This article discusses how new developments in technology are changing sustainability initiatives. However, in contrast to many of the discussions this week this article is not talking about sustainable trends in the technology industry but rather how technology can help encourage sustainability in other markets as well. For example, in this case the article is discussing how developments in apps and online sharing have created a whole new network of people buying and selling used and repurposed items on line. These kinds of applications are rewriting the meaning of a "new" item and helping to increase the useful life of items and decrease the amount consumed. Often times it seems people shop simply for the novelty of purchasing something new and exciting purchasing a used item from someone else can create this same feeling as it will be a new item for the person purchasing however this is a more sustainable supply line as the items are not simply thrown out after one period of usefulness. This new second hand market is also highlighting how much longer of a useful life many items have beyond that of their first owner.

This article investigates the purpose of biometrics and how they can be put to use in the hospitality industry. Biometrics are often seen as the most secure method of identity verification, but with that comes the fact that this information is incredibly private and an very high security risk for the company holding it. It also discusses some of the challenges and difficulties companies may face in their implementation. It specifically focuses on different pieces of legislature that may limit the use of biometric data and what this means for employee and customer safety. This article concludes by acknowledging the fact that if biometrics continue to rise in technological prominence then a federal law should be put into place to designate its use.

This article discussed research done on the integration of AR into shopping experiences and highlights the discrepancies between company and customer perceptions. While companies seem to continue to be hesitant to invest in AR technology, consumers are certainly chomping at the bit to try it out. In the survey done for this article it would appear that AR technology is incredibly helpful for virtual try on especially during the pandemic as in store shopping has slowed down and even when in stores consumers would be hesitant to try on clothes or makeup that had been touched by someone else. The results showed that this virtual try on experience was especially helpful for lesser known brands as the ease of trying on virtually meant people often tried brands beyond those they would usually purchase. For hotels this could mean greater interest even without a large brand backing so AR technology could be important for smaller independent hotels. For hotels AR technology could not only help set them apart from other hotels but also could increase consumer confidence during booking as it takes a little bit more out of the mystery of booking a hotel room. Giving guests the ability to "walk" the hotel and visualize where they fit in could definitely increase bookings.

This article evaluates the past and current roles of GDS in the travel and tourism industry. It is clear that the GDS has adapted and changed with the times and now is able to do even more than at its initial conception. However, as the article pointed out the all the functions of the GDS it is clear that OTA's ad websites are also able to provide a lot of these same functions. We discussed this week whether the GDS system is still currently a relevant system and most agreed that it is. However, as we look to the future it will be interesting to see what evolutions the GDS has yet to go through and how it will attempt to remain relevant in the ever changing tourism market.

This paper discusses the increasing usage of the mobile wallet in restaurants and how this technology is changing how restaurants operate. The main disruption the mobile wallet is causing are challenges for smaller restaurants to remain competitive without offering mobile payment options. Larger franchises have easier access to funds necessary to make the switch while smaller operations struggle to fund needed technological upgrades. In addition to this, while many find offering mobile payment options to be a competitive advantage, this paper has shown that people rarely exclusively use mobile payment methods as most continue to also use physical cards and even cash. This makes it difficult for many managers to justify the expenditure on mobile payment systems because while lacking them may make your competitors that do more appealing, acquiring mobile payment methods may not actually increase your customer base at all.