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iPass offers free WiFi hotspot finder for mobile devices

IPass, Inc., a leading provider of global connectivity services, has introduced two new products for individual business travelers aimed at helping them stay in touch on the road. The company has come out with a version of its Hotspot Finder designed for use in smartphones and similar mobile devices. The new iPass Handheld Hotspot Finder is available free at www.ipass.com/mobilehotspot. The Hotspot Finder “makes it easy and convenient for business travelers toting multiple devices to identify nearby hotspots while on the move,” the company said. Users just input their location (city and state, zip code or airport location), and the Finder provides a list of local hotspots, along with a map. The Finder is a complement to the other new iPass product, an individual user version of its iPassConnect mobility service (www.ipassconnect.com). Previously available in an enterprise version for corporate customers, the individual iPassConnect service “gives subscribers unlimited access to the world’s largest wireless broadband network,” iPass said. For a monthly subscription fee, users can access WiFi hotspots in 95,000 locations worldwide as well as 3G mobile broadband service in the U.S. Downloadable software for the service is available on the web site.

WorldMate Live application debuts on Windows Mobile smartphones

WorldMate inc., a provider of mobile travel services for business executives, has introduced WorldMate Live for Windows Mobile, a “push” service for smartphones. “The Windows Mobile version supports all of the popular WorldMate Live services, including pushed itinerary updates real-time, flight alerts, flight schedules, weather forecasts, and other important travel information,” the company said. The new application is good for Windows Mobile Standard Edition smartphones, like the BlackJack II by Samsung, the HTC S620 and the Motorola MOTO Q class. The company claimed that WorldMate Live is the first mobile service to offer fully-interactive “push” alerts for flight cancellations, delays and other itinerary changes. For information and pricing, go to www.worldmatelive.com.

Choice Hotels launches mobile platform

Choice Hotels International – a lodging group that includes brands like Choice Hotels, Comfort Inn, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites and others -- has initiated a mobile website accessible at choicehotels.com on web-enabled mobile devices. The company said its mobile version of the website works on every mobile carrier network, enabling users to make and change reservations, access their online profiles, contact customer support and access the Choice Privileges program. The Choice group includes more than 5,500 franchised hotels in the U.S. and 37 other countries.

Hertz debuts online trip planning for NeverLost

Hertz customers who like to book the NeverLost in-car navigational system with their vehicle rental have a new option now for finding their way. Renters can plan their whole trip before they leave home or the office by going to www.neverlost.com, entering trip details, and saving it all to a personal USB storage device. The USB device can be plugged into the Hertz NeverLost system and downloaded. “In the past, users entered information for each destination into the Hertz NeverLost system one destination at a time,” a spokesman said. “With Online Trip Planning, entire trips can be planned in advance quickly and easily.” The online service offers several features to help you along, like a Yellow Pages section for locating specific kinds of businesses near your destinations; a “corridor search,” for locating businesses in between two destinations; an itinerary optimization feature for finding the most efficient routings; and city guides for major markets.

Web-enabled devices can tap into mobile version of aa.com

American Airlines has come out with a mobile version of its www.aa.com web site, letting customers access many features of the service from Web-enabled cell phones, PDAs or other devices. The initial version of the mobile site will let users check in for flights; see their itineraries; check American Airlines schedules; review the status of their flights; get information on destinations, weather or airports; and contact American. Later this spring, the company said, users will be able to book flights, change reservations, see fare specials, request upgrades and enroll in AAdvantage. Mobile users can access the service by typing www.aa.com into their devices’ browsers. For more details on the service, visit www.aa.com/mobile.

Explore hotels visually before you book

A web site called TVTrip (www.tvtrip.com) has been hiring professional video cameramen to visit hotels worldwide and compile a visual record of what the place looks like -- not just exterior views, but public areas, restaurants, even individual rooms and bathrooms. The idea is to let travelers see for themselves the apparent physical quality of a hotel to see if it meets their standards -- how modern the furniture is, how appealing the decor, and so on. Users can also check rates at the properties covered. The site says it already has "hundreds of videos of hotels all around Europe, as well as the U.S. (and soon launching in Asia)."

