Lurking on the counter like an oversized microwave, the INSIGHT100 can identify liquids, powders and gels inside sealed containers such as glass or plastic bottles or tubs, even if those containers are opaque. The system is said to have a false alarm rate of 1.5-percent or less, and each scan takes under five seconds.

The magic is in something called Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS), bouncing certain spectra of light off a substance depending on the molecules that substance is made up of. As each substance scatters light in different ways, the INSIGHT100 can recognize which are safe and which could be potentially dangerous. Cobalt says it can subsequently update the scanner’s database as new molecular “fingerprints” are identified.

Having already been approved by the European Civil Aviation Conference for its abilities to check for liquid explosives, it’s seemingly down to airports to decide whether to include the INSIGHT100 in their scanning arsenal. Of course, loosening the regulations around bottled water might make things easier for travelers, but it would also cut into a useful extra revenue stream for retailers and airlines; whether they’ll be so happy is questionable.

[via Gizmag]

It’s important to support the person up front because in times of stress and adversity, the little authority you’ve invested in that person will pay off. When that person tells you to leave the building immediately, you’ll do it. You won’t ask questions until you smell the gas leak. In a way, this is like a military command, but without all the imminent peril and killing and stuff. It’s about trust. I put my trust in the person who is leading the group from the front. At best, things go very well. At worst, nobody gets hurt, and it’s all over soon.

When a flight attendant tells you to turn off your cell phone, just do it and don’t complain about it. Airports and air travel are a sore point for me on Twitter and other social networks. It used to be people complained about flight delays. Then they complained about the airport gates. Once, a friend complained that his windshield was cracked by an errant pebble kicked up by a truck in traffic on the way to the airport. From where was he tweeting? Now, the complaints are all about turning off your phone, your laptop, your iTouch, your tablet, and all the other junk you carry with you.

I’m sick of it. I couldn’t care less.

I know, you’re right. Phones probably don’t crash airplanes. Okay, it’s debatable what is the effect of a couple hundred cell phones scrounging for service as the plane tries to catch air. It may cause interference, but a cell phone has never been pegged as the lone culprit in an airline disaster. And if the wireless radio in your cell phone probably won’t bring down the plane, certainly the slight trickle of juice through your Kindle won’t hurt anything.

I don’t care. Turn it off. Turn it all off. And don’t complain about it.

Want to know why you should turn it off? Because the flight attendant told you to, and he or she asked nicely. Try to argue with that. You can’t. If you do, you’re just a jerk. You’re not in charge of the airline. You’re not a pilot or a flight attendant (and if you are, I’m betting you’re agreeing with me anyway). I don’t care if you’re an electrical engineer specializing in RF interference. If someone asks you nicely to turn off your gadgets, and makes it clear that your refusal will seriously inconvenience the people around you, just do it. Stop wasting time.

If you want to argue this policy, do it. Go to your congressperson and voice your concerns. You’d be amazed how few people have to call a congressional office before they start taking the complaints very seriously. If that doesn’t work, complain to the FAA. Complain to the airlines. Then, start taking the train. Take a greyhound bus. Chances are, they have better Wi-Fi and more power outlets anyway.

By the time you get on the plane, you’ve already lost the argument. It would be like walking into an Outback Steakhouse and yelling at the waiter because the beef is not locally grass fed. It’s too late. You knew it was Outback Steakhouse. Enjoy your Bloomin’ Onion and shut your trap.

Partially, this argument is about respecting the limited authority of the flight attendant. I’ve never honestly seen a flight attendant abuse his or her authority. If anything, I wish they would flex a little more authority. Time to start harassing the idiots who can’t figure out how to stow a piece of luggage WHEELS FIRST on the LEFT SIDE OF THE PLANE! Is it so hard? Instead, I have to check my bags or pay extra to make sure I can get on the airplane before those spatially inept morons.

I’d like to see flight attendants chastise people who listen to music through their laptop speakers, instead of using headphones. I’d like to see a flight attendant tell the inconsiderate nincompoop in front of me that slamming his seat into a reclining position while I’m eating my expensive cheese and crackers and raisins is inconsiderate.

I’d like to see a flight attendant explain to some mid-twenties hipster that babies can’t control their crying, but unwashed hipsters can certainly control their eye-rolling and obnoxious deep sighs. Suck it up, hipster, or I’ll take away my toddler’s iPad just before take off and let you enjoy his reaction for the next 3 hours. I’ve heard it for 3 years, so I can just fade it out. Good night.

The best reason I can think of for turning off your gadgets is because it helps you pay attention. The most dangerous time to be on an airplane is during takeoff and landing. That’s when the bad stuff happens. Maybe your cell phone won’t cause it to happen, but it might make things work. If you have to tweet that your plane is going down while I’m trying to reach over you for my oxygen mask, you’re going to be the first person I eat when we crash land on the island.

I’ve never heard a flight attendant claim that the electronics interfere with the airplane’s controls. They only ask you to turn off your gadgets, they don’t explain why. I’ve always assumed it was so you could offer your undivided attention at the only time during the flight when they want you to be conscious and alert.

I’m cool with that. I turn off my gadgets. I power them down, I don’t just put them into airplane mode. Before I board the plane, I store all my extra gadgets in my carry-on, powered down.

Just remember, air travel is amazing. Air travel is cheaper now than it has been at any other point in history. You can fly across the country in less time than it takes to drive between Dallas and Houston. You can leave Korea at 10AM and arrive in New York at 8AM ON THE SAME DAY! We’ve invented time travel, and you’re missing it because you have to check in on Foursquare. If the airlines insisted that you cannot even bring anything electronic on planes, it would still be worth flying. If they told you every flight would be a “Grease” singalong, it would still be worthwhile. Actually, that would be cool at first, but as a Platinum flier I could see that getting old.

