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Malaysian Reserve
3 hours ago
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
Five new travel tools to save time and money this summer
New AI-powered travel services that promise customised itineraries and access to the best prices, at your disposal by LEBAWIT LILY GIRMA LONG before there was ChatGPT, you'd have to visit an actual brick-and-mortar travel agency to craft and book your dream itinerary. This month, travel agency Fora has brought that nostalgic experience back to the modern era with a pop-up location — open through May 29 — in New York City. It's more like Soho House than the old AAA mainstays where you'd pick up road maps, with luxury hotel brands and tourism boards carrying out elaborate activations while Fora agents brainstorm vacation ideas with clients at a communal workstation. Yet the reality is that most travellers this summer won't talk to human travel agents face-to-face, or even online, as they plan their trips. Rather, generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools will increasingly play a role in helping us decide where to go. A 2024 survey from global consulting firm Oliver Wyman LLC showed more than 41% of travellers from the US and Canada had recently used this emerging technology for trip inspiration and design — up 30% from a year earlier. (One travel agency is embracing that inevitability, using AI to help turn your emotions into itineraries.) If the latest suite of trip-planning tools is any indication, that percentage is sure to rise. A vast improvement in AI language models is adapting quickly to the ways we research our vacations. Take Gem, a new feature of Google's Gemini that functions like a virtual travel agent, or Mindtrip, a collaborative itinerary builder that helps you map out trips with friends — the latter even uses Instagram images as fodder for inspiration. Other AI tools help travellers land the best hotel rates and airfares. Of course, AI models don't yet match the power of human travel advisors who have the pulse on their destinations and can help you identify your precise wants, but they've come a long way. Here are the latest tools we've tested ahead of summer travel season and what we've found most useful. A Google-powered Travel Concierge Since 2023, Google LLC has been steadily expanding the capabilities of Gemini, its AI-powered assistant. Free with a Google account, Gemini now lets you create a custom 'Gem' for your trips — essentially a digital 'concierge' that remembers your preferences, whether you're into modern art, off-the-beaten-path adventures or local eats. Unlike Google Search, which excels at surfacing static information, it's designed for open-ended, conversational brainstorming even if you're starting with a vague idea, all while pulling from the personal profile you've fed it. Gemini of course then connects with your Gmail, Google Drive, Maps, Flights, Hotels and even YouTube. This means your itineraries, booking receipts and inspiration sources can all live in one ecosystem — and can be shared with a click. After setting up my Gem and filling in my travel quirks — nature over museums, boutique hotels over big brands and no overly touristy sights — I asked it to plan a long, four-day weekend from Washington, DC, to Belize, a destination I know well. My additional search parameters: A vibrant local food scene and outdoorsy activities unique to the country. Gemini suggested staying in the mountain town of San Ignacio, with a day trip to the island of Caye Caulker. The itinerary leaned heavily on Mayan sites and iconic rainforest lodges that were more remotely located in the jungle than I would have liked, while noting that I could opt for a boutique hotel closer to town. It also failed to take distance into account when it crammed the island excursion into the same day as my return flight from Belize. Once I clarified that I was more interested in hiking and snorkelling, Gemini steered me toward Hopkins Village instead of San Ignacio. With reef access and cultural experiences offered by the local Indigenous Garifuna community, it was a much better fit. Running that request a second time yielded an entirely different (but equally credible) itinerary, a reminder that these models don't always produce identical results. When I got more granular, asking for 'community-run experiences' in Hopkins, San Ignacio and Caye Caulker, I hit a limitation: Cultural tours in smaller Belizean towns often exist informally, my AI concierge said, passed through word of mouth or local networks rather than marketed online. It then listed specific search terms to use and recommended I ask around while there. Mindtrip is built specifically for travel planning, combining generative AI with content fact-checked by team of human staffers (Source: Mindtrip) An All-in-one Travel Planner Unlike all-purpose chatbots, Mindtrip was built specifically for travel planning, combining generative AI with content fact-checked by an actual team of human staffers, plus a visual interface that pulls maps, reviews, images and itineraries into a single screen. A quiz at the start asks for basic personal information and travel preferences — if you're an early bird or a night owl, for instance — which helps refine recommendations that are pulled from web searches as well as a library of roughly 25,000 human-curated destination guides. You can then chat with it to refine your options. Use a simple menu on the left side of the screen to add places of interest and reorder them on your itinerary, which is on the right side of the screen, with a simple drag. You can even invite family or friends into your itinerary, so you can co-design the trip and stay on the same page. 