Hyatt Place hotels let travelers link devices to 42-inch TVs

Global Hyatt Corporation's Hyatt Place hotels this year are installing in-room media connectivity devices called the Hyatt Plug Panel that will enable guests to link their portable media devices to the room's 42-inch, flat-panel HDTV. By the first qarter of 2008, Hyatt expects to have 120 Hyatt Place hotels in operation. The company said its cutting-edge Hyatt Plug Panel will work with devices from laptop computers to MP3 players and DVD players. "If guests forget to pack connection cords, they can purchase cords from the Hyatt Place Gallery Host," the company said. The plug panel features A/V inputs for standard and hi-def portable media devices; input seletion butons for easy connections; and AC outlets positioned to allow simultaneous use of two AC adapters. An online tutorial describing the use of the new HDTV connectivity option is at www.HyattPlace.com/plugpanel.

Travelocity debuts new service for mobile devices

Online travel giant Travelocity has come out with a new mobile service that provides a wealth of information for its customers. Available from any cell phone or other Web-enabled mobile device, it's at mobile.travelocity.com. The service lets users see their current itineraries, book ground transportation and hotels, check flight status and security line waiting times, use a currency converter, access city guides and other destination informaiton, and view local weather reports.

Smartphone users rate BlackBerry tops in satisfaction

A study by J.D. Power and Associates of smartphone users found that those with BlackBerry devices were the most satisfied with their products. Tied for a close second were Palm and Samsung. The survey of users rated smartphones on six factors, including ease of operation, operating system, physical design, audio, battery, and utility features. Among other findings, J.D. Power said that user satisfaction varies depending on the operating system their device uses. “Each system has its own advantages,” J.D. Power said. “For example, customers note that the Palm system’s basic features are easy to use, such as making and receiving calls; checking voice mail; using the keyboard and key pads; and understanding display screen symbols. In comparison, smartphone devices using the Microsoft Windows system perform well with regard to call quality, particularly when it comes to sound quality and having a wide variety of preloaded ring tones.” However, while each operating system has its own strengths, “there is definitely room for improvement across the market as not one smartphone brand excels in all business application dimensions,” the study noted.

The study also determined that 13 percent of smartphone users have had to get their device repaired (most common problems: software issues, the device locking up or displays not working); that more than 40 percent of users would like GPS capabilities for their device;; and that the average price paid for a smartphone was $261. The study was based on responses from 1,089 business persons who own smartphone devices. The data was collected in August 2007.

Survey: Mobile phone users want better Internet access

What do consumers want in a mobile phone? According to a new survey, many of them want better access to the Internet. The poll of 500 mobile phone users, conducted by The Kelsey Group and ConStat, found that 45 percent of the respondents said better Internet capability will be a key factor in their next purchase of a mobile phone. Currently, only 26 percent of mobile phone subscribers have selected an Internet access plan as an option. “The combination of unlimited data plans and next-generation Internet-enabled mobile devices like Apple’s iPhone suggests mobile Web access will grow to become ubiquitous,” a spokesman said. The preferred Internet applications for mobile phone users currently are maps and local commercial searches, the survey found – e.g., locating products and services in the user’s area.

NYC taxis will soon accept credit cards for payment

Frequent travelers to New York City soon won’t have to fumble for cash when they take a taxi. The city’s Taxi & Limousine Commission has ordered all taxi operators to install new equipment that will permit riders to pay with major credit or debit cards, swiping the card themselves (and adding a tip) through a new Passenger Information Monitor in the back seat. The devices should be in almost all yellow cabs by the end of January 2008, the commission said. A few hundred already have the system in place. Credit cards accepted by the system include Visa, MasterCard and American Express; some drivers may accept JCB cards as well. Acceptable debit cards include signature-based Visa and MasterCards. Riders who pay with a credit card will not have to hand the card to the driver, although the driver will hand them a printed receipt. Riders won’t have to sign the receipt unless the total exceeds $25. The new monitors in the back seat will also have a display showing the current location of the taxi.

AAA launches mobile services for GPS-enabled phones

AAA has come out with a new service called AAA Mobile, designed to make many of the auto club’s features, along with audible, turn-by-turn driving directions, to select GPS-enabled mobile phones. AAA Mobile is a downloadable application priced at $9.99 a month for AAA members. Users will get audible turn-by-turn directions for road trips, and will also be able to access information from AAA’s Tourbooks like hotel and restaurant rating, and locations of points of interest and consumer services nearby like ATMs, gas stations, AAA-approved auto repair businesses and so on. Users can also see maps of selected locations and store them for future reference. “In addition, with the touch of a single button, the phone sends a member’s GPS location to AAA and connects the user with AAA for quick and reliable roadside assistance,” a spokesman said. For details on the service, go to www.AAA.com/AAAMobile.