Stop whining and turn off your phone, you self-absorbed, super-entitled, do-nothing. Instead, spend the time pleasantly reminiscing about your trip. The sights. The culture. The business at hand. The cab driver who wouldn’t stop talking on his Bluetooth, even though the sign clearly says the driver will not talk on the phone. See? It’s contagious.

AA also says it will be paying staff as usual, as well as suppliers, and the various loyalty and airmiles programs will continue to run as normal. “As we have made clear with increasing urgency in recent weeks, we must address our cost structure, including labor costs, to enable us to capitalize on [our] foundational strengths and secure our future” CEO Thomas W. Horton said in a statement today. “Our very substantial cost disadvantage compared to our larger competitors, all of which restructured their costs and debt through Chapter 11, has become increasingly untenable given the accelerating impact of global economic uncertainty and resulting revenue instability, volatile and rising fuel prices, and intensifying competitive challenges.”

The airline has made several technological investments over recent months in an attempt to cut costs and boost AA’s appeal with travelers. Back in June, the company announced a deal with Samsung to replace in-seat entertainment screens with custom Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets, while Gogo Vision will see streaming TV and movie media brought onboard.

AMR claims it has around $4.1bn in unrestricted cash and short-term investments, which – along with ongoing income from operations – it claims will be more than sufficient to pay its ongoing costs. Meanwhile, it will file monthly Chapter 11 reports to try to keep investor reassured. More on Chapter 11 bankruptcy here, for those interested, and details on AA’s process here.

Seven titles will follow on in Q1 2012, including GT Racing: Motor Academy, Brain Challenge, Blokus, Ironman 2, Let’s Golf 2, The Settlers and Asphalt 5. Only those on flights longer than two hours will be eligible to rent the tablets, which have a battery life of up to 10hrs each.

Flights including Australian domestic, trans Tasman and short-haul international flights between Australia and New Zealand will all run the scheme, with pricing ranging from A$10 to A$15 ($10-15) per flight. It doesn’t look like the iPads will also have internet access, however.

Jetstar isn’t the first airline to implement tablets for in-flight entertainment. American Airlines announced back in June that it would be outfitting select transcontinental and intercontinental flights with Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1. The Android Honeycomb slate was modified by Samsung with extra memory, and would come with a library of multimedia preloaded.

The portal has a very simple and clean interface and instant search results updates. It has six basic parameters you can enter, a map, and then a list of results that appear after you’ve inputted your search. Immediately after you enter your place of departure and destination, a line is drawn on the map and a list of outbound flights are shown below the map.

Selecting an outbound flight, then immediately highlights that selection, eliminates other outbound options, and displays return flight options. Clicking on the ‘X’ next to the selection retracts it and brings you back to the entire list of outbound flights.

Just below the map are four parameters you can set, including the usual depart and return dates, price range, and duration. There are also two buttons that let you view the results in either a calendar format or a scatter graph. With the holiday season fast approaching and plenty of travel planning to do, you can give the Google Travel service a whirl here.

The revamped system is being called a new hybrid technology platform, where passengers can access various content and surf the web via the seat-back monitor as well as connect multiple personal devices to the system’s WiFi simultaneously. This means that content such as music, movies, or TV shows offered through the new RED system can be listened or watched through each passenger’s own personal devices.

The system is already in development in partnership with Lufthansa’s IT group called Lufthansa Systems, which designed the BoardConnect on-board WiFi network. BoardConnect requires only a few access points to allow all passengers to connect to the system, making it much more scalable than the current Virgin America system.

The new in-flight entertainment system is set to launch in late 2012 and is currently undergoing backend testing on Virgin America’s new Airbus A320 named the #nerdbird. The current fleet of 40 Virgin America A320 planes is expected to grow to 57 by mid-2013.

[via PC World]

In case you’re not familiar, HotelTonight offers both an Android and iOS app that lets you book last-minute hotels at a steep discount, all done quickly and easily on your mobile device. The HotelTonight app has already seen over 700,000 downloads and the startup has raised $3.25 million in funding from Accel Partners, Battery Ventures, and First Round Capital.

And now with Murphy on board, HotelTonight looks poised to be your next go-to app for last-minute traveling needs. Murphy has led the mobile product, media, and global marketing efforts for Travelocity and will bring a plenty of experience in the online travel space.

[via TechCrunch]

Once you’re inside a weather-covered map, you’ll find that you’re able to see current weather conditions in several forms, icons denoting everything from clouds to rain to the amount of sun you’ll be getting. Additional sun and moon icons are included so you’ll know when it’s day or night anywhere on earth – not that you couldn’t just have looked at the clock and figured it out before, but this is convenient for those who learn visually. The wispy cloud cover floating overhead is provided by the U.S. Naval Research Lab In addition to seeing basic information with a single icon and temperature, you’re able to click on an icon to bring up a weather forecast for that area reaching out into the next four days.

You can enable and disable basically everything as you browse, change units for wind speed, temperature, and turn the whole business off from the same view menu in the upper right you clicked to enable it. This is certainly a new age for Google Maps, taking a massively popular weather site in Weather.com and combining it with Google Maps taking a whole step out of a lot of people’s every day lives. Sound like a winning combination to you? Head to Google Maps now and give it a whirl and tell everyone here how you like it!

