Hey everybody! There is an outstanding new web application that the tech world is lauding as “humanizing the internet.”  In fact, it’s so new that they’ve created a special access code just for you, the readers of TravelSmartBlog.com! Just read below to get it. 

It’s called Write On Glass and it can make booking travel much easier and more enjoyable, especially when you are collaborating with friends or loved ones. I interviewed Oscar Guido, COO and Co-Founder of Border Stylo, the technology startup behind Glass, and wanted to share his thoughts with you on how this works.

1. What is Glass?

It’s an application that allows people to have private conversations on top of any webpage. For example, you can leave your thoughts about a hotel deal you found on hotels.com literally on top of that page, and the only people that will see that comment are those with whom you share it. Glass allows you to now point specifically to information online without having to leave the page. 

2. How does it work?

All you have to do is install an add-on to your web browser, which allows you to overlay a virtual layer of glass above the internet. This way, you can place your messages on top without having to copy a link, open a new tab, sign into your email, or create a new message. Glass saves you all of those steps. Why should you have to go somewhere else online to share stuff? This allows you to share ideas in the moment, on-the-fly, and in the context of what you are talking about. 

Here’s a short video of Glass in action.

3. How would Glass work for making travel plans?

I’ve used it to plan an entire vacation! Instead of copying links and listing them in a separate document, risking losing the context and photos of the place, I’ve used Glass. I simply leave my notes (or “slides” as they’re called) about destination hotels and resorts on top of the webpage. Glass makes it easy to retrieve those notes through a “feed” if you need to go back, and you can even bookmark special messages among the rest. 

For example, the last time my girlfriend and I traveled to Palm Springs it allowed us to compare different hotel room options. We would leave ‘slides’ on the list of varying amenities, by the different room types. We could discuss what was most important to us (pool view vs. bed size) in the context of the hotel room pictures. Then, we could link to video reviews that we found from YouTube about the hotel and its different room sizes right on top of that same site. In essence, we made our decision about what room to book by looking at the options through a conversation. In fact, we even went as far as to plan our dinners for the weekend getaway by commenting on menu selections of the best Yelp’ed restaurant reviews near the hotel. 

4. How can we start using Glass?

Since Glass is in beta, sign-ups are limited. But we’ve created the invite code “travelsmart” (all together, no quotes) for the readers of this blog to join Glass. Once inside, users can invite as many contacts as they’d like. In order for your contacts to see your messages, they will also have to be using Glass. It currently works for both Firefox and Chrome web browsers.

5. Where are your favorite places to travel?

Personally, as the product may have already hinted, I prefer privacy above all =) so my favorite places are ones where I can get away with my lovely better-half and not be bothered. That means privacy can be in the form of anonymity (by not knowing anyone else in the city or place we are visiting). A shoreline and a good selection of brews also help!

6. What’s your biggest traveling pet peeve?

Long security lines. I know, not very original, but I cannot wrap my mind around why people take forever to put their stuff in a tray. I mean, we’ve all been waiting in line for the last 15 minutes with the same purpose, right?

 

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