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Vrbo's Super Bowl 'risk scores' are basically pre-crime for house parties
Airbnb rival Vrbo is using algorithms to decide whether renters are likely to throw a house party.
Hotels.com, Expedia provider exposed data for millions of guests
A cloud provider left exposed for millions of guests using major hotel reservation services.
Avast packaged detailed user data to be sold for millions of dollars
The popular antivirus program Avast has been selling users data to giant companies like Google, Home Depot, Microsoft and Pepsi, a joint investigation by Motherboard and PCMag found. Avast reportedly scraped data from its antivirus software and handed it off to its subsidiary Jumpshot, which repackaged the data and sold it, sometimes for millions of dollars. While Avast required users to opt-in to this data sharing, the investigation found that many were unaware that Jumpshot was selling their data.
Orbitz data breach exposed 880,000 payment cards
Orbitz announced today that it has discovered evidence of a data breach, making it just another of the many companies recently afflicted. Between October and December of last year, hackers may have accessed consumer data submitted to a legacy website between January 1, 2016 and June 22, 2016. Additionally, Orbitz partner platform data submitted between January 1, 2016 and December 22, 2017 may also have been breached. The company discovered signs of the breach on March 1st and estimates that approximately 880,000 credit cards may have been impacted. While social security numbers, passport and travel itinerary information don't appear to have been accessed, names, payment card information, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, physical and billing addresses and gender may have been. However, Orbitz said that it doesn't have direct evidence that any of this information was actually stolen. Besides information brokers like Equifax, travel-related services have been juicy targets for hackers with tons of stored IDs -- hotel chains like Hyatt, Hilton and Intercontinental have all been hit.
Google is changing how other sites use its flight data
Google is getting serious about its role as a travel service. Come April 10, 2018 the search giant will shut down access to its QPX Express API that's used by the likes of Kayak and Orbitz for airfare data, as spotted by Hacker News. This could seriously affect those sites' customers. Travel listings are one thing, but if you've stored a ton of reward points with one and it isn't able to fetch flight times and prices for your a trip next summer, that could cause some headaches.
Uber has its new CEO: Dara Khosrowshahi
Uber's board of directors (which still includes the previous CEO Travis Kalanick) has made its pick for a new leader official, selecting Dara Khosrowshahi. The former CEO of Expedia, he was reportedly selected over former HP CEO Meg Whitman and former GE CEO Jeff Immelt, who withdrew his name from consideration a few days ago. In a statement, the Uber board said "We're really fortunate to gain a leader with Dara's experience, talent and vision. The Board and the Executive Leadership Team are confident that Dara is the best person to lead Uber into the future building world-class products, transforming cities, and adding value to the lives of drivers and riders around the world while continuously improving our culture and making Uber the best place to work."
Uber picks Expedia chief as its new CEO
Uber's lengthy, sometimes tumultuous search for a new CEO is over. Sources talking to both the New York Times and Recode have learned that the ridesharing company has picked Expedia chief Dara Khosrowshahi as its new leader. The company will only say that its board has voted on a CEO and will reveal the decision "to the employees first," but the reported decision makes sense in light of recent leaks surrounding Uber's choice.
GitHub rallies Silicon Valley companies to oppose Muslim ban
GitHub plans to meet with a number of Silicon Valley tech companies to discuss filing an amicus brief in lawsuits targeting Trump's immigration and refugee ban.
Airbnb reportedly working on a flight-booking feature
Bloomberg reports that short-term rental listing service, Airbnb is looking to get into airline reservation game as well. According to unnamed sources within the company, Airbnb's plans are still in the formational stages. The company could either acquire an online travel agency outright or simply license the booking data.
Expedia to pay $3.9 billion for Airbnb competitor HomeAway
The short-term rental market is growing, and Expedia understandably wants a piece of it. After snapping up Orbitz and Travelocity earlier this year, it has now decided to purchase HomeAway. It's an online service that focuses on renting out vacation homes, further intensifying Expedia's rivalry with Airbnb. The travel empire has been displaying HA properties alongside hotels for a couple of years, but it will now completely own the company and all its brands. In its press release, Expedia admits that it has agreed to pay a hefty $3.9 billion for HomeAway, because it has "long had [its] eyes on the fast growing ~$100 billion alternative accommodations space." Both companies are expecting to close the deal in 2016, and if they obtain regulatory approval, Expedia will pay in cash and stock worth $38.31 per share.
