Thibault Mathieu’s latest blog post

The largest juggernaut of convenience just grew larger and more convenient. First online in 1995 as a superstore of books, electronics, appliances, and more, Amazon added a travel agency sector to their repertory of services provided, a move many hope will centralize, and perhaps more fluidly handle the process of booking hotels. Amazon Destinations, as it is called, was the CEO Jeff Bezos’ latest brainchild, and its mission is to help the customer find travel destinations, especially leisurely getaways, within driving distance of his home.

While it seems to be limiting itself by its modest approach to finding nearby destinations, Amazon is leaving rumors in the air of small-to-big expansion. It currently serves Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle, featuring suggested venues that reach many other metropolitan areas. For example, someone located in New York City can learn about places as far away as The Poconos and the Amish Country of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It offers customers a visibly pleasing experience through colorful descriptions and photography of each place listed. Attraction and aesthetic superiority can never replace functionality as the prime linchpin to its success.

Although the site’s extension possesses a consumer novelty in its own, Amazon cannot deny the projected financial losses attributed to its overexpansion. Its estimated losses are giving shareholders a feeling of uncertainty they can’t shake. Jeff Bezos’ response to the ensuing doubts is a confidence in Amazon’s right and ability to experiment in other categorical fields. For some, the competitiveness of the travel market is a deterrent from greater involvement, (especially considering globalization and the booming of international business), for others, it is a reason for Amazon to comprehend it into its bulk of services. Having reached $100 billion in annualized revenue, Bezos feels comfortable that any loyal customers will take pride and comfort in using Amazon Destinations as its new convenient travel agent.

Learn more about its offers here. Visit Amazon’s own site here.

from Thibault Mathieu http://ift.tt/1R9y5bu

Thibault Mathieu’s latest blog post

Airbnb authorities declared today that the group driven neighborliness organization will be one of the first U.S. organizations to offer lodging to U.S. voyagers who fit into the 12 classes of affirmed motivations to go to Cuba.

New standards set up by President Obama’s organization in January has made it simpler for Americans to go to Cuba. They can’t go as travelers yet they can strive for affirmed reasons, for example, instructive exercises, proficient gatherings, philanthropic tasks and athletic rivalries.

More than 1,000 postings are presently accessible on Airbnb. Around 40 percent are in Havana. The remaining postings are in urban communities, for example, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, and Santa Clara. Airbnb hopes to extend the quantity of postings. Cuba has as of now turned into a standout amongst the most hunt down destinations in the organization’s postings, topping Latin American urban areas, for example, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Mexico City.

“For over 50 years, Cuba has been out of reach for most Americans,” Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk said in a written release. “We couldn’t be more excited that, starting today, licensed U.S. travelers will now be able to experience the unique culture and warm hospitality that makes the island so special through our new Cuban community.”

Cuba as of now has an extensive system of casas particulares, which offer guests home-stays and are controlled by local people.

Major U.S. lodging organizations have likewise said they might want to have a vicinity in Cuba however that it is too soon to make any moves.

Aerial transports too are gradually making sense of how they can grow direct administration from the USA. They have just possessed the capacity to offer sanction flights for individuals to-individuals visits, which was the main way Americans could lawfully visit Cuba as of not long ago.

Airbnb is putting forth Cuban has the same assurance and profits it offers has in any area, including the repayment of up to $1 million for property harm.

Americans who book with Airbnb will need to bear witness to that they are going under one of the 12 sanction classes. Starting now, Airbnb is just open to approved U.S. voyagers yet the organization says it will look for regard to serve non-U.S. explorers also.

For more on this article, check it out at USAToday.com.

from Thibault Mathieu http://ift.tt/1y4OmZe

Thibault Mathieu’s latest blog post

Invented by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008, Bitcoin has people talking. What exactly is bitcoin? Bitcoin is an innovative alternate form of money. For more on bitcoin, check out bitcoin.org. While bitcoin hasn’t quite taken off to the point that its everyones first mode of payment, it is gaining momentum. Dell recently made headlines in that it is the largest company to accept bitcoin internationally.

