Skip to Content

Gadling's resident pilot explains what life in the cockpit is like
AOL Tech

Posts with tag airport

New Technology Could Detect Terrorists By Screening For Anxiety

by Peter Mychalcewycz, posted Sep 20th 2008 at 3:12PM

CHECKPOINT

How do you feel when you walk through an airport these days? Angry, confused, and poorer than when you arrived? Us too!

We usually wouldn't mention such a touchy issue, but there is a new technology in development that could possibly affect millions of ornery travelers in a profound way. The Department of Homeland Security recently showcased an early version of what is basically an anxiety-detection machine designed to detect unusually high biological fluctuations in humans at airport checkpoints (changes in breathing patterns, increased heart rate, etc.)

They're looking for anxiety at airport checkpoints...Really? That's like going to Princeton University during final exams and screening a fourth generation legacy.

Sigh....

We don't really have much to say about this. They say the technology is in its infancy and years away from the marketplace. We hope so, because if they screened us for anxiety after we had just waited in line for an hour to pay 100 dollars for checking an extra piece of gum, we would probably have the same vital signs as a suicide bomber. [From: USA Today]

Best Buy to Sell Gadgets in Airport Vending Machines

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Aug 11th 2008 at 12:05PM

Best Buy Putting Gadget Vending Machines in Airports
Best Buy is paving the way for employee-free retail by installing gadget vending machines in airports around the country. Travelers will be able to pick up a host of electronic devices including cell phones, digital cameras, headphones, and various power adapters from the machines for what are sure to be absurd prices. The Best Buy vending machines will be operated and stocked by Zoom Systems, the same company that has put iPod- and Sony-gadget-vending machines in varied places such as the Dallas-Fort-Worth Airport, the Las Vegas Hilton, and Macy's.

The first batch of machines will be installed on September 1, in airports in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and San Francisco. They're sure to come in handy for the forgetful traveler who is always leaving behind important accessories, but we're not sure how comfortable we would be buying an expensive piece of equipment like a digital camera from the same machines that are always eating our dollar bills when we want a Snickers bar. Even so, Zoom Systems offers a 60-day return policy, in case you, say, accidentally press the wrong button and buy the wrong color iPod.

On the plus side, a vending machine can't steal your very personal photographs. [Source: AOL News]

British Government to Fingerprint All Air Travelers

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jul 30th 2008 at 2:10PM

British Government to Fingerprint All Air Travelers
It's bad enough that you can't walk around the streets of the United Kingdom with out ending up on closed circuit security camera somewhere, but now the government wants to track every air passenger, domestic and international, with photographs and fingerprints, says the Daily Mail. What's worse is some charge that the move is all in the name of making a buck.

New shopping areas and lounges in British airports mix domestic and international fliers in one area so that all can take advantage of the duty free shopping. But these common departure areas come with a whole new set of security issues to confront, like the possibility that a international terrorist or criminal could arrive on an international flight then meet up with an accomplice in the departure gate and swap tickets for a domestic carrier.

To avoid such a catastrophe, new security measures are being put in place that would photograph and fingerprint every passenger upon entering the departure area, and reconfirm their identity before boarding the plane. As usual, privacy advocates are in an uproar, and not without precedent. A similar policy at Heathrow had to be scrapped after the British Information Commissioner warned them that it was a violation of data protection laws.

Of course, the new invasive security measures and dangers to citizens could all be avoided if the airports weren't so keen to make an extra buck off of domestic passengers who normally don't have access to duty free shops. [Source: Daily Mail]

New Bags Let You Keep Your Laptop Inside at Airport Security Lines

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jul 1st 2008 at 9:40AM

Airport Friendly Laptop Cases Just Around the Bend
In a post 9/11 world, getting though airport security is only about half a step away from a full cavity search and a Q&A session at Guantanamo. Shoes, belts, jackets, and sweaters must all come off, and laptops must be removed from their case and placed on the belt.

This isn't just a minor inconvenience -- as a result of the increased security procedures, it is now suggested that you show up at least two hours before your stated departure... for domestic flights. The slow moving and nerve-wracking long lines have many travelers fuming and even choosing other modes of transport for shorter trips.

But the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is looking to soothe at least some of the pain involved with air travel. It has just okayed luggage and laptop case makers to start manufacturing X-ray friendly cases. The problem with older laptop bags is that they are often difficult to see through on an X-ray machine and are packed with accessories -- such as power adapters and mice -- that block security personnel's view. The new cases will vary in design from fold-down or detachable laptop-only sections on luggage to standalone foam sleeves without room for accessories. Since they'll provide a clear view of laptops for X-ray machines, these cases will be allowed through security without requiring that anything be taken out.

