Engadget RSS Feed http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2013 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ <![CDATA[Ibis hotels to have robots paint art while they track your sleep: no, that's not creepy at all (video)]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/28/ibis-hotels-to-have-robots-paint-art-while-they-track-your-sleep/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/28/ibis-hotels-to-have-robots-paint-art-while-they-track-your-sleep/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/28/ibis-hotels-to-have-robots-paint-art-while-they-track-your-sleep/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Ibis hotels to have robots paint art while they track your sleep no, that's not creepy at all video

First they invaded our factories, and now it's our hotel rooms. Is nowhere safe from the robots? In truth, Ibis' upcoming Sleep Art project is very slick, even if it smacks of robot voyeurism. Ibis hotels in Berlin, London and Paris will let 40 successful applicants sleep on beds that each have 80 sensors translating movements, sound and temperature into truly unique acrylic paintings by robotic arms connected through WiFi. You don't have to worry that the machines are literally watching you sleep -- there's no cameras or other visual records of the night's tossing and turning, apart from the abstract lines on the canvas. All the same, if you succeed in landing a stay in one of the Sleep Art hotel rooms between October 13th and November 23rd, you're a brave person. We all know how this ends.

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Via: PSFK

Source: Ibis (Facebook)

]]> acrylicacrylic paintAcrylicPaintartartworkberlinhotelhotel roomhotel roomsHotelRoomHotelRoomshotelsibislondonminipostmovementpaintingparisrobopocalypserobotrobot armrobot armsRobotArmRobotArmsrobotssensorsensorssleepsleep patternssleepingSleepPatternssoundtemperaturevideo Fri, 28 Sep 2012 04:37:00 -0400 21|20335537 <![CDATA[Hacker finds flaw in hotel locks, can ruin your vacation with $50 DIY gadget]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/24/hacker-finds-flaw-in-hotel-locks/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/24/hacker-finds-flaw-in-hotel-locks/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/24/hacker-finds-flaw-in-hotel-locks/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Hacker finds flaw in hotel locks, can ruin your vacation with $50 DIY gadget

Admittedly, the headline is designed to get your dander up. You're in no immediate danger of a technologically-gifted thief plugging a couple of wires into your hotel door and making off with your sack of souvenirs from the Mall of America. But that's not to say it's impossible. Cody Brocious, who was recently brought on by Mozilla to work on Boot to Gecko, is giving a presentation at the annual Black Hat conference in Vegas where he demonstrates a method for cracking open keycard locks with a homemade $50 device. The hack only works on locks made by Onity at the moment, and real life testing with a reporter from Forbes only succeeded in opening one of three hotel doors. Still, with between four and five million Onity locks installed across the country (according to the company), that is a lot of vulnerable rooms. The attack is possible thanks to a DC jack on the underside of the lock that's used to reprogram the doors. This provides direct access to the lock's memory, which is also home to the numeric key required to release the latch -- a key that is protected by what Brocious described as "weak encryption." Ultimately the source code and design for the Arduino-based unlocker will be published online alongside a research paper explaining how these locks work and why they're inherently insecure. The hope is that manufacturers will take notice and improve the security of their wares before the world's ne'er-do-wells perfect Brocious' technique.

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]]> arduinoblack hatblack hat 2012BlackHatBlackHat2012Cody BrociousCodyBrocioushackhackshotelhotel lockshotel roomsHotelLocksHotelRoomskeycard locksKeycardLockskeycardsmozillaOnitysecurity Tue, 24 Jul 2012 18:34:00 -0400 21|20285101 <![CDATA[Apple nabs patent for NFC-based travel check-in, doesn't quell NFC iPhone rumors just yet]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/10/apple-nabs-patent-for-nfc-based-travel-check-in/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/10/apple-nabs-patent-for-nfc-based-travel-check-in/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/10/apple-nabs-patent-for-nfc-based-travel-check-in/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Apple nabs patent for NFCbased travel checkin, doesn't quell iPhone rumors one iota

Apple has been chasing NFC patents for years, but it's just now been granted a US patent for its own approach to a transportation check-in -- one of the most common uses of the technology in the real world. The filing describes a theoretical iTravel app that would store reservation and ticket information for just about any vehicle and stop along the way: planes, trains and (rented) automobiles would just have the traveler tap an NFC-equipped device to hop onboard, and the hotel at the end of the line would also take credentials through a gentle bump. Besides the obvious paper-saving measures, iTravel could help skip key parts of the airport security line by providing passport information, a fingerprint or anything else screeners might want to see while we'd otherwise be juggling our suitcases.