[via Google Blog]

One of the features rumored is a map-based search tool that will show flight pricing based on destinations. Filters can be set to narrow down where you want to fly to and at what price range. The results from this search can all be accessed via a map view. Another rumored feature is that the ITA data will be integrated so that Google search results of flights, times, and pricing will be based on your search terms and IP address to be more relevant to your geographic location. Also, specific queries such as “cheap flights to Paris” will bring up search results that include schedule and airfare options.

Google’s ITA acquisition was approved after several months of anti-trust investigation because travel search competitors such as Microsoft Bing, Kayak, TripAdvisor, and Expedia all use data from ITA. Hence, Google’s purchase of ITA for their own travel search products could seriously eliminate competition. Despite this, the courts approved of the service but with certain conditions that Google must follow.

The conditions require Google to continue to update the ITA software and to continue offering the service to competitors at commercially reasonable terms. Firewalls must also be setup to prevent any unauthorized access of competitor’s data gathered from ITA customers.

[via TechCrunch]

The exact nature of Samsung’s modifications is unclear, but we’re guessing there’ll be some sort of UI tweaking to suit an onboard library of multimedia. AA may also offer streaming content from a wireless store onboard, as well as internet access using existing WiFi systems. Back in May, the airline announced plans to stream movies and TV shows from the ground to select flights, and while it’s not announced, we’d be very surprised if that functionality wasn’t added too.

If you want to play with a Galaxy Tab, you’ll need to be in the expensive seats on transcontinental flights between New York’s JFK and Los Angeles, JFK and San Francisco, and Miami and Los Angeles served with 767-200 and 767-300 aircraft; international flights to and from Europe and South America served with 767-300 aircraft; or transcontinental flights departing from Boston to Los Angeles served with 757 aircraft. Alternatively you could pick one up yourself later this week and sit in cattle class.

[via Android Community]

Press Release:

Samsung Mobile Seals Landmark Agreement with American Airlines to Provide Galaxy Tab™ 10.1 for Premium Class In-Flight Entertainment

American Airlines Becomes First North American Airline to Feature Branded Tablets Onboard by Ordering the World’s Thinnest Mobile Tablet Currently Available

DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S.1, today announced that American Airlines will offer Galaxy Tab™ 10.1 mobile tablets for premium class in-flight entertainment.

“Our engagement with American Airlines further illustrates the growing interest and demand we’re seeing from enterprise customers for the Samsung Galaxy portfolio”
“Earlier this month we made history by launching the world’s thinnest large screen tablet currently available and today we unveil another first with American Airlines’ selection of the Galaxy Tab 10.1,” said Dale Sohn, President of Samsung Mobile.

American Airlines, a founding member of the oneworld® Alliance, plans to deploy 6,000 of the new Galaxy Tab 10.1 devices onboard select flights beginning later this year. The tablets will replace the airline’s current personal entertainment device in American’s premium cabins on transcontinental flights between New York’s JFK and Los Angeles, JFK and San Francisco, and Miami and Los Angeles served with 767-200 and 767-300 aircraft; international flights to and from Europe and South America served with 767-300 aircraft; and transcontinental flights departing from Boston to Los Angeles served with 757 aircraft.

“Our engagement with American Airlines further illustrates the growing interest and demand we’re seeing from enterprise customers for the Samsung Galaxy portfolio,” said Tim Wagner, vice president and general manager of enterprise sales for Samsung Mobile. “As we continue to grow our enterprise customer base, we’re committed to empowering a connected mobile workforce and enabling leading companies like American Airlines to enhance their customers’ experience by providing world-class entertainment and enterprise-ready devices.”

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 combines the Android platform, ultra-slim, lightweight design, a brilliant 10-inch touchscreen and array of applications enhancing the in-flight entertainment experience for travelers onboard American Airlines.

“Through our agreement with Samsung, American is the first North American airline to offer a branded tablet onboard its aircraft,” said Virasb Vahidi, American’s Chief Commercial Officer. “We are working hard to revitalize our fleet and invest wisely in new products and services to modernize and enhance the travel experience. Working with Samsung to outfit our premium cabins with the innovative Galaxy Tab will give our premium customers a modern and innovative in-flight entertainment experience.”

The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a WiFi-enabled tablet that measures at just 8.6 millimeters slim, making it the thinnest large screen tablet currently available in the world. The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is powered by the Android™ 3.1 (Honeycomb) platform, offering faster and smoother transitions between different applications, more intuitive navigation to and from home screens and broader support of USB accessories, external keyboards, joysticks and gamepads. Samsung will customize the Galaxy Tab for American’s in-flight entertainment needs, including the addition of expanded memory.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 WiFi edition is currently available exclusively at the Best Buy Union Square location in New York City. Starting June 17, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be available nationwide. Visit www.samsung.com and www.aa.com for additional details.

1 Number one mobile phone provider in the U.S. claim for Samsung Mobile based upon reported shipment data, according to Strategy Analytics, Q1 2011 U.S. Market Share Handset Shipments Reports.

One of the biggest complaints consumers have had in the past with any GPS was the costly expense of updating the maps. In some cases the new map download was more than half the price of simply buying another GPS. Owners of the RoadMate 5175T-LM will no longer have to worry, as free lifetime map updates are included with purchase. This will help the GPS stay more competitive, since Google Maps users never need to purchase upgrades.

The web browser is also a nice touch. Not everyone has a smartphone yet, and browsing the web is very cumbersome on most traditional cell phones. Giving users the ability to use the GPS for quick browsing may cause some consumers to delay the purchase of a smartphone and simply rely on their GPS. Not having a monthly data plan or other monthly charges is also another benefit over a smartphone.