Business center at Loews Regency New York will offer cordless power

Here’s a new twist for business travelers: What if you could use that laptop without finding a plug or worrying about draining your battery? The business center at Loews Regency Hotel in New York City will be the first hotel to install new wireless electrical power transmission technology from Powermat (www.powermatdigital.com). Powermat is installing an area in the hotel’s business center where guests can simply put their laptop down onto a special mat and work on it without plugging it in or using the computer’s battery power. Electrical power is transmitted from the mat directly to the device. Users can also power up cell phones, PDAs and other devices by setting them on the mats.

MobilMate rolls out travel packages for more devices

MobilMate Ltd., which provides wireless information services for travelers, has come out with new offerings for additional mobile devices. A basic package of WorldMate services including world clocks, weather forecasts, currency conversion and more is now available free for the Nokia S60, and will also be bundled with the Nokia E90 Communicator and other Nokia E-Series devices. WorldMate Professional, an upgraded service that also provides flight schedules, real-time flight status and satellite imagery weather, is available for a fee. Meanwhile, MobilMate has also come out with a versio0n of WorldMate Professional for the new BlackBerry 8830 and BlackBerry Curve 8300. For details, go to www.mobilmate.com or mobile.mobilemate.com.

Brightroam Expands Global Cellular Service to the Netherlands

Service cuts international roaming fees for business travelers
and – for the first time – offers cellular data support

Brightroam today announced the addition of the Netherlands to its global cellular service that helps business travelers reduce costly international roaming fees. Partnering with local service provider Vodafone Netherlands, the service expansion will allow Brightroam to offer GSM SIM cards that provide the best local airtime rates to travelers in the Netherlands. The service adds to the existing Brightroam portfolio of over 90 countries. When travelers use a Brightroam SIM card, Vodafone Netherlands will treat their GSM cell phone as a local phone. The SIM cards will enable travelers to save up to 62 percent on cellular service charges versus Cingular Wireless services, and up to 51 percent as compared with T-Mobile services. Incoming calls are also free, which will help travelers further reduce service charges.

Boingo introduces flat-rate pricing for global WiFi access

Boingo, the WiFi access provider whose Boingo Roaming System includes more than 100,000 locations worldwide, has come out with a new flat-rate pricing system. Subscribers who pay $39 a month will be able to access the company’s network of hotspots with no additional per-minute charges and no roaming fees. For details, see the company’s web site at www.boingo.com. At the web site, subscribers to the new Boingo Global service can download a Windows utility that identifies Boingo-accessible partner hotspots and lets the user log in with a single click. The Boingo hotspots are located in airports, hotels, cafes and other public places, including metropolitan hot zones. In other news, Boingo recently entered into an agreement with Madrid-based FON that will give its network another 130,000 hot spots in 140 countries – more than doubling its current availability – when the two are fully integrated.

New product charges cell phones from airplanes’ headphone jacks

InflightPower.com (www.inflightpower.com) has introduced a new product for business travelers who are jumping on the Apple iPhone bandwagon. The company’s new InFlight Power iPhone cable can be used on commercial aircraft to recharge the phones via the headphone jacks at each seat. “The patented device works by storing energy from the passenger seat music jack,” a spokesman said. “It then outputs regulated power to the attached USB charging cable/connector.” The three-ounce cable can also recharge other cell phones and game players, the company said. The basic unit is priced at $34.99; optional connectors for Apple iPods and Blackberrys are available for a surcharge.

