READERS' CHOICE: What Is Your Favorite Historical Spot In America?

When searching for a hotel on Kayak, you can now filter the hotel listings by their TripAdvisor ratings. On Thursday, TripAdvisor reviews were made available on Kayak.com in the U.S. and on Kayak.co.uk in Great Britain. . According to Kayak and TripAdvisor, there are more than 60 million reviews and opinions on TripAdvisor. Kayak said it will be be adding the feature to its global sites and mobile apps in the near future. The news come just as TripAdvisor came under attack earlier this month by British advertising watchdog group Advertising Standards Authority, which deemed that TripAdvisor's claim that it "offers trusted advice from real travelers" is not a totally accurate one. It has long been a question of who is writing the reviews on TripAdvisor and how much oversight there is. ASA, an independent body based in London that investigates claims of whether advertisements are honest and truthful, this month issued a report about TripAdvisor.co.uk, sister site to TripAdvisor.com. ASA's concern is that while reviewers are asked to agree that their review was indeed their own genuine opinion of the hotel, that they have no personal or business affiliation with the hotel, and have not been offered an incentive to write the review, "we also noted that reviewers were not asked to similarly confirm that they had no competitive interest in the place they were reviewing, or were posting a review on behalf of a competitor or other interested party, and we did not consider that agreeing to a declaration in itself would necessarily prevent non-genuine reviews from being posted on the site," ASA wrote. Furthermore, ASA noted that reviews can be posted to the site without any form of verification, and that while TripAdvisor does monitor and address suspicious activity, it is possible that non-genuine content to make its way onto the site undetected. "We told TripAdvisor not to claim or imply that all the reviews that appeared on the website were from real travelers, or were honest, real or trusted," ASA concluded. How do you use TripAdvisor and do you feel that the reviews are genuine? More from Budget Travel: TripAdvisor tries to respond to fake hotel reviews TripAdvisor adds airline ratings to flight search Travel Product Concepts We're Rooting For

In the past year, teams of students, engineers, product designers, computer programmers, and entrepreneurs have been developing prototypes of inventions designed to help travelers take control of their trips. Recognizing a need to update travel gear, innovators have been applying fresh thinking to the design of common items. We here at Budget Travel wish hotels, airlines, and the rest of the travel industry do more experimenting along these lines to improve the travel experience, such as airplane wheelchairs, GPS-powered eyewear, and smarter power adapters. Here are a few examples of promising travel products that recently caught our eyes. Note that these are prototypes and are not yet available for sale. The Skycare Chair This prototype wheelchair is designed by Brian Liang for the specific constraints of airplane passengers. By placing the wheels under the chair, it enables the seat to navigate narrow aircraft aisles. A lever-based system enables a person with limited use of his or her legs to get in and out, plus propel down an aisle. The chair collapses for compact storage. Computerized Eyewear There's a rumor that Google is testing "Google Glasses," eyewear that can overlay on the surface of one lens relevant information about what you're seeing, such as GPS-based walking directions, according to the blog <strong>UPDATE Feb 21.:</strong> <a href=">Big Think. A spokesperson for the company had no comment on its product testing. But whether Google is trialing computerized eyewear or not, it's only a matter of time before some major company finds away to mass produce such high-tech glasses cheaply. UPDATE Feb 21.: The New York Times confirms talk of Google selling these glasses by year-end. Portable Power Socket Anh Nguyen has prototyped a universal power adapter that cleverly adjusts to geographic and domestic locations. Travelers can carry it with them and fit the metal prongs into any region’s cables, with an automatic voltage adapter built-in. Unlike existing "universal adapters," this one would be cute and come with a built-in extension cord, for easy use in hotel rooms. Hey, manufacturers! Stop being complacent. It's time to pay attention to a new generation of designers and prototype mavens. What products do you wish inventors would improve? Feel free to share your insights in the Comments. SEE MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL RIGHT NOW :-) Is This the RV of the Future? New Shoelaces Ready for Airport Security 5 Ways to Keep Your Cords Tidy and Organized

We’re sometimes so quick to call a travel destination "a land of contradictions," the phrase has all but lost its meaning. Except, maybe, where Myanmar is concerned. Never heard of Myanmar? Maybe that’s because the country of about 48 million is also—and better—known as Burma. Don’t know where it is? Look in South Asia between the Bay of Bengal and China. Why should you consider traveling there? Gorgeous empty beaches (such as Ngapali, on the Bay of Bengal), boutique hotels, and a welcoming Buddhist culture that prizes civility and devotion. And that’s where Myanmar’s big contradiction comes in. Until recently, its peaceful population was ruled by a military dictatorship that suppressed free speech and political opposition, jailing more than 1,000 dissidents and opponents. Since 1990 the U.S. has had no ambassador to Myanmar, and the country’s pro–democracy leaders urged an international travel boycott. But things are changing fast. In response to economic sanctions and regional pressures, Myanmar held elections in 2010 and its first civilian president took office last year. Hundreds of political prisoners have been released and parliamentary elections are scheduled for April 1. In January, the U.S. restored full diplomatic ties to Myanmar. The move was seen as a reward for the country’s strides toward a freer society. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton paid a visit in December—the first by a senior U.S. official in 50 years—and U.S. Congressmen and diplomats from Western Europe are now regularly traveling there. On the other hand, despite the thaw in relations, the U.S. still insists that Myanmar’s 2010 elections were neither free nor fair, and an ethnic civil war rages in the northern hills, where Burmese soldiers fire mortar rounds on villages and burn and loot homes. Does the restoration of full relations with Myanmar mean you should consider it as a travel destination? In 2010, while the travel boycott was still in effect, only about 16,000 U.S. citizens traveled there, according to Myanmar’s Ministry of Hotels and Tourism; travel–industry attention and anecdotal evidence from package–tour companies such as Friendly Planet and General Tour World Traveler suggest that that number will rise. (Twelve–day package tours that include airfare can be had for less than $3,000). Last December, after Secretary Clinton’s visit, This Just In asked “Would You Go to Myanmar?” Now that full diplomatic relations have been restored, are you any more likely to go? —Robert Firpo-Cappiello MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL To Go or Not to Go: 11 Places With a Bad Rap 8 Worst-Case Travel Scenarios The Ultimate Guide to Travel Apps