Luggage makers should start manufacturing the newly approved travel accessories shortly, and will no doubt be rushing them to market as-soon-as-possible. [Source: NY Times]

Apple Updates AirPort Express With Faster Speeds

by Tim Stevens, posted Mar 17th 2008 at 10:05AM

Apple's AirPort Express Goes to N

Apple's AirPort Express has been hailed as a user-friendly, portable, out-of-the-box solution for wireless networking. It lets you connect your computers, share a printer, and stream your music over the air with little more setup required than plugging the pocket-sized thing in. Now the device has gotten even better, taking a step up to the faster, 802.11n standard.

The former AirPort Express used the 802.11g standard, which delivered a maximum speed of 54 megabits-per-second over the 2.4-gigaherz wireless band, the same many wireless phones use. 802.11n uses both the 2.4 gigaherz band as well as the 5-gigaherz bands, providing maximum broadcast speeds of 248 megabits-per-second, nearly five times that of g. Additionally it offers nearly twice the range, up to 820 feet, for those with really big pads.

The new AirPort Express is available now at the Apple Store for $99.

From Engadget

Related Links:

New TSA Blog Fields Complaints About Airport Security

by Will Safer, posted Feb 1st 2008 at 11:17AM



Can a security operation do its job and be transparent about its policies at the same time?

That's the challenge for the Transportation Security Administration as it launches its new blog called 'The Evolution of Security,' where in just a couple of days, more than 700 members of the public have already posted comments on issues ranging from the varying sensitivity of metal detectors to the sometimes mysterious application of rules and regulations to people just trying to get to their flights on time.

The blog's goal is to "facilitate an ongoing dialogue on innovations in security, technology and the checkpoint screening process." In the early going, hot topics range from "shoes and liquids" to "inconsistencies" -- basically the common concerns of airline travellers today.

The site's motto? "Terrorists Evolve. Threats Evolve. Security Must Stay Ahead. You Play A Part."

TSA Administrator Kip Hawley writes that the blog was created to field questions from the public and provide answers, with the overall goal of getting passengers and the TSA "back on the same side, working together."

TSA personnel can't take the time to answer questions while doing their jobs at airport security checkpoints, so the blog was created as a way to explain policies to the public and take suggestions.

The comment policy is pretty straightforward. The TSA states the blog is for facilitating "an ongoing dialogue on innovations in security, technology and the checkpoint screening process." It will not post comments that are vulgar, abusive or off topic, which is common practice for moderated blogs.

Hawley asks for patience and good humor while the blog is in its early stages. Maybe that's good advice if you're standing in a long security line at the airport, too?

From Computerworld.


Related Links:


Video Game Trains Airport Security Guards

by Tim Stevens, posted Oct 15th 2007 at 1:27PM

Video Game Trains Airport Security Guards

Those supposedly random security searches at the airport aren't the only things that aren't as unpredictable as they should be. A recent study of security at Los Angeles' LAX airport found that the patrols of terminals made by guards are not random or unpredictable as they should be, but instead fall into predictable paths -- the result of normal human nature to make and follow comfortable patterns. The problem is, predictability is easily exploitable by potential criminals or terrorists; randomness is not.

Enter a new simulation by Praveen Paruchuri, a PhD candidate at the University of Southern California. His software is a sort of video game for determining how random paths for security guards impact the behavior of simulated criminals. It applies so-called game theory to develop random paths through pixelated versions of LAX terminals, with each path rated according to rewards such as finding criminals, and penalties such as triggering terrorist explosions. The goal is to keep guards more alert by breaking routine -- which, for airport security, is a deadlier habit than suckling down cigarettes.

Video-game simulations of dangerous real-life situations have been used in the past to train our military. You may remember an urban warfare game for the Xbox from a few years a go called 'Full Spectrum Warrior.' That game was actually a more consumer-friendly version of a simulation that had been developed by the military to help train soldiers. Today, there are several companies contracted by the military and law enforcement to make such games, including Will Interactive, which makes a series called 'The Incident,' for training police officers on such issues as domestic violence and suicide negotiation.

This all makes 'Halo 3' look a bit trivial, don't you think?

