Archive for the ‘technology’ Category

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzRKw567GVo

Remember last Christmas when the “underwear bomber” almost brought down a Delta jumbo-jet over Detroit?

That prompted the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to grab a big pile of federal stimulus money for about 150 more full body scanners– you know, the ones that produce images like the one you see below.

There are currently 97 of the so-called “advanced imaging units” in use at airports across the country  but TSA says that number will soar to around 500 by the end of this year– with nearly 1000 in place by the end of 2011.

There are currently three full-body scanners in use at ATL. Two are located at the main terminal checkpoint and one is at the international arrivals checkpoint in Terminal E. When the additional machines are deployed there will be machines at all of the airport’s checkpoints.

Earlier this month, The TICKET  was invited to San Jose Mineta International Airport to check out the first batch of four new “backscatter” scanners. These are different than the “millimeter wave” units you may have seen at ATL and elsewhere, but represent the latest technology. This means that you’ll see more backscatter machines appear at ATL and 28 other airports (see list) between now and the end of the year.

(See video for a look at the new generation units.)

Here’s what you need to know:

>WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE? The newer backscatter machines look like two big blue boxes with a small open alley down the middle. (Millimeter wave units are rounder looking with the passenger surrounded by Plexiglas for the scan.)

>HOW DO I GET SCANNED? You walk into the scanners, turn sideways, place feet in square boxes marked on the rubber floor, hold hands up and wait for the TSA agent to tell you to exit. The whole process takes about five seconds. (See video for a real-life walk through.)

>WHAT IS DIFFERENT? As usual, you must remove shoes and belts and place them with carry-on luggage in bins. But when getting a full body scan, you must also remove your wallet or any other non-metallic objects from pockets. (Wallet removal is not necessary with the standard magnetometers.)

>WHAT ABOUT RADIATION? The TSA says that the radiation emitted by these machines is equivalent to what you are exposed to during about two minutes aboard at aircraft at altitude, and far less than what the government permits for cell phones.

>WHAT DO SCANNERS SCAN? Body scanners only expose what’s between your skin and the clothes you are wearing. They are NOT like x-rays, which penetrate your skin and show internal organs and bone. (This is a plus for travelers with artificial joints or other metallic implants who’ve been slowed down and forced to submit to pat downs at traditional magnetometers.)

Dummy image provided by TSA

>WHO SEES MY PRIVATES? The TSA agent directing you into the full body scanner never sees your image. This officer is wearing an earpiece and is in radio contact with another TSA officer viewing your image in a remote area. Once your image has been checked, this officer then tells the attending officer to allow you to pass, or to subject you to secondary screening if he/she sees any anomalies. (See video for a behind the scenes look at the remote viewing room.)

>WHAT HAPPENS TO THE IMAGES? The TSA emphasizes that these images cannot be stored, saved or transmitted. In addition, they do no allow officers to bring cameras, cell phones or PDA’s in rooms where images are viewed. (Except for ours, of course, but that was just for the media…)

>WHAT ABOUT ADULT DIAPERS OR SANITARY PADS? Citing confidentiality, the TSA officer at San Jose Airport would not tell me how or if the machines can tell the difference between a sanitary pad and contraband placed in the crotch area.

>WHO IS PAYING FOR ALL THIS? You are. The units cost about $150,000 a pop, which means that the TSA spent nearly $75 million on this latest round of full body scanners. (Check out how the stock of OSI Systems, parent of scanner manufacturer Rapiscan, has soared since Christmas when this order was placed)

So, what do you think, folks? Is this an invasion of your privacy, or a necessary evil for safety’s sake?

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Okay. Yes. I think I want one. Like everyone else the country, I was mesmerized when Steve Jobs introduced us to the iPad earlier this year. Today I got the email telling me that I can order one now before it hits the shelves on April 3. Hmmm.

As a frequent business traveler, I really do think this gadget could change my traveling life. Here are five reasons why:

1)    It’s small enough for me to use in a coach seat. I love in-flight Wi-Fi and am a heavy user but only when I’m upgraded to a roomy seat up front or on the exit row. Have you  tried to work on your laptop in coach lately? Nearly impossible. Since the iPad is about as big as a magazine, I see it as a salvation and escape from the horrors of a tight coach seat.

2)    It’s got 10 hours of battery life according to Apple. Not all airlines that offer in-flight Wi-Fi offer in-flight power plugs. That’s a big problem for me because my MacBook only gets 2-3 hours of battery life when I’m using Wi-Fi. So I pay the $13 for a 5-hour cross country flight, but only get to use it for about half that time. The iPad could solve that dilemma for me.

3)    It’s light. It’s a “reader.” It’s got iBooks and magazines. I’m always tossing a stack of magazines and the book I’m reading into my carryon bag. You know what? Those magazines are HEAVY. Sometimes the book I’m reading is so fat that I rip it in half so it will fit in my bag. Now I won’t have to do that anymore. I’ll have access to zillions of books and magazines in a slim 1.5 lb package.