It all sounds ideal, but before you start booking that trip to the South Pacific with ambitions of testing an NFC-equipped 2012 iPhone, remember this: the patent was originally filed in 2008. We clearly haven't seen iTravel manifest itself as-is, and recent murmurs from the Wall Street Journal have suggested that Apple isn't enthusiastic about the whole NFC-in-commerce idea even today. Still, with Passbook waiting in the wings, the patent can't help but fuel speculation that Apple is getting more serious about an iPhone with near-field wireless in the future.

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]]> airlinesairportairportsappleapple iosapple ios 6apple iphoneAppleIosAppleIos6AppleIphonecellphonecellphoneshotelhotelsiosios 6Ios6iphonemobilepostcrossnear field communicationnear-field communicationNear-fieldCommunicationNearFieldCommunicationnfcpassbookpatentpatentssmartphonesmartphonestraintrainstransportationtraveltraveling Tue, 10 Jul 2012 11:28:00 -0400 21|20275097 <![CDATA[UK hotel ditching paper bibles for Kindles, Rocky Raccoon to get acquainted with the benefits of e-ink]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/02/uk-hotel-ditching-paper-bibles-for-kindles-rocky-raccoon-to-get/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/02/uk-hotel-ditching-paper-bibles-for-kindles-rocky-raccoon-to-get/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/02/uk-hotel-ditching-paper-bibles-for-kindles-rocky-raccoon-to-get/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments British hotel ditching paper bibles for Kindles, Rocky Raccoon getting acquainted with the benefits of eink

Maybe papercuts aren't a part of the creator's master plan, after all -- not at the Hotel Indigo's Newcastle location, at least, which is ditching the standard hardcover bible in favor of a Kindle edition. The hotel's GM says the move, which brings Amazon's e-reader to its 148 rooms, is keeping with the city's rich publishing history. The device will come pre-loaded with the bible, with other religious texts available for the download. Customers can also download non-religious texts, which will be added to their bill. The move is currently being assessed under a trial basis, which will be revisited on July 16th. No word on whether the promotion will be expanded to other hotels in the chain.

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]]> amazonamazon kindleAmazonKindlebiblee booke bookse readere readerse-booke-bookse-readere-readersenglandgideonhotelhotel biblehotel indigoHotelBibleHotelIndigokindlenewcastlereligiontrialuk Mon, 02 Jul 2012 18:37:00 -0400 21|20270399 <![CDATA[Y!kes' app-enabled system transforms hotel accessibility: talking with hotel chains, launching this month on iOS, Android, BlackBerry and WP7]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/19/yikes-hotel-platform-unlock-door-smartphone-app-ios-android/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/19/yikes-hotel-platform-unlock-door-smartphone-app-ios-android/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/19/yikes-hotel-platform-unlock-door-smartphone-app-ios-android/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Y!kes' proximityaware platform creates complete hotel access solution via a single smartphone app

We all knew opening one's hotel room door with a smartphone was just the beginning, didn't we? As the years have turned (and LodgeNet has inexplicably remained), a smattering of companies have seen the opportunity to connect savvy hotel guests to the properties they frequent. Y!kes is the latest to tune in, and its solution undoubtedly has the potential to change the way smartphone users interact with lodging venues. Designed as a hardware + software platform, the proximity-aware access system offers hotels the ability to tightly and specifically grant or deny access to one's phone. As an example, a hotel and guest both utilizing the system could see an elevator automatically choose one's floor upon entry, a door automatically unlock when a patron walks within range, a parking deck automatically have its gate raised, and a VIP lounge door automatically open if the credentials are programmed in.

Going a step further, one could envision this system having the ability to alert a hotel when a guest lands at the nearest airport, thereby triggering a series of events that places fresh Perrier bottles on the desk, blue mood lighting in the bathroom, a thermostat adjustment to 74 degrees and whatever else that person has specified in their profile. Insane? Sure, but not at all outside of the realm of feasibility. Once a venue has installed the system, guests need only have the associated app -- available for Android, BlackBerry OS, Windows Phone and iOS -- running in the background on their device. If all goes as planned, he or she won't even have to drop by the check-in counter, and when the stay is over, they'll be able to bypass the check-out line as well.