While already accepting bitcoin in the United States, Michael Dell tweeted out to his 864,000 plus followers that Dell will now accept bitcoin from customers in the United Kingdom and Canada. Dell has had some experience with accepting bitcoin already. One of there biggest deals to date using bitcoin was $50,000 for their servers.

This is not bitcoin’s biggest break through ever as it has been used in other industries. However, over the last 12 months, bitcoin’s value has plummeted. Once valued at over $1,000 a share, bitcoin today is worth roughly $270. Dell does not plan on investing in bitcoin meaning after accepting it as payment, he will likely exchange it for cash as many do. This way those who are not as confident in the ever so volatile bitcoin rid themselves of the risk of owning it.  For more on this topic, check out this link here.

http://ift.tt/1zAUQJ6

from Thibault Mathieu http://ift.tt/1wENNo0

Thibault Mathieu’s latest blog post

Lately, traveling has become a fad of our society, and it’s no surprise why. With all of the wonderful, exotic things the world has to offer – from famous landmarks to endangered species, traveling is a great way to gain cultural experience and expand your horizons as a human being. Why not be exposed to all of these incredible, surreal sights? So, what are some of the biggest travel destinations of 2015 (without all the touristy crowds, of course)? Here’s a list of some of the most-travel-wanted hotspots for this coming year:

First is Gujarat and Hyderabad, India. As many of you know, The Jungle Book is being turned into a feature film next year, and includes a plethora of breathtaking images of the Ganges river and jungle-dense parts of India. Along with the aesthetics that India has to offer, from jungle to enchanting bazaars and mosts, it is rich in culture and history. As the birthplace of Gandhi, a majority of India is covered in mountain-top temples and colorful religious festivals. A visit to India will feel like you’re entering a whole new world, you’ll feel nothing but awe and admiration.

Serbia

Next top travel destination? Serbia. Serbia is bordered by Carpathian mountains and the Danube river, and stands among Hungary, Romania, Croatia, and Kosovo. Though it’s geography has been a major influence to it’s trouble of the past, the blend of cultures from being surrounded by so many different countries is truly unique – and shows in it’s vast array of delicious dishes, architecture, and way of living. Monasteries and churches decorate Serbia, which remind many of it’s local inhabitants of all wars and suffering, but also stand as symbols of hope. Serbia is emerged in forests, mountains, and exotic European coffee shops and restaurants, that will all make you cringe at their beauty.

Rwanda is another top travel destination for 2015, especially since it is home to the silverback mountain gorillas. As you may know, gorillas are one of the most endangered species in the world right now, so it may not be too long before there’s never a chance for you to see them in their natural habitat. Though large, these animals are beautifully delicate with shiny coats and dark, luring eyes. Rwanda, a small country located in Central East Africa, contains many of nature’s most enticing beauties, including rainforests and volcanic jungle. It’s village people are especially remarkable, known for their agricultural skills and sweet charisma after all they’ve been through, including a terrible genocide in 1994 (which you can learn about by visiting Kigali’s Genocide Memorial Museum). Rwanda is home to an abundance of beauty, and will make your stay their life-changing.

For more insight on which places to travel to in 2015, read Huffington Post’s article on Top Emerging Travel Hotspots. And start packing your bags, because there’s no way you won’t want to take a trip to at least one of these remarkable places, if not them all.

from Thibault Mathieu http://ift.tt/13T8r5M

Thibault Mathieu’s latest blog post

Cloud computing has been on a huge incline of late. Mainly because it is the new efficient way to store as much data as possible without it having to be store at a location or backup location. Cloud computing is essentially how it sounds, data stored in the cloud meaning its not tangible. The biggest player in the cloud computing business is Amazon.com. However, recent news would say otherwise.

IBM, who is also in the cloud computing industry has been stealing headlines of late. IBM has secured cloud deals with some prominent customers like ABN AMRO, Thomson Reuters, and WPP. It seems IBM may have packaged in products and services they are more known for to win some Cloud business. The deals were described as follows:

Thomson Reuters: “a new multi-year services agreement with Thomson Reuters to provide IT services to employees globally.”

