airport

Move over, bomb-sniffing dogs and bees. You've got some serious competition in bomb-sniffing mice (the kind with four legs, not the kind you use with a mousepad).

Israeli start-up BioExplorers has created a system that relies on the rodents' keen sense of smell to detect explosives or drugs.

The system is aimed at airports, government buildings, malls, mass transit, and other public venues, though it fortunately does not require that mice scamper all over you or your bags to ascertain whether you're carrying contraband.

Instead, the person being screened walks through a passageway in the BioExplorers system, which looks a lot like a standard airport metal detector.

A fan pushes air into a biosensor receptor, and delivers the air to a chamber inhabited by four to eight mice that have been specially trained at the Bomb Sniffing Academy for Rodents. If they smell something they've been taught to recognize, they move into another chamber, which sets off an alarm. Security officials can then move in and take whatever steps they need to take next. … Read more

For me, it's the American Airlines check-in staff in Miami. For some reason, they seem to function in such chaos that they are desperate for you, the passenger, to have as miserable a time as they seem to be having.

For you, it might be another airport whose staff members make you wish that the nice, but very firm, lady from Tabatha's Salon Takeover would perform a flyover atop their attitude.

Now some enterprising, technology-loving Brits are attempting to see if virtual staff can be more helpful than the skin-and-boned.

From this week, passengers in Terminal 1 of Manchester airport will be greeted by smiling, happy, and possibly even helpful airport staff. For they will be holograms of the real staff, presumably created to reflect their brightest, most cheerful selves.… Read more

CHANGI AIRPORT, SINGAPORE--If you don't think airplanes can have paparazzi, consider the following scene.

I was here last month, having flown in from San Francisco the night before, only to wait about 18 hours for my flight to Calcutta, India. Carrying my camera around in search of things to photograph at what I had been told was one of the world's most-interesting airports, I spotted my most-desired prey: An Airbus A380.

But a clear view of the plane was blocked by some walls, as well as a locked gate lounge, and I couldn't figure out how best … Read more

Just when you thought it was safe to enter an airplane, along comes some professor to tell you that it may not be quite so.

For it seems that, despite the entrance of body scanners and their piercing gaze on every last element of your junk (reference embedded for those who missed it), these machines might not be foolproof.

According to Fox News, two professors at the University of California, San Francisco--Leon Kaufman and Joseph W. Carlson--have released a learned document that suggests it might be depressingly simple to fool a body scanner.

"It is very likely that a … Read more

It's the last day of the week for us! Mark Licea joins us today to fill in for the day before Thanksgiving. We hope all of your enjoy your new TSA-approved enhanced pat-downs when you're flying to see your loved ones. Justin isn't even leaving the city, but he's making daily trips to the airport to meet his special security officer.

Speaking of the TSA screenings that have become all the rage on the news these days, Jeff thinks that it's the dearth of news in American media that is letting the issue blow up on cable news and across the Web. In part, Wilson agrees given that the new regulations, backscatter (cool name for a band) X-ray scanning machines and pat-down searches have been planned for months. While the general populace might be a bit surprised by the new TSA regulations, Wilson doesn't believe it makes it right to be photographed through our clothes just because we want to fly.

In happier ramblings, The 404 does give thanks for the privilege of essentially shooting the tech-and-culture crap with each other on a daily basis. It's something we're truly thankful for, and we'd love nothing but to share our love for our loyal and growing listener base.

Jeff, being Jeff, though, has to interrupt the flow of happiness to talk a bit about the blackout for the New York-New Jersey region when it comes to the NHL's new GameCenter service, which lets fans watch games and replays. The big exception that really irks Jeff is that the service won't let him watch his beloved New Jersey Devils! Wilson and Mark really couldn't care less.

Any way, we won't be having a show tomorrow or Friday, due to the Thanksgiving holiday, but be sure to e-mail us or call in at the usual 1-866-404-CNET (2638), and let us know what you're thankful for. Maybe it's that new tech gadget or Wilson's laugh? Let us know.

Accessing the Internet via an open Wi-Fi network is risky because you have no idea who is the hot spot provider or who is connected to it. At the airport it may seem more secure to use a terminal to check your e-mail or update your Facebook status; however, according to Symantec, these terminals might not be secure at all.

In a recent article on the company's Web site, Nick Johnston, senior software engineer of Symantec Hosted Services, wrote that at one Internet terminal at a large airport in England, he saw an unusual "Defense Center Installer" … Read more

If you've read my iPhone app reviews before, you'll know that I have a slight penchant for airline- and aviation-themed titles. I've looked at the best iPhone flight tracker apps, the top titles for frequent fliers, and the best apps for airline geeks.

Given my track record, it shouldn't surprise you that I spend a lot of time scanning airport departure screens. Don't ask me why--I guess I just like to see where everyone is going--but I continue looking even after I've found the gate for my flight. So I was excited when I heard about Airport Remote, a nifty app that lets me take all that information on the go. Even if you're not an airline geek, you can use Airport Remote to check a flight's status before even leaving home. It's in the iTunes App Store for $3.99.

Airport Remote, developed by Sojern, shows real-time departure and arrival screens from 100 major airports across the United States, plus 20 of the biggest fields around the world. The list is surprisingly extensive so even the most-frequent globetrotter should be covered. What's more, all airlines that serve a particularly airport are listed; you'll even see details for cargo and charter flights and executive aircraft. … Read more

Following numerous other updates from Apple this week, the company has released a firmware update for AirPort Extreme Base Stations and Time Capsule devices. This update addresses wireless performance issues and problems with creating Guest networks when using the 5GHz band. In addition, Apple has released an update to the AirPort Utility for both Mac and Windows machines.… Read more