As always, our partners in data at What The Trend have provided the complete chart below. Because this is a topical list, hashtag memes and games have been omitted from the chart.
You can check past Twitter trends in our Top Twitter Topicssection as well as read more about this past week’s trends onWhat The Trend.
IPad? Check. Bluetooth headset? Check. Computerized shower? Er…really?
For the geek on the go, the 3G age offers no end of gadgety goodness. But what about the geek on the stay? What about, in short, tech hotels?
Even if you’re not a geek (and lord knows, if you’re reading this, we really can’t tell), you’ve probably often wondered what it might be like to stay at the hotel of the future. It might look something like this:
Or it might be just a regular-looking hotel that happens to be decked out with some really nifty tech features. While we were hard-pressed to find any levitating robots serving guests cocktails in bed (and believe us, we waited in bed for a long time), we did find that even (especially?) some of the most mundane elements of a hotel stay were subject to modernization.
Here, in no particular order, is a look at some of those features, and where you can find them.
1. Cell-phone-operated door locks and retinal scans
Step 1 of any hotel visit is actually getting into your room, and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is all the rage these days. What do you get when you put these two pieces of information together? Doors you can open with your cell phone, of course! (Of course.) If you’re prone to losing your keys, cards, or other stuff entrusted to you on pain of looking stupid, RFID door locks could be just what you need.
This method of gaining entry to your hotel quarters is becoming increasingly popular, showing up in such establishments as aloft Lexington in Virginia, where you can also skip check-in this way (they SMS you your room number, and you just walk in like you live there. Maybe you do. You lucky duck.)
Some places—like Boston boutique hotel Nine Zero—even have what would likely come to mind first if someone said “tech hotel”: retinal scans. Yep, the door just looks you in the eye and lets you in. Unless you’re the wrong guy. Then it shoots you with targeted lasers and summons android French maids to dispose of the body. So make sure you’ve got the right room.
(We are, of course, kidding about that last part; there are no French maids in Boston. But really, do make sure you’ve got the right room.)
2. Personalized room controls
Once you’ve made it into the room unscathed, you’ll probably want to turn on lights, open curtains, control the temperature, flip on the TV, and make phone calls. Yes, you’re a demanding one. Fortunately, tech hotels can handle your prima donna attitude. The CityCenter in Las Vegas, for instance, offers a complex system of automated room controls, tailored to the desires of each guest, that go into effect as the occupant approaches the room from outside: Lights, curtains, TV channels, climate control, and music are programmed to fit your needs.
Other hotels might not be as snazzy, but quite a few offer a “master remote” that controls all of the above from one little console. Okay, sure, you have to press buttons. Life’s tough sometimes. Hey, maybe you can train your poodle to do it for you.
Source: http://www.digitaltrends.com/features/high-tech-hotels/
Source: http://tv.about.com/od/accesspries/tp/TopRemotes.htm
3. Guest sensors
So you’ve got your room just the way you want it—not too hot, cold, bright, dim, or on fire. But at some point, you’re going to want to leave. Or come back. In such cases, it’s useful to have a guest sensor.
Hotel 1000 in Seattle, Washington, has one of these spiffy gadgets, which do just what they say they do: sense when guests enter or leave a room, and adjust the room settings accordingly to save energy. Since it can tell when there’s nobody there, it can also inform hotel staff of good times to change the sheets, vacuum the floors, or spit in the coffee-maker if you’re a lousy tipper.
4. Cisco TelePresence rooms
Want to see your business colleagues across the globe in real time on life-size screens? No? Oh.
Well, if you change your mind, a number of different hotels, including the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers and the Westin Los Angeles Airport, now offer Cisco TelePresence rooms, which let you do exactly that. It’s almost like being there in person. Only you don’t know if anybody’s wearing pants.
5. Camcorders
Just because the cell phone you used to open the door has video capability, it doesn’t mean you have to waste your own batteries. Several Rosewood Hotels boast Flip UltraHD Camcorders in the rooms, and they’ll even upload your stuff for you when you leave. Goodbye, having to “rent” a camcorder from Sears (oh, that 90-day return policy…); hello, using hotel property.
