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TECHNOLOGY Wednesday 23 august 2017

Body scanners being piloted in Los Angeles subway system

By MICHAEL BALSAMO ble machines amid the hus- people to miss their trains.”
Associated Press tle and bustle underground Similar to airport check-
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aim- and determine if the scan- points, when someone
ing to stay ahead of an ners could become perma- passes through the scan-
evolving threat against nent fixtures in the Los An- ner, they are held for a
transit systems worldwide, geles transit system. few seconds while law en-
officials in Los Angeles are The machines use sensors to forcement officers watch
testing out airport-style scan a person as they walk a monitor that shows the
body scanners that screen through, searching for fire- location on any anomalies
subway passengers for fire- arms and explosive com- the body. Several security
arms and explosives. pounds, said Dave Sotero, officers stood guard at the
As commuters raced to get a Metro spokesman. Pas- screening checkpoint at
on their trains Wednesday, sengers don’t need to un- Union Station on Wednes-
the Los Angeles County load laptops or take off day morning. Large signs
Metropolitan Transporta- their jackets or shoes as the advised passengers that
tion Authority launched radio waves scan them to Chris McLaughlin, a vice president with Evolv Technology, test the screening is voluntary.
a two-day pilot program. detect anomalies. the company’s body scanner at Union Station subway station in The scanners sell for about
But officials quickly expe- “It is specifically designed Los Angeles Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017. $60,000 each, said Chris
rienced a hiccup when a to test for mass-casualty Associated Press McLaughlin, a vice presi-
scanner being demonstrat- threats,” Sotero said. “The the portable machines and ride on Metro’s Red Line dent with Evolv Technology,
ed Wednesday morning technology enables the determine if the scanners daily, he said. which makes the system. “I
at Union Station malfunc- system to locate on the could become permanent “This is designed so you think it is a good idea with
tioned before passengers body where there is a po- fixtures in the Los Angeles don’t have to wait,” Sotero everything that has been
could be put through the tential threat, and it ap- transit system. said. “The idea is that you going on and ISIS,” pas-
machine. Metro is con- pears on a video screen.” Each machine is designed have a continuous flow of senger Jazmin Rosales, 29,
ducting the pilot program Metro is conducting the pi- to scan about 600 peo- people through the secu- said. “As long as it doesn’t
to evaluate the accuracy lot program to evaluate the ple per hour, Sotero said. rity system without causing take too long, at least you
and capacity of the porta- accuracy and capacity of About 150,000 passengers a backlog and causing know you can feel safe.”q

Lonely Planet app Trips: Be inspired or tell your own story

By BETH J. HARPAZ your own story. Add text, be featured. (The app no-
AP Travel Editor decide which image to use tifies you if your post is se-
NEW YORK (AP) — Lonely for a cover photo, write a lected.)
Planet has a new free app headline and you’ve cre- The app doesn’t currently
called Trips that offers inspi- ated a travel story with a have a search function
ration for travel, along with sumptuous, professional where you can look for
an easy way for users to look and layout. It’s also content by destination, but
create visually driven sto- easy to edit or delete the that may be added later.
ries about their own trips. story — even after you’ve Houghton noted that Trips
“We’re giving the commu- published it. is Lonely Planet’s second
nity the ability to create You can also send a Trips major new mobile product,
travel content and to be story by email or message with the first one being an
inspired by it,” said Lonely as a clickable link for friends offline mapping app called
Planet CEO Daniel Hough- and family to see, or you Guides.
ton in an interview for The can post them on sites like Houghton became CEO of
Associated Press travel Twitter or Facebook. Lonely Planet about four
podcast “Get Outta Here You can keep your trips pri- years ago at the relatively
.” vate and only share with young age of 24.
For inspiration, scroll selected friends and fam- He emphasized the com-
through content curated ily. Or you can opt to make pany’s continuing com-
by Lonely Planet’s editorial your trips public. If you do mitment to print products
team in eight categories: make them public, they — guidebooks, magazines
adventure, wildlife and na- can be seen by anyone and coffee-table books
ture, coasts and islands, ru- who chooses to follow you. — while at the same time
ins, road trips, festivals and But your public trips won’t putting “significant energy
events, hiking and cities. be shown as part of the and investment and time
Or upload your own photos app’s curated content un- and effort into really be-
and video about a place or This screenshot taken from a mobile phone and provided by less it’s chosen by Lonely ing prominent as a digital
travel experience to create Lonely Planet shows a post from the company’s new app “Trips.” Planet’s editorial team to business.”q