Slashdot Mirror

The TSA has released its roadmap to use biometrics technology in the coming years. The Verge reports: Customs and Border Protection has been using facial recognition to screen non-U.S. residents on international flights since 2015, a project that was expedited by the Trump administration. Last year, the U.S. government laid out its plans to start expanding the screening tools to U.S. citizens, which would require them to undergo facial scans when they leave the country through a system called the Biometric Pathway. Today's news lays out how the TSA will adopt the same technology, partnering with CBP on biometrics for international travelers, expanding security operations to TSA Precheck members, and eventually, using facial recognition to verify domestic travelers.

TSA says that by moving toward facial recognition technology in a time where travel volume is rising, it's hoping to reduce the need for physical documents like passports and paper tickets. Currently, TSA manually compares the passengers in front of them to their ID photos, but it believes an automated process that can match facial images to photos from passports and visa applications will be more accurate and efficient.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Aviation security officials will begin enhanced screening measures of passengers' electronics at US airports, the Transportation Security Administration announced Wednesday. Travelers must remove electronics larger than a mobile phone from their carry-on bags and "place them in a bin with nothing on top or below, similar to how laptops have been screened for years. This simple step helps TSA officers obtain a clearer X-ray image," the TSA announced amid growing fears that electronic devices can pose as homemade bombs. The TSA was quick to point out that the revised security measures do not apply to passengers enrolled in the TSA Precheck program.

"Whether you're flying to, from, or within the United States, TSA is committed to raising the baseline for aviation security by strengthening the overall security of our commercial aviation network to keep flying as a safe option for everyone," TSA Acting Administrator Huban A. Gowadia said. "It is critical for TSA to constantly enhance and adjust security screening procedures to stay ahead of evolving threats and keep passengers safe. By separating personal electronic items such as laptops, tablets, e-readers and handheld game consoles for screening, TSA officers can more closely focus on resolving alarms and stopping terror threats."

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Aviation security officials will begin enhanced screening measures of passengers' electronics at US airports, the Transportation Security Administration announced Wednesday. Travelers must remove electronics larger than a mobile phone from their carry-on bags and "place them in a bin with nothing on top or below, similar to how laptops have been screened for years. This simple step helps TSA officers obtain a clearer X-ray image," the TSA announced amid growing fears that electronic devices can pose as homemade bombs. The TSA was quick to point out that the revised security measures do not apply to passengers enrolled in the TSA Precheck program.

"Whether you're flying to, from, or within the United States, TSA is committed to raising the baseline for aviation security by strengthening the overall security of our commercial aviation network to keep flying as a safe option for everyone," TSA Acting Administrator Huban A. Gowadia said. "It is critical for TSA to constantly enhance and adjust security screening procedures to stay ahead of evolving threats and keep passengers safe. By separating personal electronic items such as laptops, tablets, e-readers and handheld game consoles for screening, TSA officers can more closely focus on resolving alarms and stopping terror threats."

America's Transportation Security Administration has been making some surprising announcements on social media. An anonymous reader writes: A TSA spokesperson says 70 laptops were left behind in just one month at an airport security checkpoint in Newark. "And yes, there are plenty of shiny MacBooks in that pile," reported BravoTV, "which can cost in the $2,000 range new." The TSA shared an image of the 70 laptops on their Instagram page and on Twitter, prompting at least one mobile project designer to reclaim his laptop. "The most common way laptops are forgotten is when traveler's stack a bin on top of the bin their laptop is in," the TSA warns. "Out of sight out of mind."
The TSA is also sharing pictures on social media of the 70 guns they confiscated at security checkpoints in one week in November, reporting they've also confiscated a blowtorch, batarangs, and a replica of that baseball bat from "The Walking Dead". They're reporting they found 33 loaded firearms in carry-on luggage in one week, and remind readers that gun-carrying passengers "can face a penalty as high as $11,000. This is a friendly reminder to please leave these items at home."

America's Transportation Security Administration has been making some surprising announcements on social media. An anonymous reader writes: A TSA spokesperson says 70 laptops were left behind in just one month at an airport security checkpoint in Newark. "And yes, there are plenty of shiny MacBooks in that pile," reported BravoTV, "which can cost in the $2,000 range new." The TSA shared an image of the 70 laptops on their Instagram page and on Twitter, prompting at least one mobile project designer to reclaim his laptop. "The most common way laptops are forgotten is when traveler's stack a bin on top of the bin their laptop is in," the TSA warns. "Out of sight out of mind."
The TSA is also sharing pictures on social media of the 70 guns they confiscated at security checkpoints in one week in November, reporting they've also confiscated a blowtorch, batarangs, and a replica of that baseball bat from "The Walking Dead". They're reporting they found 33 loaded firearms in carry-on luggage in one week, and remind readers that gun-carrying passengers "can face a penalty as high as $11,000. This is a friendly reminder to please leave these items at home."