4)    It’s not a phone, but it does have Wi-Fi, a headphone jack and a microphone, so I can use it to communicate via Skype and even participate in VOIP conferences on planes. (I know I know, you are not supposed to be able to do this, but I’ve heard from several people who have found ways around blocks to VOIP inflight.)

5)    It’s not tied to AT&T, so when I go overseas, I can buy a prepaid SIM card and get online with another network without paying outrageous roaming fees. But that might be a while off. The iPad has what’s known as a  “micro SIM card” about half the size of a normal SIM, which is so new that it might be hard to buy overseas. For now at least. Nonetheless, I really don’t need 3G access anyway, because I’ll still have Wi-Fi which does not require a SIM.

So, that’s a list of “pros.” Can you all help me with any “cons?” Should I take the leap and say YES, drop $500+ and check this thing out. Or should I wait?

Let me know what you all are thinking about the iPad in the comments box below.

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Seems that the hotel industry is FINALLY hearing what business travelers have been screaming about for the last, oh, five years or so. They are getting around to making free Wi-Fi standard, instead of a pricey add-on, even at full-service brands that seem to be hold outs.

You’ll still get it free and easy at moderate brands like Best Western, Marriott Courtyard, Hampton or Holiday Inn. Mod new brands like Hyatt’s Andaz, InterConti’s Indigo and Starwood’s Aloft or Element offer it free.

But to get it from the posher players, there are hoops: for example, at Fairmont, Omni or Kimpton, you must first sign up for their (free) loyalty programs. Also, some larger companies with buying clout and good travel managers get free Wi-Fi as part of a negotiated rate with the hotel.

WARNING: This seems to be an almost exclusively American phenomenon as hotels, especially in big European capitals, continue their rapacious ways—charging $20-$40 per day for Wi-Fi.

What’s the most you’ve ever paid for Wi-Fi? Where did you pay it? Leave your comments below.

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In an interesting move, Marriott has installed hi-def, hi-priced Cisco Telepresence Suites at two hotels in Bethesda, MD and New York City. (Your TICKET editor conducted an interview with a Cisco exec via Telepresence last year, and I must admit, it really did feel like we were in the same room—except for the eye contact, which was a little off-kilter. But still…)

Marriott is not stopping with two hotels. You’ll soon find Telepresence at Grosvenor House (London), a JW Marriott Hotel; JW Marriott Hong Kong; Renaissance Sao Paulo; JW Marriott San Francisco, JW Marriott Marquis Miami; Renaissance Washington, DC; Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway; and Dallas/Fort Worth Airport Marriott with more to follow.

It’s ironic that a big travel industry player would jump on the virtual meetings bandwagon, but Marriott sees this as a new revenue stream, and we think they are on to something.

It sorta works like this: A small group of U.S. based businesspeople would travel to say, New York, and have a meeting via Telepresence with a group of colleagues in say, Hong Kong. The business people on both ends would save money, time and jetlag by not having to fly overseas. Marriott would still make money by housing execs traveling into New York and Hong Kong in addition to its percentage of the fees charged for usage of the suite. Everybody wins.

More info here.

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By now most travelers have heard about Twitter, a social networking tool now used by millions. While you may think that Twitter is only something used by high schoolers staying in touch with each other, you may want to think again.

Journalists and bloggers, especially those who write about travel, have glommed onto the service like crazy to help keep track of the ever-changing travel beat. (You can follow TICKET editor Chris McGinnis here: http://twitter.com/cjmcginnis) See also the “t” icon at the upper right margin of this blog…

Travel companies are experimenting with ways to feed the media with helpful news and info. And they are also experimenting with ways to offer up some good deals to the “twitterati” or regular users of twitter. A recent effort to track and post last minute airfare bargains by airfare search sites fly.com and farecompare.com should appeal to ATL-based bargain hunters.

>From Fly.com (fewer deals posted, but easy to understand and book) http://twitter.com/atlfares

>From FareCompare.com (does a good job monitoring overall prices, but gets a bit too granular for the average bargain hunter) http://twitter.com/flyfromATL

If you are a frequent international traveler and don’t like to wait in line at customs and immigration at ATL or elsewhere, checkout the new Global Entry program from Homeland Security.

It streamlines the process by allowing members to bypass regular passport processing lines. Users will instead enter at a Global Entry Kiosk, insert their passport, provide biometric digital fingerprints, answer a few customs declaration questions, and then present a transaction receipt to a customs officer before leaving the inspection area. Sounds easy enough!