If you're curious about app availability, we're told that the iOS build will hit the App Store "this week," while the other three platforms will see launches "within 30 days." We asked the company if it was ready to announce any partnerships with hotel chains, and received the following reply: "As for integration, Y!kes is currently engaged in deep discussions with the top hotel chains and will have information pertaining to specific contracts in the near future." Needless to say, the jetsetters in the crowd will be keeping an ear to the ground for more.

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]]> appexclusiveHOSPITALITYhotellodgingmobilemobilepostcrossmotelpersonalizationproximitysoftwarestartuptravelyikesykes Tue, 19 Jun 2012 12:30:00 -0400 21|20261004 <![CDATA[Google launches Hotel Finder, finds a way to recycle Google Maps reviews]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/29/google-launches-hotel-finder-finds-a-way-to-recycle-google-maps/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/29/google-launches-hotel-finder-finds-a-way-to-recycle-google-maps/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/29/google-launches-hotel-finder-finds-a-way-to-recycle-google-maps/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
By now, it should be no secret that Google wants to get up in your online trip-planning business (if it wasn't somehow there already). First, there was the announcement that El Goog would buy ITA, the company serving up pretty much all of your online ticketing options -- a deal that still hasn't closed. Then came flight schedule searches and now, the outfit's rounding it all out by throwing hotels into the mix. The company just launched Hotel Finder, a service that lets you -- wait for it -- find a place to lay your weary head in these great fifty states. At first glance, it's little more than a specific use case for Google Maps -- just type in a city or US zip code to get a map with the usual spreads of pinpoints. Though Google won't be the middleman booking your hotel reservation, you can use the tool to fine-tune your search, drawing circles on the map to scour multiple neighborhoods. As you'd expect, you can also whittle the search by price and rating, and read reviews that people originally posted on Google Maps. One thing we're liking about the UI is that you don't have to open a new tab to read the full spill on a hotel -- you can just click the listing to see it expand right there, alongside pretty photo collages. Hit the source link to poke around, though if its bare-bones simplicity turns you off, don't say Google didn't warn you -- the tool is so new that Google isn't calling it a "beta" so much as an...experiment.

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]]> experimentGoogleGoogle Hotel FinderGoogleHotelFinderhotelHotel FinderHotelFinderhotelsonline travelOnlineTraveltravel Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:03:00 -0400 21|20004228 <![CDATA[Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, and Starwood Hotels reward your loyalty with free WiFi]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/06/hyatt-hilton-marriott-and-starwood-hotels-reward-your-loyalty/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/06/hyatt-hilton-marriott-and-starwood-hotels-reward-your-loyalty/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/06/hyatt-hilton-marriott-and-starwood-hotels-reward-your-loyalty/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Free WiFi is practically a given at coffee shops and motels, yet lots of luxury hotels hit you with an extra $10 - $15 a day to ride their waves of wireless internet. Good news is, well-heeled world travelers won't be paying those fees much longer, because several high-end hotel chains are now giving temporary tenants complimentary wireless internet. Loyalty program members for Hilton, Hyatt, and Starwood Hotels get online gratis if they have Gold or Platinum status, while Marriott lets all who sign up for its rewards program get WiFi for free. Seems ridiculous that some folks still pay extra for internet when a room runs several hundred dollars, but a little free websurfing is better than none. We can only hope that towel retention technology will provide a sufficient boost to their bottom lines to eventually allow access for all.

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]]> freefree wifiFreeWifihiltonhilton hotelsHiltonHotelshotelhyatthyatt regencyHyattRegencyloyaltyloyalty programLoyaltyProgrammembershipstarwoodstarwood hotelsStarwoodHotelswifi Fri, 06 May 2011 07:03:00 -0400 21|19933297 <![CDATA[That hotel towel you're stealing might have an RFID chip in it]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/20/that-hotel-towel-youre-stealing-might-have-an-rfid-chip-in-it/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/20/that-hotel-towel-youre-stealing-might-have-an-rfid-chip-in-it/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/20/that-hotel-towel-youre-stealing-might-have-an-rfid-chip-in-it/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
For many travelers, stealing hotel towels or bathrobes is more pastime than petty crime. Hotels, on the other hand, apparently take it more seriously. So seriously, in fact, that some have begun embedding specially crafted RFID tags within their linens, just to help us avoid "accidentally" stuffing them in our suitcases before heading to the check-out desk. The chips, designed by Miami-based Linen Technology Tracking, can be sewn directly into towels, bathrobes or bed sheets, and can reportedly withstand up to 300 wash cycles. If a tagged item ever leaves a hotel's premises, the RFID chip will trip an alarm that will instantly alert the staff, and comprehensively humiliate the guilty party. The system has already paid dividends for one Honolulu hotel, which claims to have saved about $15,000 worth of linens since adopting the system last summer. But small-time crooks needn't get too paranoid. In addition to the hotel in Hawaii, only two other establishments have begun tagging their towels -- one in Manhattan, and one in Miami. All three, however, have chosen to remain anonymous, so swipe at your own (minimal) risk.