McGruber writes: The Associated Press is reporting that TSA's PreCheck program is causing maddening long security lines at U.S. airports. TSA's PreCheck security lanes can screen 300 passengers an hour, twice that of its standard security lanes. Based on that and other increased efficiencies, the TSA's front-line screeners were cut from 47,147 three years ago to 42,525 currently. At the same time, the number of annual fliers passing through checkpoints has grown from 643 million to more than 700 million. The TSA told Congress its goal was to have 25 million fliers enrolled in the PreCheck registration program, but as of March 1, only 9.3 million people had registered for PreCheck. TSA first tried to make up for that shortfall by randomly placing passengers into the express Precheck lanes, but scaled back that effort for fear dangerous passengers were being let through. That's when the regular security lines started growing -- up to 90 minutes in some cases. The TSA is now shifting some resources to tackle lines at the nation's biggest airports, but it claims there is no easy solution to the problem with a record number of fliers expected this summer. To enroll in TSA's Precheck registration program, travelers must pay $85 to $100 every five years, then submit to a background check, in-person interview at an airport, and to being fingerprinted. Unsurprisingly, getting once-a-year fliers to spend the time or the money to register has been a challenge. While 250,000 to 300,000 people are registering for Precheck every month, it will take more than four years at that pace to reach the TSA's target enrollment.

Trachman writes The US Transport Security Administration revealed on Sunday that enhanced security procedures on flights coming to the US now include not allowing uncharged cell phones and other devices onto planes. “During the security examination, officers may also ask that owners power up some devices, including cell phones. Powerless devices will not be permitted on board the aircraft. The traveler may also undergo additional screening,” TSA said in a statement.

New submitter lemur3 writes "After multiple months of discussing possible changes to the prohibited items list, the Transportation Security Administration in the United States has determined that it is best to go ahead without any changes to the list of items passengers may have in their carry-on baggage when traveling by air. Under the proposed change (discussed previously on Slashdot) pocket knives and other items, such as hockey sticks and ski poles, would have been allowed."

I was in Las Vegas last week to see the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show. (Officially, it's the International Consumer Electronics Show, but no one calls it "ICES.") I've been to CES just a few times before, but usually as the finish line of a marathon drive from Seattle, rather than a plane flight from Tennessee as it was this time around. I've also never arrived with an armload of video equipment, which brings its own hassles. (Did you notice our videos?) Following are a few thoughts about the experience.

I started my trip with a friendly rubdown from a TSA functionary in Knoxville, whose carefully narrated prodding ("Now I'm going to be touching the inside of your waistband ...") failed to scan the recesses of my brain for what evil may there lurk, or take much notice of the should-be-suspicious bundle of batteries and radio-equipped mics in an evil-looking hard-shelled case that smells of gun oil, but did take a while to poke through ("check out") my bag of unremarkable clothing, paper, and sundries. It is a nice bag, after all, and one must have priorities: I could have had cupcakes.

Rooms are typically cheap in Vegas; the city is still America's gambling mecca, but gambling has become so widespread elsewhere that the draw is weaker -- and there are all those hotel rooms looking for occupants. But because CES is the biggest event of the year, even overbuilt Vegas fills up and prices are high that week. So I stayed at the Sin City Hostel, which has a friendly staff, an eclectic clientele (of young international travelers, mostly), and some of the most uncomfortable beds I have ever slept on. On the other hand, it was a thousand bucks cheaper than I was quoted for a room that week at a decent mid-range hotel on the strip, and I have a high tolerance for unusual accommodation. Unless you're actually going to CES, and would rather have a reasonable, luxurious room than a hammock-shaped lump of foam, any other week is probably a smarter time to visit.

Things to note about CES:

It's huge.

CES takes up not just an enormous convention center, but spills over into hotels both nearby and not-especially nearby. Just to touch every booth, suite, and temporary meeting corral would probably take a full-time effort for the whole run of the show, and it might not even be possible (that would make an interesting video game!), especially since some of the dealers are in town for CES, but not officially part of the show as exhibitors. When I met with Steven Isaac of TouchFire, for instance, it was in the lobby of an adjacent hotel. "Nearby" in this case still means a walk of 20 minutes or more just to cross the convention center grounds; it can take nearly that long, too, to walk entrance-to-wall in any of the several large halls at the convention center.

And you'd want to walk all the way back, too. The flashy kiosks operated by companies like Samsung, Nokia, and Motorola tend to be right near the front of the exhibit halls ("them as has, gets"), but back in the low(er) rent districts toward the back of each hall is where a lot of the most interesting stuff collects. Some of these booths might not be that interesting in themselves, but it's fascinating to see the modest public face of companies that sell the bits (LEDs, copper wire, blank circuit boards) and services (custom molding, circuit board layout, high-end fabric embroidery) that underlie even seemingly simple goods. This is also the place to find interesting devices like a ring-mounted mouse, helmet- and google-mounted video cameras in great profusion, and a wireless silicone keyboard cleverly molded to fold into what looks almost like a translucent billfold.

For pure technological art, it's hard to beat the industrial sculpture of the High End audio world. But the show is too big: I didn't get a chance this year to see the biggest trove of that, which is at the Venetian rather than the convention center. $50,000 speakers, and amplifiers in the same range, aren't in my budget (see above re. Sin City Hostel), but if you want to see where Monster Cable and Best Buy get their ideas of how to price electronics, it's enlightening to ogle some of the beautiful components and then their price tags.

It's not just electronics.

In fact, it's not just "consumer" electronics, either, as that term is generally used. No mistake, the consumer end of things isn't neglected: there are plenty of TVs (one of the crowd draws this year was LG's super-thin OLED panel (video), which I didn't have time to properly appreciate), plenty of computers and accessories, and a fair number of white goods -- stoves, refrigerators, and washing machines, all of which are ever more "electronics" in their own right. And Yes, there are shipping containers' worth of MP3 players, cameras of all descriptions, blinking and hovering toys for all ages, robots, headphones, cell phones from the mundane to the exotic, and stacks of tablets from familiar names as well as unknowns (most of them Android, and a surprising number running Android 4.0). But much of the stuff on offer is aimed squarely at institutional buyers or business users. Fancy your own collapsible walk-through metal-detector, or some high-end eye-tracking technology? A $1300 pointing device? (Or, arguably more consumer-friendly, a $900 skateboard perfect for getting around a factory floor?) This is the show for you.

