Mobile Computing: Airport Security Tips and Update

Tips on packing and on surviving the inevitable wand scan.

James A. Martin

Feature: How to Sail Through Airport Security

I've just been wanded, prodded, questioned, and temporarily separated from my expensive equipment. I've been asked to sit down and lift up my feet, to stand up and unbuckle my belt, to take everything out of my pockets, to take my money out of my wallet.

In short, I've just experienced a particularly arduous airport security check, with notebook and other gear in tow. But rather than complain about it, based on my recent experience and on previous trips, I've come up with some pointers to help speed you through the necessary but sometimes frustrating airport security checkpoints.

Mix Your Metals

Metal objects are practically guaranteed to cause the walk-through screener to beep. And a beep means you'll likely be wanded, which can slow down your progress to the gate. Before entering the secured area, gather your metal objects--keys, coins, jewelry, watches, pens, belts with metal buckles, and so on--and store them in one pocket of your carry-on bag. The goal is to not be wearing anything metal when you step through the security gate. And that includes your shoes (see below).

Wear Sensible Shoes

After a post-September 11 incident in which a man hid explosives in the heels of his shoes and tried to light them aboard a flight, security guards are on the watch for suspicious footwear. So leave your chunky-heeled shoes at home and opt for a pair of sensible slip-ons, in case you're asked to remove your shoes for inspection. Keep in mind that many shoes contain metal in the heels or arch support, which can make the screener beep.

After wearing one too many pairs of alarm-triggering shoes, I wised up and bought a pair of metal-free Cole Haan Country slip-ons. (During my most recent security shakedown, the guard said my shoes were perfect for airline travel today.) Some Cole Haan shoes use Nike Air cushions, too, so they're also exceedingly comfortable.

Keep Gadgets Together

Pack your PDA, mobile phone, MP3 player, and other gadgets in your carry-on bag. Try to keep them close together, in case a security agent asks to see them. In all my post-September 11 travels, however, not one agent has shown interest in any of my equipment, except for my notebook. And make sure all your toys are turned off before takeoff--and CrackBerry addicts, er, I mean BlackBerry fans, that means you, too.

Eyes on the Prize

If airport security agents ask you to step aside for wanding or questioning, keep your eyes on your belongings at all times. Tag your notebook beforehand--using colored tape, for instance--so it's easily identifiable, to prevent someone else from picking it up by mistake.

Prepare to Unpack

If you're traveling with a notebook, you'll be asked to remove it from its bag, place it in a plastic tub, and send it through the X-ray machine. To keep things moving along, you'll need to have the notebook out and ready as you enter security. That can often require some juggling. You'll have to carry the bag with one hand and the notebook with the other--and that doesn't include any other items you may be toting (a purse, briefcase, or other bag, for instance). So to speed through security, do the following.

Drink up. Unless you're from Pluto, you won't have enough free hands to deal with a notebook, a notebook bag, another bag, your ID and boarding pass, and a cup of coffee or soft drink, too. If you must take a beverage on board, pour it into an airtight, preferably nonmetal container (the less metal you have to deal with at the checkpoint, the better). Pack the container in a carry-on bag pocket away from your other belongings. Or better yet, just ditch the drink before entering the secured area. On several occasions, security agents have even wanded my coffee.

Wear your ID. You'll need to prove your identity numerous times before takeoff: at curbside luggage check-in, at the airline counter, when entering the secured checkpoint, and as you board the plane. And you'll have to show your boarding pass at least twice. Rather than fumbling for these documents constantly--while juggling all your other stuff--wear your driver's license or passport and boarding pass around your neck.

Travel stores usually carry a slim wallet to be worn around the neck, with a peek-a-boo window for your ID and a pocket for your boarding pass; the wallets usually go for about $10. Yes, the neck ID wallet looks geeky, but you can slip it off after boarding the plane. Places to shop online for around-the-neck wallets include EBags and Magellan's Travel Supplies.

Other Tips for Speeding Through Security

Print before you fly. Airports now require all passengers to possess a boarding pass before entering the secured area. Before you book your flight, then, check to see if the airline you're considering allows you to print your boarding pass in advance. For instance, American Airlines passengers can print out a boarding pass beginning 12 hours before a flight. Northwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air are among the other airliners that offer pre-printing; United Airlines is expected to join the club sometime this year.

Serve yourself. Many airlines, including Northwest and US Airways, now allow e-ticket holders to print boarding passes using self-service machines at the check-in counter, thereby skirting long lines.

Don't lock your checked bags. New security procedures require X-raying checked bags. If something in your bag triggers an alarm (chocolate, for instance, is said to confuse the scanners) inspectors may take a peek. But if the bag is locked, they'll have to find a way to open it--and there's yet another potential delay for you and your belongings. So keep the locks off.

Smile. Yes, all the new checkpoint procedures are a hassle. But security personnel are simply trying to make your flight as safe as possible. So don't lose your cool. Be calm and cooperative. And thank the agents for their thoroughness while you're at it.

For more tips on traveling by plane with equipment, such as the latest list of items allowed and not allowed on board, check out the Transportation Security Administration's advice for travelers.