The Magellan RoadMate 5175T-LM has a 5 inch hi-resolution screen that can be viewed in portrait or landscape. The suggested retail price is $299.99 and is likely to hit stores soon. With that kind of price tag, will consumers opt for the GPS, or decide to go for something with more features like a tablet? The RoadMate 5175T-LM definitely solves some of the main issues that have frustrated GPS users for years, but will it be enough to compete against new feature rich smartphones and tablets?

[via Magellan GPS]

The Justice Department established that Google must continue to license the software to ITA clients and maintain firewalls to hide ITA clients’ proprietary information. They also must continue to fund, research, and develop the software at the same levels at which ITA has invested in recent years. ITA’s next-generation InstaSearch product that is currently under development must also be further developed for ITA’s clients.

Additionally, Google is not allowed to enter into agreements with airlines that could restrict the airline from sharing seating and booking information with Google’s competitors. Should Google break any of these terms, competitors can submit formal complaints for arbitration.

Microsoft’s Bing search engine has already partnered up with Kayak early last month in preparation for battle should the Google-ITA deal get the green light. They’ve introduced the “autosuggest flight” and “price predictor” features and plan to further integrate Kayak into Bing for more comprehensive flight listings. It will be interesting to see what travel search features are to come from Google after this acquisition. Although the deal is worrisome for competing travel sites, it may bring welcome new travel features for consumers.

[via TechCrunch]

We mentioned last week that Microsoft launched some new features for their travel search with the addition of autosuggest flight and price predictor. With the new partnership, Kayak users will gain access to these features while Bing users gain access to more comprehensive flight listings and itineraries.

This partnership between Bing and Kayak should be a good move for both companies to battle Google’s potentially formidable travel search service once the ITA acquisition completes. Kayak will start powering Bing’s flight metasearch within the next few weeks as a first step in their alliance.

[via Tnooz]

By typing in something like “Fly to Chica” into the search box, the Autosuggest Flight Prices feature works with the Price Predictor feature to automatically display what it predicts to be the lowest priced flight and during what time period over the next 90 days. All this shows up before you even hit the enter key.

The Autosuggest Flight Prices feature will recognize where you are, for instance Seattle, and and when you type in something like “Fly to Chicago” or “Chicago Flights,” the Price Predictor will automatically show up below the search box to show you the best flight price from Seattle to Chicago. Colloquial names such as Chi Town are also recognized, so that you are not required to enter formal city names or airport names.

[via Bing]

Before you start thinking that this is just another crowdsourced review platform, it’s not. Most of the work is being done by Room 77′s staff and the integration of Room View really sets it apart. And an special algorithm is used to rank rooms based on how well they match your preferences. So if you had the Room 77 iPhone app and you’re checking in at the front desk of a hotel, you can instantly search the room they assign you to see if you may need to make a swap.

“All hotel rooms are not created equal, and we’ve built Room 77 to open up room data and give travelers more control in getting a great room,” said Brad Gerstner, founder and chairman. “Travelers have several options that rate and review hotels, but until now there’s nothing that breaks down hotel rooms even though the room is a critical part of the experience.”

[via Venture Beat]

Of course, as TSA would like to assure you, “like checked baggage, every package tendered at the airline counter is screened for explosives.” That’s true. It’s not quite as scary as it might seem, but it’s still wild. JetBlue says they’re cooperating with the investigation of course and that “the involved crew member is no longer employed at JetBlue.”

The SeattlePI broke this story, and they put it like this:

An undercover TSA agent told a JetBlue ticket agent that he needed to get a package to Boston that day and would pay the agent $100.00 for helping. The agent took the $100, put it in his pocket and proceeded to follow the unknown person’s instructions. The ticket agent chose a passenger’s name at random, which just happened to be an unaccompanied minor, and the package went through the screening process with no problems. Although the package was harmless, the TSA pulled the package just before being loaded onto the aircraft.

Oh TSA, you are forever touching our hearts and our private parts in a way I cannot fully describe. Surely this is an isolated incident, so no worries.

[Via The Consumerist]

This bag o’ apps includes Berlin, Copenhagen, Dublin, London, Moscow, Munich, Paris, Prague, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Vienna and Warsaw, and on December 23rd also the home of the guides: Amsterdam – this day is also the last of the free offer. Usually these each would cost $5.99 in the app store, so grab them all now, instantly!

[Via One More Thing]

These spring tires not only contour to the surface upon which they roll, the energy used to deform the tire as they do this contouring is returned when the springs bounce back. NASA researcher Vivake Asani had this to says these tires do not have a “single point failure mode. What that means is that a hard impact that might cause a pneumatic tire to puncture and deflate would only damage one of the 800 load bearing springs. Along with having this ultra-redundant characteristic, the tire has a combination of overall stiffness yet flexibility that allows off-road vehicles to travel fast over rough terrain with relatively little motion being transferred to the vehicle.” Rockin! How long until these and other airless tire concepts are a reality here on Earth?

EDIT: When I say a reality here on earth, I of course mean available at a level where even such a lowly, terrible journalist like myself could get some for myself. Also I heartily apologize for making it seem like this was the only airless tire in the world – it very much isn’t. There are a slew of concept and near-reality airless tires being produced as we speak. When will you and I be able to purchase them at our local tire shop? This is a day I look forward to.

