Travelnotesfromtheworld

It’s always interesting to see the unique and strange things on show at Mobile World Congress, the world’s largest mobile industry exhibition. Over the past couple of years the exhibition has included a variety of exciting and innovative products, including a smart cane for senior citizens and playful Korean robots designed for children.

This year the event is taking place in Barcelona, and although the event is getting bigger every year, we are happy to see that its increasing size does not seem to have diminished the wackiness or inventiveness of the products.

Among this year’s weird and wonderful exhibits, AT&T have been showing off a smart 3G-equipped rubbish bin, which lets collection companies know when it’s time for it to be emptied, and also send alerts if the bin is tampered with in any way. The bin was designed to aid shredding companies, who found that they were wasting time visiting customers even though many of their bins were practically empty.

AT&T’s Craig Lee stated that the bin would allow shredding companies to optimise their route planning, saving time and hassle and ensuring they only travelled to pick up the bins that needed to be picked up.

Another eye-catching exhibit was the new Lenovo Vibe phone, which has a powerful, high quality camera and features a unique new detail – an Age and Happiness index, which essentially means that the phone guesses your age based on your smile.

One of the most interesting products at the exhibit was the Runcible, a versatile device which looks almost like a pocketwatch, but with many of the features you would find on a modern smartphone, including running Firefox OS. Aubrey Anderson, the head of Monohm, the company behind Runcible, said that it occupies the space between a wearable device and a smartphone, and that their aim was to use smartphone intelligence for a new and different purpose. The Runcible will become available to buy later in 2015. It will be sold by KDDI in Japan, and the Runcible team will sell it unlocked directly in markets in other countries.

There were also plenty of robots to be seen at the Mobile World Congress this year. NEC exhibited a prototype of a new communication-focused robot named PaPaRo, which is controlled by voice commands. With cameras for eyes, the robot has a somewhat strange appearance, although it does boast a cute voice. However, it proved to have mixed results when it came to voice commands, although that could have been a result of the noisy surroundings of the show.

Even cuter than the PaPaRo was HTC’s prototype charging dock, with a periscope-style camera that gives the device the appearance of a dinosaur with a long neck.

As well as the products themselves, there were plenty of fun and exciting sights to be seen in Barcelona, as always, such as the colourful performers on Las Ramblas. There were also plenty of parties hosted by tech giants including Qualcomm, Twitter, and many more from around the world. Xiaomi threw a small house party at their team’s rented accommodation, and MediaTek hosted an event at the Moritz brewery, the perfect spot for tapas and beer.

Moscow is known for being an expensive city with exorbitant hotel prices, but you don’t have to be an oligarch to enjoy a visit to the Russian capital. Here are some ideas for five free things to see and do during your time in Moscow.

1° The Lenin Mausoleum offers an intriguing insight into the political history of Russia and the totalitarian mindset. Here, you can view the body of the Soviet Union’s founder Vladimir Lenin, preserved under glass. These days, visitors are more likely to be motivated by morbid fascination than politics, but it’s still a must-see. The mausoleum is open from 10 am to 1pm every day except Monday and Friday, and entry is free. However, cameras, bags and phones are not allowed, so you must pay to check them in. If you have a travel companion, you could take turns waiting outside with each other’s gear to save on the checking fee; the line moves quickly, so you’re not likely to be waiting for a long time.

2°  Winzavod used to be a winery, but has now been transformed into a sophisticated modern art venue. The venue offers numerous art galleries including one directed by renowned curator Marat Guelman, a variety of chic shops, and a stylish cafe. The young and fashionable people of Moscow flock here on the weekends, so a visit here is a great way to mingle with them without having to pay to get into a club. Make sure to bring a map if you’re visiting Winzavod; located on a worn industrial street named Chetverty Syromyatnichesky Pereulok, near Kursky railway station, it can be tricky to find.

3° If you feel like getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city for a while, a stroll through the Yauza River’s wetlands is a perfect antidote. This is a picturesque tributary of the Moscow River and is located just a few miles away from Red Square. The trail, which starts near the Babushkinskaya subway stop, features well-kept boardwalks and paths, winding through pretty woods and marches, past a historic church, and finally ending up at the estate of a former nobleman. After being immersed in pastoral scenery for the entire two-mile route, it can be a shock to plunge back into 21st century Moscow.

4°  Near the Izmailovsky souvenir market you will find Silver Island, which offers genuine czarist-era architecture in contrast to the market’s ersatz variety. This is an island located in a manmade lake, featuring a royal estate dating from the days of Peter the Great. The estate includes a beautiful church adorned with distinctive friezes, an impressive 17th century three-story building, and a huge 19th century addition. This was the place where Peter learned how to sail, the origins of his ambitions to transform Russia into a powerful naval force. The island can be seen from the market, but the buildings are concealed behind abundant trees; discovering the estate feels like stumbling on lost treasure.

5° The All-Russia Exhibition Center is an enormous complex which was originally designed to show off the achievements of the Soviet Union. It features extravagant fountains, a Vostok rocket similar to the one which put Yuri Gagarin into orbit, and architecture in the Stalinist Gothic style, including a pavilion with a huge bull charging from the roof. Some of the pavilions which once displayed Communist propaganda are now devoted to capitalism, with kiosks offering everything you can think of, from luminescent underwear to medical devices. Other areas are falling into disrepair, forming a tableau of the lofty ambitions and eventual disintegration of the Soviet Union. This impression is especially vivid in the former space exploration building, where an enormous, faded portrait of Gagarin now watches over sellers offering garden supplies. You will see many Russians enjoying themselves here, flirting, taking leisurely strolls and having beer and shish kebabs. The massive complex is larger than the entire country of Monaco; catch the subway to VDNKh station and simply follow the crowds to get there.