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TSA testing shoe scanning technology
he Transportation Security Administration is testing show scanning machines from L2 Communications; this is a step toward eventually allowing passengers to keep their shoes on when they go through the security checkpoint
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EU publishes airlines blacklist
EU, increasingly worried about lax air travel security, bars airlines from Indonesia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, and Gabon from entering European airspace;
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New crime: Forged eye biometrics recognition stamps
How accurate is iris scanning biometric technology? read on: Three individuals are arresed at the Dubai airport for smuggling forged eye biometrics recognition stamps; the criminals’ goal: to facilitate the entry to the UAE of individuals who were previously banned
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ACLU: Terrorist Watch List hits one million names
ACLU claims terrorist watch list reached one million names; launches online watch list complaint form
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TSA: ACLU’s terrorist watch list facts and figures are a myth
The Transportation Security Administration refutes the facts and figures used by the ACLU in the latter’s claim that the list is now 1-million strong
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New device puts an end to luggage hell
Two Israelis develop an electronic tag which allows passengers “talk” with luggage as it arrives on thebaggage carousel; device can also be used to track kids and family members in a mall
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Expedited screening for flight deck crew members
TSA tests expedited flight crew screening; measure is mandated by 9/11 legislation; TSA will use trial to examine behavior detection methods
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TSA cannot achieve 100% air cargo screening by 2010
Congress has mandated that TSA must screen 50 percent of all cargo on passenger jets by February 2009 and 100 percent by August 2010; TSA says lack of technology makes this goal impossible to achieve
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Sagem Morpho shows TWIC-compliant biometric reader
Card is designed to read encrypted biometric data, such as a digital fingerprint, perform the match to the card holder, and perform an active card authentication across a contactless interface
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BAE adds to its autonomous airship portfolio
New airship, developed by Lindstrand Technologies, can carry payloads such as high-tech surveillance equipment up to 150 kg in weight to heights of more than 6,500 feet
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New plane design meet safety requirements
Delta-winged plane designs are claimed to be capable of carrying more than 1,000 passengers on a single deck with 20 exits and eight aisles; simulation shows they meet safety standards
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Biometrics to be used in fast-tracking trusted travellers through airports
The United States and the United Kingdom agree on using fingerprint, iris, and facial recognition technology to speed up frequent travellers’ journeys through immigration control
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Growing opposition to fingerprinting foreign visitors to U.S.
Legislators support airline industry’s contention that forcing them to fingerprint foreign visitors to the United States would ruin them financially; airlines say that fingerprinting 33 million visitors a year would cost $12 billion over 10 years
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Weight-sensitive aircraft seats
New plane or helicopter seats will rely on active suspension to sense the forces on the seat and change its levels of cushioning; the seat uses a magnetorheological fluid damper
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No need for an ID to board a plane
TSA takes into account the fact that IDs may be lost or misplaced, and has devised a policy which allows for identity verification without IDs
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More headlines
The long view
Prototype Self-Service Screening System Unveiled
TSA and DHS S&T unveiled a prototype checkpoint technology, the self-service screening system, at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas, NV. The aim is to provide a near self-sufficient passenger screening process while enabling passengers to directly receive on-person alarm information and allow for the passenger self-resolution of those alarms.