New technology connects cities with real-time digital 'portals'
While travel is still heavily restricted, the cities of Vilnius, Lithuania, and Lublin, Poland, have become better connected through means of technology. New digital portals allow those in both cities to view a real-time glimpse into each other.
Developed by Portal, the two circular "doors" have been installed in both city centers. Near the main Vilnius train station, Portal's real-time look-in allows Vilnius residents to interact with people on the main square in Lublin, Poland — a city more than 370 miles away. The portal uses a large screen, cameras and a live feed, and the initiators definitely did not hold back on the futuristic design.
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The goal of the project is to encourage people to “rethink the meaning of unity," per the company's press release.
Benediktas Gylys, president of the Benediktas Gylys Foundation and credited with the initial idea, says that the portal symbolizes “a bridge that unifies and an invitation to rise above prejudices and disagreements that belong to the past.”
Vilnius Gediminas Technical University has been developing the portal for the past five years, and the delivery of the project lines up well with the pandemic and allowing people from other cultures to see each other at a time when most have remained at home. The team, together with the Benediktas Gylys Foundation and the Crossroads Centre for Intercultural Creative Initiatives, are planning to install portals in more cities in the future.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Lithuania, the country has imposed a nationwide quarantine until June 30, 2021, and Americans are not allowed in, though there are some exceptions. U.S. nationals are also not permitted to lawfully enter Poland at this time, with a few exceptions.
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Why We Chose It
The revamped Wander Card from Credit One Bank earns cardmembers up to 10 points per dollar spent on eligible travel purchases. With no foreign transaction fees, the card is also great for international travel. However, points earned from this card can only be used at a fixed value, so it may not be the best option for those striving to get maximum value from their rewards.Pros
- This card has no foreign transaction fees and earns up to 10 points per dollar on travel purchases through the Credit One Bank travel partner site.
Cons
- While cardholders can earn a significant amount of points on travel purchases, there isn't any way to redeem points from the Wander Card for maximum value (beyond 1 cent per point).
- Earn 10,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on eligible purchases in the first 90 days and redeem for a $100 statement credit, gift cards, or travel
- Earn 10x points on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through the Credit One Bank travel site
- Earn 5x points on eligible travel, dining, and gas
- Earn 1x points on all other purchases
- Redeem your reward points for statement credits, gift cards, merchandise, flights, hotels, and more
- With $0 Fraud Liability, you won’t be responsible for unauthorized charges
- Free Online Credit Score and Credit Report summary, terms apply
- If you are a Covered Borrower under the Military Lending Act, you may get a different offer
- See Rates & Fees