This is a roundup for product news and announcements for travel devices in tourism and hospitality for December 2016.
Friday 30 December 2016:
Yatra.com takes TrueSDK
- Indian Nasdaq-listed OTA Yatra.com has stepped up its drive to acquire new mobile users and is allowing anyone with a Truecaller account to register for the Yatra Android app in a single click using its TrueSDK product which offers verified phone number based sign up and login features. OYO Rooms, RedBus and Ixigo also use TrueSDK.
Blip to manage Bristol Airport queues
- Denmark's Blip Systems has signed up Bristol Airport to use its BlipTrack queue and flow management system. Some 30 airports use Blip and the system can also be adapted to work for train stations, theme parks and events.
Friday 23 December 2016:Qatar improves mobility
- The airline has updated its mobile functionality with push notifications for online check-in, boarding and gate changes. Qatar has also introduced My Trips to the mobile app with journey details, gate information, boarding time and a virtual tour of the aircraft.
Thursday 22 December 2016:HostelWorld has a noticeboard
- The budget accommodation provider has created a new feature for its mobile applications that allows users to discover which hostels in a location are hosting social events, such as cooking lessons, walking tours, BBQs or movie nights. The update is available on both the Android and iOS-powered devices.
Tuesday 20 December 2016:Virtual assistant Pana debuts TripIt competitor
- This week the travel startup Pana released a free bot that instantly organizes travel plans pulled from emails and sends personalized notifications. The launch comes a week after Pana won a TUMIxWIRED Innovation in Travel Award for its main on-demand service, which gives busy people access to a personal travel assistant to help them plan and book their trips. The Colorado startup has raised $2.5M.
Lufthansa launches SIM card
- The Star Alliance carrier has partnered ith Naka Mobile to introduce the pre-paid SIM service for passengers. The card allows travellers to connect to networks in over 180 countries and use data services, make calls and handle SMSs. The SIM will be available in three formats: standard, micro and nano.
GetMyBoat revamps mobile apps
- The boat-sharing service has upgraded both its Android and iOS-powered mobile applications, allowing users to search, book and pay for a rental from their devices. Owners can also manage their boat listings, including adding photos, details and pricing, from the app.
Friday 16 December 2016:4,800 Echo devices in Vegas
- The Wynn Las Vegas in the US city will place Echo consoles in every one of its hotel rooms, giving guests the chance to control the room's features and find information abut the property and local area. The installation is expected to take until the summer of 2017 to complete.
Wednesday 14 December 2016:Priceline deals with the road
- Road Deals is a new feature on Priceline's app for Apple devices, giving users the ability to locate deals during a road trip, in real-time. The app also lets users set preferences based on budget and star-level, receive hotel recommendations, and book same-day accommodations en route to their final destination.
Skyroam retails wifi connections
- The global wifi provider has installed vending at some of the US's busiest airports so that passengers can buy pre-paid wifi services in over 100 countries before they fly. The booths will be available at airports in San Francisco, Las Vegas and Houston.
Friday 9 December 2016:CommutAir gets analytical with IBM
- The regional airline, operating under the United Express brand, will use IBM's The Weather Company to help with its real-time global tracking and dispatch services. The Prediction Airport Analytics platform will also be included in the agreement, giving the carrier forecasting and management of disruption and other operational issues.
Thursday 6 December 2016:ATPI upgrades mobile app
- The travel management company has a new version of its ATPI On-The-Go mobile app, including the ability to sync traveller profiles on trips across external systems. Other features are mobile wallter tools, local information and push notifications for when flights are delayed or cancelled.
Thursday 1 December 2016:Samsung travels with Lonely Planet
- Owners of the Samsung Gear G3 smartwatch will have content from the destination guide publisher included as standard on the device. The app will initially include content from 50 cities around the world but also services that use the GPS settings on the device, such as places of interest and lists of top attractions to visit.
Kube charges
Guest Supply- The Kube Audio Clock for guestrooms and Kube 5 portable charging system for public areas in hotels will be available to Guest Supply customers. The hotel technology company has more than 25,000 properties on its books.
NB: Travel devices image via Shutterstock.