This is interesting its an idea for laser guided cars that do all the driving for you. The cars would allow the driver to do something else whilst still being behind the wheel meaning you could sleep, read or perhaps catch up on some work. They would work using sensors and wireless technology which would lock the cars together in a convoy with each vehicle following the one ahead. The car at the very front would be manned by a professional driver and all the other cars would simply follow. Drivers would pay a subscription for the service and would need to book ahead in order to secure a place in the convoy. They would then join the end of the convoy at the allotted time via a slip road and when they choose to leave their car would be guided off onto their chosen slip road. I’m not sure I fancy it, it seems to bring back memories off getting stuck behind a tractor for some strange reason.

Recently more and more companies seem to be using social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter for their promotions.  Some examples I have come across include Hotels Combined, laterooms and Eight Hotels. Both Laterooms and Hotels Combined use their Facebook page not only to promote themselves but also to promote other events and charities.  In addition Hotels Combined offer promotions such as donating $5 to the charity of your choice if you become a fan and $20 for blogging about them and have so far donated $3400 to charity. I’m not sure how effective a marketing strategy this is but it certainly looks like a good way to raise your companies profile.

If there is one thing that Monopoly has taught us its that a bank error in your favour is a good thing. Unfortunately in real life if you find several thousands of pounds in your account then you should tell the bank and give it back or you could be arrested. An Australian couple did just the opposite. On finding that they had received a payment of £4 million from the bank they simply disappeared. The bank has recovered some of the money but the couple still have around £3 million of it. An international search has now been launched for them.

According to this article The budget hotel chain Travelodge is launching a 99p cream tea. For your 99p you can expect to receive a collection of teas, an extra large scone, a pot of Cornish clotted cream and a choice of strawberry of raspberry jam. Not bad at all for under a pound.

This is an interesting idea, its a computer that could make it impossible for drivers to exceed the speed limit. It works by pinpointing the vehicles location by satellite and accessing a database detailing the roads speeds limit to determine how fast the vehicle should be travelling. The device then limits the cars speed to prevent it going any faster than the speed limit. If the vehicle should leave a 40pmh zone and drive into a 30mph zone the device is able to compensate for this and will gradually slow the car down until it is within the speed limit. The device will be trialled in the summer by TFL when a fleet of cars, buses and black cabs will be fitted with it. TFL believe that it could potentially cut accidents by around 10 per cent. It will be interesting to see how the trial goes.

Since I heard that the government was introducing a scrappage scheme to encourage people to trade in their old cars for a newer model I have watching with interest. My car has now reached the 20 year old mark and its a miracle every year when it gets through the MOT. I would happily trade my car in a for a newer one, the only thing that is really stopping me is that I simply cannot afford to get a new car. I was hoping that the government scheme might give me an extra little bit of help to be able to purchase something a little newer, perhaps a car that is only five years old rather than twenty. It appears, however, that the scheme only allows you purchase a car that is less than a year old. I have been looking around at the prices of new cars and even if I were to purchase one with finance it is simply too expensive. I don’t want a particularly big car perhaps a Ford Fiesta or similar but prices of these start at around £12,295. It looks as though my car will be on the road for some time yet whilst I continue saving for a newer one.

Rail fares are to rise by up to 11% next month with those customers who book in advance paying the highest increases. National Express East Coast is putting up its prices for the second time in five months. In January it raised unregulated fares by 7.4% and the further increase will mean an extra 11% on some advance purchase tickets. The First Great Western, East Midlands Train, First Capital Connect and CrossCountry companies are also increasing some fares. All of the rises are on unregulated fares which does not include season tickets. The prices of these must be decided linked to the retail price index. It is likely that train companies will not be allowed to increase these regulated fares next year so instead it appears they are increasing the costs of their unregulated fares. The move means that some fares will have jumped 16% in just five months.

This is cool its the Terrafugia Transition a car that flies. The car works like a conventional car but has the added bonus of being able to fly with the help of some fold away wings. It runs on unleaded petrol and can fly 400 miles on a single tank of gas. It does look a little odd and at £139,000 its certainly not cheap but I think there are times we have all wished we had a flying car.

Virgin America have introduced a charge to check in a single bag. The move brings them in line with other US carriers and means that passengers will now pay a $15 fee to check a single bag. Previously the airline charged nothing for the first bag, $25 for the second and $50 for the third. The airline has also lowered its fee for ticket changes and cancellations from $75 to $50.

