January 2006

The Register [reports](http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/09/space_tourism_regs/) on a new FAA report out concerning the future of galactic flight and that the no-fly list applies. That does bring up the question of what you can and cannot take on a [Virgin Galactic](http://www.virgingalactic.com/) flight. Nail clippers in space?

Jeremy Wagstaff posts on the [turf battle for WiFi at Logan](http://loosewire.typepad.com/blog/2006/01/the_end_of_airp.html). My take is WiFi, like cable, should be free, part of the Port’s offerings, in lounges, the bathroom and everywhere else.

Rick Segal’s got a great story about using his laptop, his Verizon wireless DSL connection, and his charm / generosity to land a free first-class upgrade.

The moral of the story: even if you’re not equipped with high tech gadgetry, being kind to airline employees when they’re taking crap from everyone else can land you perks - and good karma.

If you want to find a nice place to eat and make reservations in a snap, try Open Table. It’s an international restaurant reservation service that allows you to sort through 4,000 different restaurants with different price ranges & cuisines, choose one, and make a reservation all in one place and without ever picking up a phone.

Frequent user Fly Girl remarks:

I first started using the service for cities that I was unfamiliar with, but now I find that I use it just as much in my home city. I’ve never had a problem using the service, nor with how I’ve been treated at the restaurants they use. I’ve used the service for some special occasions, noting so in the comment section of the reservation form. The restaurants have gone all out to make sure that the occasion was truly special.

The only downside: there are a number of wonderful restaurants that don’t take reservations - like Viva Madrid in Claremont, CA. Those may not pop up on on Open Table. If you’ve got more time on your hands and are looking for real hidden treasures, my college roomate swears by Chowhound.

When you’re really frustrated and waiting in line to be screened by TSA, it’s perfectly understandable that you’d wish for a “safe” list. After all, you know you’re not a terrorist - they should let you get on your plane already.

But the frustration of standing in a TSA line can make people believe funny things. In fact, it’s probably the only circumstance under which it’s remotely logical to believe that a “safe” list is actually a good idea. The only way everyone will be safe is is everyone gets screened and if secondary screenings are conducted at random. The minute you create a loophole in that system, the really bad guys are going to exploit it.

This latest attempt - which is currently in operation at Orlando International Airport - uses retinal scans to identify passengers who have undergone a background check and paid $80 to be enrolled in the program. They present their eyeballs and then zip past the security checkpoint.

Yes, a retinal scan is impossible to fake. You can’t put on contact lenses and pretend to be someone else. But just because a system can correctly identify you as someone the system has deemed safe doesn’t mean you are safe.

For one thing - computers were built to be hacked. Just like you cannot build an unsinkable ship, you cannot build an unhackable computer. You can make it hard, but not impossible - and I guarantee you that Al Quaeda has some damn good hacks. Anytime you put the safety and security of passengers in the hands of a computer database - no matter how secure - you put those passengers at risk.

But there’s an even easier way to manipulate a “safe” list, one that requires no computers whatsoever. All it requires is that you show up at the airport and plant a bomb on someone who is on the list. People may watch their luggage closely at airports, but they’re not CIA agents. You can’t expect that every “safe” list passenger is going to notice and know what to do when some strange person puts a package in their bag while they’re not looking.

And finally, having a background check that says you’re not a terrorist doesn’t mean you’re “safe” any more than having a rap sheet with no drug offenses means you’re not a cocaine dealer. It just means you haven’t been caught yet.

It’s true that the TSA is there more for our psychological well-being when flying than for our actual physical protection. So instituting a “safe” list makes a lot of sense if you’re looking at them as a great big hoax designed to get people flying again. But if you want a transportation safety organization that actually makes you safer, then it must operate under the assumption that everyone is a suspect.

[Update: 1/6/06 @ 1:29pm

Q: Why is a four year-old boy on a terrorist watch list?

A: Because computers aren't perfect. They interpret everything literally, and they make errors all the time. Do you really want a computer database that identifies a four year-old as a terrorist to be responsible for determining who is and who is not a threat to national security?]

According to the Austin-American Statesman, a travel agency in Plano, TX has allegedly been stealing from its customers. According to the former employee who blew the whistle, agents at the family-owned business reassigned unused airline tickets and took award miles from clients’ tickets for their own personal use.

