Facebook vs Yelp, Best Travel Apps & Syrian Vacations?
Facebook vs. Yelp?
If recent news is any indication, Facebook may be looking to take on Yelp. The social network has reportedly developed a tool to help users find top-rated businesses within an area.
Tentatively called “Facebook Professional Services,” this feature would live within and be a part of Facebook and is currently desktop-only. This is likely to change as the company appears to still be designing the new tool and has not even officially announced it at this time.
Visitors to Professional Services are greeted with a search engine-type page with a box to select the area for which they are browsing. There are already more than 85 business types available for search, with results taking the Facebook five star rating system into account. The results that come up present the business name, contact information, hours of operation and snippets of some reviews.
As mentioned, Facebook has not officially announced the new tool, but did say it was still in early stages of development.
Vacation in Syria?
One of the last places most of us think to visit on vacation these days is war-torn Syria – but that’s exactly what one Russian travel firm is trying to set up. Starting next year, the Assad Tours (named after embattled President Assad) feature a four-to-five day trip to the Syrian front line. The president of the firm says he knows the trip won’t appeal to most people, but there is a niche audience for people “curious to see history made.”
Bizarre PR stunt or not, the head of the Russian Federal Tourism Agency says he has not heard about any such trip at this time and that sending tourists to conflict zones runs against Russian law.
Best iPhone Travel Apps
Let’s face it; apps make life easier – especially if you’re traveling and have no idea where to go, what to do or where to eat. Mashable compiled a list of the best travel apps available for the iPhone (most also appear on the Android store) and came up with the top six apps for travelers. Check them out if you haven’t and go exploring!