6. Green exercise bikes that get you free food
This one’s new. It turns out that the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Denmark offers meal vouchers to guests who spend about 15 minutes on an exercise bike—that powers the hotel. Apparently, busting your buns on the pedals can generate about 10 watt hours of electricity, and that’s good enough for the hotel to give you $36 worth of food (“Thank you, ma’am, your contribution is keeping the pool heated. Please stuff your face as a token of our appreciation”). That’s pretty awesome—you get to lose weight, then gain some of it back, then burn it off again, all while maintaining the environment and the lighting levels in your room.
source: http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20100416/danish-hotel-lets-guests-generate-power-meals/
7. Wii, Guitar Hero, and other video game madness!
Yes, geeks need their video games, and they are relentless. And the rest of humanity? They like video games, too. So a Nintendo Wii is a bare minimum at hotels these days, and if you can get in a Guitar Hero and Rock Band setup and massive gaming screens, like in Chicago’s Hotel Sax, you have officially earned your geek-tel title. Having a Wii handy also opens the door to all kinds of terrible puns—and really, isn’t gaming all about imagination?
8. Mirrors that do cool stuff
When you shave half-naked in your hotel bathroom, it’s just you and your reflection. But now, it can be you, your reflection, and Katie Couric! TV mirrors are getting pretty mainstream in hotels, such as The Flamingo in Las Vegas, and while they’re a pretty simple idea—a two-way mirror with an LCD TV behind it—they look awfully funky. And even though your mother probably told you not to smudge up the mirror with your fingerprints, many of these are equipped with touch-screen technology. So yes, you can touch it. We won’t tell (snicker).
Speaking of mothers, you also have a good example of necessity begetting invention in the ever-useful defogging mirrors. Anyone who’s had to stand there smudging the mirror in vain while trying not to slice their ear off with the electric razor or burn their towels with the inextinguishable hair-dryer will appreciate a mirror that does just what it’s supposed to: show you your face. Or anything else you, ah…feel like looking at.
9. Rotating rooms
Croatia. It’s what nobody would think of if you asked about technology kings of the world—unless, of course, they’ve heard about the rotating hotel rooms at the Solta Island resort, which give everybody a view of the Adriatic Sea for at least some part of the day. It’s no Gravitron—you won’t stick to the walls or anything—but you will rotate with the building 1.3 times daily, and you’ll definitely get your money’s worth if you came for the view.
Source: http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=12524
10. Mini pop-up hotel
Welcome to the hotel that’s on the go more than you are: a sleek, metallic Airstream caravan with all the trimmings (http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/worlds-smallest-pop-up-hotel-to-visit-london-01-03-2010/). Yes, this displaced mini-hotel is so modern it’s postmodern, and it came to London last March so people could fight tooth and nail to win a place inside. It’s only 29 ft. x 7 ft., so there isn’t much room, but it does contain a flat-screen TV, sound system, and a devoted staff of real people, among other luxuries.
Where will it show up next? Probably in space.
| Argentina vs Germany; Paraguay-Spain clashes today |
| Saturday, July 03, 2010 |
 CAPE TOWN: In the FIFA World Cup third quarter-final today, Argentina will take on Gerrmany in Cape Town at 1930 hours. The fourth quarter-final between Spain and Paraguay will be played in Johannesburg at Midnight tonight.On Friday, five-time champions Brazil made a shocking exit losing to the Netherlands 1-2, and Uruguay defeated Ghana 4-2 in a pulsating penalty shoot out. In the first match in Port Elizabeth, Brazil took a 10th minute lead through Robinho and dominated the first half against a Dutch team which initially looked outclassed. But Felipe Melo scored an unfortunate own goal in the 53rd minute, which was a killer blow for Brazil. Then Dutch midfielder Sneijder headed home the match-winner in the 68th minute to break the Brazillians’ hearts. Shortly afterwards, Melo was sent off for stamping on Arjen Robben. With the win, the Netherlands marched into the semi-finals—-avenging their quarter-final losses against Brazil in 1994 and 1998. The Netherlands were the losing finalists in 1974 and 1978. In the second quarter-final in Johannesburg, Uruguay claimed their first World Cup semi-final appearance in 40 years when they recorded a 4-2 penalty shoot win over heartbroken Ghana. Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera saved two spot kicks from skipper John Mensah and Dominic Adiyah after the match had been locked 1-1 after extra time. Ghana could have won the match in the last minute of extra-time but leading scorer Asamoah Gyan sent a penalty crashing off the crossbar after rival player Luis Suarez had been sent off for deliberate handball on the goal-line. Ghana were bidding to become the first African team to win through to the semi-finals of the World Cup after Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002 had fallen in the last eight. Now, Uruguay will clash with the Netherlands in the first semi-final in Cape Town on July 6. |