Read the full press release from Goodyear below:

Goodyear and NASA Honored for Innovative “Spring” Tire; Team Develops Energy Efficient Tire That Won’t Go Flat AKRON, Ohio, November 11, 2010 – The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company will be honored with the R&D 100 Award for an airless tire capable of transporting large, long-range vehicles across the surface of celestial bodies such as the moon or Mars.  The 44th Annual R&D 100 Awards ceremony, billed as the “Oscars of Innovation”, was held today in Orlando, Florida.

The tire, developed last year, is constructed out of 800 load bearing springs.  It is designed to carry much heavier vehicles over much greater distances than the wire mesh tire (which Goodyear also contributed to) that was previously used on the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV).  The new tire could allow for broader exploration and the eventual development and maintenance of planetary outposts.  It might also have applications on Earth.

According to Vivake Asnani, principal investigator for the project at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, the tire being recognized for an R&D 100 Award had to meet a significant change in requirements that required innovation.  “With the combined requirements of increased load and life, we needed to make a fundamental change to the original moon tire,” he said.  “What the Goodyear-NASA team developed is an innovative, yet simple network of interwoven springs that does the job.  The tire design seems almost obvious in retrospect, as most good inventions do.”

The Spring Tire was installed last year on NASA’s Lunar Electric Rover test vehicle and put through its paces at the “Rock Yard” at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston where it performed successfully.
“This tire is extremely durable and extremely energy efficient,” noted Jim Benzing, Goodyear’s lead innovator on the project.  “The spring design contours to the surface on which it’s driven to provide traction.  But all of the energy used to deform the tire is returned when the springs rebound.  It doesn’t generate heat like a normal tire.”

According to Goodyear engineers, development of the original Apollo lunar mission tires, and the new Spring Tire were driven by the fact that traditional rubber, pneumatic (air-filled) tires used on Earth have little utility on the moon.  This is because rubber properties vary significantly between the extreme cold and hot temperatures experienced in the shaded and directly sunlit areas of the moon.  Furthermore, unfiltered solar radiation degrades rubber, and pneumatic tires pose an unacceptable risk of deflation.
According to Asnani, the Spring Tire does not have a “single point failure mode.  What that means,” he said, “is that a hard impact that might cause a pneumatic tire to puncture and deflate would only damage one of the 800 load bearing springs.  Along with having this ultra-redundant characteristic, the tire has a combination of overall stiffness yet flexibility that allows off-road vehicles to travel fast over rough terrain with relatively little motion being transferred to the vehicle.”

Goodyear will have the Spring Tire on display at an exhibition being staged in conjunction with the R&D 100 Awards Ceremony in November.

Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tire companies.  It employs approximately 70,000 people and manufactures its products in 56 facilities in 21 countries around the world.  Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry.  For more information about Goodyear, go to www.goodyear.com.

The NASA John H. Glenn Research Center is one of NASA’s 10 field centers, empowered with the resources for developing cutting-edge technologies and advancing scientific research that address NASA’s mission to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research.  Working in partnership with government, industry and academia, the center serves to maintain the U.S. economy’s global leadership while benefiting the lives of people around the world.

[Via Mangalorean]

It shows up! As seen in the image above, your scanning personnel will be grabbing giggles (or maybe given cause to search you further) when you pass through their magical radiation machine. Get some “4th Amendment Wear” for the whole crew! And remember your rights.

[Via 4th Amendment Wear]

The badge you’ll be getting is indeed called Baggage Handler and the message you’ll receive goes something like this:

Looks like you’ve had your baggage handled. Happy Holidays and have a safe flight!

Foursquare reminds you to stay funny and have a Happy Thanksgiving, plus makes sure you’re still in the system while you’re doing it. Love it!

[Via Foursquare]

If you travel a lot or have a trip planned where you expect to bring lots of stuff back, you need something like the new Balanzza Mini Luggage Scale. The little scale is digital and has a LCD screen that is backlit with blue light. The thing is easy to use and has an integrated strap for connecting directly to the bag you want to weigh.

You take that strap and wrap it around the handle of your bag. All you have to do then is pick the bag up by grabbing the scale on both sides and wait for the scale to beep. Once done you can see exactly how much your bag weighs and shed things if it’s too heavy. The little scale will measure up to 100 pounds and is small and compact enough to not add significantly to the weight in your bag. You can pick one up now for $24.95.

Inside, a rechargeable battery would head up the water and then push it through a Nespresso pre-packaged coffee pod.  That makes for minimal mess, and you can either fill the integrated water tank before you leave the house or detach it mid-journey should you come across a water supply.

Unfortunately, despite seemingly being designed back in 2007, nobody has leapt onto Hopfgartner’s concept and turned it into a real product.  For shame, Nespresso licensees, for shame!

[via UberGizmo]

SCOTTEVEST has a new jacket called the Carry-on coat that has pockets for all manner of gear from your iPhone or MP3 player to pockets for pens, passports, water, keys, personal care stuff, cameras and more. The thing even has pockets on the bottom for shoes and clothing.

The Carry-On coat appears to be a long coat more like a trench. I can see this thing being useful in cold states during the winter. If you walked into an airport wearing this thing during the summer I think you would raise a few eyebrows.

SeV/Scottevest has a new vest called the Travel Vest for Men that might well be the answer to how to pack electronics and gadgets for the frequent traveler. The maker says the vest is like a second carry on, and that is accurate. The thing is festooned with pockets for all sorts of gear.

You can fit in your iPhone, iPod, passport, water bottle keys, shades, and a ton more stuff into the 22 various pockets inside and outside the vest. There is even a big pocket designed for the iPad. When you go through security, you just take off the vest and let it go through the x-ray machine. The vest can be had now in black, red, or beige for $100 in various sizes.

