With Omicron cases spreading rapidly throughout the world, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published a new bulletin advising that travelers avoid cruise ships entirely -- even when fully vaccinated. The decision comes in part based on the spike in COVID-19 cases observed among cruise ship passengers and crew members.
Though travel has largely resumed despite the ongoing pandemic, there are a number of rules in place for those who wish to board a plane -- including, chiefly, the need to wear a mask. This simple requirement has resulted in a number of altercations, including some mid-flight, and now the TSA is warning such behaviors will come with additional consequences.
Hyatt Hotels has announced that guests at six of its properties in the US now have the option of unlocking their rooms and common areas using an iPhone or Apple Watch instead of a physical room key. The support, which was first promised earlier this year, revolves around Apple Wallet and the ultra-wideband digital keys support that arrived with iOS 15.
Travel into the United States is set to get considerably easier, with the White House confirming its bans on foreign visitors is set to be relaxed - though with no compromise on vaccination status. Currently, those wanting to visit the US must navigate a complicated tangle of rules and restrictions, which has left America a no-go zone for many.
Elon Musk has always envisioned space travel to be as economical as air travel, though naturally still more expensive. SpaceX's mission is to make that true not just for government-funded missions and research but also for commercial space tourism. The company has already gotten most launches and landings down to a "T," but there are still some goals to be checked off from its list. At least two of those have been completed now that the Inspiration4 mission is underway, transporting four civilians around the Earth for about three days at a record-breaking altitude.
Apple may have spared no hyperbole during its big iPhone 13 event yesterday, but eager travelers may find the most useful improvements didn't get a mention in the glossy launch stream. Like last year's iPhone 12 family, there's 5G across the board from the smallest iPhone 13 mini through to the flagship iPhone 13 Pro Max, but changes in how and where you'll be able to connect could make a difference.
On September 1, 2021, Apple revealed the beginning of the list of states working to enable state ID and driver's license in Apple Wallet. Connecticut, Arizona, Iowa, Georgia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Maryland, and Utah are all in the process of making Apple Wallet an official choice for digital holding of documents like state ID and driver's licenses. Apple is also working with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to enable "select airport security checkpoints in participating airports" to accept this digital documentation.
![Samsung Galaxy A21 fire on a plane: Should you worry? [UPDATE: Comment from airport authority]](https://www.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/firetimes-1280x720.jpg)
A Samsung Galaxy A21 "caught on fire" in the cabin of an airplane that'd landed in Seattle this week. The Alaska Airlines flight took off from New Orleans and landed at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in the evening of August 24, 2021. The smartphone model in question has not had any previously reported incidents of this sort.
If you've dreamed about diving into the ocean's depths and exploring an ancient sunken city, Dubai has something to offer you...except it doesn't involve the ocean. The metropolis is now home to the world's deepest swimming pool, one set in a faux sunken city full of 'old' relics and ruins (and at least one car) for visitors to explore.
Space travel and space science have seen several historic milestones in the past years, from reusable rockets to the first space helicopter on Mars. But while others have their sights on longer travels, exploration, and colonization, some companies are aiming to start a new commercial industry a bit closer to Earth. Virgin Galactic just took one step closer to that goal in its latest test flight that carried not just any human into space but its own founder, Sir Richard Branson.
The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported screening a huge number of people on Thursday, July 1, marking a milestone in the US's efforts to move past the pandemic. Though the pandemic is not over and likely won't be on a worldwide basis until next year, the US has broadly offered a COVID-19 vaccination program since early spring and has since loosened many of its pandemic-related restrictions.
A lot of industries have been hit by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and, unfortunately, that has resulted in layoffs and even bankruptcies. Those that managed to survive sometimes operate with reduced workforces, including those on sometimes critical operations like long-haul flights. In lieu of that, Airbus and Cathay Pacific are working on a system that will have just one pilot at the cockpit most of the time, a system that seems to be prioritizing savings over passengers' safety and even their own employees' welfare.