And lots of the goods on display are meant for end-users, but aren't electronics themselves. There are easily thousands, probably tens of thousands, of phone cases, not to mention USB drive casings, computer bags, tripods for cameras, stands for tablets, and other accoutrements. (You can even buy the world's fanciest piece of string.) I overheard a confident claim that there were more than a hundred vendors selling computer bags; I don't doubt it, but I haven't tried to count, and it's probably a fool's errand: not every company's entry in the massive show directory gives much of a clue just what they sell.

Speaking of selling: show rules (and, I was later told, Nevada tax rules) prohibit sales of goods on the show floor itself, but they go on just the same, ranging from furtive (sideways glances and handshake-with-money) to blatant (large, handwritten sign: "Show special! $499!"). For vendors who've made the trip to CES to show off their wares to potential buyers from companies like Fry's and Best Buy as well as smaller dealers, the inventory they've brought as samples can drop in value as soon as that chance is gone; I ended up with a few iPhone 4 cases that the vendor was trying to foist on anyone not bold enough to refuse. (I don't own an iPhone, and have no plans to. Anyone want a few cases with geometric designs in red and grey?)

Besides vendors, there are organizations on hand, too. I ran short of time, or I would have have a chance to ask the folks at the EFF what a nice bunch like them was doing at a place like this.

It lasts too long.

There are a few days of special events prior to CES proper, and then four days of crowded show floor. By the end of the show, vendors are drooping in the most popular booths, and looking a bit forlorn in the lonelier ones. Elevator pitches are down to the length of a short escalator ride, and grazing show-goers are weighed down by their masses of brochures, business cards and tchotchkes. The hub-bub is impossible to avoid even on the last day, and the crowd is crushing. Even with shoes that seemed comfortable going in, I developed blisters to impress the Devil on three toes and both heels, wore out a few pens, and considered commandeering a massage chair for an hour to beat down the ache in my shoulder from hauling around my camera bag and bulky laptop.

It goes too fast.

Even though seeing it all is an impossible task, and even with inevitably sore feet, the lure of novelty is strong. I saw hundreds of exhibitors I would have liked to return to at least briefly. I had just a few minutes to play with the very attractive Mirasol screens at the Qualcomm booth, for instance (shown off in a handful of small tablets that they insist are "e-readers that play music, display video and can browse the web" rather than "tablets"), and missed out on the chance to see the new OLPC tablet.

Being a newbie with the video camera and operating without a trusty servant, I lost some time fumbling with mics, batteries, cables, and a small tripod that I bought mostly as a grip. (Why bother with external mics? Because the roar of the crowd is overwhelming to the camera's built-in mics, and only partly defeated with a shotgun mic mounted on the camera.) By the final day of the show, I had the routine down a little better, but still caught on tape — or rather, in flash memory — only a fraction of the things that caught my eye. I'm lucky that my video conspirator Roblimo has a knack for finding and assembling the most watchable bits. Good news, if hardly impressive these days: my laptop running Linux Mint had no complaints importing files from my Panasonic HD camera for sending off to him a few thousand miles away in Florida for editing.

I stayed two more nights, foam-hammock and all, sorting through marketing goo and enjoying the neon and buffet offerings along the Las Vegas strip. Because I lucked out and reached a line at the Las Vegas airport that lets the miscreants through easily (no puffer machine or full-body scanner to refuse), my trip home didn't even offer a rub-down, only the chance to catch up on a few hours of sleep.

OverTheGeicoE writes "Recently, TSA's 'Blogger Bob' Burns posted a rant against a cupcake on the TSA blog. Perhaps it made you wonder if TSA and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, really understand what we're saying about them, especially online. Well, thanks to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit from the Electronic Privacy Information Center, we now know a lot more about how they monitor online comments aside from 'Blogger Bob.' EPIC has received hundreds of pages of documents regarding DHS's online surveillance program. These documents reveal that DHS has contracts with General Dynamics for '24/7 media and social network monitoring.' Perhaps it will warm your heart to know that DHS is particularly interested in tracking media stories that 'reflect adversely' on the U.S. government generally and DHS specifically. The documents include a report summary that might be representative of General Dynamics' work. The example includes summaries of comments on blogs and social networking sites, including quotes. Then again, you might remember J. Edgar Hoover's monitoring of antiwar activists during the Vietnam War, which certainly wasn't for the protesters' benefit."

OverTheGeicoE writes "Wired has a story about TSA's known crewmember program, which allows airline pilots to bypass traditional airport security on their way to the cockpit. Pilots will be verified using a system known as CrewPASS that relies on uniforms, identity cards, fingerprints, and possibly other biometrics to authenticate flight deck crews. Once they are authenticated, they can enter secure areas in airports without any further screening. Participation at present is voluntary, and applies at Baltimore/Washington (BWI), Pittsburg (PIT), Columbia (CAE) and now Chicago O'Hare (ORD) airports. TSA is hoping to expand the program nationally. Bruce Schneier thinks this program is 'a really bad idea.' Pilots are already avoiding scanners and patdowns at security checkpoints (video). Is the new program just a way for TSA to hide this fact from the flying public?"

