BIOMETRICS, ETC.
A roundup of new developments, alliances
by Lindsay Hitch
Biometric technologies remain the topic du jour in discussions of improving airport and airline security. One recent development: A research team at the Mayo Clinic has developed a technology to measure facial heat patterns, purportedly to detect lying.
www.blackberry.net
www.aethersystems.com
www.massport.com/logan
State troopers at Boston's Logan International Airport got new toys for
Christmas. The BlackBerry is a pager-sized, wireless personal digital
assistant (PDA) allowing officers to send encrypted queries to state and
federal criminal databases and receive quick responses. The troopers reportedly
like the devices because they are able to access detailed information
without disturbing dispatchers. Logan's BlackBerries are equipped with
Aether Systems' PocketBlue software.
www.honeywell.com
In other handheld news, Honeywell Automation & Control Solutions Service
is implementing field automation technology, supplying its technicians
with handheld computers to automate dispatching and recordkeeping. Honeywell
is also providing its customers with online access to service information,
enabling online service requests and work order, service history, and
contract detail access.
www.crossmatch.net
www.pbia.org
Palm Beach International Airport has begun to use the ID1000 Live Scan
Fingerprint System from Cross Match Technologies to meet FAA requirements
for criminal history background checks of employees with access to secure
areas. The system takes an inkless scan of a person's fingertips that
is converted to a computerized file and forwarded to the FBI.
www.wayport.net
Wayport Inc. announces two new membership programs and pricing models
for its wireless and wired high-speed Internet service. Both programs
are based on annual commitments. Corporate membership is best for organizations
with 50 or more users.
www.viisage.com
www.pelco.com
Viisage Technology, Inc., and Pelco have teamed up to implement facial
recognition technology at Fresno Yosemite International Airport. The system
combines Pelco's video surveillance equipment and Viisage's face-recognition
technology and alerts public safety officers when individuals matching
the appearance of known terrorists enter airport security checkpoints.
The system has been in place since late October.
www.concoursecommunications.com
www.ipass.com
Concourse Communications Group announces an agreement with iPass Inc.
to provide open-architecture wireless Internet access in airports where
Concourse has won wireless service management contracts. The data portion
of the system is a Wi-Fi compatible wireless network based on the IEEE
802.11b standard.
www.perkinelmerxray.com
PerkinElmer Instruments' Detection Systems division announces a $5 million
contract by Dutch Customs to supply and maintain a 2.5 MeV high-energy
mobile X-ray system. Under the contract, the PerkinElmer CX-2500M system
will be used at the container terminals in Rotterdam.
