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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
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