OverTheGeicoE writes "A graduate student was returning home from a science fair in Omaha with his handmade entry in his carry-on luggage. When the TSA discovered it, they shut down the airport terminal for several hours, until they could determine it was harmless. All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again, so before you fly with your homemade Minty MP3 player, make sure you take a look at TSA Blogger Bob's warning or it could wind up looking like this."

OverTheGeicoE writes "A graduate student was returning home from a science fair in Omaha with his handmade entry in his carry-on luggage. When the TSA discovered it, they shut down the airport terminal for several hours, until they could determine it was harmless. All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again, so before you fly with your homemade Minty MP3 player, make sure you take a look at TSA Blogger Bob's warning or it could wind up looking like this."

OverTheGeicoE writes "A graduate student was returning home from a science fair in Omaha with his handmade entry in his carry-on luggage. When the TSA discovered it, they shut down the airport terminal for several hours, until they could determine it was harmless. All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again, so before you fly with your homemade Minty MP3 player, make sure you take a look at TSA Blogger Bob's warning or it could wind up looking like this."

decora writes "An SAIC analyst has written a paper [PDF] calling for the 'stigmatization' of the 'unattractive' types who tend to discuss government secrets in public. The plan, described in the Naval Postgraduate School Homeland Security Affairs journal, is to promote self-censorship as a 'civic duty'. Who needs to censor themselves? Amateur enthusiasts who describe satellite orbits, scientists who describe threats to the food supply, graduate students mapping the internet, the Government Accountability Office, which publishes failure reports on the TSA, the US Geologic Survey, which publishes surface water information, newspapers (the New York Times), TV shows, journalism websites, anti-secrecy websites, and even security author Bruce Schneier, to name a few."

theodp writes "Is there anything cuter than baby milestones? Baby's first steps. Baby's first word. And now, baby's first TSA patdown. 'Well,' writes Anna North, 'it finally happened. Airport security officers gave a pat-down to a baby.' A post on the TSA blog defended the move: 'The child's stroller alarmed during explosives screening. Our officers followed proper current screening procedures by screening the family after the alarm...The [8-month-old] child in the photo was simply receiving a modified pat-down.' Hey, at least they didn't make a federal case of the 4 oz. of liquid found in the little tyke's Pampers."

The uncertainty of what might happen to your service monkey at an airport security checkpoint won't keep you awake at night anymore, thanks to the TSA. They have issued an easy to follow list of how they will ensure your helper monkey won't go all Planet of the Apes on your flight. Some of the security techniques used to make sure your primate is not a terrorist include: "Security Officers will conduct a visual inspection on the service monkey and will coach the handler on how to hold the monkey during the visual inspection. The inspection process may require that the handler to take off the monkey's diaper as part of the visual inspection."

An anonymous reader excerpts from an AP story as carried by Yahoo News about changes stemming from yesterday's foiled bombing attempt of a Northwest Airlines flight: "Some airlines were telling passengers on Saturday that new government security regulations prohibit them from leaving their seats beginning an hour before landing. The regulations are a response to a suspected terrorism incident on Christmas Day. Air Canada said in a statement that new rules imposed by the Transportation Security Administration limit on-board activities by passengers and crew in US airspace. ... Flight attendants on some domestic flights are informing passengers of similar rules. Passengers on a flight from New York to Tampa Saturday morning were also told they must remain in their seats and couldn't have items in their laps, including laptops and pillows." The TSA's list of prohibited items doesn't seem to have changed in the last day, though.

Some people care about bags; obsession is a better word. (See the Bags subforum of the Every Day Carry Forums for evidence.) How are the straps attached? Is that 1050 denier, or 1600? Makers like Crumpler, Ortlieb and Maxpedition inspire impressive brand-loyalty, but probably no bag maker has customers more enthusiastic than Tom Bihn's. (There really is a Tom Bihn, too -- he's been designing travel bags since he was a kid; now he has a factory with "all the cool toys" to experiment with designs and materials.) When I started looking for a protective case for my MacBook Pro, I discovered that a few of my coworkers were part of the Bihn Army, and after some Tupperware-style evangelism I was convinced to buy a few items from the Bihn line-up: a backpack (used); then a messenger bag (new); then a mid-sized briefcase, used, which is now my portable filing cabinet. (Take this bias for what you will; I stuck with my previous messenger bag for more than a decade.) For a just-completed trip to Israel, which I couldn't quite make in true one-bag travel fashion, I brought along one of the newest Bihn Bags — the Checkpoint Flyer — and found it to be worth its (considerable) price. Read on for my review.

Overview:
The Checkpoint Flyer was one of the earliest bags released (perhaps the first) to take advantage of one TSA effort to slightly reduce the hassle of getting through airport security in the era of picayune and fickle rules about everything from nail clippers to shoes to shampoo. The TSA program, by outlining certain requirements, lets travelers skirt one annoying consequence of traveling with a laptop: instead of removing a laptop at the security line and putting it into a bin to be scanned, a passenger with a bag meeting certain requirements (essentially, it must provide an x-ray viewing window free of obstructions such as metal zippers) can send it through without first removing the laptop. I've seen at least one laptop dropped and damaged by a passenger who was trying to put it into a bin, which has to be infuriating. There's still plenty of security theater to go around, but anything that keeps computers in padded carriers until necessary and as long as practical is a good thing. If we're lucky, checkpoint friendly may become the norm instead of a novelty; that may be the closest to friendly you'll find at a TSA counter.