Video demo after the cut

If you’ve ever wanted to be strapped into a seed-pod style booth – with airline first-class booth seating, naturally – and then fired into the air, then World by Light should satisfy.  The idea is that rather than sending you point-to-point horizontally, it makes far more sense to fire you into the early stages of space and then let you tumble directly into a collector on the roof of your hotel.

That way you’re looking at a cross-world trip taking twenty minutes, all the time feeling like you’re sat inside a Philips LivingColor lamp.  Of course, the most improbable part of the whole concept isn’t the space travel, or the integrated tablet/brochures, but the ease of check-in at the airport.

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/10256377[/vimeo]

[via Recombu]

It’s obviously not just use who reckon the Gravity Ruler is a good idea: the designers took thirty-five sets to the Travel Trading fair in Milan and sold them all in under 60 minutes.  Now they’re shopping the concept round to manufacturers for a broader release.

[via Core77]

The principle is pretty straightforward: rather than allow people to sit normally, instead get them to stick their legs out.  That way you can force two tiers of seating into the same space, and even bill it as “lie flat bed-seating” since the chairs can slump down into a bed-like recliner.

According to airplane manufacturers, the expectation is that this sort of seating – together with planes packed with flap-down jumpseats – will start out in Asia initially, taking advantage of what’s perceived to be “less of a cultural issue being physically close to strangers.”  You’d be better of packing yourself into the nearest Samsonite and having yourself stacked in the hold.

The issue has been precipitated following a number of fires in cargo bays that have been the result of li-ion battery problems; a single power pack catches fire and then sets off a chain reaction in the batteries it is being shipped with.  However the FCC has said it is “not prepared to take emergency action”, though it continues to monitor the situation.

[via Cellular-News]

Each adapter can accept voltages from 100 to 240V at 50 or 60Hz, making them good for traveling.  Meanwhile each of the USB ports they sport outputs 5V 500mAh which should suit most PMPs, digital cameras and cellphones.

The iLuv iAD117 is priced at $19.99, while the iLuv iAD116 comes in at $14.99, and both will begin shipping in September.  That’s cheaper than the BeamBox MiLi, though of course it lacks that adapter’s in-car plug and interchangeable plug sections.

Press Release:

iLuv Announces A New Series of Power Chargers For iPhones, iPods and Any USB Device

iLuv Offers A Small Portable Solution to Charging Multiple Devices at Once, Eliminating the Need to Carry Multiple Chargers

PORT WASHINGTON, NY – (August 13, 2009) – iLuv, the leader in innovative audio solutions, announces the iLuv iAD 117 Triple USB Port Power Adapter and iAD116 Mini USB Power Adapter. This new series of small easy to carry power adapters are the perfect solution for iPod, iPhone, MP3, and other gadget lovers who are looking to eliminate carrying multiple chargers when they travel. The iAD117 features 3-USB ports for charging up to 3-devices at once and is available in international versions. The iAD117 will be available for the MSRP of $19.99 and the iAD116 for the MSRP of $14.99 at www.i-luv.com starting in September 2009.

“Our new series of power adapters provides a great solution to travelers and gadget lovers who always need to carry multiple charging adapters or need multiple power outlets” says Howard Kim for iLuv. “We are happy to add a series of charging solutions that includes a 3-USB port AC adapter model and micro single USB port AC adapter model”.

The iAD117, small in size allows you to charge three devices at once with three built-in USB ports. The iAD116 mini AC adapter features a single USB port. Compatible with iPhone, iPod or any other USB device these AC adapters feature a LED power indicator and prongs that fold down for easy packing and storing.

For more information on product specifications as well as pricing and availability please visit www.i-luv.com.

People that are flying to and from several cities including San Diego, San Francisco, LA, Boston, Las Vegas and Washington, DC will be able to use this Wi-Fi service while in the air. Only after the flight is cleared for electronics use, of course.

The service started on flights only between New York and San Francisco, but this expansion is a big step in the right direction. The service is run by Gogo and offers several pricing options. If you have a computer, you’ll be charged $6 for brief night flights, $10 for short day flights and $13 for any flight that lasts longer than three hours. iPhone and other handset users can expect to pay an $8 flat rate.

Video demo of the trike after the cut

The prototype currently uses a Yamaha YP400 engine and a DIY frame, which add unnecessary length and weight.  Still, it does all that without being as wide as a truck, too; in fact at 58cm the main body of the bike is narrower than many grown-up motorcycles. 

Parked up, the hydraulic tilting system means the 4MC doesn’t require a kick-stand, and at low speeds it can be locked upright so as to avoid the need to put your foot down to prevent falling over.  Schotter is currently looking for someone to license his IP, and it could end up being Yamaha; the company produced a similarly tilting concept back in 2007.

[via Gizmag]

Neither firm are saying whether the P.U.M.A. will ever actually hit production, nor naming specific sales figures, but they reckon it’ll cost around one-quarter of a “normal” car.  They’re launching it properly today, in advance of the New York Motor Show.

The P.U.M.A. reminds me a little of the BMW C1, though of course while that had two wheels it placed them in a more traditional layout.  Like Segway are doing now, BMW billed the C1 as a low-cost, safe alternative to compact cars.  Segway are likely hoping not to follow entirely in the German brands footsteps, however; BMW canned the C1 after just two years, having sold less than 13,000.

Press Release:

GM and Segway Join Forces to Reinvent Urban Transportation

NEW YORK – General Motors Corp. and Segway today demonstrated a new type of vehicle that could change the way we move around in cities.

