airports
Latest
Facebook and AT&T team up for augmented reality experiences
AT&T made a slew of 5G announcements, including a Boingo partnership for airport networks.
Civil rights groups demand CBP stops facial recognition expansion at airports
The ACLU, Electronic Frontier Foundation and others objected to a proposed rule change.
The FAA will test drone detecting technologies in airports this year
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will soon be evaluating several drone detecting systems for airports, the agency has announced. It will be testing at least 10 technologies and systems developed not just to detect unmanned aerial systems, but also to mitigate the potential safety risks they pose. The tests are part of the agency’s Airport Unmanned Aircraft Systems Detection and Mitigation Research Program and are expected to begin later this year.
ACLU sues Homeland Security over airport facial recognition records
There's no question that AI surveillance is on the rise, but there are a lot of questions about just how extensively law enforcement agencies, like the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), are using it. In an attempt to increase transparency, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is suing DHS -- along with Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The ACLU is requesting records on the use of face surveillance at airports and borders, as well as the agencies' plans for future use.
Verizon enlists Boingo to help it bring 5G indoors
Sure, real 5G is up to three times faster than LTE, but there are a few caveats. As we discovered in Chicago, 5G doesn't always hold up when you're trying to use it indoors. Even a pane of glass can cause your signal to flicker between 5G and 4G. Verizon (Engadget's parent company) and Boingo are hoping to change that. The companies are working together to bring 5G Ultra Wideband service to indoor public spaces, like airports, office buildings and stadiums.
The UK is expanding drone no-fly zones around major airports
Just a couple of months after drone sightings grounded flights at one of the UK's busiest travel hubs, the nation is expanding drone no-fly zones around airports. As of Wednesday, the no-fly radius is widening from one kilometer to five kilometers (around three miles).
Amazon's cashierless Go stores may come to an airport near you
Airport shopping is mostly about perfumes, booze and overpriced electronics, but that could soon change. Amazon has reportedly inquired about installing its cashierless Go stores at several US airports, according to Reuters. Emails from a public records request revealed that Amazon asked for meetings with managers at San Jose and Los Angeles international airports and received a positive response. "I am looking forward to moving forward with the Amazon Go technology at the airport," wrote one airport IT manager.
A humanoid is born in a Turkish robotics factory
The Uncanny Valley posits that robots get exponentially creepier the closer they look to humans -- take Nadine the social robot, RealDoll and the Geminoids (please). However, a company called Akin Robotics in Turkey has proved that robots don't need to look like humans at all to evoke the "ugh" factor. It recently unveiled a new factory that will produce an Eyes Without a Face-like model that will surprise, delight and terrify visitors at airports and elsewhere.
A US customs computer snafu caused major airport delays
US Customs and Immigration computers went down at various airports around the US yesterday, causing some havoc for travelers returning from holidays. It left hundreds of folks stuck in lines for a couple of hours in a part of the airport where there's normally not a lot to do. The agency didn't say what caused the problem, but said "there is no indication the service disruption was malicious in nature."
DHS's facial scanning program may be inaccurate and illegal
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) doesn't have a great track record with its own technology. DHS staff have been locked out of their own networks, first responder apps have been plagued by security issues and the federal employees were able to steal data from the agency. Now a new report calls DHS's pilot facial recognition program into question, too, saying that it makes frequent errors and may even not be legal.
Worldwide flight delays caused by glitchy check-in system
Passengers around the world have been enduring long delays thanks to a glitchy passenger reservation system, passengers, airlines and airports are reporting. Airports as far flung as London's Gatwick, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Melbourne and Baltimore Washington have all reported issues. According to Gatwick, it was caused by a problem with Amadeus Altea, a passenger management system used by 125 airlines. That company confirmed that it's having a "network issue," according to the BBC, but has started restoring services.
Facial recognition will replace passports in Australia
Australia has started implementing biometric facial, iris and fingerprint recognition in airports, allowing passengers to go through without showing a passport or even talking to anyone. The "Seamless Traveler" project is aimed at creating a "fast, seamless self-processing experience for up to 90 percent of travelers," so that border control can focus on high-risk passengers. The handy, but invasive-sounding plan would allow international travelers to "literally just walk out like at a domestic airport," security analyst John Coyne told Australia's Sydney Morning Herald.
Taxiing airplanes could soon get flight info wirelessly
Airlines have made great efforts to update their tech, including replacing bulky flight manuals with iPads. But pilot teams still receive flight information updates the same way they've been doing for decades: over radio voice comms, as current wireless solutions don't support high-enough volume data transfer. Last February, a joint NASA and FAA team sent flight updates to a taxiing airplane over a wireless communication network for the first time, NASA said Tuesday.
3DR's Solo drone can update no-fly zones in real time
Now that drones are everywhere, pilots keep blundering into no-fly zones, threatening people and airliners alike. Most of the time these are simple mistakes, so drone-maker 3DR has launched a new venture with a company called AirMap to help pilots out. AirMap shows not only restricted areas around large and small airports, but also temporary flight restrictions (TFR) areas like wildfires, public events or visits from the President. 3DR incorporated these maps into its Solo UAV (above), so that if you open the app in a restricted area, you'll see a yellow "warning" or red "don't fly" circle.