Bihn bags are made by the waterfront in Seattle, Washington, on an bright, quiet, surprisingly small factory floor. Tom Bihn himself, when time allows, is happy to show visitors the small factory and tiny showroom, open one day each week so locals and dedicated Bihnophiles can actually try the various bags on for size. (Otherwise, the company is essentially a catalog store, taking orders by phone and online.) I visited the factory to pick up an all-black Flyer for review; front panels in bright red or silver are also available, and I grudgingly admit these look fine, but my personal taste in luggage holds black to be the One True Bag Color. Even before Seattle was slammed by weeks of paralyzing snow, the Bihn factory was rushing to fill holiday orders, and had run short of shoulder straps, so I needed to supply my own from a different bag. The Checkpoint Flyer has a briefcase-style handle, but a shoulder strap is up to the buyer to choose (and purchase); this enhances choice, but it also pushes a $220 bag to just under $250, shipping inclusive but before taxes, if you include the most basic factory-supplied strap. It's slightly more for the shoulder-gripping Absolute shoulder strap ($30), one of which I cannibalized from a different bag. Bihn points out reasonably that many purchasers already own a bag with an appropriate strap, so he'd rather not force them to buy another, but I wish the "real" (and most obvious) price instead included a strap, and users who already have one could choose a discounted price by eliminating it from the package.

Clever design (and a few gripes):
Bags that meet the TSA's specs for going through airport scanners are allowed to fit any of three categories: a sleeve or pouch style; a bi-fold (clamshell); or a three-part folder. The Flyer is of the three-part variety, comprising a semi-rigid laptop shell of closed-cell foam, a main compartment suitable for papers, or clothes, power adapters, etc, and a thinner outer section with two pockets big enough for things like plane snacks, paperback books, and small electronic items. In normal use (that is, when not going through an airport X-ray machine) the laptop compartment is snugged between the other two sections; the laptop section also has a briefcase-style handle, which slips through an opening in the junction of the outermost sections, to be grasped at the same time as the handle on the main compartment. The laptop shell is also removable (making the bag much slimmer), and replaceable with a different size shell; one shell is included in the price of the bag. Mine's sized to hold a 15.4" last-generation PowerBook Pro.

With two Fastex buckles released, the bag's compartments lay flat: the laptop container at one end, followed by the main compartment and then the outermost layer. For the crucial security line process that it's built for, that means a traveler puts the bag on the scanner's conveyor belt, looses the buckles, and unfolds the bag like a garment carrier. Reassembly is just as simple and nearly as fast, but requires a warning: carrying by the handles works fine even without the Fastex buckles refastened -- not so with the shoulder strap, because the laptop container is liable to slip down and dangle in the fashion of a Jacob's ladder. Yes, I did this, and Yes, it was embarrassing.

The materials facing the outside world are 500 denier Cordura, and 1050 denier ballistic nylon; a lighter-weight fabric called Dyneema (still very strong) lines the inside compartment and its pockets. For ease of finding the small items that shift during flight, I'd prefer this was in the bright yellow ("Solar") version of Dyneema that is used for some Bihn products (or in red), but a white-grid-on-grey isn't bad.

The main compartment — not the laptop shell — is well sized to hold a medium-sized packing cube. I bought some cheap ones from eBags; though I'm new to the concept, I am a convert: for me at least, the value of a packing cube as an inner, organizing layer far exceeds its price.

There are pockets everywhere. The two outside pockets (which are not symmetrical; my little mind was briefly bothered) are probably where cellphones, MP3 players, snacks and keys will end up for most people. The back of the bag (the part closest to the user when carrying it) features a two-pocket design that Tom Bihn told me he's especially pleased with, and which will show up in more Bihn products in the future. There's a wide open-topped pocket to the left, big enough for magazines or small file folders (a good place to stash reading material for the security line or the flight). For slipping over a rolling case's handle, there's also a slot ordinarily closed by a zipper. Unzip, slip over, and roll away -- but lose the use of the pocket as a pocket. To the right, there's a smaller open-topped pocket, intended for maps, boarding passes, etc. Open pockets are convenient, but I'll admit always make me long for snaps, velcro, zippers, toggles, or some other way to close them unless their contents are actually poking out the top. The convenience is nice, though, and the sizes are well chosen; just bear in mind that these pockets *aren't* meant for documents like passports, where loss by pickpocketing could be a trip-wrecking nightmare rather than just a bother.

My gripes are small, but I did develop a few peeves. The biggest of these: I craved a different spot to attach the shoulder strap. There are exactly two attachment points, both on the top edge of the bag, facing the outer pockets. I'd like to see a matching set of these on the other side of that same edge. I'm no bag designer, and perhaps having the attachment points where they are is structurally or functionally important; if that's not the case, I think the bag would ride more comfortably if the strap attached on the inner (body-side) edge rather than the outer. I'd also like to see a zipper (or even snaps) for the big flap pocket on the back; I was afraid to put anything more valuable than a magazine in here for long, especially when I used the bag as a shopping tote in a crowded market. There are two tiny external pockets on each side, where some bags have an expandable mesh to hold things like a bottle of water. These edge pockets on the Checkpoint Flyer are seemingly indestructible -- but I'm not sure what they're for, since they're too small for even the slim water bottles I've tried, and too shallow to carry a flashlight. If they were a tad bigger or more expandable, they'd do a lot toward making this a better every-day, do-everything bag as well as a superb travel briefcase. (To be fair, that's how I used it anyhow, with water bottle stashed inside.)

