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Vita Mojo allows diners to create a fully customized meal via an in-store iPad at any of their three London locations, or using the restaurant’s app.

The SaaS product lets food establishments track PoS data at a granular level. Since all meals created with the Vita Mojo system are modular, businesses can get a better sense of exactly which foods — not just which meals — are most popular. They can also predict future sales, reduce food waste, and see what ingredients are trending (cough, kale) in order to better inform recipe creation.

Plum units house two bottles of wine, preserved for up to 90 days using argon gas, and automatically tracks, bills and alerts staff to replace an empty bottle using cloud technology. With the high cost of labor for room service and low capture rates of mini-bars, Plum is a welcome evolution to drive F&B profits.

Most people are familiar with the concept of a dead man's switch that, for example, activates the emergency brake should a London Underground train driver become incapacitated. There are many different technologies across multiple machines from the trains mentioned above right through to chainsaws. Unsurprisingly, laptop computers haven't been on the list until now. Software engineer and sysadmin, Michael Altfield, has created a cheap "kill cord" that can trigger a laptop to self-destruct if stolen by a snatch and grab thief. What's more, you can make your own for just $20 (£15) but there's an important caveat: this is for Linux laptops, not those running macOS or Windows.

Most people are familiar with the concept of a dead man's switch that, for example, activates the emergency brake should a London Underground train driver become incapacitated.

Most people are familiar with the concept of a dead man's switch that, for example, activates the emergency brake should a London Underground train driver become incapacitated.

There are many different technologies across multiple machines from the trains mentioned above right through to chainsaws. Unsurprisingly, laptop computers haven't been on the list until now. Software engineer and sysadmin, Michael Altfield, has created a cheap "kill cord" that can trigger a laptop to self-destruct if stolen by a snatch and grab thief. What's more, you can make your own for just $20 (£15) but there's an important caveat: this is for Linux laptops, not those running macOS or Windows.

Although laptops can crash, the consequences will likely not be as devastating as a runaway train incident. So why would anyone want a "kill cord" for their laptop? Good question, and one answered by software engineer Michael Altfield in his blog posting that describes how he made one.

if you were doing some online banking or accessing your work network via a VPN, the opportunity to monetize the theft becomes apparent. That scenario isn't far-fetched either.

Nick Pickles, director of Big Brother Watch, said: "I am pleased the City of London has called a halt to this scheme, but questions need to be asked about how such a blatant attack on people's privacy was able to occur in the first place.

When customers sit down there are white spots for plates and an individual ‘e-cloth’ for each table. Customers use a touch panel to order food and drink or change their table top to one of the seven other patterns available.

menus have been exceptionally clearly designed and should be both intuitive and fool-proof for users!’ Project Designer Benjamin Webb commented.

Over the past year, GDS by SiteMinder powered nearly 200,000 reservations worth over $60 million in hotel revenue, showing how effective global distribution systems are in bringing guests hotels wouldn’t otherwise attract, especially from Monday to Friday when properties need business most.

Mr Lewis-Purcell has spearheaded SiteMinder’s dedicated GDS function over the last 12 months, growing the total number of GDS by SiteMinder hotel users from 250 to almost nine hundred.

GDS by SiteMinder uniquely brings cloud-based technology together with legacy GDSs that are as relevant today as they were thirty years ago, to provide hotels an incomparable total distribution platform. It’s now used by about sixty percent more hotels than our industry’s most renowned soft brands.

GDS by SiteMinder provides hotels a single point of entry to the world’s major global distribution system providers – Sabre, Amadeus and Travelport – and travel agent network. In addition to sales and marketing representation, hotel users of the GDS connection receive free consortia advice, account management and local customer support.

"I think that you will begin to see more hotels going to RFID and smartphone entry before using biosystem recognition," says Wolfe. "These systems are expensive, and there are many consumers who just don't want this information stored somewhere -- for a variety of reasons."

Systems that track the other qualities that make each human unique are in development as well.

Yet more card-free security systems are on the way.

Many industry watchers are keeping an eye on Houston's largest hotel, the vast 1,200-room Hilton Americas–Houston. The hotel has a facial recognition system that can identify and track guests, employees, and even suitcases. With 700 employees and an annual $16 million payroll, the system offers benefits such as employee time-theft monitoring and prevention for the hotel. But travelers aren't that concerned about employees taking an extra cigarette break. What it means for you is that the system includes alerts if unwanted people are on the property and a response time of mere seconds if there's an incident. Customer service is heightened as well: Returning guests will be recognized and greeted by name. And with 1,200 rooms worth of luggage in transit, the system makes it a lot easier to find lost or misdirected bags.

not everyone wants to be on-camera, all the time. With concerns about "snooping" and a Truman Show-like lack of privacy, might guests feel that systems such as this are too intrusive in our hotels? "

