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Starwood Hotels launching Google Glass app 0

Did you buy a pair of Google Glass eyewear at this week’s one-day only blowout? You now have a use for them.

googleglass_artOne day after Google — according to some reports — exhausted its stock of the computer-equipped eyewear after offering the $1,500 devices at a one-day public sale to U.S. residents, Starwood Hotels announced plans to release an app that lets Google Glass wearers search its 1,100 hotels and resorts and reserve a room with voice commands.

The SPG for Glass app also allows users to get turn-by-turn directions, access up to date account information and explore hotel photos. A beta version of the app is undergoing testing.

It’s the latest tech-savvy move for the Stamford, Conn.-based lodging chain. As we posted recently, Starwood is working on a new virtual door key system for its hotels that allow guests to enter their rooms using an app on their smartphones, which would unlock the door via Bluetooth technology.

Library ebooks an option at some airports 0

If you’re a frequent air traveler, you’ve spent a fair amount of time in an airport terminal waiting on your flight. To pass the time until boarding call, you’ll likely want something to read.

Every airport has a newsstand — most likely Hudson News, which sells newspapers, magazines and books as well as other travel supplies in its terminal shops. USA Today or Wall Street Journal usually ends up on the plane as trash when your reach your destination.

There is another option for air travelers. Public libraries are a presence in several airports, offering free ebook downloads to passengers with an iPad or tablet.

These airport facilities are a perk for travelers with mobile devices. The downloaded ebooks are weightless and take up no room in a carry-on. Patrons who try out airport virtual libraries are also more likely to try ebooks at their home branches.

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) recently opened a virtual library where travelers can log on to the airport’s free WiFi network to access nearly 1,200 digital content titles. The virtual library is located on the walkway between Terminals D and E.

The airport partnered with the Free Library of Philadelphia to bring the library’s electronic resources to passengers. They can download titles to their iPad or tablet in a variety of genres from classics and bestsellers to children’s books.

Other airports have set up virtual libraries in their terminals, usually in partnership with local libraries.

  • Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) partnered with the Broward County Libraries Division to establish the first ebook lending program for passengers in 2011.
  • Kansas State Library makes titles available through its “Books on the Fly” program to passengers at Manhattan Regional Airport (MHK).
  • Michigan’s Traverse Area District Library offers passengers at Cherry Capital Airport (TVC) access to 30,000 digital ebook titles through its Books on the Go program.

 

Mobile gets boost in NYC, Chicago subways 0

Welcome to a better wireless underground.

Two of the largest subway systems in the country, New York and Chicago, are expanding the ability for mobile device owners to use their smartphones and tablets at transit stations. The days of a dropped phone signal as you enter a subway station are going the way of the token, thanks to improved technology and wireless infrastructure.

In New York, the nation’s largest subway system, the Metropolitan Transit Authority is adding wireless and Wi-Fi service to 11 stations in midtown Manhattan, including Grand Central Terminal, Herald Square and Bryant Park, and stations in the borough of Queens. The MTA launched wireless and Wi-Fi service at 36 subway stations last year, among them Times Square, and according to TransitWireless.com, the Wi-Fi network served 2.6 million connections throughout the year.

Smartphones like the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S4 were the most popular devices to connect to the Wi-Fi network and were responsible for 76 percent of the data usage in the stations last year.

When this expansion phase is completed in June, nearly 250 million riders will have access to service from AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon Wireless.

Besides convenience, the expansion of wireless service is expected to also enhance passenger safety and security, the MTA says. E911 will allow dispatchers to know when a call is being placed underground and the location of the caller. Employees and first responders will also have enhanced communications in an emergency.

Upgrades are also coming to Chicago, home to the nation’s third-busiest rail transit system. The Chicago Transit Authority is upgrading the existing wireless network to 4G technology. This is expected to improve service on the Blue and Red lines, which have a total of 24 miles of individual tunnels. Work on the project is expected to begin later this year.

So if you’re traveling to these cities anytime soon and plan to use their subways, rest assured that your wireless communication experience is about to improve.

 

Hotwire poll details mobile use in bookings 0

More than a third of young adults who book travel plans are likely to do it with a smartphone or tablet, a Hotwire.com survey reveals.

hotwire_artThe discount travel site released today the findings of its third annual American Travel Behavior Survey. Harris Interactive, which conducted the online poll for Hotwire, surveyed over 2,000 U.S. adults 18 and older in October.

The survey found that 18 percent of adults who have ever booked travel plans have done so using a mobile device. The results revealed 37 percent of adults 18 to 34, and 25 percent of adults ages 35 to 44, are significantly more likely to book their trips using a smartphone or tablet.

Also, 12 percent of those who have booked travel with a mobile device used a smartphone, while 10 percent used a tablet.

The survey also revealed that 48 percent of adults say they’re more comfortable with last-minute bookings, done within seven days of checking in. Not surprisingly, this is where Hotwire says it’s done a lot of business, with 80 percent of its bookings on smartphones and 70 percent on tablets are made the day before or day of arrival.

Currently, nearly 20 percent of Hotwire’s booking occur on mobile devices.

Report looks at mobile’s impact on travel industry 0

The use of smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices is dramatically changing our travel habits, Business Insider says in a new report.

The Internet has been a game-changer in the travel industry since consumers turned to online bookings in droves to find the best prices for flights, hotels and vacation packages, usually logging in to third-party sites for money-saving deals.

The BI Intelligence report released this week looks at where mobile devices stand when it comes to the travel market and what’s in store for the industry. The report is available through subscription, but BI Intelligence does summarize some key points:

  • Mobile devices have become essential tools for business and leisure travelers, allowing them to access information and services event before reaching their destination.
  • Tablets are emerging as the go-to device for booking travel plans.
  • Airlines, hotel chains, and online sites need to stay ahead of the  mobile computing curve.
  • Expect to see new travel-related apps and features tailored for wearable devices.