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Tech savvy on board (The Telegraph)

Navigating your way around a ship is easier than you think, says Frances Marcellin. (First published in The Telegraph, 17 February 2018) As someone who is used to writing about technology, often covering transport and travel, I have become fascinated by the booming cruise industry. Technology is transforming these floating hotels into smart cities. When I heard Luca Pronzati, MSC Cruises’ Chief Business Innovation Officer, describing … Continue reading Tech savvy on board (The Telegraph)

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Independent feature article

A tough balancing act: how Cirque du Soleil is adapting circus for the high seas (The Stage)

When Cirque du Soleil launched sea-based productions, its gravity-defying acts had to adapt to a moving stage, particularly in rough weather. Frances Marcellin finds out how the team crafted ship-specific shows Continue reading A tough balancing act: how Cirque du Soleil is adapting circus for the high seas (The Stage)

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AIDA Cruises' AIDAprima - Photo: AIDA Cruises Sticky post
Independent feature article

The cruise ships with the best Wi-Fi (CNN Travel)

What happened on cruise ships used to stay on cruise ships — at least until the boat reached the next port. One of the remaining Internet-free places on the planet, passengers could spend days wallowing in isolation unless they spent serious cash on a telegram or ship-to-shore call. Then, in 1999 Norwegian Cruise Lines introduced the first on-board Internet cafe. And nothing much changed. Because, even though … Continue reading The cruise ships with the best Wi-Fi (CNN Travel)

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Independent feature article

‘How cruising brought me back after Simon Cowell dropped me’ (The Telegraph)

“Tonight, Cat, I’m going to be Jerry Lee Lewis!” a 14-year-old Duke Christopher told Cat Deeley on Stars in Their Eyes in 2003. Emerging through the dry-ice in a blue satin jacket and with wavy slicked-back hair, he performed Great Balls of Fire on his feet while hammering out the song’s famous piano chords, just like the first bad boy of Rock ’n’ Roll. His charismatic copycat … Continue reading ‘How cruising brought me back after Simon Cowell dropped me’ (The Telegraph)

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Independent feature article

Talking TED: Ellen Agler on eradicating disease (Overture magazine)

When I catch Ellen Agler on the phone, she’s in London for the United Kingdom launch of her new book Under the Big Tree: Extraordinary Stories from the Movement to End Neglected Tropical Diseases, which she cowrote with Mojie Crigler. After becoming CEO of the END Fund, a private philanthropic initiative dedicated to ending neglected tropical diseases (NTD), Agler has managed to make these overwhelming and complex health … Continue reading Talking TED: Ellen Agler on eradicating disease (Overture magazine)

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Brexit, trade wars: So how are France’s tech reforms holding up? (ZDNet)

French president Macron’s reform agenda is gaining momentum. In the startup ecosystem, his French Tech Visa is drawing in foreign talent, while his goal of achieving male and female equality in France has increased the number of women-oriented initiatives. Despite consultancy EY’s recent European Attractiveness survey showing that foreign direct investment (FDI) dropped in France by 1% in 2018 after soaring to 31% growth in 2017, the … Continue reading Brexit, trade wars: So how are France’s tech reforms holding up? (ZDNet)

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Creating a Tech Community to Aid Refugees in Crisis (Overture magazine)

As the needs of refugees worldwide become more complex, a growing collection of technology groups are working to serve them as people, not problems. I first met Paul-Emmanuel Levy in Paris in October 2017, at the first global summit to be held by Techfugees, a non-profit that helps coordinate the international tech community’s response to the needs of refugees. Earlier that day he had been … Continue reading Creating a Tech Community to Aid Refugees in Crisis (Overture magazine)

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Narbonne Plage (image: Bigstock.com/phbcz)
Independent feature article

What to buy on the other French Riviera (The Telegraph)

Look West along the Mediterranean to find cheaper property. You won’t find the Cannes Film Festival or Club 55, but if owning a dreamy Mediterranean holiday home is your main desire, buying a property on the “other Riviera” can be half the price of the Côte d’Azur. The seaside resorts scattered along the western side of the south coast in Aude and Pyrénées-Orientales are adored … Continue reading What to buy on the other French Riviera (The Telegraph)

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Artificial intelligence: the end of lost baggage? (Airport Technology)

With the number of air travellers set to double over the next 20 years, intelligent end-to-end baggage tracking will be more essential than ever. Can artificial intelligence be harnessed to help manage the problem? Frances Marcellin investigates. Between now and 2036, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that the number of air passengers will rise from 4 billion to almost 8 billion. Airports are … Continue reading Artificial intelligence: the end of lost baggage? (Airport Technology)

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Independent feature article

Business or pleasure? The apps and trends that are blurring boundaries (ZDNet)

The worlds of the office and the home are starting to merge through apps and physical co-living spaces. Mixing business and pleasure has long been inadvisable. But the hard lines between the two are softening, with relationships based on shared personal and professional interests becoming more important to the careers of entrepreneurs and freelancers all over the world. Despite French culture traditionally not lending itself … Continue reading Business or pleasure? The apps and trends that are blurring boundaries (ZDNet)

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