Reports the Statesman:

Business travelers often book nonrefundable tickets but change their plans. They then forget about them or wrongly assume the tickets have become worthless. The tickets, however, sometimes can be exchanged for vouchers for future flights. And while those vouchers are supposed to be made out to the ticket holders or their companies, an agent may be able to persuade the airline to reissue the ticket to the agency.

As for the rewards, airlines offer incentive programs for small businesses that work a lot like frequent-flier miles. If a small business does not have an account, an agent may be able to fill in another number and collect that client’s rewards….

The start of the year is the ideal time for business travelers to determine that all is in order with their ticket refunds and reward programs. Sometime within the next few days, end-of-year spending reports from corporate travel agencies will be dispatched.

Most business travelers give those reports a cursory once-over. But it may be wise to give it a closer read, possibly even to pull out a report for your business airline rewards and airline ticket purchases and take a few moments to reconcile them.

If you don’t, you may end up paying for a travel agent’s next vacation and not even know it.

I’ve often joked that RSS (a blog syndication technology) stands for “really sexy singles” and PodDater, a video iPod dating experience, is proving that it does! You can now date with your iPod, take it on the plane, preview prospective singles, and hook up, [all using RSS](http://poddater.typepad.com/blog/2005/12/face_lift_more_.html).

And when you run out of serious things to do with your InFlight Internet and you just want to screw around - head on over to Gizoogle, the search engine that turns any webpage into gangsta speech.

Warning, it’s not always completely never politically correct and should never be misconstrued as kid-friendly. But translating your company web page may be just the pick up you needed to get you through the next few hours of leg cramps.

Here are a few to start you off:

• Microsoft
• Boeing
• Washington Mutual
• InflightHQ

Enjizzle, my bizzles!

I think the thing looks just a little sinister myself. After all, what would happen if you were sitting on the thing and it started to do that? I know I’d freak out.

According to the Seattle PI, the EyeBud from eMagin Corp. can turn the playback from your video iPod into a big screen theater for one.

It’s particularly good news if you’re a fan of Eva Longoria.

Thursday, January 5, 2006 will mark the last flight ever in the history of Independence Air, wrote the Washington Post today. Independence Air’s parent company, Flyi has been operating in Chapter 11 for some time and the move is hardly a surprise.

Under Federal Law and those who hold IA tickets for after January 5th can get tickets on other airlines that fly those routes for $50 each way. Passengers must book these tickets by Monday, March 6, 2006. Frequent flier miles holders can take their claims up with the bankruptcy court.

This article from Forbes Magazine reminded me of the dilemma that all laptop users will eventually face–at what point do you stop relying on that complex machine to offer dependable service and decide to plunk down a few large ones for a new computer. For me, I’m lucky if I can squeeze four dependable years out of my laptop. However, I have been known to replace it sooner if there is a major technological enhancement that can assure me of a productivity gain. The author of the Forbes article, Arik Hesseldahl, suggests that he would trade some bells and whistles for improved reliability. How about getting the ‘fancy features’ and decent reliability? What is the typical lifespan of your laptop?

All things considered, laptops are amazingly dependable machines, and with prices continuing to drop, I would prefer to have the opportunity to enjoy new technologies…..four years is an eternity in the hi-tech world.

If you need an ultra-secure portable storage device, this new bus-powered USB 2.0 Hard Drive from Lacie might be the answer. The SAFE Mobile Hard Drive has built in ‘impenetrable’ data protection–files stored on the drive are automatically encrypted during transfer. And if that isn’t enough, the drive also has fingerprint identification security providing a biometric lock for up to 5 different users (giving either full or read-only access). Offered in 40, 80 or 120GB capacities, weighing only 8 ounces and measuring approx. 5 x 3 x 1 inches, this drive is perfect for traveling professionals who want the assurance that their private data will be safeguarded in the event of it being lost or stolen.

http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?pid=10689

This article in the New York Times provides a nice summary about the current options you have when the need arises to make an international phone call. One option I was not familiar with is called a ‘callback service’. Essentially, it helps provide a less expensive connection for you when calling the United States (you make a ‘trigger’ call to a computer, which then calls you back providing the cheaper hookup). But considering the hassle factor and the fact that many hotels block these kind of computer generated callback requests, I don’t think it is a great option.

If you have a broadband connection (or lucky enough to be on a plane with Boeing’s Connection service), my choice would still be Skype. It’s certainly the most cost effective choice.