The TSA wants to widely expand the use of facial recognition technology in US airports, revealing the plan in a newly published roadmap. According to the agency, this plan will "modernize" passenger screening in airports in the relatively near future, using biometric data to identify travelers while speeding up the entire screening process.
You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who counts their commute as their favorite part of the day. The new features rolling out to Google Maps today probably aren't going to do much to change that, but the hope is that they make commutes a little less miserable or unpredictable. This new Google Maps update includes everything from music streaming integration to a new commute tab that will give you detailed information about what to expect on your drive in.
Most people will agree that vacations are great, but the process of getting them all planned out is not. Between booking a hotel, finding the right price on a flight, and figuring out what to do once you finally get to your destination, there are a lot of moving parts and plenty of potential for frustration. Google is hoping to streamline the trip planning process with a host of new features it's rolling out a variety of different products.
Delta has announced plans to launch the first biometric terminal in the United States, an optional experience offered to international travelers at Maynard H. Jackson International Terminal F in Atlanta, Georgia. Customers won't be forced to use this technology if they're uncomfortable with it, but rather will have it as an alternative option to reduce the amount of time spent waiting.
Generally speaking, air travel is a pretty dull affair that is nonetheless a reality of life for a lot of people. Alaska Airlines announced today that is has a new way for some flyers to pass the time while they're in the air, as it has outfitted some of cross-country routes with VR headsets. More specifically, Allosky headsets from SkyLights will allow Alaska Airlines passengers to watch some immersive VR movies and short films as they fly.
British Airways has revealed a hack that left customers' personal and financial information vulnerable. According to the company, which disclosed the data theft today, hackers managed to acquire some information about customers who were booking flights on the airline's mobile app and website. Law enforcement has been informed about the data breach.
T-Mobile has a new promotion lined up for Labor Day, one that will be available to all smartphone users...including those who are signed up with different carriers like Verizon. This upcoming Monday, the Uncarrier will give smartphone users free in-flight Gogo WiFi on domestic flights, giving them a taste of the T-Mobile ONE plan experience.
It may be 135 kilometers “only”, but it might as well be going all the way to the moon. That is how Zhu Hehua, Tongji University head of tunneling and underground structure, described China’s most ambitious and riskiest infrastructure plan to date: to build the world’s longest undersea rail tunnel to bridge mainland China with Taiwan. Because while technical and engineering problems can be solved one way or another, bridging the political and social divide is a harder task to accomplish.
Segway is perhaps most famous for “personal transportation” products like the PT but it has also become infamous for breeding the ill-fated and poorly-named “hoverboards”. But while the Segway PT and its kin were designed for more serious uses, Segway has branched out to produce a more whimsical and fun way to get from A to B. That’s the Drift W1 electric roller skates and you can pre-order them now if you have the cash to spare.
TSA at JFK airport is adding multiple Analogic 3D CT scanners to its repertoire, machines it says are better capable of detecting certain types of explosives. The scanners will be used to screen travelers' bags, addressing concerns surrounding the scanning abilities of older x-ray machines. This could have a major impact on queues, as TSA suggests passengers may not have to remove large electronic items thanks to the 3D scanners.
There are plenty of issues with being a frequent traveler, but finding the right bag can be one of the most frustrating - and lead to one of the biggest addictions. Packing for multiple trips, especially back-to-back, can be a challenge, especially when they can vary due to climate, the type of event you'll be attending, and factoring in specific equipment. In short, deciding what to pack is just as important as figuring out what you're going to pack it all in.
Richard Branson's space company Virgin Galactic has announced a new deal that with bring spaceflights to Italy, where the company plans to build a spaceport for future suborbital launches. The company is keeping its headquarters in New Mexico, where it has its Spaceport America facility. ENAC, Italy's aviation authority, has already chosen a location for the future flights.