Train passengers should be able to use their Oyster cards on most of the London rail network by the end of 2009. Currently the Oyster card can be used on London Overground, the London underground, buses, trams and the Docklands Light Railway. However, many suburban rail firms do not yet accept the pay as you go card. The London Mayor Boris Johnson has said that an agreement with most rail companies is near. The one exception appears to be South West Trains which currently has no plans to allow customers to use the Oyster card on its service.

If you are looking for some exposure for your travel blog you might want to check out this site. They run a weekly feature called (oddly enough) Travel Blog of the Week and are currently looking for suggestions. The feature give a short write up, highlighting some of the best articles from the chosen blog with a link back to blog. It looks like a good way to get some increased traffic for free.

Richard Branson has launched his mothership, a craft that will soon launch the first space tourists into the atmosphere. The WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft which is named after Branson's mother is capable of reaching a height of 50,000ft. The first passengers are likely to be launched into space in around 18 months time but there is currently no set launch date as safety tests still need to be carried out. More than 250 customers have already paid a $200,000 deposit to be among the first space tourists.

Some of the leading supermarkets have recently cut their fuel prices. The cuts are as a result of the recent drop in oil prices. Asda has dropped its prices by 3p a litre, Morrisons cut prices by 4p and Sainsbury's have said they will offer a 5p a litre reduction for customers who spend £50 or more in store.

The Chancellor has scrapped plans for a 2p rise in fuel duty. The rise was meant to take effect in October but the Chancellor has said he will suspend the rise to help motorists and businesses through the difficult economic conditions. The rise has now been put off until next April when it will be dealt with in his next budget. Road user groups have welcomed the announcement but have said more needs to be done to help motorists and hauliers.

Britain's first eco nightclub has opened in London. The night club offers free entry to cyclists and walkers. It also has its own wind turbines and solar energy systems. The venue has air flush waterless urinals and low flush toilets. It sells all of its drinks in polycarbon cups and has a high tech dance floor that generates its own electricity when people dance on it.

When booking a holiday you might want to check the small print to see what is says about fuel surcharges. This article highlights a case where a couple were hit with a surcharge of £892 a few months before they were due to set off on a cruise holiday. In their case the extra charge was simply too much to afford and they had no choice but to cancel the holiday. Unfortunately because the charges amounted to £8 less than 10% of the total holiday cost they were not entitled to a refund of the £900 deposit they had paid for the £9,000 holiday.

Laws banning hidden costs on air fares are likely to be in force by the end of the year. The move would mean that airlines would have to include all airport taxes, fees and charges in the basic ticket price they offer to customers. The laws would mean that all costs must be clearly set out making it very clear the final total that the customer will pay. The new laws are currently waiting the final approval from Euro MEPs.

Boris Johnson has quashed the proposed rise in the London congestion charge. The former mayor Ken Livingston has planned to raise the daily charge from £8 to £25. Boris Johnson has said that the £25 charge would hit small businesses and families the hardest and this is why he is scrapping the rise. He also said that his aim is to achieve a "fairer and more effective congestion charge".

A survey by a rail watchdog has found that only four out of ten passengers feel they get value for money. Its hardly surprisingly when you pay to use a service where you rarely get a seat and in many cases can hardly find standing room on a train. The same report found that people are 5% less satisfied with the service than in 2007 with satisfaction ratings falling for 13 companies since spring 2007. One of the main things that passengers were dissatisfied with was fare increases.

As of last weekend alcohol has been banned on the tube and its easy to see why when you see the scenes from the so called "tube alcohol party". The party was organised on Facebook so that people could enjoy the last night of being allowed to drink on the tube. During the party six tube stations has to be closed and services were seriously delayed. Predictably it ended with 17 people being arrested and four train drivers, three London Underground staff and two police officers being assaulted. All good reasons why the ban is a good idea.

BA has become the latest sponsor of the 2012 Olympics paying around £40 million for marketing rights. They will also fly British athletes to this years Beijing Olympics and the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. Other major sponsors of the Olympics include Lloyds TSB, EDF and Adidas.

A new high speed train has been launched in France. The train which is called the AGV will replace the TGV. The new trains will travel at a top speed of 224mph compared to 186mph, the top speed of the TGV. This would mean that the journey on Eurostar from London to Paris would now take only 1h42 minutes compared to the current 2h15 minute journey. Eurostar whilst interested in the new train have no plans to replace its current fleet of trains for the next ten years, so those who are looking forward to getting to France in less than two hours will have a to wait quite some time.

