Europe's version of Yelp has teamed up with Europe's version of Uber, Tripping announces a "reputation barometer" for short-term rental and homestay providers, and a new product promises an affordable, no-installation-necessary solution for hotel TV. These are some of the news items Tnooz is following for 14 August.Will Yelp and Uber team up next?Qype, Europe's largest user-recommendation service, has agreed to partnership with
MyTaxi in Germany. MyTaxi becomes integrated in the Germany-only Qype app, with other features and functions staying the same.
The backstory: This is a fascinating partnership between a service that recommends where you can eat and plots the location along with Germany's leading taxi-app service. One in five German taxis work with myTaxi's system. Both companies are in Hamburg.
Richard Dennys, Qype's CMO told us this morning: "Qype's mobile apps are moving from strength to strength with now over 5 million downloaded."
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Hotel in-room entertainment needs an upgrade.
KoolConnect is promoting to hotels its product
VU, an "affordable hybrid interactive TV with an electronic programming guide." For a one-time fee, VU turns an existing high-definition, hospitality-grade TV into a
interactive TV.
The backstory: VU features direct channel tuning from the programming grid, plus optional Internet download services, such as Netflix, Pandora, and USA Today, and property-specific apps can be added, including TV Check-out,.
Interactive TV services could replace printed directories of guest services, speed up check-out, and boost in-room dining orders by about 15%, plus drive ancillary revenue through sales of video on demand. The tool can run over WiFi, avoiding installation costs.
Announcing a "reputation barometer" for short-term rental and homestay providers
On August 16, TrustCloud, a kind of Klout for trustworthiness is partnering with Tripping.com, a site that matches travelers with locals and lodging in 175 countries, and Shareable magazine. Users can earn a rating via TrustCloud's TrustScore, a trust system for peer-to-peer marketplaces, and display it on their Tripping profile for added security when staying at a stranger's place.
A tech giant grows in Nairobi, the "Silicon Savannah."
Nairobi's Cellulant develops and runs mobile money services for many companies, including Barclays, as well as mobile platforms for airlines, such as Kenya Airways. It's estimated to earn tens of millions of dollars a year.