Global Entry kiosks are available for international arrivals at ATL and other major gateway airports in the U.S. There are currently about 27,000 members of Global Entry. Homeland security says that nearly all members get through customs and immigration in five minutes or less. The non-refundable fee to apply is $100. More info here: www.globalentry.gov

Here’s a helpful 1 minute video on how the whole thing works.

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Travelers who pay anything for Wi-Fi over the holidays are paying too much…In addition to teaming up with Virgin America to offer free in-flight Wi-Fi, Google will pick up the Wi-Fi tab for travelers logging on at 47 airports across the country now through January 15.

Regrettably, you’ll still have to pay at ATL which is not part of the Google gift. The list of participating airports is a mish-mash of some big majors (Baltimore, Boston, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, Seattle) and some tiny ones…such as Central Wisconsin, Kalamazoo or Spokane.

We asked our contacts at Google why ATL was not on the list and here’s what they said: “We worked with a variety of providers to make this happen and reached out to all top 50 airports (and the relevant providers) in the U.S. – unfortunately not every airport or provider chose to participate (for a variety of reasons) but we are always open to consider adding other airports or providers should they be interested.”

If you find yourself at one of the 47 airports listed below, just fire up the laptop and select the option for free Wi-Fi. NICE! No credit card or lengthy sign-in process required. This is a good thing because I think the long login process using services like T-Mobile dissuades use more than the nominal fee…just my two cents!

The catch: when you sign on you will be asked if you want to set Google as your home page or try it’s Chrome browser. Also, Google will have access to some aggregate, non-personally identifiable information from each airport.

Delta’s partnering with eBay to provide complimentary Wi-Fi  on all flights equipped with Gogo Inflight Internet during the peak Thanksgiving travel week: Nov. 23-30. You’ll get a special promotion code for the complimentary service onboard. Once you log on, you will be taken to a special eBay shopping page, just in case you’ve still got a looooong list of gifts to buy. Delta now has 262 aircraft equipped with Wi-Fi including all Delta MD-88 and MD-90 aircraft and many 757′s. It will have 300 aircraft with the service by the end of this year.

AIRPORTS GETTING FREE WI-FI FROM GOOGLE:

The optimal price for inflight Wi-Fi seems to be … FREE. At least on Delta, AirTran, American and Virgin America. And at least through the end of this year. But we might start seeing even more freebies…and sponsorships.

Some more news today from Virgin America and Google– especially for those like us who have become addicted to in-flight Wi-Fi and expect it on EVERY flight. Especially those transcons! Although this offer has a time limit, we are thinking that this could be the beginning of a trend….free SPONSORED in-flight Wi-Fi. What do you think of that?

Here’s the announcement from Virgin:

San Francisco – Oct. 19, 2009 – Virgin America, the airline that is reinventing domestic travel, today announced an exclusive partnership with Google to offer free in-flight WiFi to all of its guests during the holidays. The two California-based companies known for innovation, entrepreneurialism and for connecting people in new ways, have again joined forces to give Virgin America fliers the gift of in-flight connection during the holiday travel season. From Nov. 10, 2009-Jan. 15, 2010, guests on all Virgin America flights will be able to check email, gift shop online, stay in touch with family and friends via social media, or just go wherever the web takes them – all for free. In May, Virgin America became the first airline to offer Gogo® Inflight Internet service on every flight. Here’s the whole story: http://www.freeholidaywifi.com

This comes on the heels of an announcement by a company called Row 44, which is working with Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines to install a new, free, commercially sponsored in-flight Wi-Fi system that works via satellite, versus the current Gogo systems which use a network of ground based antennae.

Frequent travelers have lovingly embraced the iPhone perhaps more than anyone else in the country. (Ooooh! Ahhhhh! Kewl! Hey, check out this new app! Lemme take your pic!)

But that love is getting put to the test as iPhone users, who pay significantly more for their phones and their service plans than most other cellular users, experience dropped calls and slow data retrieval with no end in sight. (This is especially true in two big destinations for TICKET readers: New York and San Francisco. It’s not as big an issue when you are at home in Atlanta, which has decent coverage, for the most part.)

Paying a premium should mean that you get premium quality in return. But based on anecdotal evidence, and a recent rash of negativity in the blogosphere, it’s clear that many iPhone users have had it.

Interestingly, most of the vitriol is directed at AT&T, and not Apple, the maker of the iPhone. (AT&T holds an exclusive contract as the sole provider of the iPhone…for now.)

For most of the last two years, AT&T has acted in true Ma Bell fashion remaining mostly silent on the issue, or offering up vague statements about billion dollar network upgrades. None of that made folks who have to walk outside their home or office to get a signal feel any better.

But now that the complaining has reached fever pitch, AT&T is launching a social media campaign to fight back.

So, iPhone users, meet “Seth the Blogger Guy” in this AT&T-produced video and let us know what you think. Do you believe what he’s saying? How is your AT&T service in Atlanta or elsewhere? PLEASE leave your comments below!

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