A new car has been unveiled by the Indian buyers of Jaguar that costs only £1,250 making it the world’s cheapest car. It has no air conditioning, no power steering, no passenger side mirror and only one windscreen wiper but it big enough to carry four people. Called the Nano its makers hope that it will make motoring accessible to millions of Indians who can’t currently afford a car. The car measures ten foot long and five foot high and is powered by a two cylinder petrol engine. It has a top speed of 65mph and does 50 miles to the gallon.

Around 40,000 customers of Travelscope have been told that their holiday bookings can no longer be honoured after the company went into administration. All customers will get a refund but many who were due to depart in the next few weeks are angry that they have not been given time to make other arrangements.

I was looking around at some last minute holiday deals with a view to going away after Christmas and found this website that has some great discounts. They offer a range of different accommodation from Hotel Reservations and resorts to vacation rentals as well as offering flights and car hire. The website has a useful destination guide to help you find the perfect holiday for your needs and you can view it in your own language and currency, which makes booking a holiday much easier. It’s certainly worth a look if you are thinking of booking a holiday.

If you suffer form Psoriasis you might want to want to try a treatment at the Blue Lagoon - Clinic. Based in Iceland they offer a natural treatment of the condition using the seawater from the Blue Lagoon and its unique ingredients. The waters of the Blue Lagoon deep cleanse the skin, stimulating blood circulation as well as exfoliating the skin. After bathing you then apply the Blue Lagoon skin care products and you can also take advantage of the latest in UNV light therapy which works well in conjunction with the other treatment. After a three to four week therapy you should start to see signs of healing on the skin.

PC2Paper allows you to send real letters from the internet to anywhere in the world. They have recently added a new feature to the website that allows you to upload your contacts as a spreadsheet file. They also have a useful mailbox service where they give you a postal address to send your mail to and any letters received are scanned and made available for you to read online. A great service to use whilst travelling.

If you are visiting Provincetown you might want to check out Snug Cottage. Snug Cottage is a provincetown lodging that was built in 1825. It still retains much of the 19th century features whilst offering the comfort and luxury you expect to find in first class accommodation. The cottage is surrounded by beautiful gardens so is ideal for a relaxing stay. The cottage caters for up to 30 people and can provide meeting space and business services. A breakfast buffet featuring many New England favourites is provided in the morning so you can be sure to start your day off with a good meal. They also offer a car service to and from the airport. Most importantly they have a complimentary high speed wireless internet service, so all you need to do is remember to take your laptop.

Co-op Travel has some really good late deals at the moment if you are looking for a last minute get away. Not only do they have good deals on holidays, you can also book a number of extras through them, such as extra baggage allowance, extra leg room and excursion and attraction tickets. The website has some useful destination guides so you can make an informed decision on where you want to stay and you can also read reviews on the service. You get a 5% discount for booking online and receive a free personal e-brochure.

HotelReservations.com has been in the business for over six years. They are dedicated to providing travellers with great prices on both business and leisure travel. They currently offer more than 70,000 properties worldwide and cover several different types of accommodation including Hotel Reservations, bed and breakfast, condos and all inclusive holidays. They cover most destinations including Australia, Italy, Germany, Greece, Belgium, France and the UK, just to name a few.

You can search for your holiday by selecting whether you want a hotel, flight, car rental, vacation rental or a vacation package. You can then narrow your search to where you are leaving from, where you want to go and what your departure dates are. The website will then find the best holiday to suit your requirements. If you are not sure where you want you go, but do know the type of holiday you want, then you can click on their destination guide. It highlights some of the best holidays, whether you are interested in a spa holiday, a beach holiday or a gambling holiday. One good feature of this site, it that you can view it in you’re your own language and currency, meaning you don’t have to work out the prices using a separate currency converter, which saves time.

They also have a price match guarantee on their internet prices. If you find a lower rate available for the same dates and the same hotel, you can contact then within 24 hours of booking, and they will either match the rate, or if you prefer cancel the reservation. They also have a cash rebate system, so if you print out the coupon on the website and send it back after your stay, you could claim up to $100 of your money back, based on a twelve night stay. This offer is valid until November 2007.