Airport security without the hassle
The Airport Authority Hong Kong is introducing a smart security screening system at Hong Kong International Airport.
The new system will be put into service across all terminals in phases from July.
Passengers using the new smart security screening channels can keep their electronic devices, including laptop computers and mobile phones, as well as liquids, aerosols and gels in their carry-on luggage, without having to take them out for screening as required by existing protocol.
The streamlined procedure is enabled by the latest 3D and 360-degree CT-based X-ray scanning technology, as opposed to the existing system’s 2D capability.
The new system is also equipped with other passenger-friendly functions including auto tray recirculation, in-built tray sterilisation, and automatic alert to passengers for uncollected items on the tray.
Finding you favourite restaurant in Japan
Tabelog, one of Japan’s largest restaurant search and reservation sites, has launched an online reservation service for visitors to Japan, which supports English, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) and Korean.
Reservations are available at more than 35,000 restaurants, making it the largest service of its kind in Japan
Diners are able to search for restaurants by specifying a location, cuisine, budget, and the date and time they want to make a reservation.
They can also select a restaurant based on detailed information about the restaurant, including menu, photos, and reviews posted by Japanese users. A calendar function allows diners to check availability and make reservations direct on Tabelog.
Online reservations are currently only available for set menus and require credit card registration. In addition, there is a small system usage fee per person per reservation.
“Japan is currently the destination of choice for travellers from around the world, and many of them want to experience Japan’s food culture. However, there is still a shortage of restaurants equipped to communicate with and take reservations from overseas visitors leading to a situation where only a handful of well-known restaurants are attracting visitors to Japan,” said Taku Kounoike, head of Tabelog.
Tabelog is operated by Kakaku.com, Inc. one of Japan’s leading Internet companies.
Scientists count flamingos – without facing asleep
Visitors to the Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana have looked at the flush of pink flamingos in the water and wondered just how many were there.
Thanks to machine learning we now have a number: 532,197.
Yes, more than half a million flamingos span the salt pans.
Scientists from the UNSW Sydney’s Centre for Ecosystem Science found a way to use artificial intelligence to accurately count the flamingo population using aerial photographs.
The team used machine learning to estimate the numbers of birds from 3,715 photographs taken from a Cessna aircraft that flew a series of transects across the pans at 500m-600m and speed of 175-195 kilometres per hour.
The team then taught the computer to recognise each individual pink dot as a flamingo and the UNSW team took into account aircraft turbulence before arriving at their final count of more than half a million flamingos.
Social media giving Bali a bad name
The deputy mayor of Denpasar, Radek Agus Arya Wibawa, has asked the public not to ‘viralise’ or spread videos of negative behaviour by foreign tourists in Bali because it damages the image of the island in the eyes of international travellers.
He would like to see more images going viral of tourists and Balinese enjoying good times together.
Videos of street fights and inappropriately dressed visitors arguing with temple guards and even sex acts at sacred sites detract from the image Bali wants to send to international travellers, and are the kinds of poor behaviour the mayor wants to see a lot less of.