Technology is opening new doors to hotel safety, and the way we navigate hotels is set to change in the blink of an eye. Or the swipe of a cellphone. Or the print of a finger. With futuristic systems like scent and iris scanners and digital facial-recognition, hotel security is being taken to the next level. #plain_module { width: 590px; height:170px; border: none; float:left; margin:0px; font-size:12px;} #plain_module img {border:none; width: 13px; height:14; border: 0px; margin:0px; } #plain_module .mini_main { margin: 0px; padding:0px; width:585px; height:220px; repeat scroll 0 0} #plain_module .mini_item_header {padding:10px 0px; margin: 0px 0px; font-size:16px; color: #555555; border-bottom:1px dotted #CCCCCC;} #plain_module .mini_item {padding:5px 0px; margin: 0px 0px;} #plain_module a { color: #49A3CA; text-decoration:none; } #plain_module a:hover { color: #F98419; text-decoration:underline;} span.gray {color:#949494;} .mini_main li{list-style-type: none;background-image: url(http://www.aolcdn.com/travel/bullet);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: 0 1px;padding-left: 10px;} Those plastic key cards that once seemed so innovative will soon go the way of the actual key. The new thing is contact-less Smartcards and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) cards that need just be waved to allow room access. Much like the cruise world's one card system, these cards may soon make hotel stays easier by allowing guests to pay for services, as well as to check-in and check-out, through a single device. Travelers may even be able to save preferences on the cards, from pillow type to floor choice. RFID cards are already in use at New York's Plaza Hotel, and Starwood Hotels are considering introducing them into their hip Aloft and Element properties. But travelers worried they will constantly have to traipse back to reception every time they lose their card need not despair. Security systems in some hotels do away with cards altogether. "In addition to Radio Frequency Identification, there are also systems that use a smartphone, such as an iPhone," says Frank Wolfe, CEO of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals. "When a guest checks into a hotel and provides their phone number, they get an encrypted sound code via text message." You can then play back the code to unlock your room door.

Systems that track the other qualities that make each human unique are in development as well. Movement-activated video-capture systems were showcased in New Zealand in September 2010. Researchers are at work on devices capable of recognizing an individual's gait or walk and even their DNA. Frank Wolfe says, "If you want to go 'way out there', there are some systems being explored that can allegedly sniff someone, and also systems that can recognize the pattern of blood veins on a human being which are apparently unique to the individual," says Wolfe. Quite common in Japan, vascular-recognition systems such as this are still "several years off," according to Wolfe. "I think that you will begin to see more hotels going to RFID and smartphone entry before using biosystem recognition," says Wolfe. "These systems are expensive, and there are many consumers who just don't want this information stored somewhere -- for a variety of reasons."

Hyper-personalisation will drive much high-end retail and leisure experiences in the future

It’s a contradiction for sure, but technology will deliver what the hotel guest of the future will desire most, authenticity.

The design ethos, eco and energy awareness, food and customer service expectations of the discerning hotel guest a decade hence will still be central to their choice.

Green hotels are designed to control and monitor indoor air quality which has been a growing concern within the hospitality industry. Many green hotels have opted to pursue LEED certification which addresses major design concerns in order to improve health and wellbeing while lowering operating costs.

Waste disposal is becoming a growing operational expense across many industries and these practices are not only environmentally friendly but they improve the bottom line of green hotels as well.

Not only does the system produce heat and electricity but it converts the food waste into a nutrient-rich fertilizer as well.

This open-source data sharing program has been pinnacle in gathering information and creating company-wide green solutions and practices that not only improve Fairmont’s value but unites their company globally.

The Rubens at the Palace hotel in London installed the city’s largest living wall in an effort to combat the chronic stormwater run-off problem they’ve been experiencing due to vanishing green spaces.

he hospitality industry is also one known for producing exorbitant amounts of waste.

In order to make more green, here are some of the tactics within the headlines of late that are being used to keep up with the sustainable practices to woo this generation, and those others to come.

Thanks to technology, hotels have been making strides to becoming more environmentally friendly without breaking the bank.

According to Forbes, millennials consider social responsibility and environmental friendliness when making their purchases, so brands have to rise to these significant expectations millennials have when it comes to spending their money.

Through the use of an intelligent camera, smart scales and AI-based smart meter technology, Winnow Vision analyses ingredients during food preparation, as well as plates returned to the kitchen, to assess which food items are most wasted and in what quantities.

Cruises Also Taking a Stand with Tech

the cruise line is implementing technology to help reduce its ecological impact including clean LNG as fuel on its new ships, installing an Advanced Emission Purification system on most of its fleet, making progress with its program to eliminate single-use plastics, and is increasing its number of ships that are zero landfill capable

Hotels Continue to Innovate

According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) trend survey released earlier this year, supporting sustainable initiatives remains important to the lodging industry as a whole.

This tells us that hotels need to continue to innovate and the future of technology in hospitality has to be green, or those brands that do not adopt to these emerging standards face being left behind.

pure pay-for-performance model

We built Pathway to offer a one-stop solution. By connecting once with Pathway GDS, both suppliers and distributors gain access to multiple business partners through one connection.

The whole rationale for the business is to generate incremental bookings for our suppliers and distributors.

Pathway GDS believes its technology has the potential to stretch to other markets, having the benefit of being a distribution system built for suppliers and retailers rather than airlines.

“What we’re seeing is a whole new delivery model, but the benefits for the customer is the direct savings involved.”

Livebookings have worked tirelessly on developing their mobile platform in recent months, and Colin Tenwick has found himself talking up Cloud Computing more and more as their system expands and other industries start to make the switch to the new IT infrastructure.