Sheraton to put Microsoft’s new Surface computers in hotel lobbies

Want to be the first to try out Surface, the radically new computer design unveiled by Microsoft? You could get your chance in the lobby of a Sheraton hotel soon. Starwood Hotels, Sheraton’s parent, said it plans to install Microsoft Surface units in the lobbies of Sheratons in key U.S. cities this year. Microsoft Surface is a computer built into a table, with a 30-inch screen that can be used by several persons at once. It features advanced touch-screen technology and comes with built-in cameras, offering new ways for users and computer to interact. If you’re going to be in New York City on June 9, stop by the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to try it out. “The demonstration will showcase recognition of natural gestures, touch and physical objects for hands-on, direct control of content like photos, music and maps,” a Starwood spokesperson said. “In the future, this revolutionary new product will offer Sheraton guests an array of capabilities, both entertaining and functional, to enhance their stay – including browsing and listening to music, creating play lists, sending photos home, downloading books, and even ordering food and drinks, all with the drop of a credit card or their Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty card.” Sheraton will install Surface in “key hotels in the United States by the end of this year,” the spokesperson said.

TripSync lets travelers use mobile phones for bookings

TripSync, a web-based application that lets user make air, hotel and car reservations and store the information in Microsoft Outlook’s Calendar, has come out with a mobile version. “With TripSync Mobile, any traveler with a web-enabled mobile phone has the unprecedented flexibility to book trips from anywhere,” a company spokesman said. “TripSync users don’t incur booking fees, and they and their assistant can view the entire itinerary right within Outlook, even when it’s booked through their phone.” The spokesman added that TripSync plans to make more functionality available soon for the mobile version, including itinerary modifications and cancellations, flight re-booking, and email or SMS alerts for flight delays, cancellations and gate changes. The company also plans to add airport weather information and information on security line waiting times. For details, go to www.tripsync.com.

Virgin brings free WiFi to airport Clubhouses

Virgin Atlantic said it is extending free WiFi services to all of its airport lounges by the end of this year. The Virgin Clubhouses at JFK, Washington Dulles, London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Hong King already have the WiFi service installed and running, the company said. Upper Class passengers who use the lounges should simply ask at the reception desk for the access code. IN the coming months, Virgin said, it will extend the service to Clubhouses at Boston, Newark, San Francisco, Tokyo and Johannesburg. The company said its research indicates that about 10 percent of business travelers spend an average of up to 54 minutes online in the Clubhouses.

New mobile phone access for Amtrak, data on 600 cities

Two companies have come out with new digital information services designed especially for users of mobile phones and related devices.

Amtrak has launched a new mobile phone version of its Amtrak.com web site, at Amtrak.mobi. “Because the Amtrak.mobi site is optimized for smaller screens, it provides easy access to the train reservation and information systems of Amtrak.com using most web-enabled mobile devices including cell phones and PDAs,” a spokesman said. Customers can use Amtrak.mobi to search schedules and buy tickets, see train status and access their booking profiles.

Meanwhile, a company called HelloMetro, which has a network of city information sites for hundreds of destinations, has come out with mobile phone versions of those sites. The site names simply change the suffix from .com to .mobi. So the www.HelloNewYork.com site becomes HelloNewYork.mobi. Ditto for HelloSeattle.mobi, HelloTokyo.mobi, HelloParis.mobi and so on. The company maintains more than 600 city sites. “Travelers can easily and quickly access personal and business phone directories, local news and sports results, restaurants, weather and attractions information for their city from their mobile phone,” the company said. A list of the company’s city sites can be found at www.HelloMetro.com.

Study predicts 25 percent growth in WiFi hotspots this year

A new study by ABI Research predicts that the number of WiFi hotspots worldwide will increase by 25 percent during 2007, to a total of 179,500. While 72 percent of hotspots are in North America and Europe, “the Asia Pacific region will come close to matching the number of North American hotspots by 2012,” the company said – although it noted that “growth in China has been much slower than originally thought.” Europe currently has the most hotspots at 70,000.

“The growing WiFi hotspot market is fueling a demand for WiFi access points,” an ABI spokesman said. “More than 900,000 access points will be shipped this year specifically for use in hotspots. Not only are hotspot and subscriber numbers growing, but we have observed a dramatic increase in the number of WiFi sessions per subscriber,” he added.

The company said that although WiFi hotspots in retail locations like McDonalds are growing quickly, the hotel industry has the highest concentration of hotspots worldwide, at 46,000. In the future, ABI predicts, “voice-over WiFi will become a very attractive choice for many major hotel chains, both for guests and for their staff. Boingo and Wayport are working with handset manufacturers to ensure that WiFi-enabled phones will function at these two operators’ hotspots even though they might not have the web browsers normally required for authentication.”