JFK installs phone-tracking beacons to better estimate wait times
More than 19 million travellers pass through JFK airport each year. That leads to a lot of standing around in lines, either waiting to get through customs or waiting for baggage at the carousel -- even just getting a cab. So, to improve the queuing experience for passengers, JFK airport is rolling out a beacon-based wait time estimation system.
iPads are mandatory at Newark Liberty International Airport
If you're flying out of New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport anytime soon, you might find yourself using an iPad to order everything from magazines to a cold bottle of beer. Actually, if you're flying from the United terminal it sounds like you won't actually have much choice in the matter, as Apple's tablets will be part of a $120 million upgrade designed to add some flair to one of the nation's least punctual airports. Bloomberg reports that the terminal's iPad makeover will allow flyers to place and pay for orders using the tablets, even if they don't necessarily want to. The article even quotes one flyer as saying that he was told he had to use an iPad to place his order for a brewski despite wanting to order the old fashioned way, and that the service felt slower because of it. For an airport that is constantly ranked near the top in delayed flights, slow service is probably not a great addition. [Photo via Medau]
GateGuru for iPhone has been updated and greatly improved
I've been a fan of GateGuru since I first tried it in 2010. It's a travel app for the iPhone that provides a plethora of information of flights, airlines and airports. It's great having all of that in your pocket. Version 4.0 fixes some problems and makes GateGuru even better. Version 3 was nice, but had nagging problems. For example, it required me to enter flight details, even when that's not the information I was after. For example, sometimes I simply want to review the amenities that are available at a certain airport. GateGuru 3 needed flight info before sharing that data. With version 4, released today, all is forgiven. The free app now allows you to browse airport information with no restrictions. The entire app has been redesigned and it looks very modern. Plus, the amount of tapping has been reduced when you navigate, and all your travel information is on one screen. GateGuru excels at travel info, including airport weather, terminal and gate arrival and departure info, and real-time flight information with optional push alerts for flight status. The app also provides estimated TSA waiting times, and reviews of airport food, location of ATMs and rental car information with some discounted rates for GateGuru users. %Gallery-186907% I have one mild complaint. GateGuru caters to the traveler, and not the person who's simply doing the pickup. Yes, you can get the information on arrival times, but it's not really the purpose of the app. I prefer Flight+ which is a bit more agnostic on whether you are the traveler or the transportation. I'd like to see GateGuru add travel times to the airport based on local real-time traffic info, and travel / traffic time to a particular address like a hotel or convention center. Still, GateGuru is an absolutely indispensable app for those traveling by air, especially since so much of air travel involves sitting at airports. This new version is one of the most improved apps I've seen this year. If you travel, I heartily recommend adding it to your iPhone's travel folder.
JiWire, AWG use location-based ads to spread free airport WiFi in the US
Many of us here at Engadget know the value of free airport WiFi all too well, having just flown back to our various corners of the globe -- if a cellular or toll-based hotspot isn't an option, free internet access can be a lifeline. JiWire and AWG don't want us to face that dilemma. They're expanding their partnership to use JiWire's location-based ad system for free, sponsored WiFi across the US. Requiring that passengers see a local ad when they hop online is the best of both worlds, the partnership claims: we get the connection we crave, while nearby shops get exposure. Few would call AWG's minimum 1Mbps connection an abundance of bandwidth, but it could mean the difference between catching up on YouTube and twiddling thumbs during a layover. Neither company has said exactly when and where they plan to expand. When just 15 US airports rely on AWG's current service, though, there's plenty of room to grow. [Image credit: Charleston's TheDigital, Flickr]
Just Landed is a neat twist on travel apps
There are lots of travel apps, but Just Landed from Little Details is really different and handy. This app is not for the traveler, but for the person picking someone up at the airport. Just Landed (US $0.99 for the iPhone) tracks a flight you are going to meet and sends an alert when it is time to go to the airport. It helpfully tells you about any flight delays and any automobile traffic snafus before you leave. The app also connects to Apple Maps and shows you the best routes to the airport. It's a terrific idea, and something unique for a travel app. The app also lets you text the person you are picking up when they arrive, and if your starting location changes, the app recalculates your arrival time based on those changes. When you get an alert from Just Landed, it is a rather obnoxious sound of a jet engine. I wish that could be changed to something less jarring, but it does get your attention. The alerts can be turned off, if you prefer. You can tell from the clean and simple GUI design that a lot of thought went into Just Landed. This is the kind of app I will get a lot of use out of, and it is such an obvious idea I am surprised there aren't lots of competitors. If you spend a lot of time picking up family and friends at your local airport, then Just Landed is the app for you. It supports US and Canadian airports, with more locations to come. The app requires iOS 5.0 or later, and is optimized for the iPhone 5. %Gallery-171661%
GateGuru gets an update for holiday travel
GateGuru has updated the popular travel app to version 3 today, just in time (almost) for Thanksgiving travelers. The app started as a guide to airports, with information on gates, maps of the concourses and even reviews of the shops and restaurants. Now the app has the ability to reserve rental cars at reduced rates, improved flight status and push notifications, and flights can be added up to a year before you depart. The GUI has been updated as well. It looks like a solid update, but it has generated some knocks from users because you have to specify your flights before you can see all the details of airports. I think these are valid criticisms. You may well want some of that treasure trove of information without having a specific trip set up. Of course you can always fake it, but it seems a roundabout method. I'll bet that "feature" will change back to the prior way of doing things rather quickly. Still, GateGuru is a very worthwhile app, and if you're stuck at the airport now or on the way, check your phone for the update or get it from the app store if you don't have it already. The app requires iOS 6 or later, and it's optimized for the iPhone 5. %Gallery-171597%