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]]> alarmanti theftanti-theftAntiTheftbedchipchipscrimeguestshonoluluhotellinenlinen technologylinen technology trackingLinensLinenTechnologyLinenTechnologyTrackingmiamimoneynew yorkNewYorkrfidrobessecuritytagtheftthieftourismtoweltravel Wed, 20 Apr 2011 07:44:00 -0400 21|19917683 <![CDATA[ASSA ABLOY trials remote hotel check-ins, unlocking your room with NFC cellphones (video)]]> http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/02/assa-abloy-trials-remote-hotel-check-ins-unlocking-your-room-wi/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/02/assa-abloy-trials-remote-hotel-check-ins-unlocking-your-room-wi/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/02/assa-abloy-trials-remote-hotel-check-ins-unlocking-your-room-wi/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Just think of it, no more hanging around your hotel's front desk like some unrefined homo erectus. The Clarion Hotel in Stockholm is starting up a new pilot program to allow visitors to check in and collect their room key without the repugnant need for speaking to an actual human being -- it can all be done with an NFC-equipped mobile phone. Provided your smartphone can do the near-field communications dance, all your information can be remotely downloaded, stored, and wiped (if need be), and you can even check out from a room using the accompanying application. Samsung handsets are being provided to selected customers during the period of this trial, though once its four-month incubation period is over, you'll have to bring your own bit of advanced telephony to avoid the queues. We're sure you'll think of something. Video and full press release after the break.

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]]> assa abloyAssaAbloycheck-inclarionclarion hotelClarionHotelcontactlesscontactless paymentContactlessPaymenthotelhotelskeykeysmobile keymobile keysMobileKeyMobileKeysnear field communicationnear-field communicationNear-fieldCommunicationNearFieldCommunicationnfcpilotpilot programPilotProgramroom keyroom keysRoomKeyRoomKeysstockholmswedenteliasoneratesttrialvideo Tue, 02 Nov 2010 10:31:00 -0400 21|19699030 <![CDATA[Russian firm hopes to have luxury space hotel in orbit by 2016]]> http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/30/russian-firm-hopes-to-have-luxury-space-hotel-in-orbit-by-2016/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/30/russian-firm-hopes-to-have-luxury-space-hotel-in-orbit-by-2016/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/30/russian-firm-hopes-to-have-luxury-space-hotel-in-orbit-by-2016/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
You know what they say: "another day, another hypothetical space hotel." Fans of the space tourism (mostly Lance Bass and a handful of gazillionaires) know that these things pop up every few years, so one can be a little skeptical about the plans recently announced by Russia-based Orbital Technologies to put a seven room guest house into orbit, where it would follow the same path as the International Space Station. While CEO Sergei Kostenko does mention things like well-appointed suites and food cooked up by celebrity chefs, it's not entirely clear that the firm has the funding to build the thing or even who will be doing the construction, although Energia (Russia's state-controlled spacecraft manufacturer) has been mooted as the project's general contractor. But this isn't merely a rich man's plaything -- as Kostenko points out, it could be used as a place for astronauts to flee to in case the ISS comes under alien attack (although he didn't say it in exactly those words).

