Cybersecurity has changed both in nature and velocity during the COVID-10 pandemic. Hackers used COVID-19 to contact hotels under the guise of safety and security suggesting products to sell. There have also been an increase in phishing attacks at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The threats targeted financial instruments such as loyalty points conduct fraud, to credit card information. The good news is both Hyatt and Choice hotels have executives that buy into the importance of cybersecurity.

New technology is working to fix the global garbage problem. AMP Robotics has processed more than 1 billion recyclable objects in a year with their computer technology. Robotics and artificial intelligence sort through recycling to ensure the waste is disposed of properly. Matanya Horowitz, founder/CEO of AMP Robotics said, "If you reduce the cost of sorting, the margin you can extract on all those materials increases and you naturally find incentive to capture that material." Another way technology is enhancing the garbage industry is through the Association of Plastic Recyclers by designing packaging that can be recycled. Also, developing compostable containers and eliminating single-use plastics which is what the company Footprint is working on.

Apple announced Monday during their WWDC21 conference privacy-focused features and apps that will be coming for devices that have iOS15 or MacOS Monterey operating systems. These features include no tracking pixels which means the mail app will run images through proxy servers to defeat tracking pixels that tell marketers where and when messages were opened. Another feature will be private relay which hides users IP addresses which are used to infer location. Hide my email is another new privacy feature that will allow iCloud subscribers to create temporary anonymous email accounts to use instead of their real email address. Another new privacy feature is app privacy report which will tell you which servers apps are connected to as well as how often the apps use the microphone and camera.

Sergio's in West Kendall in South Florida has implemented ASTRO - short for Automated Service Tray Removal Organizer. The restaurant wasn't filling enough vacancies and their employees felt burnt out so they reached out to Bear Robotics who specialized in automated robots for the restaurant and hospitality industry. ASTRO earns $2-3 hourly and was "hired" to help the human worker, not replace them. The goal is for ASTRO to do grunt work like rushing food and returning dirty dishes. Higueros, of Bear Robotics, said, "The human interaction is never going to be replaced - that's what you want. You want your servers to spend time with your customers."

Delta Air Lines and Sabre will be working together on a multiyear deal to improve indirect distribution channels. As Jeff Lobl said, the intention is to unlock innovation and reward investment as well as enhance the customer experience. Traditionally airlines pay a flat fee to GDSs but this model will be based more on what is being sold.

SpaceX created Starlink to offer high-speed cheap internet to anywhere in the world. One satellite talks to four others using lasers as they orbit Earth to create ku-band and ka-band broadband connectivity. There will of course be a massive network of ground-based stations. Users in the beta for Starlink have reported they're achieving download speeds of 100mbps and upload speeds of 20mpbs with latency at or below 31 milliseconds. The goal for Starlink is to be 10gbps.

As we see more and more venues reopening for in-person events with COVID-19 restrictions being lifted, technology is helping to guide the way to ensure a safe event for guests. Technology firms have developed tools that feature contact tracing, COVID-19 vaccination test results tracking, health surveys, etc. With this technology, there are many reporting tools as well that include making sure their health objectives are being met and contacting those who may have been exposed.