'A lot of what's happening in generative AI is very text-based,' said Michelle Denogean, Mindtrip Inc's chief marketing officer. Mindtrip's results are showcased on a split screen — a numbered list appears on the left, with bolded text and blue check marks next to the places and activities it recommends, and a colour map shows up on the right, with all those places pinned. Its value becomes even clearer once you ask more targeted questions. When I searched for community-run experiences in Hopkins, San Ignacio and Caye Caulker, Mindtrip outperformed Google's Gemini. In Hopkins it surfaced the Lebeha Drumming Centre, a popular spot for taking Garifuna drum lessons. It also suggested the Palmento Grove Garifuna Eco-Cultural & Healing Institute, where I learned on a previous trip to make 'hudut' — a coconut-based fish stew served with mashed green plantains. In San Ignacio it recommended Ajaw Chocolate, where you can make your own chocolate and learn about the history of cacao in Belize, as well as the town's farmers market on Saturdays. I found its results more accurate than some competitors'; it was able to flag that restaurants in stories I was reading had closed permanently, for example, thanks to its fact-checking army that keeps listings up to date. A Hotel Price Tracker This one is simple but useful. If you're familiar with tracking flight prices on Google, you'll appreciate that, as of March, you're now able to do that for hotels as well. Navigate to Google's hotels search page, enter the destination and dates and toggle 'track hotel prices'. Kayak offers a similar hotel price-tracking tool. Run a search for places in a specific destination, and you'll find the option to get alerts when prices change at the top of the results page. An Instagram Reel-inspired Itinerary Ever saved an Instagram reel in hopes of re-creating a trip or trying an activity you saw? The new 'Trip Matching' tool from Expedia Group Inc aims to do exactly that. Open the reel, hit the share button and send it directly to @expedia on the Instagram app. You'll then open your direct message with Expedia, and within a couple of minutes you'll get a suggested itinerary based on what's in the reel you shared. I tested this process with a reel I made from my 2023 trip to Morocco that merely shows two guitarists' minute-long performance at the family-owned luxury boutique hotel Riad Kniza in Marrakech. Expedia churned out a small description of the hotel, followed by the best time to visit and a list of top things to do in the area — with links to the activities on Expedia — as well as hidden gems and a four-day itinerary 'to experience Marrakesh magic without rushing'. The downside: There were no specific tour providers or links included for the itinerary beyond the hotels, so you'll have to run that extra leg of research elsewhere. The suggestions leaned toward cultural activities, including exploring the Medina, a 'hammam' spa treatment and a Moroccan cooking class, but it also suggested 'hidden gems' such as the Jardin Secret, a less crowded alternative to Jardin Majorelle. When I pushed further and asked for specific providers I could book with, it said to contact vendors directly — La Maison Arabe for a cooking class, Les Bains de Marrakech and Spa Royal Mansour — or go to Expedia. That makes this tool more of a fun starting point than a one-stop shop. The free version of Going will deliver alerts when any domestic deals pop up, while also letting you track specific routes on exact dates (pic: Bloomberg) An Airfare Insider App OK, this one isn't AI, but you should download it anyway if you're eyeing airfare closely, as many people are this summer. The free version of Going will deliver alerts when any domestic deals pop up, while also letting you track specific routes on exact dates. A premium subscription (US$4.08 [RM17.83] per month) adds international flight deal alerts, including 'mistake fares' that occasionally surface at super steep discounts, while the Elite membership (US$16.58 per month) adds deals on first- and business-class fares. Another new feature, 'Going With Points', helps you find and book flight deals with points and miles. Since I signed up for a premium trial over the past week, the app has sent me a US$453 mistake fare to New Delhi — an economy round-trip flight from San Francisco on Air India, with a layover — bookable via Google Flights, plus a US$265 round-trip flight from Washington Dulles International Airport to Costa Rica, which it recommended booking within two days. Not on the app? Sign up on Going's website, and it will email you these alerts too. — Bloomberg This article first appeared in The Malaysian Reserve weekly print edition
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Parent-Approved Car Features — Gear Up for Safer, Happier Drives
