FEATURES AND ADVICE
BrainHQ | March 10, 2023
BrainHQ, a brain training system, has recently announced the conclusion of its pilot study, showing that brain training can help space travel. The research was conducted with computerized brain training and Posit Science marketed it.
The researchers found that space travel has a hazardous impact on the brain because of the gravitational forces involved in liftoff and landing, radiation, microgravity, and isolation. These impacts resulted in effects like intracranial pressure, impaired vision, vestibular dysfunction, altered fluid levels in veins and arteries, white matter changes, and premature aging. They grouped the astronauts having qualities like age, education and discipline who are employees from the Johnson Space Center for the Increasing Cognitive Ability/Reserve Using Software (ICARUS) pilot study. It tested their cognitive performance through its assessments and Cognition Test Battery, a software-based test dedicated to NASA.
It trained five of these participants for about 15 hours of training, 18 sessions and over the 90 days. They improved on internal measures of its exercises with a 71% increase on average in primary performance metrics. On the NASA Cognition Test Battery, they showed 19% gains on average. With preliminary findings, the pilot study provided data and feasibility for further research.
CEO of Posit Science, Dr. Henry Mahncke said, “These are exciting results in a new area, which is literally about the New Frontier.” He added, “Whether it’s returning to the moon or colonizing Mars, we know that addressing the cognitive challenges of long-term space flight is essential. These results fit nicely with what we’ve seen in building cognitive reserve in older adults and people recovering from brain injury and brain fog, as well as improving peak performers — such as special forces, law enforcement, or athletes — expected to perform at superhuman levels under extreme time and performance pressures.”
(Source – Globe Newswire)
About BrainHQ
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, BrainHQ, a wellness and fitness services provider, has improved mental ability and performance since 2002. The international team of neuroscientists and brain experts tested its brain training system. Its exercise is scientific-based, and researchers validated its real benefits in their published papers. The experts design, test and redefine its online exercises for cognitive issues, healthy aging and mental conditions. It uses a special algorithm to adapt difficulty in each exercise at the optimum level. Its exercises are divided into different levels for a flexible period, depending on the personal training goals, on any computer or mobile device.
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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY
RetailMeNot | February 27, 2023
Trip.com, an international travel services provider, has recently launched its solution TripGen, offering live travel assistance with chatbot-designed AI technology. The solution provides customized options for travel routes, travel booking recommendations and itineraries in real-time on the Trip.com platform.
It offers all the solutions needed for safe travel in one application, making it more accessible and customer friendly. Trip.com is committed to giving personalized all-inclusive search solutions for the best hotels, flights, hotels, and travel guides according to the traveler's desires. Furthermore, with the integration of an advanced context-based Natural Language Processing (NLP) chatbot, it extends its search capability.
This feature responds with exact answers to the user's vague and complex questions. It quickly suggests recommendations to any fragmented travel-related questions related to pre-trip decisions and in-trip arrangements. It also helps travelers at any stage of their travel, from arranging flights and hotels to tours and transportation, making the whole process stress-free.
COO of Trip.com, Schubert Lou said,"The goal of Trip.com is to become your trusted trip companion. The release of TripGen provides real-time, question-and-answer services in the Trip.com app, resulting in greater, faster, and more diverse support for the traveler". He added, "TripGen currently supports English, Japanese, Korean and traditional Chinese. More languages will be added depending on user needs. On the technical side, TripGen has integrated the OpenAI API, which developed ChatGPT based on GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) architecture. In the future, we will consider other NLP model alternatives and continue on our journey to provide the ultimate product experience for the traveler.
(Source – Cision PR Newswire)
About Trip.com
Headquartered in Singapore, Trip.com, a global online travel agency, offers services for flights tickets, hotels booking, train tickets, and the internet. It enhances the travel experience from a short trip to a nearby city to a long adventure across the continent, helping travelers at every step of the journey. It has connected about 1.2 million hotels and over 500 airlines in approximately 200 countries to travelers. With a committed customer service team, it offers services non-stop 24/7 and assists travelers worldwide. It also provides an all-in-one travel application with features like trip coins, app-inclusive deals, easy trip planning, the latest travel updates, and worldwide coverage.
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COMMERCIAL TRAVEL
Operto | March 21, 2023
Operto Guest Technologies, a leading provider of automated solutions for 50 million-plus rooms in the global hospitality industry, today announced that it secured US$25 million in a Series-B financing round. The financing was led by Centana Growth Partners, with participation from Thayer Ventures, FUSE, Blackpines Capital Partners and Derive Ventures.
Proceeds from the round will be used to further fuel Operto’s aggressive expansion in the global short-term rental and hotel markets, where it already works exclusively with Accor Hotels to power its global digital key program. This includes luxury hotel brands such Fairmont and Raffles, where Operto’s revolutionary contactless digital solutions can be leveraged to remove common friction points in the guest journey, while lowering operating costs and driving new sources of revenue for the hotel.
"We are delighted to announce our B-Round funding, which will enable us to build upon our exceptional company growth over the past 3 years. It will accelerate our company mission to build cutting-edge technology solutions that drive amazing guest experiences, across the entire accommodation spectrum. In addition, our solutions will continue to deliver huge operational efficiencies for property owners and hosts by lowering costs and driving additional in-stay guest revenues, which is becoming increasingly important in today’s macroeconomic environment,” said Operto CEO Steve Davis. “Hospitality is one of the last major industries to be disrupted by technology, and we believe there is a significant opportunity to bring the benefits of simple, affordable automation to the sector. We are excited about the future, and we look forward to making a real difference to the accommodation industry."
“Operto is leading the digital transformation of the hospitality industry by creating a seamless, automated check-in and check-out experience for its customers,” said Eric Byunn, co-founder and partner at Centana Growth Partners. “Centana has been following the digitization of the hospitality industry closely, and we are very excited about this sort of innovative disruption streamlining the experience of owners, hosts, and guests. We will leverage our expertise in the payments and commerce ecosystem to work with Operto as they continue to innovate in an industry with such enormous potential.”
In addition to the funding announcement, Operto is pleased to announce that Sam Shank has joined the company’s Board of Directors. Shank, who was previously CEO and founder of HotelTonight and former head of Airbnb’s Commercial Team, brings a wealth of hospitality and travel industry experience to Operto. "Operto's cutting-edge technology solutions are reshaping the hospitality industry, and I am excited to be a part of the journey,” said Shank. “I look forward to working with the team to help drive growth and innovation."
Operto’s automated, customizable platform enables hotels, property managers and others to remotely provide access as well as monitor and control a wide range of devices and systems, including smartphone-enabled guest verification, security deposit and payment, electronic elevator and room access. By providing property managers with real-time data and insights, Operto helps streamline operations, reduce costs and enhance the guest experience.
Operto Guest Technologies is well-positioned to continue its rapid growth and expansion into new markets. The company is committed to delivering innovative solutions that help property managers improve efficiency, reduce costs and provide a better experience for their guests.
About Operto Guest Technologies
Operto Guest Technologies is a Vancouver-based company that provides smart property automation solutions for the hotel and vacation rental sectors. Operto’s platform enables property owners and managers to remotely monitor and control their properties, enhancing the guest experience while improving operational efficiency. The company's solutions can integrate with existing property management software and are customizable to meet the unique needs of each property. Operto Guest Technologies' solutions have been adopted by property managers and owners in over 100-countries worldwide.
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