International arrivals to the U.S. dropped 3.9 percent during the first six months of 2017, compared to the year-earlier period, according to data released this week by the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office and U.S. Department of Commerce. The decline includes a 5.7 percent reduction in overseas arrivals. This slump began in late 2016 —...
Researchers have developed a chatbot that has been shown to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression. 'Woebot' engages in 2 million conversations a week. Dr Alison Darcy, founder and chief executive of San Francisco-based Woebot Labs, said the AI helps people talk about their emotions. 'Part of the value of Woebot is you can get things off...
TGI Fridays fans across the USA are now able to place an order or make a reservation using just their voice. Fridays designed and developed an Alexa skill that is rolling out nationwide and allows users to quickly make reservations, place a To-Go order, and even pay their bill. Starting today, the new skill will be available at participating...
As part of the Low Impact City Logistics project, UPS has developed a fleet of electric bike trailers to be used for deliveries in and around London. Innovate UK, a semi-public administrative body outside the civil service but receiving financial support from the government, raised £10 million for an R&D team to develop the bikes in an...
Robots have been unleashed in Russian supermarkets to chat to customers they can even recognize if they are regulars - and help them with their shopping. In a world first, the so-called Promobots work alongside regular employees to chat to customers about discounts and promotions and even demonstrate new products. They have been unveiled at the...
The first thing you’ll see when you walk into Eaton Workshop hotel in Washington, is a custom-commissioned video art installation by AJ Schnack, shown on a series of vintage-style television screens. All day long, it’ll broadcast a montage of footage from the presidential elections of 2012 and 2016 that’s built around one pointed question: How...
Singapore’s most innovative and high-tech gym is about to open its doors to the public, and it is set to redefine the way you look at fitness. The gym which is Pure Fitness’s newest outlet at Ngee Ann City is debuting the world’s first stationary bike featuring virtual reality (VR) technology. The gym has numerous outlets in Singapore, Hong...
lincoln motor company is putting continental’s ‘head-up display’ into production for the first time, allowing drivers to communicate even better with their vehicles in the future. head-up displays show all relevant information in the driver’s field of vision, reducing driver distraction and therefore making a significant contribution to...
Street-food vendors in Bangkok are embracing the digital revolution by offering e-payment methods for cashless transactions via smartphones. For many Thais, eating out at a pavement stall is part of their daily routine. Now, some vendors in the capital Bangkok are offering cashless payments after the Bank of Thailand (BOT) gave the green light...
Lee Su-jin is founder of Yanolja, Korean for “hey, let’s play” the country’s most popular app for booking rooms at the short-stay lodgings, which South Koreans call motels. He’s trying to persuade owners to jettison their long-held image of sleaze, sex, extramarital affairs and suicide and upgrade facilities to appeal more to business travelers...