WPP: “a seven-year, $1.25 billion services contract for IBM to transform and manage WPP’s global technology platform”

ABN AMRO: “IBM and ABN AMRO have signed a 10-year, multibillion-dollar services agreement to manage the IT infrastructure that supports the bank’s operations globally. The agreement includes the implementation of a private IBM cloud together with further standardization and simplification of the existing IT landscape, from mobile computing to mainframe infrastructure.”

The common factor here is that IBM describes their deals to include “IT Services” or as a “global technology program.” Essentially it seems as though IBM is offering a better supplemental package that happens to include their cloud computing package as well. IBM’s other services serve as their “trojan horse” in order to get their cloud computing technology in the hands of their customers.

Overall, it seems like a great idea on IBM’s behalf, I just would refrain some believing they are knocking off the cloud computing juggernauts in Amazon.com and Microsoft. For more on this article, check it out at seekingalpha.com.

from Thibault Mathieu http://ift.tt/1ykl6Hs

Thibault Mathieu’s latest blog post

As one of the worlds most popular tourist destinations, Barcelona is one of greatest cities in the world. Home to about 1,620,943 people, it is the second most populated city in Spain after Madrid. But what about it makes it so great and popular? Lets take a look at three things that contribute to what makes Barcelona one of the greatest cities out there.

1. Camp Nou
Camp Nou is the arena where European football powerhouse F.C. Barcelona plays. Despite this mainly being for the avid sports fan, it still remains one of Barcelona’s most popular attractions. Seating 99,000 people, the fan experience of watching Lionel Messi and the rest of the squad is like no other. The largest arena in all of Europe, if you have the opportunity to catch a game it is highly recommended.

2. Montjuïc
Montjuïc is a broad shallow hill that overlooks the harbour to the southwest of the city centre. From this point in Barcelona, you can see some incredible views. If you can make it to the top of the hill, you reach the point where many military bases once stood. The Montjuïc Castle, built in 1640 and rebuilt in 1779, still remains there today. Another cool aspect of Montjuïc is that it is home to many sport facilities built for the 1992 Summer Barcelona Olympics.

3. La Rambla
La Rambla is the city’s most famous street and it’s filled with tons of activity. You won’t necessarily get the authentic Barcelona feel here as it tends to be heavily populated with tourists. Due to this, businesses located near by have tailored themselves to the tourist using pavement cafes and souvenir kiosks. While roaming La Rambla, you can see many cultural landmarks that have lived within Barcelona for some time. These include Liceu, Barcelona’s renowned opera house which opended in 1847, Teatre Principal, the oldest theatre in Barcelona, Centre d’Art Santa Mònica, a museum of contemporary art, and Virreina Palace, a place where they host museum exhibits and cultural events.

Barcelona is a beautiful city with many more attractions to experience. Check out what else Barcelona has to offer here at touropia.com.

from Thibault Mathieu http://ift.tt/1AHIwMN

Thibault Mathieu’s latest blog post

A great place to visit in the United States would have to be where I currently live, Los Angeles. Home to about 3.8 million people, Los Angeles is a place where everyone wants to be. From the beaches, to the historical sites, to the stars there is so much to see and do. The main airport to get into Los Angeles is LAX but if need be, you can fly into Long Beach and drive 20 minutes to Los Angeles. Lets take a look at everything there is to do in Los Angeles.

For those interested in the outdoors, you can hike the Hollywood Hills. Part of the Santa Monica Mountains, the Hollywood Hills feature great views of Los Angeles, expensive homes owned by celebrities, as well as the infamous “Hollywood” sign. Also available near the Hollywood Hills is the Griffith Observatory. The Observatory has an array of space and science displays that many tourist love to visit.

Los Angeles is home to many beautiful beaches and people but where can they be found? Some of the most popular beaches are Venice, Santa Monica, and Malibu Beach. Take your pick, you can’t go wrong. Santa Monica Beach has a nice pier where you can engage in entertainment along the beach. Malibu Beach is beautiful and scenic. With the weather in Los Angeles, you can be at the beach almost all year round.

Another form of entertainment in Los Angeles is to catch a sports game. You have the iconic Staples Center, home to both the Lakers and Clippers if you’re in Los Angeles from November to March. You can also catch a Kings ice hockey game at the Staples Center, or even a concert. Los Angeles has two baseball teams as well in the Dodgers and Angels and they play April to September.