According to the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) guide to vehicle child safety, 'Motor vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of death for children,' but, 'The rate of child passenger deaths per million children also has fallen dramatically to 11.9 deaths per million children in 2022, a 61% reduction from 1975.' These reductions are due in part to modern safety features. As a parent, you want your children to be safe in a worst-case scenario, and you want them to have all the comfort and joy they can in your family car. Here are some features that parents should look for in their cars. While choosing what features to include on this list, safety was the main priority. Safety features lists compiled by car companies and organizations like AAA and IIHS helped inform the content included here. When it came to non-safety features, like entertainment and comfort, I relied on my own experience of owning a minivan for over six years now, as well as other parent reviews from places like Reddit. As always, the features included here are not meant to be a complete list but a solid overview of where to start your research. According to a list of family-friendly car features from Mazda, forward automatic braking will be standard in most vehicles by 2029. The automatic braking system stops your car if it detects you might hit something ahead of you. This is ideal for a family as it can help keep you and your family safe inside and outside the car. As explained by AAA's post explaining safety features, the Backup Collision Intervention system, like Automatic Emergency Braking, stops your car if it detects that you could run into something while going in reverse. Noticing small children behind your car can be difficult, but the inclusion of features like collision prevention and cameras helps to protect our little ones. I live in a busy neighborhood by a park that constantly has children running in and out of homes to play in the park. Our neighbor's kids even play street hockey regularly, making some sort of camera system feature essential, not just for my family's safety but the safety of others. Fortunately, this feature is easy to find as it has become standard in new cars since 2018, as pointed out by Universal Toyota. Blind Spot Detection is another essential feature for long family road trips. Family cars tend to get packed pretty full for road trips. You can't forget your toddler's favorite stuffie, shirt, or blanket! Blind Spot Detection is another important safety feature that helps you navigate as you drive. With Blind Spot Detection, you switch lanes safely and keep yourself and your little ones safe as you drive busy freeways. Another feature found in the US News article about family car features is a surround-view camera. Like the backup camera, surround-view provides you with just that much more visibility by offering a bird's-eye view of your vehicle. This camera is a family-friendly car feature that allows you to get a clear picture of any obstructions to your car as you back out of your driveway or pull into a parking spot. As included in the aforementioned Mazda list of family-friendly car features, some parents prefer to set up their phones to play music for their kids. Yes, you've heard Baby Shark a million times already, but being able to jump into your toddler's favorite song when they need a pick-me-up is a must for parents, especially when keeping kids happy on long road trips. I'm a big fan of the DVD player in my Honda Odyssey. Not only did it give a second life to my old DVD collection, which was gathering dust in a storage unit, but it also made long road trips so much easier. My Honda's entertainment system also comes with input hookups, allowing us to use the DVD screen for more than just movies. As seen on Reddit, you can even hook up a video game system! Long road trips are just made easier when your kids can watch their favorite movies and play their favorite games. The LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system is a simple feature but essential for families. The LATCH system consists of hooks installed in the middle and back rows of seats. These hooks allow car seats to securely attach to the car, without relying on seatbelts to keep the car seat anchored. This is a wonderful feature that likely already exists in your car; behind that, these hooks have been standard in most cars since late 2002, according to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. 