminated. When the movie groundhog Day started in mid Atlantic i plugged the noise Buster into the electronic earphone outlet on the armrest. Although it was a rather tame movie i was surprised that the crucial scenes seemed to pack quite an emotional punch. Later i figured out Why. The muffled Roar of background noise that normally flattens the dialogue of in flight movies had been filtered out by the noise Buster the actors vocal nuances came through Crisp and Clear. Although it can make plane travel More restful the noise Buster can t eliminate Jet lag. After All it can t change time zones or reset the diurnal clock we All carry in our biological systems. So i still woke up at Odd hours after arriving in Austria and i got hungry at the wrong times. New ways to Airport in London Frankfurt by the new York times Virgin Atlantic airways and Lufthansa Cerman airlines have recently devised some creative ways of ferrying passengers to two of Europe s busiest airports. Business class passengers on Virgin Atlantic airways now have a novel if potentially hair raising Way of avoiding the Limo Fock that can make the trip to Heathrow Airport As Long As 90 minutes. Specially adapted motorcycles zip airlines through traffic whisking the traveler from Central London to the Airport in less than half an hour. The new Virgin motorcycles Are fitted with hands free telephones heated leather seats and running boards and intercoms that allow passengers to communicate with Drivers. But they Are Short on storage space a passengers Are allowed Only one Small suitcase a and of course roofs. Passengers Are provided with weather proof clothing. The motorcycles Are available free to passengers travelling upper class business class of the line s flights to new York los Angeles and Tokyo. As s limousine Transfer service which remains available free to business class passengers the motorcycles will pick up passengers from anywhere in London or the surrounding counties and take them to Heathrow. Since last May Lufthansa has been using regularly scheduled Cerman rail intercity trains so passengers now have a Choice of 16 trains daily to and from the Frankfurt Airport stopping at the Bonn Cologne and Disseldorf main railway stations an additional four trains link Frankfurt Airport to Stuttgart s main railway station. In the past Lufthansa ran a special Airport train four times a Day Between Frankfurt Bonn Cologne and a amps Dave Casey travellers Tine up at Lufthansa s Check in counter at the Frankfurt Airport. get a seat in the first class rail compartments reserved for Lufthansa passengers should Book their rail tickets when they Book their flights. Those flying out of Frankfurt can Check their Luggage at Lufthansa counters at Aschaffenbur Bonn Cologne Disseldorf Koblenz Nurnberg Stuttgart and Wiir Burg railway stations up to 24 hours before their flights Are scheduled to depart. Passengers receive their air plane by trying passes at the train station counter Uganda drops visa requirements to attract tourists Kampala Uganda apr the government has waived visa requirements for visitors from 32 countries in a bid to attract More tourists. Quot this is to facilitate the Quick and convenient flow of the tourists Quot said wildlife and tourism minister James Wapak Fabulo. The new regulations apply to visitors from All european Community members and scandinavian countries the United states most Middle Eastern nations several far Eastern countries Australia and new zealand. Tourists began avoiding Uganda once known As the Quot Pearl of Africa Quot after a 1971 coup by dictator Idi Amin. They continued doing so after his ouster nine years later due to continuing military take overs and civil War. Uganda began reviving its tourism Industry in 1989 after the Price of Coffee then the main foreign currency earner plummeted in the world Market. The government Hopes tourism will again begin pulling in hard currency for Uganda. In 1970, tourism brought in a third of the nation s foreign currency earnings. Requiring his tests from wire reports. An Ever growing number of countries Are requiring his testing for foreign visitors says the state department which has just updated its list of entry requirements worldwide. Most countries require the test Only for those making extended visits a students or applicants for work permits. While testing is done after arrival in some countries others permit testing stateside roundabout before departure under certain conditions. Check with the country s embassy for details for a copy of Quot his testing requirements for entry into foreign countries Send a self addressed stamped business Stze envelope to the Bureau of consular affairs room 5807, department of state Washington . 20520 or request the document from the department s fax retrieval system 202 6473000. Learn the Art. Of peaceful coexistence at the Oasis of peace guest House in the arb jewish Village of Neve shalom what As Salam in Israel. The name Means Oasis of peace in hebrew and arabic and the Village Midway Between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv was established in 1972 to prove that arabs and jews can live together in a Bicu Tural setting rooms in the air conditioned guest House with private Baths individual terraces and commanding views Start at $21 per person double occupancy rooms in the youth Hostel Start at $14 per person including breakfast. Two hour Tours of the Village Are also available for $5 per person. If you can t find peace Here where can you find it information and reservations american friends of Neve shalom what As Salam 212 226-9246. A. 1 a sleeping in Paris will be a Little More expensive next year. The City is set to impose beginning Jan. 1, a surtax on hotels and campsites ranging from $1.20 per Day per person in top luxury lodgings to 17 cents per Day per guest for alfresco accommodations. T Queen Elizabeth ii is counting on More help in footing the $60 million Bill for restoration in Progress at Windsor Castle damaged by fire last year. Beginning Jan. 1, visitors will be charged one fee of about $12 for Entrance to the Castle s grounds the state apartments the gallery and St. George s Chapel. Previously visitors could stroll for free but had to pay for each attraction. December 23, 1993 stripes Magazine 2 7