There are tons of great shopping spots in LA. One of the most popular spots is Fairfax District. With tons of shops, Fairfax District also contains the CBS Television City Broadcasting Center as well as the Farmers Market. For more upscale shopping, many locals and tourist visit Rodeo Drive. On Rodeo Drive, you can shop for Ralph Lauren, Tom Ford, Versace, Brooks Brothers, Louis Vuitton, as well as many more.

If you’re into comedy, LA is full of great places to enjoy a great laugh. Some of the most popular spots are Hollywood Improv, The Comedy Store, and The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. There is a lot of talent in town so you are sure to catch a great comedian almost every night of the week.

You can visit Los Angeles January through December and always find something to do. Hollywood Boulevard is always fun seeing all the stars on the sidewalk. With so much to do and great weather year round, Los Angeles is a destination that you can visit at any time of the year.

from Thibault Mathieu http://ift.tt/1CT6PUH

Thibault Mathieu’s latest blog post

Notre Dame Cathedral

Another great place to travel to is Paris, France. Paris is the most populated city in France at 2,249,975 and rightfully so, as Paris is one of the most beautiful places in the world. If you’re into fine dining, you’ll love Paris. Paris has a plethora of great dining spots that each hold a unique dining experience. With many different dining options, it’s a great city to visit with a loved one. After all, the city is known as “The City of Love.”

Not only is Paris beautiful, but its also easy to navigate so you have time to see everything you planned to! The main airport in Paris is the Charles de Gaulle Airport. It’s about a half hour taxi ride from CDG to the center of Paris. The Paris Metro system provides simple and easy access to the various historic landmarks and attractions that everyone loves to visit. A great time to visit Paris is during the Spring and Fall because the weather is very ideal. Because everyone sees it as the time to go, the pricing on the trip comes to be more than you would pay for a different time of year. As sort of a buyer beware statement, if you are looking to go during the summer, the experience is a bit watered down. Because it becomes very touristy, a lot of the locals flee the city thus leaving you as the visitor surrounded by other visitors giving you a not as authentic experience.

Obviously everyone wants to visit the Eiffel Tower, but where else is there to go? Museums many like to check out is The Louvre and Musee D’Orsay. The Louvre houses the famous Mona Lisa. Some landmarks that people like to visit include the L’Arc de Triomphe, Palais Garnier, Sacre Coeur, and the Notre Dame Cathedral.

For more on visiting Paris, check out this article.

from Thibault Mathieu http://ift.tt/YeMknX

Thibault Mathieu’s latest blog post

A great city to visit in France is Marseille. Marseille is one of Europe’s oldest cities and France’s second largest city. Marseille is great for site seeing with Roman ruins, medieval architecture, distinguished cultural venues, and two historic forts. At the end of the harbor is the Quai de Belges which is where visitors view luxury yachts and ferries.

Marseille

The Chateau d’lf France is a great attraction to visit. Not only is it beautiful, it has a great sense of history attached to it. For starters, it’s actually used as the setting in the book “The Count of Monte Cristo”. Between the years of 1634 and the end of the 19th century, the chateau served as a prison for religious and political offenders. By the year 1890, it was open to the public to sightsee and is now recognized as one of the most famous prisons in the world.

Marseille has many attractions for tourist to take of advantage of both day and night. During the day, you can visit the various museums, art galleries, opera houses, theatres, and historic buildings. Some of the historic buildings people make it a point to see are La Vielle Charite and the Basilique Notre-Damep-de-la-Garde. During the night, the city has many cinemas, bars, clubs, and other entertainment venues. The city also hosts year-round festivals that promote music, dance, and film. It is very easy to do all these various activities as Marseille makes transportation very easy. You can get around by bus, tram, metro or a bike hire system.

An underrated aspect of Marseille is the weather. The temperature at its hottest point of the year, July and August, averages around 85 degrees. The average temperature high in the winter is about 54 degrees, which usually occurs December through February. These are very pleasing temperatures as it never really gets too hot or cold through out the year. Overall, I highly recommend you take a trip to Marseille, France if you haven’t yet, it’s a great time!

from Thibault Mathieu http://ift.tt/1qHu14J