| Updated at: 1200 PST, Saturday, July 03, 2010 | ||
 ISLAMABAD: The metrological department has issued advisory predicating the pre-monsoon rains will start coming down in upper parts of country from today, Geo news reported.Those areas anticipated to receive showers with thunderstorms included Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Kashmir, upper Punjab and areas located in lower Sindh. Federal Capital Islamabad will receive heavy downpours on Sunday, met office said. | ||
| Updated at: 1005 PST, Saturday, July 03, 2010 CAPE TOWN: In the FIFA World Cup third quarter-final today, Argentina will take on Gerrmany in Cape Town at 1930 hours. The fourth quarter-final between Spain and Paraguay will be played in Johannesburg at Midnight tonight. On Friday, five-time champions Brazil made a shocking exit losing to the Netherlands 1-2, and Uruguay defeated Ghana 4-2 in a pulsating penalty shoot out. In the first match in Port Elizabeth, Brazil took a 10th minute lead through Robinho and dominated the first half against a Dutch team which initially looked outclassed. But Felipe Melo scored an unfortunate own goal in the 53rd minute, which was a killer blow for Brazil. Then Dutch midfielder Sneijder headed home the match-winner in the 68th minute to break the Brazillians’ hearts. Shortly afterwards, Melo was sent off for stamping on Arjen Robben. With the win, the Netherlands marched into the semi-finals—-avenging their quarter-final losses against Brazil in 1994 and 1998. The Netherlands were the losing finalists in 1974 and 1978. In the second quarter-final in Johannesburg, Uruguay claimed their first World Cup semi-final appearance in 40 years when they recorded a 4-2 penalty shoot win over heartbroken Ghana. Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera saved two spot kicks from skipper John Mensah and Dominic Adiyah after the match had been locked 1-1 after extra time. Ghana could have won the match in the last minute of extra-time but leading scorer Asamoah Gyan sent a penalty crashing off the crossbar after rival player Luis Suarez had been sent off for deliberate handball on the goal-line. Ghana were bidding to become the first African team to win through to the semi-finals of the World Cup after Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002 had fallen in the last eight. Now, Uruguay will clash with the Netherlands in the first semi-final in Cape Town on July 6. |
 |
Updated at: 0944 PST, Saturday, July 03, 2010 SINGAPORE: Haw Par Villa, also known as the Tiger Balm Gardens has to be one of the weirdest tourist spots you can find in Southeast Asia, and the weirdest in Singapore.Aw Boob Haw and Aw Boon Par, the two brothers behind the famous Tiger Balm, built the Haw Par Villa in 1937. It featured over 1,000 statues and 150 dioramas inspired from Chinese folklore, history and mythology, and quickly became an attraction for people who appreciated Chinese culture. Although it was a huge place, Haw Par Villa was always full of people taking pictures of its weird-looking exhibits and kids running around holding balloons. That was 20 years ago, because now Singapore’s weird theme park is almost deserted. But just because this place lost its glow doesn’t mean it’s not worth a visit, especially if you’re into offbeat attractions. I mean this place will really blow your mind, with statues like a woman breastfeeding her father in law, armed monkeys, or the human faced giant crab. Now these apparently do make some sense if you’ve read up on Chinese mythology, but to an uneducated guy like me they just look freaky. Not to mention the Ten Stages of Hell exhibit, a place that will creep the hell out of a grownup, let alone a child. According to Chinese mythology, a soul must pass through ten courts of judgment, before being allowed into heaven, and Haw Par Villa has very detailed representations of these trials. As you’re about to see, they are not pretty. All in all, Haw Par Villa is still considered a must-see attraction for people fond of Chinese culture, and efforts are being made to restore it to its former glory. |
|
Updated at: 0915 PST, Saturday, July 03, 2010 MUMBAI: After period of marital discord, Arshad Warsi has finally settled up with his wife Maria Goretti. They will announce their restoration in a dance reality show, ‘Zara Nach Ke Dikha’ where the couple will be performing together. They are rehearsing for the show and seem quite happy. They will declare on the show that they are starting their relationship in a fresh way.Arshad and Maria’s relationship had gone kaput after the link-up reports of Arshad and Dia Mirza spread far and wide. But now things have settled up. When contacted, Arshad confirmed, "Yes, Maria and I are rehearsing for the grand finale of Zara Nachke Dikha. It's a very tough job. Ever since I started acting and Maria had our babies. we haven't danced on a public platform. It's been very long and hence this new thing is very tough on the body". Arshad confirms differences with his wife, he said, "Well, we have had our fights. But which couple doesn't? We are very happy now and that's all that matters." All well that ends well. Arshad and Maria are blessed with two sons. |
view AAMIR KHAN UNVEILS |