From New Scientist Tech

Related Links:

Peek Inside the Gigantic Airbus A380

by Tom Conlon, posted Sep 11th 2007 at 5:32PM



Want to step aboard the spankin' new, Godzilla-sized Airbus A380, but don't have a trip planned on Korean Air anytime soon? No worries. Aving.net has you covered with a full-blown photo tour of the new planes, including shots of the cockpit, wine bar, first class accommodations and even the latrines.

We do not recommend this photo gallery to anyone about to board one of the sardine-cans-with-wings we're stuck with here in the U.S.

From Aving.net

Related Links:

Get Live Airport Updates, Now from Fellow Travelers

by Tom Conlon, posted Sep 7th 2007 at 9:28AM


The next time you fly, avoid having a Michael-Douglas-'Falling Down' kind of day with the newly launched Orbitz TLC Traveler Update, an online service that mixes elements of a standard travel update site with peer-to-peer and social networking technologies.

Along with the info on delays, cancellations and weather provided by the TSA, which you can get from any one of a hundred different travel sites, Orbitz TLC Traveler Update incorporates info from fellow travelers who are actually at the airport. So, when the TSA says there's a 20-minute delay at security, a person who's actually in line might post an update saying it's more like a 45-minute delay. This extends to weather, traffic, parking, Wi-Fi availability and almost anything else airport related you can think of. You're also likely to get notifications of flight delays and cancellations before any official announcements are made. Of course, all of this information is accessible and updatable on a computer or cell phone.

The above video won't tell you what took so long for someone to finally invent this service, but it will give you a nice walkthrough of how it works.

From Tech Crunch

Related Links:

Sneak Peak at Virgin America's New High-Tech Planes

by Evan Shamoon, posted Aug 6th 2007 at 9:14AM



Air travel in the United States generally feels like a trip back in time: Specifically, a time before humans had developed electronics, fabrics that weren't beige vinyl or fully-formed legs.

Virgin Airlines aims to change all of that with the stateside launch of Virgin America Airlines this week. Sir Richard Branson is bringing his famous taste for mile-high luxury to our shores (or air space, rather), having developed a new fleet of planes decked out with nearly everything the modern traveler could ask for -- 110 volt AC current, Ethernet and USB ports (for charging iPods and phones), and QWERTY keyboard input for its Linux-based computer terminals. Engadget has an intense hands-on with photos to drool over.

Virgin America comes to a sky near you on August 8.

Related Links:

Just Tell Me What to Get: Home Network

by Tom Conlon, posted May 11th 2007 at 5:33PM

Apple Airport Extreme Base Station
A reader writes: My wife just got a new laptop through work, which means we now have two computers in the house. I want to set up a wireless network so we can split our cable Internet connection, but I don't want any hassle. The last time I set one up was a few years ago, and I remember it being a total headache. What's your advice for getting a Wi-Fi network up and running quickly and painlessly?

Hey reader: This one is a no brainer -- go with the new Apple Airport Extreme Base Station. Apple is religious when it comes making its products easy to use, and that piousness most definitely extends to its wireless networking router.

Available for both Mac and PC, the Base Station is a snap to set up. You simply plug it in and connect it to your cable modem with a network cable. Then, insert the install disc into your computer and follow the simple instructions, which take you though stuff like naming your network, naming your base station and setting up encryption. Unlike a lot of routers out there, the super-secure WPA2 encryption is activated by default. That's it: You've got a secure wireless network up and running.

But easy set-up isn't all the Airport Extreme Base Station has going for it. Apple has equipped the unit with 802.11n wireless technology, which is up to five times faster and boasts twice the range of previous wireless standards. Don't worry if your computer's Wi-Fi chip isn't 802.11n, you'll still be able to use the Airport Extreme Base Station -- just not at top speed.

Wait, there's more! The coolest feature is the built-in USB 2.0 port. Plug in a printer and now both computers can use it. Or, connect an external hard drive so you and the missus can share files.

We've dealt with our fair share of complicated network set-ups in the past, and take our word for it: Nothing comes even close to being as blissfully easy to use as the Airport Extreme.

Related Links:


    AOL Tech Network



    Latest Reviews from CNET.com

    CNET provides the latest tech news, unbiased reviews, videos, podcasts, software, and downloads, making tech products easy to find, understand and use.

    Top Product Reviews

    Weblogs, Inc. Network

    AOL News

    Other Weblogs Inc. Network blogs you might be interested in:

    Joystiq
    Download Squad
    The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
    BloggingStocks
    Xbox 360 Fanboy
    Autoblog
    Big Download Blog
    Fanhouse NFL Blog