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]]> energiaGalactic SuiteGalacticSuitehotelinternational space stationInternationalSpaceStationisslodgingmotelOrbital TechnologiesOrbitalTechnologiesrussiaspacespace hotelspace tourismSpaceHotelSpaceTourism Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:23:00 -0400 21|19655780 <![CDATA[Kobo e-reader sashays into ten Fairmont hotel properties, adds to your poolside experience]]> http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/11/kobo-e-reader-sashays-into-ten-fairmont-hotel-properties-adds-t/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/11/kobo-e-reader-sashays-into-ten-fairmont-hotel-properties-adds-t/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/11/kobo-e-reader-sashays-into-ten-fairmont-hotel-properties-adds-t/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Oh sure, you've been able to get your hands on iPads, iPhones and Kindles when checking in before, but a Kobo? Nah. Well, until now. Announced today, the a-okay e-reader company has landed a deal with Fairmont that'll put e-book readers into the hands of select guests at select properties. Specifically, Fairmont Gold-level guests that are members of the (free to join) President's Club will be able to trial a Kobo during their stay free of charge, and they'll find each one brimming with a variety of fiction, non-fiction and high drama titles. Upon returning the device (as if there's another alternative, right?), patrons will be gifted with a $2 off coupon for Random House titles, and if you're curious as to which ten properties will be involved in the offer, head on past the break and have a look.

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]]> canadae booke book readere bookse readere readerse-booke-book readerE-bookReadere-bookse-readere-readersEBookReaderEReaderfairmontfairmont goldFairmontGoldhotelKoborandom houseRandomHousetraveltravelingusvacation Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:45:00 -0400 21|19589417 <![CDATA[OpenWays makes your smartphone a hotel room key, provides a different kind of 'unlock']]> http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/openways-makes-your-smartphone-a-hotel-room-key-provides-a-diff/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/openways-makes-your-smartphone-a-hotel-room-key-provides-a-diff/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/30/openways-makes-your-smartphone-a-hotel-room-key-provides-a-diff/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments For years now, hotel chains have been toying with alternative ways to letting patrons check-in, access their room and run up their bill with all-too-convenient in-room services. Marriott began testing smartphone check-ins way back in 2006, and select boutique locations (like The Plaza Hotel in New York and Boston's Nine Zero) have relied on RFID, iris scanners, biometric identifiers and all sorts of whiz-bang entry methods in order to make getting past a lock that much easier (or harder, depending on perspective). This month, InterContinental Hotels Group announced that they would soon be trialing OpenWays at Chicago's Holiday Inn Express Houston Downtown Convention Center, enabling iPhone owners to fire up an app and watch their room door open in a magical sort of way. Other smartphone platforms will also be supported, and as we've seen with other implementations, users of the technology will also be able to turn to their phone to order additional services, extend their stay or fess up to that window they broke. There's no word on when this stuff will depart the testing phase and go mainstream, but we're guessing it'll be sooner rather than later. Video after the break, if you're interested.

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]]> appcellphonechicagoHoliday Inn ExpressHolidayInnExpresshotelhotelsInterContinentalkeymarriotopen waysOpenWaysroom keyRoomKeytravel Sun, 30 May 2010 01:31:00 -0400 21|19496609 <![CDATA[Hotel room HDTVs still stuck with standard definition TV have an upgrade on the way]]> http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/09/hotel-room-hdtvs-still-stuck-with-standard-definition-tv-have-an/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/09/hotel-room-hdtvs-still-stuck-with-standard-definition-tv-have-an/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/09/hotel-room-hdtvs-still-stuck-with-standard-definition-tv-have-an/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments It's a sad truth experienced by too many travelers, far too many of the HDTVs installed in hotels over the last few years don't have any high definition programming coming to them. While the experienced traveler is prepared for all circumstances we've all been stranded somewhere with only stretched, blurry SD programming as our only option. The USA Today recaps the issue, with execs from Marriott, InterContinental Hotel Group (owners of Holiday Inn & Crowne Plaza hotels) and Hilton chiming in about their plans to expand HD services over the next year. That won't completely erase the horrors of our last hotel stay, but at least we can be at ease knowing a change is coming.

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]]> business travelBusinessTravelhdhdtvhotelhotelstravel Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:40:00 -0500 21|19351325 <![CDATA[Marantz Reference gear in the Carlyle hotel spoils you for clock radio ]]> http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/12/marantz-reference-gear-in-the-carlyle-hotel-spoils-you-for-clock/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/12/marantz-reference-gear-in-the-carlyle-hotel-spoils-you-for-clock/ http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/12/marantz-reference-gear-in-the-carlyle-hotel-spoils-you-for-clock/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Empire Suite of the Carlyle HotelWhile our typical hotel coverage involves HDTVs and/or special programming, we'll make an exception for the Marantz/DALI audio setup getting dropped into the Empire Suite of Manhattan's Carlyle hotel. We won't make any guesses about what the rack rate is for the duplex suite in the swank hotel, but it's got to be cheaper than the audio system, which combines four MA-9S2 mono amps, an SC-7S2 preamp and SA-7S1 SACD deck from Marantz's Reference lineup with a pair of DALI MEGALINE III speakers. All told, that's about $47,000 of Marantz gear and another cool $60,000 for the speakers, all to deliver good old two-channel. Might we suggest staying in and ordering room service?

