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Travel rating and review site, TripAdvisor has released a summary of its trend data. The latest update shows an eight year increase in UK service standards, not a bad report card as Britain prepares for an influx of visitors for the Olympics and Jubilee celebrations. The report summary notes the rather quirky nature of accommodation in the UK as presented by mainstream media. Anyone who has stayed in a remote guest house on the edge of a city in Britian, might well have the sense that the comedy series Fawlty Towers has more than a grain of truth. The good news is that the average review rating on UK properties according to TripAdvisor are now rated among the best in Europe. So it appears that there may be less risk of being stuck in a shabby or intrusive hotel.
TripAdvisor Trend Data Sees UK Accommodation Improvement
T-Shirt of the Day: Space Invaders Flag
We may not be experts in the field of fashion, but we know an awesome t-shirt when we see one, and with the power of the Internet they're easy to find. But we've decided to make it even easier by partnering with some of the biggest brands and posting one exceptionally full-of-win t-shirt a day, every day, 'til the end of time. Or until we get bored.
Travel Search Startup Rome2Rio Raises $450,000, Goes B2B
Australian travel search technology startup Rome2Rio has raised $450,000 in funding from an unnamed online travel agency in Asia and Melbourne entrepreneurs Guy King and Bevan Clark (who founded and sold RetailMeNot). In addition, the company has appointed one of its advisors to interim CEO, namely Viator founder and former CEO Rod Cuthbert. Rome2Rio lets users input a starting point and a destination, and subsequently serves up multiple alternatives for the trip, scouring flights, trains, buses, ferries and driving routes in the process. See video below to see it in action.
This was an interesting week in the media world – perhaps not as eventful as the previous ones, but certainly as thoughtful. From theoretical debates to court battles, here’s our recap of the latest hot topics. The death of TV commercials? Dish Network’s Auto Hop may be popular among the company’s customers, but the same isn’t true of content providers. As a matter of fact, Fox finally decided to file a lawsuit against Dish – and competitors could soon follow. Shortly after the ad-skipping feature was launched, media conglomerates such as CBS had already voiced their concern about this potential threat to their business model.
This Week in Media: A Need for Reinvention
Although Microsoft may have never intended to become a hardware company, it has quietly grown into one in many ways, from the constantly evolving peripherals it creates to the popular Xbox entertainment center. And while the Xbox hails from a different division, “Microsoft Hardware” itself has recently turned 30, and to celebrate, we’re traveling back in time to peek at some of its work — the good (pretty and new) and the bad (ugly and old). From the 1983 goofy (and rather heavy) Microsoft Mouse and the 1994 Philippe Starck experiment to the surprisingly comfortable Arc Touch Mouse and similarly named Touch Mouse, here are the highlights: 1983: The Microsoft Mouse is born. 1999: Microsoft introduces the first optical mouse products.
30 Years of Microsoft Hardware: From Mice to Men
Imagine your surprise if you showed up to work one day to find a portrait of Prime Minister Stephen Harper—in the nude—hanging in your office. That’s what happened to Chief Librarian Patricia Enright of the Kingston, Ont. Public Library.
Harper nude causes controversy in Kingston, ON
Google Sued in Brazil, Lawyers Answer with Risotto Recipe
Google’s lawyers accidentally included a risotto recipe in an appeal submitted to Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice (STJ), the Brazilian website G1 reports . Here’s the offending document as published by G1: We checked for ourselves, and can confirm it happened, as proven by an official authorization to withdraw the page that contains “a risotto recipe ” from the filing, “since it doesn’t belong and is not related to the present process.” Thanks for the clarification, Madam Justice Andrighi! Fun apart, this story is a good example of the legal risks Google incurs in Brazil. In this process, it is being sued by an individual who argues that the company failed to take action when he reported offensive content posted on its first social network, Orkut.
Juicy rumor coming from Pocket-lint this morning: Facebook is reportedly eyeing a takeover of desktop , tablet and smartphone browser maker Opera Software . Citing an unnamed source, Pocket-lint says the social network juggernaut is considering an outright acquisition of the Norwegian software company to accelerate a move onto the battlefields where the browser wars between Microsoft, Google, Mozilla, Apple and since recently Yahoo are being fought. But not so fast. First of all, we asked Opera Software for an official response on the report, and a spokesperson declined to comment.
Facebook To Buy Opera? Maybe. Here's What We Hear.
Seven 'Must Follow' Sports Teams on Social Media
When you think of sports fans, passion is one of the first things that comes to mind. When you think of active social media participants, passion comes to mind just as quickly. This is both a blessing and a curse for sports teams. When things are going well for a sports team, social media channels provide them with a ‘virtual roar’ that can be heard all over the world. But, the ‘virtual boo’ can be just as loud.CALGARY — A drunken Alberta man who passed out on the train tracks was somehow uninjured after being run over by a train on Sunday evening. The man, from Crowsnest Pass, Alta., was spotted between the rails just outside of Elko in southeast British Columbia by the Canadian Pacific train conductor who sounded the horn and hit the emergency brakes. The train couldn’t stop in time and rode over the man.
Drunken Alberta man survives after he’s run over by 26 rail cars
Good morning hoi polloi, I do trust that your week has been a good one. If not, skip this post, hit the beach, and call me in a fortnight. For the rest of us, it’s time to dig into the last 7 days of Microsoft. Unlike last week, this specific edition of This Week at Microsoft will be a return to old form. No fat, no overhype, just a good ol’ fashioned roundup. Now, ensure that you are following TNW Microsoft on both Twitter , and Facebook , and let’s get into the news.
This Week at Microsoft
Are you looking to use social media to promote your blog? Sharing your blog posts on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and even Tumblr can help your content gain significant exposure . But each social media platform is distinct with different benefits and abilities . You need a simple process to tailor your social sharing to generate as much engagement as you can on each of these platforms.
How to Promote Your Blog With Social Media
Having driven and raced a variety of vehicles from Karts to muscle cars, I consider myself a decent driver. This single lap of the 2011 Monaco Grand Prix by Red Bull team racer Sebastien Vettel just made me realize how far from a real race car driver I am. While onboard videos of racing have been around for a while, this is one of the most talented F1 drivers in the game today taking a lap in pole position, with nothing in front of him to limit his speed.
A Pants-Wetting Lap of the Monaco Grand Prix
First-Gen iPad With Dual Dock Connectors Up for Auction
Way back in October of 2010 , some curious photos surfaced that showed what appeared to be an original iPad with two dock connectors. At the time, it was hard to tell if the shots were authentic or not. Now, an eBay auction for an iPad with two connectors, one allowing the iPad to be docked horizontally, has surfaced, reports Macrumors . The auction, which is has started in the $4,800 range , is for a 16GB ‘original’ iPad prototype that appears to be running internal test software and shows two dock connectors, both of which have the appropriate hardware inside to support a connector cable. The prototype appears to be legitimate, as the Switchboard software is an internal Apple diagnostic, and the parts are seemingly all in the right place.Pearltrees videos
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