OwlTing (奧丁丁) has created the world’s first decentralized room booking service, and it is in talks with hotels and bed-and-breakfast operators in Taiwan to join the program, the Taipei-based blockchain technology developer said yesterday.
Dubbed OwlNest, the “software as a service” product is built on the automated smart contract capabilities of the Ethereum blockchain and could provide a lower cost alternative to the room inventory and booking systems now used by hotels, as well as helping them save on the personnel and maintenance costs involved in running their own Web sites, company officials told a news conference in Taipei.
Many hotels’ booking and inventory management systems are no longer compatible with the platforms employed by popular Web sites, which means that the hotels have to cover the costs of making manual entries on room availability and prices on those sites, OwlTing chief executive Darren Wang (王俊凱) said.
OwlNest is compatible with a wide variety of booking platforms and it automates much of the room listing process, Wang said.
It uses smart contracts to create customized packages, including discounts for customers who want to use their loyalty program reward points or make early-bird reservations, It accepts a variety of mobile and cashless payment methods.
The service also lists activities such as guided city tours and hiking trips, which he hopes would provide travelers with memorable experiences, Wang said.
He said OwnTing expects to have more than 30,000 lodging establishments listed before the end of next year, and is also in talks with operators in Japan, Malaysia and the US.
OwnTing also developed a blockchain-based tracing system, dubbed OwlChain, which provides customers with detailed information on the products they eat, including ingredient sources, manufacturing processes and transportation flow.
The company also operates OwlTing Market, an e-commerce platform selling fresh produce and food products.
SEEKING CLARITY: Washington should not adopt measures that create uncertainties for ‘existing semiconductor investments,’ TSMC said referring to its US$165 billion in the US Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) told the US that any future tariffs on Taiwanese semiconductors could reduce demand for chips and derail its pledge to increase its investment in Arizona. “New import restrictions could jeopardize current US leadership in the competitive technology industry and create uncertainties for many committed semiconductor capital projects in the US, including TSMC Arizona’s significant investment plan in Phoenix,” the chipmaker wrote in a letter to the US Department of Commerce. TSMC issued the warning in response to a solicitation for comments by the department on a possible tariff on semiconductor imports by US President Donald Trump’s
The government has launched a three-pronged strategy to attract local and international talent, aiming to position Taiwan as a new global hub following Nvidia Corp’s announcement that it has chosen Taipei as the site of its Taiwan headquarters. Nvidia cofounder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) on Monday last week announced during his keynote speech at the Computex trade show in Taipei that the Nvidia Constellation, the company’s planned Taiwan headquarters, would be located in the Beitou-Shilin Technology Park (北投士林科技園區) in Taipei. Huang’s decision to establish a base in Taiwan is “primarily due to Taiwan’s talent pool and its strength in the semiconductor
An earnings report from semiconductor giant and artificial intelligence (AI) bellwether Nvidia Corp takes center stage for Wall Street this week, as stocks hit a speed bump of worries over US federal deficits driving up Treasury yields. US equities pulled back last week after a torrid rally, as investors turned their attention to tax and spending legislation poised to swell the US government’s US$36 trillion in debt. Long-dated US Treasury yields rose amid the fiscal worries, with the 30-year yield topping 5 percent and hitting its highest level since late 2023. Stocks were dealt another blow on Friday when US President Donald
UNCERTAINTY: Investors remain worried that trade negotiations with Washington could go poorly, given Trump’s inconsistency on tariffs in his second term, experts said The consumer confidence index this month fell for a ninth consecutive month to its lowest level in 13 months, as global trade uncertainties and tariff risks cloud Taiwan’s economic outlook, a survey released yesterday by National Central University found. The biggest decline came from the timing for stock investments, which plunged 11.82 points to 26.82, underscoring bleak investor confidence, it said. “Although the TAIEX reclaimed the 21,000-point mark after the US and China agreed to bury the hatchet for 90 days, investors remain worried that the situation would turn sour later,” said Dachrahn Wu (吳大任), director of the university’s Research Center for
RSS