NOTEBOOKS & ACCESSORIES

News: All-in-One Power Adapter

In a way, traveling with gadgets is like traveling with a baby: You have to drag along a lot of related paraphernalia. For gadgets, the necessary accessories include power adapters for your notebook, mobile phone, and PDA. To ease your weary load, Mobility Products is offering the IGo Juice ($120), a single AC adapter capable of powering all three devices indoors and in cars and planes. The adapter is compatible with most notebooks from Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and others. With optional cables ($20), IGo Juice can power mobile phones from Ericcson, Nokia, Samsung, and other makers, and PDAs from Palm, Sony, Hewlett-Packard, Handspring, and others.

You can read more about the IGo Juice at the IGo Mobility Products site and check the latest prices at the PCWorld.com Product Finder.

News: Turn Your Notebook Into a DVR

On your next flight you can catch last week's Buffy, The Vampire Slayer, The Simpsons, or even The Jerry Springer Show, if you must--or so goes the promise of Pinnacle Systems' PCTV Deluxe. The device, about the size of a VHS tape, allows you to record TV programs directly onto your notebook (or desktop) hard drive, according to the company. Like a portable TiVo device, the PCTV Deluxe ($200) uses an electronic programming guide that lets you set up recordings for viewing later--such as on a plane or train. Another option: You can burn the shows onto a disc for viewing in your home entertainment system (provided your computer has a DVD burner compatible with the DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, or DVD+RW formats).

News: Sticky Fingerprints From Sony

Security-minded business travelers have another option for protecting their notebook data: a fingerprint scanner in the Memory Stick format. Smaller than a stick of gum, the Sony FIU-900 registers and verifies fingerprints to facilitate data file encryption and digital signatures, and to prevent unauthorized access. A USB Memory Stick reader is needed to use the device. Pricing and availability hadn't been announced as of this writing.

HANDHELDS

Hands On: Wireless Car Stereo Adapter for MP3 Players

Until recently, I'd been content using a cassette tape adapter to pump my IPod tunes through the car stereo. But on several occasions, the wire connecting the cassette adapter to the IPod became tangled around the gear shift or ensnared in my seat belt. Tedious. So, with skepticism, I bought an IRock 300 W ($30 at Radio Shack) to wirelessly beam tunes from MP3, portable CD, and other players to a car stereo via unused FM frequencies. I'd read in online chats that the music sometimes sounds fuzzy and spotty with the IRock 300 W, so I was pleasantly surprised when my favorite songs blasted through the car stereo as if they were coming from a nearby FM station. Even better, to create an instant stereo system during a recent hotel stay, I beamed my IPod tunes to an FM-AM alarm clock radio.

The IRock is limited to the 88.1, 88.3, 88.5, and 88.7 FM frequencies, so before buying check to make sure at least one of those frequencies is unused and without much overlap from nearby stations in your area. You can use our Product Finder to get the lowest prices.

Reader Response: Check Out Mapopolis

My review of DeLorme's XMap Handheld Street Atlas USA Edition for Palm OS and Pocket PC devices prompted an e-mail from Nick Katz of Skokie, Illinois in praise of a competing product called Mapopolis. Nick writes that Mapopolis, a mapping program that works on Palm OS and Pocket PC handhelds and with compatible GPS add-ons for those devices, "is probably my favorite program on my Pocket PC."

Katz, who says he is in no way associated with the company that makes the software, likes "the ability to change the level of detail in a map as well as zoom in and out by clicking on an icon. You can generate directions or find a location by typing in the address, clicking a place on the map, using any Outlook Contact that includes the address, or by using a list of places such as schools, post offices, and so on that you can find using a search function."

"Also," Katz continues, "you can add the place guides for a pretty comprehensive list of restaurants and other businesses. These are particularly useful." Katz keeps the program in his Pocket PC's main memory and stores the maps on Secure Digital cards, "which allows me to carry around everything I need."

"As for accuracy," Katz writes, "I've used it in the Chicago and Tampa areas and found that the directions were correct." By comparison, other mapping programs he tried "directed me through dead ends and through parking lot fences. That was very hard on my car."

Katz's only complaints: The latest version takes longer to load and to choose start and end points for a trip.

Mapopolis is available in various configurations, beginning at $15 for a one-year license for a basic map pack. I can't vouch for Katz's claims, as I've never used Mapopolis. But if you're interested in checking it out, go to the company's Web site.

News: Sneak Peek at Palm OS 6

Palm OS 5 devices barely made it onto store shelves before the company began releasing a few sketchy details about the next OS version. Palm OS 6 will feature tighter integration between the handheld operating system and wireless telephone and data networks, according to Al Wood, chief financial officer of PalmSource, the company in charge of Palm OS development.

WIRELESS

News: A LAN in Your SUV?

High-speed wireless Internet access: Don't leave home without it. At least that's the promise of new technology from Linksys Group and Zandiant Technologies aimed at automobiles. The two companies recently demonstrated an 802.11b wireless-equipped MP3 player for cars. Use a home PC to load your tunes onto the player, then put it under your car seat or in the trunk and be-bop along the highway to your heart's content. Within a year or two, that device will be capable of serving as a wireless LAN access point, providing high-speed Internet access to devices within 300 feet of the car, the company claims.

Suggestion Box

Is there a particularly cool mobile computing product or service I've missed? Got a spare story idea in your back pocket? Let me know about it.

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