What We’re Reading: Rise of the Robot Suitcase

Robot suitcases that move on their own could be coming to an airport near you. Get the scoop on this and other interesting travel stories from the week.

Rise of the Robot Suitcases

Jaunted reports that Hop, a robotic suitcase that moves on its own, may one day soon be spotted faithfully following travelers through airports around the world. The bag, which gets around via caterpillar tracks, follows its owner at a constant distance, and locks itself and sets off an alarm if it becomes separated from its human counterpart.

Could this bag become one of the best travel inventions of all time?

Apps for Last-Minute Hotel Rooms

We’re into apps. (See 10 Fantastic (and Free) Fall Apps and 10 Apps to Make Travel Easier.) So we were excited to discover these useful last-minute hotel-finding apps rounded up by The New York Times. Last-minute Larrys can break out their smartphones and breathe a sigh of relief—the list includes apps from major booking sites Priceline, Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia, plus airfare aggregator Kayak, all of which allow travelers to find steep savings on same-day hotel stays.

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Stuff I Really Kind of Like About My Life at Home

One of the upsides of returning from a long journey—whether your trip was a success or a disaster—is the deeper appreciation one gains for all the comforts of home. Blogger Sally astutely touches on this in a post on her site Unbrave Girl.  About her travels in China, she writes, “I missed me some fall big time. (Or autumn as the Brits call it. But I think we can all agree that fall sounds awesomer. And way more dangerous.)”

Turns out fall in China is slightly smoggier than the season in the States, according to Sally. Plus, there’s China’s lack of Halloween and pumpkin-flavored cupcakes.

What’s the number-one thing you miss about home while traveling?

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