Dubbed Project P.U.M.A. (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility), GM and Segway are developing an electrically powered, two-seat prototype vehicle that has only two wheels. It could allow people to travel around cities more quickly, safely, quietly and cleanly – and at a lower total cost. The vehicle also enables design creativity, fashion, fun and social networking.

GM and Segway announced their collaboration, while demonstrating the Project P.U.M.A. prototype in New York City this morning.

“Project P.U.M.A. represents a unique solution to moving about and interacting in cities, where more than half of the world’s people live,” said Larry Burns, GM vice president of research and development, and strategic planning. “Imagine small, nimble electric vehicles that know where other moving objects are and avoid running into them. Now, connect those vehicles in an Internet-like web and you can greatly enhance the ability of people to move through cities, find places to park and connect to their social and business networks.”

Trends indicate that urbanization is growing, and with that comes increased congestion and more competition for parking. Cities around the world are actively looking for solutions to alleviate congestion and pollution. Project P.U.M.A. addresses those concerns. It combines several technologies demonstrated by GM and Segway, including electric drive and batteries; dynamic stabilization (two-wheel balancing); all-electronic acceleration, steering and braking; vehicle-to-vehicle communications; and autonomous driving and parking. Those technologies integrate in Project P.U.M.A. to increase mobility freedom, while also enabling energy efficiency, zero emissions, enhanced safety, seamless connectivity and reduced congestion in cities.

“We are excited to be working together to demonstrate a dramatically different approach to urban mobility,” said Jim Norrod, CEO of Segway Inc. “There’s an emotional connection you get when using Segway products. The Project P.U.M.A. prototype vehicle embodies this through the combination of advanced technologies that Segway and GM bring to the table to complete the connection between the rider, environment, and others.”

Project P.U.M.A. vehicles will also allow designers to create new fashion trends for cars, and to focus on the passion and emotion that people express through their vehicles while creating solutions that anticipate the future needs of urban customers.

The Project P.U.M.A. prototype vehicle integrates a lithium-ion battery, digital smart energy management, two-wheel balancing, dual electric wheel motors, and a dockable user interface that allows off-board connectivity. The result is an advanced and functional concept that demonstrates the capabilities of technology that exists today.

Built to carry two or more passengers, it can travel at speeds up to 35 miles per hour (56 kph), with a range up to 35 miles (56 km) between recharges.

Since the introduction of the Segway Personal Transporter (PT), Segway has established itself as the leader in the small electric vehicle space. Its approach to congestion and environmental challenges is balanced with a strong understanding of the functional needs of its customers, enabling them to do more with less. Segway has delivered more than 60,000 lithium-ion batteries to the market.

GM has been a leader in “connected vehicle” technologies since it introduced OnStar in 1996. Today, this on-board communications package connects six million subscribers in North America to OnStar safety and security services. GM has also pioneered vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications systems and transponder technology. These and additional connected vehicle technologies could ultimately enable vehicles that don’t crash and drive themselves.

“Imagine moving about cities in a vehicle fashioned to your taste, that’s fun to drive and ride in, that safely takes you where you want to go, and “connects” you to friends and family, while using clean, renewable energy, producing zero vehicle tailpipe emissions, and without the stress of traffic jams,” said Burns. “And imagine doing this for one-fourth to one-third the cost of what you pay to own and operate today’s automobile. This is what Project P.U.M.A. is capable of delivering.”

[via Autoblog]

The Traveler 137 features a 3.5-inch wide VGA display paired with 3.5G data.  As far as memory and storage go, the device comes with 512 MB of flash, 256 MB of RAM, AGPS, 7.2 Mbps HSPA and is able to take advantage of nearby Wi-Fi networks.  Did we mention the 3-megapixel camera?  It has one of those, too.

There’s no solid release date for the Traveler 137 other than the already-stated “first quarter 2009″.  The unit will be priced at $599.95.

[via Engadget]

This concept suitcase is designed to make tackling stairs and dragging your luggage long distances easy.  Rather than going to two wheels at the base route like the suit cases we see rolling around every day, this new design puts a set of free-wheeling rubber belt cracks that cover the entire body of the suitcase. This design in theory is suppose to help people lug their stuff up stairs, but in reality its basically dragging it upstairs without the friction.

On the other hand, you can drag your stuff long distances without the worry that your suitcase will flip over. If such an instance occurs you can keep trucking right along as if it never happened. This really makes for a great idea, so great in fact that Woo Moonhyung took home the 2008 red dot design concept award for this piece. Lets hope this good design does not go to waste.

99 keys are on offer (missing are the Print Screen, Scroll Lock, Pause Break, and right side Ctrl and Windows keys) together with separate numeric keys and a full (if squashed) F-key row.  Connection is via USB (with the cable wrapping around to keep things tidy.  It weighs under 1.4lbs.

The ‘board measures 14-3/4 inches long and the cover can act as an angled stand.  The Atek OnBoard Travel Keyboard is available now, priced at $29.99.

[via GottaBeMobile]

First impressions are mixed. The Knight Rider GPS looks good, perhaps the one time we can say that about glossy black plastic, as it’s modeled after the original Trans Am coupe K.I.T.T. masqueraded as. The initial eye-catcher is the 4.3-inch 480 x 272 touchscreen, but that’s soon forgotten when the flashing red chaser LEDs get going. Mio have worked with Universal Studios to get William Daniels, original voice actor for K.I.T.T., to provide the navigation directions, and as he talks the lights flash in synchrony.