Expedia releases an app exclusively for Samsung
Expedia already has apps for both Android and iOS devices, but the travel website has released another one exclusively for Samsung Galaxy phones. It features a launch screen that does look quite different from the ones in the ordinary apps, along with Galaxy-exclusive deals. However, it's worth mentioning that the normal applications get mobile-exclusive discounts, as well. What makes it sound useful for frequent travelers, though, is its dedicated customer support line, which promises to answer questions and help you resolve issues "no matter the day or time." That said, the new app might be worth installing even if you don't find any of those particularly compelling, if only for the $50 discount you'll get for your first hotel reservation over $250.
Expedia buys Orbitz to expand its online travel empire
Looking to extend its reach with folks who book travel reservations online, Expedia is snatching up the competition with a quickness. Today, the web-based travel agency announced that it's purchasing Orbitz for around $1.6 billion, so the most popular option in the US for searching flights, hotels and more on the web gains the business of the third-ranked site. The sale also includes CheapTickets, ebookers and Hotel Club in addition to a couple of B2B brands. "This acquisition will allow us to deliver best-in-class experiences to an even wider set of travelers all over the world," said Expedia's president and CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. Expedia just nabbed Travelocity last month for $280 million, and it already owned Hotels.com and Hotwire -- all popular destinations for globe-trotting bargain hunters. [Photo credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Expedia buys Travelocity, but don't expect much to change
How much does it cost to buy one of the biggest brands in online travel? Only about $280 million, as it turns out: That's how much Expedia paid in cash to acquire Travelocity today from its parent company Sabre Corporation (no relation to these the makers of the critically panned Pyramid). So what does that mean for you, the average vacation-loving consumer? We reached out to Expedia to clarify matters (their spokesperson didn't offer much in the way of new info), but don't expect things to change dramatically... if they change at all.
Expedia adds to Google's EU antitrust woes, decision expected after Easter
Google's position as the dominant search engine doesn't come without a price. Smaller search sites have already tapped on the EU Commission's door to register their complaints about how they are ranked, and Microsoft has also let its feelings on the matter be known. Now, we can add the Redmond spin-off, Expedia, to that list of sore losers disgruntled firms. The travel search site claims it has specific details outlining how the search giant has violated European anti-competitive laws. A Google spokesperson issued a statement saying "We haven't seen the complaint yet, but we've been working to explain how our business works, cooperating with the European Commission since this investigation began." The EU Competition Commissioner says a decision will be made after Easter, at which point Mountain View will either be charged, or the investigation will be dropped. If only that were the end of its EU troubles.
TomTom extends Live service and HD Traffic to Canada with Go Live 1535M nav unit
Satisfying your poutine craving just got easier as TomTom extends its internet-enabled Live service and HD Traffic to nav systems up north. Using the Go Live 1535M portable GPS unit, Canadian drivers can now access the company's signature HD Traffic feature to get real-time routing based on current congestion. Another perk of being connected is the suite of apps that gives adventurers access to Yelp, TripAdvisor, Expedia, Twitter and local search from the dash -- making it easy to find that perfectly crafted caribou jerky and brag about it on social networks. Starting in October, Canucks can cop the system for around $269 with a free 12-month starter subscription to Live offerings. Check out the full PR after the break.
TomTom announces Go Live 1535M in all its app-wielding glory, offers dashboard tweeting
If you're a fan of TomTom's Go Live series of nav units, you'll get a kick out of what the company announced today. Hitting retail and online stores in October is "the world's first portable navigation device with a suite of popular travel apps," the Go Live 1535M. That's right folks, this piece of dashboard flair will allow you to use Yelp, TripAdvisor, Expedia and Twitter all from the comfort of its 5-inch touchscreen. In addition to the new application integration, the GPS juggernaut's classic features will be available as well: hands-free calling, real-time traffic info, local search, fuel prices and weather forecasts. Sounds great, right? But what's that... you already sprung for the 2535M model? No worries, mates -- you'll be able to download the new features this fall via software update. Pricing for these app-enabled navigators will start at $250 which includes a free 12-month subscription to TomTom Live services. Pretty soon, you'll be able to make that dinner reservation while TomTom tells you how to get there, seconds before you tweet about it.