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]]> amplifierdalihdhotelMA-9S2manhattanmarantzmegaline iiiMegalineIiinew yorknew york cityNewYorkNewYorkCityother hardwareotherhardwareotherspreampSA-7S1sacdSC-7S2speakers Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:55:00 -0400 21|19065277 <![CDATA[How to make the most of your hotel television]]> http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/27/how-to-make-the-most-of-your-hotel-television/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/27/how-to-make-the-most-of-your-hotel-television/ http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/27/how-to-make-the-most-of-your-hotel-television/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
We've covered a number of newer hotel chains that actually recognize the importance of delivering HDTV programming and HD VOD to guests, but for the vast majority of places still living in decades past, there's Gadling's latest how-to guide. If you're sick and tired of checking into hotels with ancient TVs and lackluster programming, there actually are some options. For one, it's always smart to carry a bit of media on a PMP and bring along every connection cable you can imagine. Furthermore, those with Slingboxen and other place-shifting solutions can usually pipe their content from laptop to TV with the right connections. If you're looking to get schooled in the ways of good travel, hit that read link and open wide.

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]]> diyhackhackinghdhotelliquid tvLiquidTvlodgingmotelneroNero Liquid TVNeroLiquidTvtivotravel Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:33:00 -0400 21|1500190 <![CDATA[L.A. Live convention center / hotel includes gigantic, see-through outdoor screen]]> http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/09/l-a-live-convention-center-hotel-includes-gigantic-see-throu/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/09/l-a-live-convention-center-hotel-includes-gigantic-see-throu/ http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/09/l-a-live-convention-center-hotel-includes-gigantic-see-throu/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
The 54-story tower planned to house The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Los Angeles and JW Marriott when it opens in 2010 will also include an 8,000 sq ft screen on its eastern face, without disrupting the view of guests inside. The result of a deal between property owners AEG and sponsor Panasonic, the 50-foot by 160-foot screen will live in the neighborhood of the new Yankee Stadium and the Dallas Cowboys new home. No word on the exact res, but there will no doubt be plenty of HD as the entire complex, including Staples Center and Nokia Theatre, is getting Panasonic screens installed as part of the deal. Our reservations are already in, check after the break for an illustration of the future layout.

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]]> aegceshdtvhotell.a. liveL.a.Livelalos angelesLosAngelespanasonic Fri, 09 Jan 2009 06:40:00 -0500 21|1422826 <![CDATA[L.A. Live convention center / hotel includes gigantic, see-through outdoor screen]]> http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/08/l-a-live-convention-center-hotel-includes-gigantic-see-throu/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/08/l-a-live-convention-center-hotel-includes-gigantic-see-throu/ http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/08/l-a-live-convention-center-hotel-includes-gigantic-see-throu/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
The 54-story tower planned to house The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Los Angeles and JW Marriott when it opens in 2010 will also include an 8,000 sq ft screen on its eastern face, without disrupting the view of guests inside. The result of a deal between property owners AEG and sponsor Panasonic, the 50-foot by 160-foot screen will live in the neighborhood of the new Yankee Stadium and the Dallas Cowboys new home. No word on the exact res, but there will no doubt be plenty of HD as the entire complex, including Staples Center and Nokia Theatre, is getting Panasonic screens installed as part of the deal. Our reservations are already in, check after the break for an illustration of the future layout.

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]]> aeghdhotell.a. liveL.a.Livelalos angelesLosAngelespanasonic Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:14:00 -0500 21|1422874 <![CDATA[Internet-based / HDTV content to hit hotels big in 2009]]> http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/21/internet-based-hdtv-content-to-hit-hotels-big-in-2009/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/21/internet-based-hdtv-content-to-hit-hotels-big-in-2009/ http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/21/internet-based-hdtv-content-to-hit-hotels-big-in-2009/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
Or, at least that's the impression given off by Acentic's Top Five 2009 Trends for Hotel Television Technology. For those paying attention (and traveling often), lodging venues across the nation have been adding in high-def material at a rapid pace, and that's expected to continue into the new year. Additionally, research asserts that internet-derived material, more WiFi access, additional video-on-demand content and connection pods to link up guest sources will all be part of the shift. With the price of hotels these days, we can safely say we hope all of these changes come at a minimal cost -- and who knows, maybe we'll finally learn in 2009 why an Econo Lodge provides free internet access and a boutique hotel in the middle of everything has the nerve to charge extra.