'Things I'm looking to have for sure in a [family] SUV: Leather seats because cloth ones get dirty/goopy too easily and hard to clean.' A user on the Parenting subreddit stated this, and it couldn't be more true. You can't predict how your kid is going to react to a drive, especially on long car rides. Your kid might get car sick, that Happy Meal might not be sitting well with them, and then — yep, clean up time. As a parent, you owe it to yourself to make things as easy as you can for yourself. In the same Parenting subreddit post, another user makes a comment that reminds us that sometimes the simplest of features can be so essential. Answering the question of what car features make your life easier as a parent, this Redditor said, 'The whole 'stereo controls on the steering wheel' is genius.' I fully agree. This is such a simple feature that most people wouldn't think twice about, but adjusting the music without taking my hands off the wheel or eyes off the road is an essential feature. A report from US News explains how the Hands-Free Trunk is a saver for the on-the-go parent. Parenting itself comes with several additional features, and those features tend to take up arm space. School, drama, sports, birthday parties, strollers — whatever it is, parenting tends to fill up arm space when taking your little ones from A to B. Now imagine carrying all that stuff and opening your Hands-Free Trunk with a gesture from your foot! Ralph Honda highlights the benefits of having in-cabin cameras. With a quick selection from the vehicle's control center, an image of the back seats of the car appears. This allows the driver to keep their head forward, facing the road and not turning around to see what's going on behind them. The goal of all family trips is safety, and this feature keeps the parents informed without pulling them completely away from their driving. Pairing nicely with the In-Cabin Camera feature, an Intercom System allows you to reach your kid even during the hustle and bustle of a road trip. Also found in US News's report on family-friendly car features, the Intercom System temporarily takes over the car's audio system and lets you talk to your kids in the back. This is a great feature when trying to get your kids' attention without having to shout. Also from the AAA article about best safety features, the Automatic High Beams have sensors that detect light sources and will automatically dim the lights when another vehicle approaches. This feature also automatically turns your high beams on when it detects there are no other cars on the road. This is a safety feature that adds to the overall safety of your vehicle by helping you drive safely by using the proper lights. Honda describes their Driver Attention Monitor as tracking how well you stay in your lanes and focus on driving. While on, your display will alert you if you are drifting too often and might need a break soon. In the previously mentioned Mazda list of family-friendly features, it notes, 'Driver Attention Alert is not a substitute for safe and attentive driving.' It is still up to you to drive responsibly for your family's safety. These features just help to keep you focused on what matters most when transporting your family. Some minivans come with a built-in vacuum cleaner as a family-friendly feature. This can help get those quick spills and messes left behind by little hands. As reviewed by a user on the Honda Odyssey Subreddit, it's not the most powerful vacuum, but they say, 'I've used ours lots on road trips and camping and quick jobs where I couldn't be bothered to go find another vacuum. If you have kids that make a mess then [it's] totally worth it.' A gentle debate on a car subreddit asks which family car has the most comfortable driver's seat. Especially when taking your kids on family road trips, you need a comfortable driving seat. Just like that subreddit, there are lots of opinions about the most comfortable driver's chair, but that's where your research is necessary to find what's right for you. Otherwise, how are you going to make it on that long road trip to Disney World? Universal Toyota discusses the importance of this safety feature. On long road trips, you hit the cruise control. This system doesn't brake for you if there is danger, but it will detect traffic flow and help you slow down to properly and safely maintain a travel distance between the car in front of you. This is a great safety feature to have in a car full of your loved ones. The Rear Passenger Alert feature simply reminds you to make sure your kid comes with you when you get out of your car, so you don't risk leaving them behind, as described by Kelly Blue Book. This might seem like a simple feature, but as NHTSA teaches us, children have a risk of losing their lives due to heatstroke when left in a hot car. These hot car deaths happen 52% of the time just because someone forgot to check the backseat for their kid. That's why this seemingly simple feature can be a lifesaver. Have you ever closed the sliding door of a minivan from the 90s? The force you need to exert on that door to close it felt like you could take someone's hand off! Automatic sliding doors remove the fear of a guillotine door. Much like the hands-free trunk, having sliding doors that open up with the touch of a button is so convenient when piling kids in and out of your van. Speaking from personal preference, once you have a minivan with automatic sliding doors, you will never want to go back. While discussing vehicle safety, it's important to note that one of your family's most important safety features is you. These features are meant only to assist in your family's well-being. Being informed and researching these features on your own gives you a leg up when making sure your family is getting what they need. Check out IIHS or NHTSA, which rate car safety and are great resources to begin researching on your own. Of all the family-friendly features on this list, you are the most important one. Safe driving out there!
