Travel

Vehicles are getting smarter, either from the smartphones we connect to them or in the way they can drive themselves. Many of these technologies have been designed for the common use case of people with full physical mobility. More than two years ago, WHILLS tried to corner a niche market of personal electric vehicles that cater to everyone, even those with accessibility concerns. And like most electric vehicle today, it’s getting some self-driving features too.

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Segway made a name for its self with its initially odd-looking “personal transporters” and, later on, the first hoverboards. But while they may look like toys for some, Segway’s mission has always been about conquering the “last mile” of transportation, those few hundred steps between your card and your actual destination. At CES 2019 next week, it will be showcasing not just its current lineup of products but two new ones, including a self-driving delivery robot.

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It’s probably no secret that Elon Musk is considered either one of the brightest minds today or one of the craziest. While Tesla’s business is being put in question, the grand visions he has for electric vehicles and space travel has been inspirational to say the least. In contrast, his plan to bore high-speed underground highways has been met with skepticism, opposition, and regulatory roadblocks. Musk has just given a select few from the public a chance to feel the future today and it definitely feels promising. That is, if the Boring Company can deliver all that Musk promised.

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We're fast approaching a time when a lot of people will be traveling around the country, and it isn't holiday travel without delays. Google today announced that it's rolling out new functionality to Google Assistant that will alert you to potential flight delays before they're made official. We're also getting a new feature in Google Maps that will help visitors to a new city discover things to do.

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Amazon may be eyeing airports in the US as the next destinations for its cashierless stores. Called Amazon Go, these stores feature technology that allows customers to grab the items they want and then leave, eliminating the need to stand in line and manually pay. A new leak alleges Amazon has been in talk with big US airports over possibly installing some Go destinations for travelers.

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Marriott has revealed that its Starwood guest reservation database was recently impacted by a security breach. The intrusion was detected on November 19 by a Marriott investigation after the company received an alert on September 8, 2018. Following the alert, Marriott says it tapped security experts as part of an investigation that ultimately discovered "unauthorized access" on its Starwood network. This access had been in place since 2014.

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The illustrious Elon Musk may be under fire for a lot of things he has tweeted about but he does still make some useful and totally not controversial posts from time to time. Then again, his boring, that is, drilling, dreams to bore tunnels underneath LA hasn’t been without its fair share of controversy and opposition. That won’t be enough, however, to postpone or cancel the Boring Company’s grand public opening of its first LA tunnel next month. Unless, of course, some litigation gets in the way.

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The TSA wants to widely expand the use of facial recognition technology in US airports, revealing the plan in a newly published roadmap. According to the agency, this plan will "modernize" passenger screening in airports in the relatively near future, using biometric data to identify travelers while speeding up the entire screening process.

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You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who counts their commute as their favorite part of the day. The new features rolling out to Google Maps today probably aren't going to do much to change that, but the hope is that they make commutes a little less miserable or unpredictable. This new Google Maps update includes everything from music streaming integration to a new commute tab that will give you detailed information about what to expect on your drive in.

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Most people will agree that vacations are great, but the process of getting them all planned out is not. Between booking a hotel, finding the right price on a flight, and figuring out what to do once you finally get to your destination, there are a lot of moving parts and plenty of potential for frustration. Google is hoping to streamline the trip planning process with a host of new features it's rolling out a variety of different products.

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Delta has announced plans to launch the first biometric terminal in the United States, an optional experience offered to international travelers at Maynard H. Jackson International Terminal F in Atlanta, Georgia. Customers won't be forced to use this technology if they're uncomfortable with it, but rather will have it as an alternative option to reduce the amount of time spent waiting.

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Generally speaking, air travel is a pretty dull affair that is nonetheless a reality of life for a lot of people. Alaska Airlines announced today that is has a new way for some flyers to pass the time while they're in the air, as it has outfitted some of cross-country routes with VR headsets. More specifically, Allosky headsets from SkyLights will allow Alaska Airlines passengers to watch some immersive VR movies and short films as they fly.

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