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]]> 2009Acenticdatahdhotelinternetlodgingmotelnew contentnewcontentresearchsurveytravelvideo on demandvideo-on-demandVideoOnDemandvod Sun, 21 Dec 2008 08:12:00 -0500 21|1405722 <![CDATA[Chicago's Conrad Hotel getting HDTV services courtesy of RCN]]> http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/17/chicagos-conrad-hotel-getting-hdtv-services-courtesy-of-rcn/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/17/chicagos-conrad-hotel-getting-hdtv-services-courtesy-of-rcn/ http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/17/chicagos-conrad-hotel-getting-hdtv-services-courtesy-of-rcn/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
RCN's locking down lodging deals like it's going out of style, and just days after cementing one with Highgate Hotels in New York, here we have another with Chicago's Conrad Hotel. Soon, said luxury venue will be able to provide guests with all-digital cable TV and HDTV services. Each of the 311 guest rooms will present said content on a 42-inch plasma, though there's no exact word on when the agreement will be implemented. And yeah, considering the per-night rates here, you'd better stay locked inside around 90% of the time in order to come close to making it worthwhile.

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]]> chicagoConrad HotelConradHoteldigital cabledigital tvDigitalCableDigitalTvhdhotelillinoislodgingmoteltravel Wed, 17 Dec 2008 04:40:00 -0500 21|1402828 <![CDATA[RCN extends relationship with Highgate Hotels, will provide HDTV to weary travelers]]> http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/15/rcn-extends-relationship-with-highgate-hotels-will-provide-hdtv/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/15/rcn-extends-relationship-with-highgate-hotels-will-provide-hdtv/ http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/15/rcn-extends-relationship-with-highgate-hotels-will-provide-hdtv/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments RCN has stuck its nose (and HDTV services, for that matter) in all sorts of lodging chains before, and you can mark it down for another thanks to a revamped agreement with Highgate Hotels. The multi-year contract enables RCN to provide the company's New York portfolio of hotels with its own digital TV / HDTV services sans a set-top-box; additionally, the carrier will be delivering third-party VOD content. At first, the operator will upgrade existing service to the DoubleTree Metropolitan, Radisson Lexington and Park Central Hotels, and it expects to have all five phase-one Highgate properties operational by February 2009.

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]]> cablehdhotelighgate HotelsIghgateHotelslodgingmotelnew yorknew york cityNewYorkNewYorkCitynyRCNtravel Mon, 15 Dec 2008 23:00:00 -0500 21|1397638 <![CDATA[Kindle offered during your stay at the Algonquin Hotel? Yes Sirree!]]> http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/09/kindle-offered-during-your-stay-at-the-algonquin-hotel-yes-sirr/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/09/kindle-offered-during-your-stay-at-the-algonquin-hotel-yes-sirr/ http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/09/kindle-offered-during-your-stay-at-the-algonquin-hotel-yes-sirr/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
Manhattan's Algonquin Hotel has a long tradition of nurturing the literary-minded -- Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, even Harpo Marx hung out there in its heyday. Keeping up with the times, the folks running the Algonquin today apparently still have literature on their minds, and are offering Amazon's Kindle pre-loaded with a book of their choice for guests of the hotel during their stay. If they don't have all seven volumes of À la recherche du temps perdu loaded up and ready for us when we get there we're totally heading to the Holiday Inn.