For details on the study, go to
www.abiresearch.com/products/market_data/Wi-Fi_Hotspot_Forecasts

Hilton tests new rooms with high-tech entertainment

The Los Angeles Times reports that Hilton Hotels Corp. plans to test a new room concept at Hiltons in Chicago and San Francisco, focusing on high-tech entertainment options. According to the newspaper, part of the new room product includes a deal with ABC television that will let hotel guests catch up on episodes of favorite shows that they might have missed while traveling. For $1.99 each, guests will be able to order recent episodes of ABC’s ‘Lost,’ ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ ‘Desperate Housewives,’ ‘Ugly Betty,’ and ‘;Brothers and Sisters’ for viewing on their guest rooms TVs. And in the case of these test rooms, the TVs will be 42-inch plasma hi-def models equipped with surround-sound systems “and cable wires capable of connecting a suitcase full of MP3 players, digital cameras and gaming consoles,” the newspaper said. Guests will also be able to order up customized sports programming from DirecTV, giving them the ability to see their favorite local team playing, even when the guest isn’t home to watch it on a local station.

Wi-Fi group offers search online capability for “certified” devices

The Wi-Fi Alliance, a nonprofit group representing more than 300 companies that tests and certifies mobile wireless devices, has enhanced its web site with a new search interface that helps consumers select certified WiFi equipment. It’s available at www.wi-fi.org. “The new search interface makes it easy to find a list of tested products that meet the user’s requirements quickly and easily,” said Wi-Fi Alliance managing director Frank Hanzlik. “With the emergence of next-generation draft 802.11n equipment and an upcoming program to test this gear, choosing Wi-Fi certified products is as important as ever.” The search facility covers more than 3,300 certified products “as diverse as digital cameras, to laptops, to converged mobile phones,” he said. The site also offers a new white paper with information for consumers and retailers about Wi-Fi technology and the group’s certification programs.

Telestial offers cell phone, $300 airtime package for global travelers

Telestial, a specialist in low-cost global cell phone services, introduced a special called “Free Pack” that provides a new Motorola GSM cell phone, a SIM card and $300 worth of airtime, all for $295, a savings of $213 over buying each item separately. Purchasers keep the Motorola phone, and there are no contracts or monthly fees. Telestial’s Free Pack provides free incoming calls in at least 40 countries, and free incoming text messages and voicemail in virtually every country. The $300 in air time buys varying amounts of outgoing call minutes depending on the country – e.g., it’s worth 600 minutes in Australia, 500 minutes in Germany and 666 in Russia. For details, go to www.telestial.com/promotions/feb/freepack.php.

MapQuest users can send directions to cell phones

MapQuest, the popular web-based mapping and directions service, said it is upgrading its “Send to Cell” service so that users can create detailed driving directions and maps at their desktops, then transmit them to their cell phones for use on the road. The new service is available at www.mapquest.com via major wireless carriers. Persons who use the new feature can create customized driving directions and maps based on factors like the shortest time, shortest distance, avoidance of tolls and so on. They can create multi-point routings and can access data on places of interest and business listings. “The (Send to Cell) service automatically detects if a user is a MapQuest Mobile subscriber and delivers the best browsing experience,” the company said. “Users can easily access the maps and directions sent to their phones via a text message containing a URLK link.” The maps and turn-by-turn directions are automatically “right-sized” for the phone’s web browser, MapQuest said.

MobilMate plans real-time “travel assistant” with push technology

MobilMate, a leader in providing travel-related services to business travelers’ mobile devices, said it plans to create a new generation of its WorldMate product to provide users with real-time information on their itineraries and schedules as they change. The new WorldMate i10, to go into public beta later this year, includes a downloadable mobile client and server, a Microsoft Outlook add-in and a related web site. “The Outlook add-in automatically pieces together the traveler’s itinerary details – flights, hotel, car rental and meetings, for immediate inspection on their mobile phones or through the WorldMate i10 web site,” a spokesman said. “Just prior to the trip, WorldMate i10 starts tracking the itinerary in real-time, pushing details and suggestions when required.” For instance, information on a flight delay or cancellation is forwarded to the user, along with alternative flight options. When the user arrives at a destination, the system greets them with an outline of the next items on the itinerary, plus local time, weather, and a map to their hotel. “The WorldMate i10 solution is founded on the concept of contextual push data services,” a spokesman said – “s system that automatically determines the user’s context based on his itinerary and then pushes personalized information in real time to his phone.” Basic services like itinerary creation, worldwide time, weather and currency exchange will be free, as will the mobile application, Outlook add-in and access to the web site. The company will charge monthly for premium services like the push function and specialized content services “geared toward the very frequent traveler.”