In use:
Some pictures of the Flyer make it resemble a bundle of presents stacked not-quite evenly, with middle and outer compartments riding up and out a bit (one reason I wish the shoulder strap met the bag on closer to the body); I find that unless the bag is stuffed very full, it doesn't look quite that bulgy. Looking slimmer can prove useful, especially when a bag is perhaps on the threshold between small (as in "a small personal item") and not-so-small; ever-tighter airline restrictions favor a bag that looks slender enough not to draw attention to itself. For that reason, and because I knew I'd be carrying a backpack travel bag as well, I tried at first to pack mine so that it looked like a conventional computer case. In the end, I chose to be at least a bit cruel to both bag and back, but even with the bag comfortably stuffed, had zero problems getting it onto any of my flights (full-sized jets, some fully booked, but none fancy enough to have computers taking up the foot room) or under the seat in front of me.

People vary in what they "need" for travel; I enjoy pointing out this guy, who eschews bags altogether — I can't match him by a long shot: my modest goal is to generally not check any luggage. I took notes on what I carried in the Checkpoint Flyer (this leaves out the stuff in my eBags Weekender backpack), because "one change of clothing" or "toiletry kit" can mean considerably different things to different people. (Skip ahead if you hate detailed packing lists.)

In the main compartment, I was able to stuff the following without straining the zipper: 1) eBags medium packing cube, holding, bundle-wrapped: khakis (size 34/32), 1 pair cotton boxer shorts, 2 pairs of cotton ankle socks, one cotton t-shirt, and 1 button-up oxford shirt 2) baggie with a small assortment of toiletries: 2 toothbrushes; 2.7 oz toothpaste container; 2 oz small lexan bottle, full of Dr. Bronner's soap; 2.7 oz. stick deodorant; 2oz bottle of shampoo; toenail clipper 3) zippered pouch (thrift-store find) containing an extendable ethernet cord; AC adapter and cord for Eee laptop; 2 USB keys; lexan spoon; gum; and a few odds and ends. 4) travel document pouch containing passport; extra gum; boarding passes (three flights each way); 1-page travel manifest, printed in minuscule characters which are readable for me; and some cash.

In the smaller outside pocket, I stashed Sony noise canceling headphones (in their pouch); a 1 oz. container (plastic cylinder) with a few aspirin; and a 3 oz plastic cylinder of almonds. In the other, slightly larger pocket, I had a small trip journal (approx. 3x5"); compact camera wrapped in a hiking sock (replaced by a small LowePro case toward the end of my trip); 3 pens, 1 mechanical pencil; batteries in a flat pack which can hold 8 AAs; my house key (on built-in key strap); and a Zebra AA headlamp. I put a few business cards in one of the small flat zippered pockets, and nothing in the other.

In the large open pocket on the back, I kept a bit of reading material (a few paperbacks for the plane); and a few scraps of paper for note-taking. The smaller open pocket next to this I usually kept empty, except while actually waiting in lines to board a plane or a bus, at which point it's the most convenient place for boarding passes and schedules.

In the center (laptop) compartment, rather than the MacBook Pro, I had an Eee 10" laptop, running Ubuntu Linux 8.10. The MacBook Pro-sized space is much bigger than the Eee, so I also squeezed in a neoprene sleeve. I went with this because my Eee has a more powerful battery than my Mac, gets better wireless reception, and is quite a bit lighter and handier.

For three weeks, I used the bag daily, to carry a notebook, map, pen and pencil, cell phone, guidebook (sometimes two), and usually either a fleece or a light jacket; with those few things, the inherent volume of the pockets and compartments meant that it looked about the same as it would have empty. I did not remove the laptop compartment (an oversight -- this would have actually made it slimmer and lighter), and in this state the Checkpoint Flyer is a bit stiff compared to a courier bag, but still quite comfortable. On several days, it turned into an impromptu market bag, too, and easily held more than 20 pounds of groceries (cheap, delicious oranges, bread, pastry and olives were all tempting), although I had to keep the main compartment unzipped to hold that much.

In a pinch, though, the fabric and seams seem content to carry anything you can coax the zipper around. For a two-night weekend trip to see Petra, I stuffed in books (a thin hardback and two thin paperbacks), travel documents and money, travel journal, 2 pens, 1 pencil, a small digital camera, AA batteries and a case for them, headphones in a case, tiny MP3 player, cell phone, house keys, toiletries, headlamp, and enough clothing for the trip (scarf, 2 t-shirts, 2 oxford shorts, 2 pairs of boxer shorts, 2 pairs of socks, 1 pair of clean pants) along with some snacks (2 huge oranges, a handful of candy, 100 grams of pistachios and pine nuts, 100 grams of dried fruit). Here, too, I left the laptop case attached, but used it as a storage spot for socks and underwear, while my laptop was safe in Jerusalem. While in Petra itself, the bag started out with my water bottle, camera, scarf, hat, gloves, more snacks, and travel documents. Over the course of the day, I squeezed in my jacket and a few postcards, too -- this made the main compartment bulge, but only slightly.

The big question, though, is how it actually worked out in the airport. The answer is a happy "As expected, with caveats." Flying from Seattle, the Flyer was fantastic; with my bomb-free shoes and thoroughly dead belt in a plastic bin, I unfastened the buckles and laid the Checkpoint Flyer out on the X-ray machine conveyor belt. Not a blink from the personnel here, either; the "checkpoint-friendly" campaign seems to have trickled through. On the other side of the inspection line, I refolded and refastened the bag, and that was that.