Moving around the PND, there’s the power button and an SD card slot on the top, together with a mini-USB port on the bottom. Mio include a car mount (suitable both for dashboard and windshield use), a USB cable and car charger, together with instruction guides and a CD containing other voice guides.

Replacement voice guides are necessary because, while K.I.T.T. will tell you which exit to take and when to turn, there’s no Text-to-Speech (TTS) support. The Mio supports TTS, but Daniels didn’t record the necessary road names; instead, you have to delete one of the pre-installed voices (K.I.T.T., French or Spanish) and replace it with a new voice profile from the CD. It’s a relatively straightforward process using a PC and the supplied USB cable, but it does detract from the Knight Rider theme.

If you can live without TTS, you can instead have the joy of being greeted by name. That is, assuming your name is one of the 300 (equally split between men and women) pre-programmed into the PND. Once set, you’re greeted with a random phrase, such as “I’ll power up all systems” every time you turn the Mio on.

Address entry is via an onscreen keyboard (in either ABC or QWERTY layouts) with no provision for speech recognition as we’ve seen in other recent PNDs. The Mio has predictive text, which suffers a few pregnant pauses but generally works well, and routes are calculated quickly. Multi-stop journeys can be set, with stops programmed at the start or added by tapping the map, and there’s both a favorites list and a history of recent destinations. The Mio can handle street addresses, zip codes, city centers or intersections, and route prioritizing distance, freeway or toll-road avoidance, or journey speed.

There’s also a database of around four-million Points of Interest (POIs), organized into the usual categories. Since the Mio Knight Rider is not a “connected” GPS such as the Dash Express or new Telenav Shotgun, there’s no automatic update of POIs. Also missing is traffic updates or a pedestrian mode; obviously David Hasselhoff never had to walk anywhere.

In use, the Knight Rider GPS lacks much of the visual glamor of other recent PNDs, but it does mark your position with a tiny picture of K.I.T.T.; whether that’s enough to make up for the absence of photo-realistic intersections, signs and 3D cityscape is up to you. There is the option to switch between 2D and 3D mapping, together with the usual panning and zooming, with the current road indicated at the bottom of the screen and the upcoming turn at the top. Pull-up menus show ETA, distance and time left, current speed and a clock, together with direction, GPS signal strength, battery and volume status, and you can select one icon from each group to remain on-screen at all times.

Unfortunately, we found the touchscreen to be less responsive than other PNDs we’ve tried, and it’s particularly susceptible to glare. The included mount does offer a fair degree of repositioning, but we’d prefer the screen itself to have a more-effective anti-glare coating. During the day the flashing, pulsing lights are great. At night, however, they become a serious distraction. You’re able to turn them off in the preferences menu, but it’s a chore; we’d prefer a physical switch somewhere, or, even better, an option to turn them off when the GPS flips into night mode (which changes the maps and menus into a darker color scheme).

We found GPS signal acquisition times to be good, aided no doubt by the Knight Rider GPS’ use of SiRFInstantFixII technology. Initial lock was obtained in a little less than two minutes, with future ‘warm’ locks found in seconds. It also proved tenacious at keeping a signal while in urban, built-up areas. Less successful were the re-routing options, being slower than rival PNDs.

The Mio Knight Rider GPS is a reasonable, entry-level PND, at least when it comes to the spec sheet. The obvious draw here is the Knight Rider theme, and fans of the original series will likely find it appealing. You’re paying no small amount for it, however, which makes it a less reasonable proposition for anyone less enchanted by 80s cult television. One for the fans, yes, but everyone else will get more for their money elsewhere.

Unboxing Video

Photo Gallery

Video of the jet-pack attempt after the cut

The jet-pack wing was designed by Rossy himself, and is constructed from a lightweight carbon composite; despite measuring eight feet across, even with fuel it weighs a mere 55kg (120lb).  Since having four jet turbines blaring next to your legs will do more than strip the hair from them, Rossy had to wear a flameproof suit for the attempt.

Landing is courtesy of a parachute and crossing your fingers for somewhere relatively soft and tree-free.  Next on the cards is flying over the Grand Canyon, taking off from a standing position on the ground and performing acrobatics.

Travolution keeps track of when traffic lights change and Audi is currently testing the system to see how it would work in real world situations. It works by networking your car with the traffic signals over a wireless network.

And since the system will let you know when the lights will change, you will know exactly how fast or slow to approach the light. The idea here is that you can save fuel over time by eliminating unnecessary stopping and starting and keeping traffic going smoothly. Travolution may very well be a part of all cars in the future, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

[via Slippery Brick]

If you need a new GPS system or simply like to stay current with these things, two new Blaupunkt navigation systems are coming next month. The TravelPilot 500 and 700 will have interactive voice controls among other new features.

Both models will have Bluetooth and interactive voice controls, while just the 700 will have Internet access. One thing that sets these devices apart from others on the market is the real-time video navigation and traffic sign recognition. With a video camera on the back, these TravelPilot models take in live footage of the upcoming road. This is meant to make looking at the GPS map more safe because it is overlaid on an actual, real-time image of the road in front of you. It can also tell you if you’re going over the speed limit.

You can get your hands on your very own Blaupunkt next month. The TravelPilot 500 will cost $490 and the 700 will cost $740.

[via Crave at CNET]

This item can provide you with the juice when you need it most. It contains a 10-amp rechargeable battery so you’ll be all set for three hours worth of laptop use, 15 hours of cell phone charging and multiple iPod recharging sessions.

The Power Source is smaller than a briefcase, has two AC outlets, one DC outlet and one USB port. It’ll hold a charge for 90 days with no use and will cost you $199.95.

[via Chip Chick]