Survey finds continuing improvement in wireless call quality

A survey by J.D. Power and Associates has found that the quality of wireless telephone calls is continuing to improve, with quality problems as reported by customers now at “historically low levels.” The company has been conducting its Wireless Call Quality Performance Study twice a year for the past five years. The latest study, based on replies from more than 29,000 cell phone users, found that the percentage of calls with “problems” declined by 14 percent from the two previous polls. The firm defines “problems” as dropped calls, static, failure to connect on the first try, voice distortion, echoes, failure to notify of voicemail, and failure to notify of text messages. The company cites intense competition among carriers as the big reason for quality improvement. “”Improving network quality is a beneficial financial incentive fro wireless carriers, as customers experiencing at least one call quality problem are almost four times more likely to definitely switch carriers in the future,” said a J.D. Power executive. Verizon Wireless was rated the most trouble-free wireless provider in four of the six regions in the study – the northeast, mid-Atlantic, southeast and southwest. It tied with Quest as best in the west. U.S. Cellular was the most problem-free in the north central region.

AT&T expands worldwide Wi-Fi network

AT&T has announced a major expansion of Wi-Fi availability, with the addition of 13,000 new “hot spots” around the world – giving it a total now of more than 48,000 WiFi access points in 79 nations. “This includes service to nearly 15,000 hot spots available to AT&T Remote Access customers in the U.S. in locations such as airports, coffee houses and restaurants,” the company said. In addition, the company said it has enhanced its Global Network Client software, which business travelers use to access corporate virtual private networks, by speeding up the log-on procedure and enhancing security features. AT&T said the latest expansion of its WiFi network includes 15 more U.S. airports, for a total of 81. “Most of these hot spots are located in areas open to the public such as terminal gates and food courts,” a spokesman said. The company has also added “dozens of new airport locations across Europe and Asia,” the spokesman said, as well as new hot spots in Argentina, Bermuda, China, Ecuador, Niger, Peru and South Korea. For details on the company’s wireless network, go to www.business.att.com/enterprisemobility.

Marriott to deploy interactive HDTVs in guest rooms

Guests at Marriott, JW Marriott and Renaissance Hotels will soon start to see new in-room televisions with high-tech interactive capabilities. Marriott said the 32-inch HDTVs will feature plug-in panels that allow guests to use the screen as a giant monitor for other digital devices, including laptops, camcorders, digital cameras and video games. Guests will also be able to play iPods or MP3 players through the TV’s 25-watt stereo speaker system. Marriott said the new TVs will be multi-functional; in other words, a guest could use a split screen to watch TV and surf the Internet simultaneously; or he could listen to tunes from an iPod while he plays a video game. The new Marriott TVs will also increase the number of viewing channels from the current 28 to as many as 64. By the end of 2007, about 25 percent of the 40,000 Marriott, JW and Renaissance rooms in the U.S. and Canada should have the new TVs, with the rest to be installed through 2009, Marriott said.

National Geographic offers cell phone for global travelers

National geographic has teamed up with California-based Cellular Abroad, a company specializing in GSM cell phone technology, to offer a new consumer product called the National Geographic Talk Abroad Travel Phone. The organization said the phone permits affordable calling from more than 100 countries, requires no contract, and permits free incoming calls in most nations. According to a National Geographic spokesman, the new phone “works seamlessly across international borders, picking up local cellular networks and providing consumers with the best coverage available. Unlike other services, the phone number stays the same, no matter where the consumer travels.” Users can also take advantage of a 24-hour customer support service available via a dedicated toll-free number. The phone sells for $199, including 30 minutes of outgoing talk time, or it rents for $49 a week. Users can add minutes as they go, paying a flat rate of 90 cents a minute “in the most frequently traveled countries.” For details, go to www.Cellularaborad.com/travelphone.