However, "checkpoint friendly" is not a universal language. On transferring planes in Madrid, I was asked to remove my laptop and place it in a bin by itself. And on leaving Israel, I got the attention from Ben Gurion Airport's security forces that I'd been warned about as a young(ish) male traveling solo with no checked baggage. Both my backpack and the Checkpoint Flyer were put under several kinds of electronic scrutiny, my passport was given a very close eye, and I was given a several-minute exit interview by three different people, before I even reached the check-in line for my flight. (Where did I stay? With whom, spelled how, and how did I know them? Was I absolutely certain that no one had given me a package to carry, not even a small one? Is this really all my luggage, for a multi-week trip? What was my business in Israel, precisely?) At this stage, my laptop was opened and run through an X-ray machine, as were my backpack and the otherwise packed Flyer. After ticketing and an exit stamp on my passport, I went through another set of machines, where there was a several-minute inspection of my bags, and again there was no option to keep the laptop in the bag. Perhaps one day! In the meantime, US domestic travelers can revel in one small nicety.

Oh, and the Checkpoint Flyer handles rain like you'd expect from a bag out of Seattle. For reasons that do not here bear examination, I ended up taking a very long walk through empty parts of Haifa for much of one Saturday night, during which time it mostly alternated between drizzle and downpour. Even for someone used to living in Seattle, this was a wet night to walk. And though the Checkpoint Flyer was in no way protected from the rain, all it did in that ongoing rain was get very wet -- on the outside. The fabric is tight enough that most of the water just rolled off; none of the paper, food, or clothing I had stuffed in there at the time saw a drop of rain, and after an hour or so in my hotel room I couldn't tell it had ever been wet. So I had zero worries about walking in milder rain over the weeks that followed.

Upshot:
The Checkpoint Flyer is not the most comfortable shoulder bag I've ever carried, even with the Absolute shoulder strap -- but it is the most comfortable bag I've found with its degree of protection and travel convenience. Based on an admittedly small sample set, it also the most comfortable bag I know that can be considered a briefcase, and the only checkpoint-friendly bag with an interchangeable laptop case. Soft messenger bags like my Super Ego -- which so far wins my personal "most comfortable" award -- can't be considered in the same category without adding some sort of substantial laptop sleeve or shell. These shells exist (for most Bihn bags, you can order a carrier called a "Brain Cell" to fill this role), but for plane travel they suffer in comparison because of their bulk, and because most such holders don't allow for in-bag airport inspection (when that's an option at all).

Still, you could have a Hershey bar every day for a year for the price of a Checkpoint Flyer. There are (low-end, but credible) laptops that cost less than this bag. Meanwhile, there are now a rash of cheaper "checkpoint friendly" bags from quite a few vendors, and more are on the way: I've seen one clamshell design on sale for less than $20, delivered. Does that mean the Bihn bag is overpriced? My opinion: pricey here does not mean overpriced. The quality and flexbility of the Checkpoint Flyer make it the current king carry-on laptop bags, and I suspect that most of the ones bought now will still be in use in 2019.

hhavensteincw writes "Less than a week after it launched a new blog aimed at gathering suggestions from air travelers to improve airport security processes, the Transportation Security Administration changed a practice where some screeners were requiring passengers to remove all electronics, including Blackberries, iPods, and cords from carry-on luggage. Seems the TSA didn't know this was going on, and after the question was raised on its blog, it clamped down on the practice. The TSA also provided a detailed description of their reasoning behind the liquids policy. We discussed the opening of the blog last week."

hhavensteincw writes "Less than a week after it launched a new blog aimed at gathering suggestions from air travelers to improve airport security processes, the Transportation Security Administration changed a practice where some screeners were requiring passengers to remove all electronics, including Blackberries, iPods, and cords from carry-on luggage. Seems the TSA didn't know this was going on, and after the question was raised on its blog, it clamped down on the practice. The TSA also provided a detailed description of their reasoning behind the liquids policy. We discussed the opening of the blog last week."

I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "The TSA has opened their own blog. According to Ars Technica, it's beginning to attract complaints from people who are sick of removing their shoes and having to forfeit their drinks. 'The blog's first post has 131 comments so far, almost all of which fall into one of two categories: TSA employees who got the internal memo about the blog launch and dropped by to post positive things, and citizens who are really mad about the liquids screening policy.'"

X86Daddy asks: "TSA's latest announcement banning all fluids (toothpaste even) from carry-on luggage is the icing on a very sour cake. Many passengers are growing tired of the invasive security screenings, the increasing prices, lost and stolen luggage, and the decreasing quality of service with commercial flights in the United States. However, given the geographical size of this country and the lack of rail options, flight remains the only practical method of travel for most destinations. Can anyone suggest alternative flight services? Are there websites that connect Cessna or other small scale air charter services with interested passengers? I've found CharterX and CharterHub but they seem more geared toward executives looking for jets. Does anyone have experience traveling this way? Is the price point a lot higher, making this a dumb idea (just resign myself to buying toiletries at every destination and prepare for the mandatory anal probes in '07)?"

feamsr00 writes "In an affirmation of its business relationship with Unisys Corp., the Department of Homeland Security awarded the Blue Bell firm a "bridge" contract worth up to $750 million. Some controversy erupted in the fall after it was reported that the government was auditing a Unisys contract because the company had possibly overbilled the Transportation Security Administration by as much as 171,000 hours of labor and overtime. TSA is a division of the Homeland Security department. Unisys is also to upgrade the Department of Homeland Security's headquarters facility in Washington."