[Via Kindle Boards]

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]]> algonquinalgonquin hotelAlgonquinHotelamazonamazon kindleAmazonKindlee booke readerEBookEReaderhotelhotelskindleliterature Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:21:00 -0500 21|1395748 <![CDATA[Hyatt Regency Woodfield home to Sharp HDTVs, SuiteLinq HD programming]]> http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/30/hyatt-regency-woodfield-home-to-sharp-hdtvs-suitelinq-hd-progra/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/30/hyatt-regency-woodfield-home-to-sharp-hdtvs-suitelinq-hd-progra/ http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/30/hyatt-regency-woodfield-home-to-sharp-hdtvs-suitelinq-hd-progra/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
Headed to Schaumburg, Illinois to visit those in-laws, are you? You're in luck. Hyatt Regency Woodfield has just announced that every last one of its 470 guest rooms will be locked and loaded (but unlocked prior to your arrival) with a 32- or 37-inch Sharp LCD HDTV, not to mention a copious amount of HD content flowing from the SuiteLinq in-room digital entertainment solution. Both linear channels and video-on-demand material will be delivered in SD and HD, and it appears that everything's in place for enjoyment as we speak. So, are your reservations in order?

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]]> hdhotelhyatthyatt regencyHyattRegencylodgingmotelregencysharpSuiteLinqtravel Sun, 30 Nov 2008 07:34:00 -0500 21|1383885 <![CDATA[LodgeNet and LG collaborate on in-room interactive EPG]]> http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/24/lodgenet-and-lg-collaborate-on-in-room-interactive-epg/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/24/lodgenet-and-lg-collaborate-on-in-room-interactive-epg/ http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/24/lodgenet-and-lg-collaborate-on-in-room-interactive-epg/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
We already knew that LG and LodgeNet were pretty well in bed (in a hotel bed, at that) together, but now the relationship is rounding second and heading briskly for third. The two have just announced plans to develop an Interactive Electronic Program Guide (IEPG) as "the first in what is expected to be a series of in-room interactive applications based on the new Pro:Centric standards-based platform." The plan will also work to eliminate pricey set-top-boxes from the equation, and if all goes well, it will be compatible with "a range of existing LodgeNet free-to-guest (FTG) TV and video-on-demand solutions." Also of note, Pro:Centric could eventually provide guests with all sorts of interactivity that is traditionally reserved for more luxurious venues, but we still have serious doubts that they'll ever install HDTVs with accessible HDMI ports for connecting our own paraphernalia.

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]]> free-to-guesthdhotelInteractiveLGLG700HLodgeNetlodgingmotelon demandOnDemandothersprocentrictravelvideo on demandvideo-on-demandVideoOnDemandVOD Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:51:00 -0500 21|1379339 <![CDATA[WestTel bringing FTTP to Grand Cayman]]> http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/21/westtel-bringing-fttp-to-grand-cayman/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/21/westtel-bringing-fttp-to-grand-cayman/ http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/21/westtel-bringing-fttp-to-grand-cayman/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
While we here at Engadget HQ ponder a week-long excursion to the splendorous island of Grand Cayman, we can't help but be swayed even closer to pulling the trigger after reading this news. WestTel, along with suits from WestStar TV and ABC Trenching, has just broke ground on a $15 million, seven-year initiative to bring fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) to the only Cayman island with an international airport. The first phase will focus simply on establishing a fiber infrastructure amongst corporations, initially from Television Centre to Camana Bay, then up West Bay Road to Governors Square. Phase two will see the deployment of HDTV and high-speed internet / voice services to residences along West Bay Road, while followup phases will string it to the rest of the island. We just made your vacation plans a whole lot easier, didn't we?

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]]> caymancayman islandsCaymanIslandsfiberFTTPgrand caymanGrandCaymanhdhdtvhotellodgingmoteltravelWestTel Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:06:00 -0500 21|1377211 <![CDATA[LodgeNet acts to keep OTA signals alive in analog hotels]]> http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/17/lodgenet-acts-to-keep-ota-signals-alive-in-analog-hotels/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/17/lodgenet-acts-to-keep-ota-signals-alive-in-analog-hotels/ http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/17/lodgenet-acts-to-keep-ota-signals-alive-in-analog-hotels/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
LodgeNet is looking out for hoteliers and hotel guests who actually want to watch a little TV while traveling after February 17, 2009 by rolling out a digital transition roadmap to bring venues up to speed. Granted, most hotels don't rely on analog OTA signals to begin with, but for those that still do, it's hoping to "propose a customized solution for each property." In other words, it'll see if analog OTA is still in use, and then offer a marked-up installation of DirecTV and / or a gaggle of DTV converter boxes -- brilliant!

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]]> 2009cutoverdtv transitionDtvTransitionhdhotelLodgeNetlodgingmotelotaswitchovertravel Mon, 17 Nov 2008 06:06:00 -0500 21|1370335