Brain Waves: Houston’s way-finding technology, a new travel adaptor, and more

Houston to debut new way-finding technology

Passengers are now able to find their way around Houston’s airports simply by checking their smartphone. A new way-finding app has been launched, providing turn-by-turn directions to various points around George Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby airports. Passengers can search for points of interest including gates, ground transportation, ticket kiosks, shops and restaurants.

A new type of universal travel adapter has been launched that prevents fuses being blown. Created by Zendure, the new Passport adaptor features a patent-pending auto-resetting fuse. Traditional travel adapters use old-fashioned replaceable fuses to prevent an overload, which are easily blown or broken. Passport’s technology allows the device to recover from an overload on its own.

Air France has created a new app offering guided meditation sessions for passengers onboard its long-haul flights. The new Mind app includes six meditation sessions for adults and six for children, each of which features an audio recording and corresponding video. Air France reports that in a test, 90% of passengers said they felt more relaxed while 85% said it improved in-flight comfort.

Cathay Pacific is aiming to reduce its flight delays and cancellations with the introduction of a new automated maintenance tool. Honeywell’s “GoDirect Connected Maintenance” solution uses big data and the “internet of things” to monitor its aircraft and predict when mechanical parts need to be fixed or replaced. The new system will be deployed on the airlines’ fleet of Airbus A330s.