An anonymous reader writes "...All 123 pages of it. Public comment period runs thorough February 27th, so if you're thinking of joining the latest class of jet-setters, better get your opinions in now. The FAA mentions the possibility of incorporating the "no-fly" list of the TSA into security requirements for space travel."

storem writes "Enrollment into TSA's Registered Traveler program started yesterday at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Frequent flyers are given the opportunity to sign up for a fast-track system using biometrics to identify themselves. It seems this is pretty much the same system tested in Europe in the s-Travel program. There frequent flyers carried their biometric identifiers (fingerprint & iris) with them between airports on a smart card (privacy reasons)."

crem_d_genes writes "American Airlines has become the third U.S. airline to admit sharing passenger records with the government. They were proceeded in admissions by Northwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways. At the heart of the matter is the implementation of the of U.S. Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) use of the provisions known as CAPPS II. Some privacy advocates have expressed strong dissent with this plan. Some concerns have even been brought up in Congress, though for different reasons. The Department of Homeland Security has a site entitled CAPPS II: Myths and Facts."

unassimilatible writes "The Transportation Security Administration said Wednesday it will order airlines to turn over passengers' personal records in the next couple of months to test a computerized passenger screening program that could keep dangerous people off airlines, reports Yahoo/AP. The Computer-Assisted Passenger Prescreening System, or CAPPS II, would rank all air passengers according to the likelihood of their being terrorists. Suspected terrorists and violent criminals would be designated as red and forbidden to fly. Passengers who raise questions would be classified as yellow and would receive extra security screening. The vast majority would be designated green and allowed through routine screening. But some say the project would violate privacy rights, while others are concerned it would cost the private sector too much money. The Air Transport Association, the trade group for major airlines, has come up with seven 'privacy principles' that it says the government should follow in implementing CAPPS II."

unassimilatible writes "The Transportation Security Administration said Wednesday it will order airlines to turn over passengers' personal records in the next couple of months to test a computerized passenger screening program that could keep dangerous people off airlines, reports Yahoo/AP. The Computer-Assisted Passenger Prescreening System, or CAPPS II, would rank all air passengers according to the likelihood of their being terrorists. Suspected terrorists and violent criminals would be designated as red and forbidden to fly. Passengers who raise questions would be classified as yellow and would receive extra security screening. The vast majority would be designated green and allowed through routine screening. But some say the project would violate privacy rights, while others are concerned it would cost the private sector too much money. The Air Transport Association, the trade group for major airlines, has come up with seven 'privacy principles' that it says the government should follow in implementing CAPPS II."

bluephile writes "CNN is running an article on the The Transport Security Administration's (TSA) renewed efforts to implement the CAPPS II color-coded passenger risk-assessment program, despite outcries by numerous privacy activism groups at the program's collection and redistribution of personal information. The TSA has made several claims that the system respects passengers' privacy, but their track record isn't impressive. Congress suspended the program last year in order to investigate its privacy implications. One MIT paper suggests that CAPPS II could make flying MORE dangerous, rather than less."

bluephile writes "CNN is running an article on the The Transport Security Administration's (TSA) renewed efforts to implement the CAPPS II color-coded passenger risk-assessment program, despite outcries by numerous privacy activism groups at the program's collection and redistribution of personal information. The TSA has made several claims that the system respects passengers' privacy, but their track record isn't impressive. Congress suspended the program last year in order to investigate its privacy implications. One MIT paper suggests that CAPPS II could make flying MORE dangerous, rather than less."

securitas writes "Many Slashdotters will be traveling during the next week and PC World has an article about how to travel with tech gear with a minimum of security hassles. The Transport Security Administration maintains an allowable and banned items list (PDF) that you might want to check. Make sure that you have fully charged batteries for any tech gifts you received. I've had big hassles with all the tech gear that I routinely carry, especially when combining business trips with a vacation. One security screener even asked me to log in, decrypt and look at files on my notebook's desktop, which was unnecessarily invasive (not to mention against my then-employer's security policy). He settled for viewing the secure login screen 'to make sure it worked.' Any other horror stories out there?"

securitas writes "Many Slashdotters will be traveling during the next week and PC World has an article about how to travel with tech gear with a minimum of security hassles. The Transport Security Administration maintains an allowable and banned items list (PDF) that you might want to check. Make sure that you have fully charged batteries for any tech gifts you received. I've had big hassles with all the tech gear that I routinely carry, especially when combining business trips with a vacation. One security screener even asked me to log in, decrypt and look at files on my notebook's desktop, which was unnecessarily invasive (not to mention against my then-employer's security policy). He settled for viewing the secure login screen 'to make sure it worked.' Any other horror stories out there?"

W33dz writes "WIRED magazine has released an article detailing the Transportation Safety Administration's latest guidelines for the second-generation Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System, or CAPPS II. As outlined in a notice to be published Friday in the Federal Register, CAPPS II will rate every passenger by checking dates of birth, home addresses and phone numbers against commercial databases and the government's terrorist watch lists. This is a pullback from the original plan which called for wide dissemination of data including financial and medical history."

Broadcatch writes "At the coming CardTech/SecurTech in Washington D.C. the Transportation Security Administration will make their first public announcement of the Registered Traveler ID Initiative . Seems they haven't gotten the word that ID cards are a bad idea."