Avis, Budget extend GPS system rentals to Canada

Avis Budget Group said it is now making Global Positioning System navigation devices available to Avis and Budget renters in Canada. The Where2 system, developed by GPS navigation company Garmin, will be available at Avis airport locations in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, St. Johns and Halifax. The units will also be available to Budget rental customers at airports in Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City and Halifax. The units rent for $9.95 a day or $49.75 a week. IN the second quarter, they will be upgraded to provide real-time data on local traffic conditions and suggested alternate routings.

AAA opens online TripTik planner to non-members

The American Automobile Association’s Internet-based TripTik travel planner, once available for use only by AAA members, has been opened up for access by anyone. The TripTik planner, at www.AAA.com, enables motorists to plot out the best route anywhere in the U.S., creating their own customized maps. It also provides information on lodging, restaurants, events and attractions along the route, from a database of more than 400,000 vendors. Besides seeing information on AAA ratings, price levels and contact details for hotels and restaurants, an online booking interface lets users make reservations on the spot. The site also has an online mapping tool providing locations and fuel prices at local gas stations along the way.

Web site lets air travelers anticipate bad weather, turbulence

Flight Explorer (www.flightexplorer.com), a web site specializing in real-time flight tracking and airport information, has added new capabilities for frequent air travelers. With a feature called “Forecasted Turbulence and Current Weather Overlay,” users can input their flight data to view the aircraft’s scheduled flight plan and see if it is due to pass through any areas of bad weather or unstable air. Visitors can also use the site’s new Flight On-Time Performance History to see how a given flight has performed in the past two weeks. Another new feature enables users to book airport parking reservations in advance.

Avis offers portable wireless hot spots to renters

Tired of scouting around your destination for a Starbucks, a library or other locations that provide wireless Internet access? Avis will soon let renters carry around a portable WiFi hot spot wherever they go. For an extra fee of $10.95 a day, Avis renters can obtain a WiFi unit from Autonet Mobile Service, an “always-on broadband mobile network…that works virtually anywhere,” Avis said. Users will not need cellular data cards or special software to use the device. “Simply turn on, logon and surf,” Avis said. “Autonet Mobile Service is compatible with all WiFi-enabled devices, including laptops, MacBooks, Ultra-Mobile PC handhelds and PDAs.” The service will initially become available during the first quarter of 2007 at select Avis locations in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. “Avis customers will be reminded at the time of rental that the service is not to be used by the driver while operating the vehicle,” a spokesman remarked.

Boston hotel breaks ground on guest room technology

The Seaport Hotel in Boston (www.seaportboston.com), an AAA Four-Diamond winner, is deploying new guest room technology that it claims is the first in the U.S.—and it’s free. Specifically, it is installing what it calls a Seaportal in each room – a flat-panel monitor with a wireless mouse and keyboard. Not only does it provide unlimited web and email access, but guests can also use it as a source for hotel and local city information, video and audio entertainment and travel updates. And there’s more: It has voice-over Internet Protocol technology so guests get free local and domestic long distance calls from their room, routed over the Internet. “It enables our guests to travel without their laptops,” a hotel executive said. “In today’s environment of ever-changing airline restrictions, this is an important benefit.”

Fedex Kinko’s offers web-based printing service

Business travelers can now use the local Fedex Kinko’s outlet as a printing service. The company’s new Print Online service lets customers send digital documents to the nearest location for final printing. “With the application, customers may select from extensive printing and finishing options, track order status, reuse saved print jobs and review order history,” a spokesman said. The company also has a new Direct Mail Services option that assists small businesses with design, production and mail processing for documents – “whether it’s 100 or 15,000 pieces,” the spokesman said. Formats include postcards, letters, brochures and newsletters. For more information, visit www.fedexkinkos.com.

Radisson expands free Internet access to Latin America

Radisson Hotels & Resorts said it has finished deploying complementary high-speed Internet access to the guest rooms of its hotels in Latin America, and now offers the service in every guest room in the western hemisphere. That includes 206 Radisson franchised and managed hotels from Canada to South America. “There is no program to join to obtain connectivity, and Internet access is offered either hard-wired or wireless, depending on the individual property,” the company said. Guests can also use Internet-enabled devices to print documents through the hotel’s printing stations.