This is the regular Tnooz roundup of product news from around the travel, tourism and hospitality industry, all with a technology, online and digital twist - Friday 17 June 2011.
- After reaching 400,000 downloads for its iPhone application, travel planning and destination content service Tripwolf has turned its attention to other platforms. The Android version of the app was released this week and includes the augmented reality, content and planning features as its iPhone counterpart.
- Norwegian social travel site Stay.com [TLabs Showcase - Stay.com] releases what it calls version 3.0 this week - the mobile app for the ten-month old startup. iPhone users will be the first to benefit, with other platforms expected at a later date. Existing features from Stay.com are included, but guides and maps can be used offline (saving data roaming fees).
- Farelogix rolled out a new version of SPRK, its travel agency desktop, and a new website, www.sprkagent.com to show of its wares. The new desktop tool features enhanced merchandising and PNR-servicing capabilities, the company says. For example, regarding merchandising, the desktop provides can support instant purchase versus purchase before, simultaneous with, or after the ticket purchase, Farelogix says.
- Eurocheapo celebrates its tenth birthday next week. The budget hotel guide platform now has 27 detailed guides across Europe and has since relocated to New York from its founding city of Berlin, Germany. Guides for Geneva, Switzerland, and San Francisco, US, are expected in July 2011.
- From the luggage industry comes Tan & Copper CarryOn from CarryOn Free, a carry-on bag with dimensions of 16" x 14" x 12" and specifically designed to get around Spirit Airline's carry-on bag fees. Spirit charges fees for any bags larger than that as they won't fit under seats, according to the airline. CarryOn Free's bag, which can save individuals up to $90 on roundtrip on Spirit Airlines, has an exterior pouch large enough to hold iPads and small laptops, the company says. The bag sells for $54.99, according to the company website.
- The SugarSync Android app has an new Autosync feature, enabling you to take photos and "instantly" save them to all of your devices, and share them with friends or family members of choice, the company says. "You don't even need to be in the app," SugarSync says. "Simply take the photo and it instantly saves to your devices, backs it up to the cloud and if you tell it to, will share with select family and friends so they can see what you see the second you take it."