8 hours ago
- Politics
Truckers' protest in Iran gathers steam and wins support from prominent dissident voices
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Truck drivers in Iran blocked roads and ports Wednesday as part of their strike action protesting low salaries, high insurance rates, and a possible hike in fuel prices. The strikes, which began last Thursday in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, one of the country's main transportation and shipping hubs, have now spread across Iran. The protests are slowly gaining steam, supported by prominent dissident voices, and could morph into more serious protests against the government. Last week, the Iranian government announced plans to increase the price of fuel for trucks from 4 cents per liter (15.14 cents per gallon) to nearly 50 cents per liter (about $1.90 per gallon) in late June. With massive resources of oil and gas, Iran has some of the lowest fuel prices in the world. The average price for a gallon of gas in the United States on Wednesday was $3.16, according to AAA, a drivers' assistance and advisory service. Dissident Iranians expressed their support for the truckers. Film director Jafar Panahi, who last week won the prestigious Palme d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival, encouraged the truck drivers to start a nationwide strike. 'The strike is a loud cry to the government: enough is enough! Stop the massive suppression and plundering before everything is lost and nothing remains for people,' he wrote on Instagram. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, who was imprisoned on charges of collusion against state security and propaganda against Iran's government, also expressed her support for the strike on X. Videos circulating on social media showed lines of trucks parked on the sides of major roads. Iran said the plan is intended to prevent fuel smuggling into neighboring countries. Fuel in neighboring Pakistan costs more than a dollar per liter ($4 per gallon). Many of Iran's previous rounds of anti-government protests started out as economic protests over local issues, including demonstrations in 2017 and 2018. Those protests were met with a heavy reaction by the police and the Basij, the all-volunteer force of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. In 2019, anger over the government eliminating the gasoline subsidy also sparked nation-wide protests. More than 1,000 people were arrested and the country temporarily shut down the internet. Protests also rocked the country in 2022 over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in Iranian security custody after morality police detained her for improperly wearing her headscarf, or hijab. On Saturday, Jalal Mousavi, an official in the truckers' union, said truckers are striking because they are struggling with the rising costs of fuel, spare parts and repairs. The strike underscores the mounting economic pressures on Iran as it struggles to secure relief from crippling sanctions in the ongoing negotiations with the United States. Iran's oil sector, the lifeblood of its economy, has been damaged by the impact of American sanctions over Tehran's nuclear program, and it is one of the central issues under discussion in the Iran-U.S. negotiations. On Wednesday, Fatemeh Mohajerani, the spokesperson of the government's Cabinet, said lawmakers had discussed the strike in the Cabinet meeting and the administration will consider the truckers' needs. State TV showed footage of routine activities in truck terminals and ports.
San Francisco Chronicle
8 hours ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Truckers' protest in Iran gathers steam and wins support from prominent dissident voices
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Truck drivers in Iran blocked roads and ports Wednesday as part of their strike action protesting low salaries, high insurance rates, and a possible hike in fuel prices. The strikes, which began last Thursday in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, one of the country's main transportation and shipping hubs, have now spread across Iran. The protests are slowly gaining steam, supported by prominent dissident voices, and could morph into more serious protests against the government. Last week, the Iranian government announced plans to increase the price of fuel for trucks from 4 cents per liter (15.14 cents per gallon) to nearly 50 cents per liter (about $1.90 per gallon) in late June. With massive resources of oil and gas, Iran has some of the lowest fuel prices in the world. The average price for a gallon of gas in the United States on Wednesday was $3.16, according to AAA, a drivers' assistance and advisory service. Dissident Iranians expressed their support for the truckers. Film director Jafar Panahi, who last week won the prestigious Palme d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival, encouraged the truck drivers to start a nationwide strike. 'The strike is a loud cry to the government: enough is enough! Stop the massive suppression and plundering before everything is lost and nothing remains for people,' he wrote on Instagram. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, who was imprisoned on charges of collusion against state security and propaganda against Iran's government, also expressed her support for the strike on X. Videos circulating on social media showed lines of trucks parked on the sides of major roads. Iran said the plan is intended to prevent fuel smuggling into neighboring countries. Fuel in neighboring Pakistan costs more than a dollar per liter ($4 per gallon). Many of Iran's previous rounds of anti-government protests started out as economic protests over local issues, including demonstrations in 2017 and 2018. Those protests were met with a heavy reaction by the police and the Basij, the all-volunteer force of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. In 2019, anger over the government eliminating the gasoline subsidy also sparked nation-wide protests. More than 1,000 people were arrested and the country temporarily shut down the internet. Protests also rocked the country in 2022 over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in Iranian security custody after morality police detained her for improperly wearing her headscarf, or hijab. On Saturday, Jalal Mousavi, an official in the truckers' union, said truckers are striking because they are struggling with the rising costs of fuel, spare parts and repairs. The strike underscores the mounting economic pressures on Iran as it struggles to secure relief from crippling sanctions in the ongoing negotiations with the United States. Iran's oil sector, the lifeblood of its economy, has been damaged by the impact of American sanctions over Tehran's nuclear program, and it is one of the central issues under discussion in the Iran-U.S. negotiations. On Wednesday, Fatemeh Mohajerani, the spokesperson of the government's Cabinet, said lawmakers had discussed the strike in the Cabinet meeting and the administration will consider the truckers' needs. State TV showed footage of routine activities in truck terminals and ports. —-
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Truckers' protest in Iran gathers steam and wins support from prominent dissident voices
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Truck drivers in Iran blocked roads and ports Wednesday as part of their strike action protesting low salaries, high insurance rates, and a possible hike in fuel prices. The strikes, which began last Thursday in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, one of the country's main transportation and shipping hubs, have now spread across Iran. The protests are slowly gaining steam, supported by prominent dissident voices, and could morph into more serious protests against the government. Last week, the Iranian government announced plans to increase the price of fuel for trucks from 4 cents per liter (15.14 cents per gallon) to nearly 50 cents per liter (about $1.90 per gallon) in late June. With massive resources of oil and gas, Iran has some of the lowest fuel prices in the world. The average price for a gallon of gas in the United States on Wednesday was $3.16, according to AAA, a drivers' assistance and advisory service. Dissident Iranians expressed their support for the truckers. Film director Jafar Panahi, who last week won the prestigious Palme d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival, encouraged the truck drivers to start a nationwide strike. 'The strike is a loud cry to the government: enough is enough! Stop the massive suppression and plundering before everything is lost and nothing remains for people,' he wrote on Instagram. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, who was imprisoned on charges of collusion against state security and propaganda against Iran's government, also expressed her support for the strike on X. Videos circulating on social media showed lines of trucks parked on the sides of major roads. Iran said the plan is intended to prevent fuel smuggling into neighboring countries. Fuel in neighboring Pakistan costs more than a dollar per liter ($4 per gallon). Many of Iran's previous rounds of anti-government protests started out as economic protests over local issues, including demonstrations in 2017 and 2018. Those protests were met with a heavy reaction by the police and the Basij, the all-volunteer force of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. In 2019, anger over the government eliminating the gasoline subsidy also sparked nation-wide protests. More than 1,000 people were arrested and the country temporarily shut down the internet. Protests also rocked the country in 2022 over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in Iranian security custody after morality police detained her for improperly wearing her headscarf, or hijab. On Saturday, Jalal Mousavi, an official in the truckers' union, said truckers are striking because they are struggling with the rising costs of fuel, spare parts and repairs. The strike underscores the mounting economic pressures on Iran as it struggles to secure relief from crippling sanctions in the ongoing negotiations with the United States. Iran's oil sector, the lifeblood of its economy, has been damaged by the impact of American sanctions over Tehran's nuclear program, and it is one of the central issues under discussion in the Iran-U.S. negotiations. On Wednesday, Fatemeh Mohajerani, the spokesperson of the government's Cabinet, said lawmakers had discussed the strike in the Cabinet meeting and the administration will consider the truckers' needs. State TV showed footage of routine activities in truck terminals and ports. —- Associated Press writer Nasser Karimi contributed to this report from Tehran.
