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Hey T-Mobile, nobody wants your suitcase
T-Mobile built a smart suitcase for some reason, and it even doubles as a desk on wheels.
TSA plans wider expansion for 3D luggage-scanning machines
The TSA had already planned to expand its pilot program using specially-designed CT scanners to screen airline passenger luggage from tests in Phoenix and Boston to major airports in Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington-Dulles. By the end of 2019, they envisioned spreading 145 of these machines in security checkpoints across the country. But it seems the tests have gone so well that the agency is increasing its order to 200 scanners in the next year, the TSA chief told Congress today.
TSA will install 40 luggage CT scanners in airports this year
The TSA has been using CT scanners to screen airline passengers' luggage since last year -- early tests of the technology have been taking place in Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport and Boston's Logan International Airport. But now, the agency has shared its plans for CT technology going forward, including expansions into additional airports. American Airlines announced earlier this month that a CT scanner was being set up in New York's JFK airport and the TSA says Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport and Washington-Dulles International Airport are among those that will have CT scanners in the near future.
Louis Vuitton is making a luggage tracker
A smartphone app and recent FCC filing strongly hints that Louis Vuitton has a new tech product on the way: A luggage tracker that pairs with particular bags sold by the fashion company. Sources tell Engadget that it will be the first such device to work internationally, but there has been no official confirmation yet.
US airlines plan to enforce new rules on smart bags
Travelers looking to use their fancy new smart luggage may soon face a hard time getting the bags on a plane due to safety concerns about their batteries. According to CNN, American, Delta and Alaska Airlines have all announced that starting January 15th, passengers checking smart luggage will have to remove the lithium-ion batteries (or keep them powered down if traveling in the cabin). The site also says that United Continental and Southwest Airlines both plan to announce similar policies soon. That's 80 percent of the US air traffic, according to CNN.
Track Bluesmart's latest luggage anywhere in the world
Connected luggage sets are easy to find these days, but Bluesmart stands out: as one of the first out of the gate, it has experience its rivals lack. You'll be glad to hear, then, that the company is back for another round. It's crowdfunding Series 2 luggage that builds on the existing formula with some features that, at first blush, appear to be genuinely practical. Both the 22-inch Cabin carry-on bag and 29-inch Check suitcase include a combination of 3G cellular and GPS that lets you track your luggage anywhere in the world (with cellular reception, at least) for free. If your luggage goes to Bhutan instead of Boston, you'll know it.
Raden's connected carry-on is sleek and smart, but cramped
I don't think there's anything more crucial to a frequent traveler's arsenal than a reliable carry-on, but does it need to be smart too? A cottage industry of connected luggage makers seems to think so. While some companies have focused on packing their bags with components, a startup called Raden is trying to take a more measured approach. That's where its A22 connected carry-on comes in: It's a fascinating attempt at melding technological convenience with the simplicity of high-end luggage. So what exactly does $295 get you?
Delta's RFID luggage tracking system now includes a map view
Delta's new RFID luggage tags rolled out earlier this year, making it harder for at least one airline to lose your bags. Now, just in time for the holiday travel rush, Delta has already upgraded their baggage tracking system to include a up-to-the-minute map view of a bag's journey.
Cruise the airport on top of a piece of motorized luggage
I've never driven a car. I've also never ridden a scooter, a moped, a Segway or even one of those stupid "hoverboard" things with the combustible batteries. But I do travel a lot, usually with a bit of luggage, and one thing I absolutely hate are those long walks across an airport terminal. So when the Modobag, a $1,199 piece of kit that bills itself as the world's first motorized suitcase hit Indiegogo, I was intrigued. Would it get me across an airport faster, or would I just crash into a luggage cart and get myself arrested?
ICYMI: Microscopic seascapes and riding your luggage home
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A motorized, rideable piece of luggage is hitting Indiegogo on Thursday that can convert from regular bag to lazy human scooter in a jiff. To cut out people altogether, you might be interested in the video of a robot made to flip sausages in Germany. Meanwhile ocean researchers captured the first microscopic videos of coral reefs out in the wild rather than in the lab, showing coral behavior that has not previously been captured on camera. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Rimowa's electronic luggage tag is the future of traveling
Nowadays if you're flying with carry-on luggage, you can easily skip the check-in lines by doing it all online ahead of time. Sadly, it requires a few more steps if you have to check your luggage -- you still need to go print out your tag at the airport, tie it onto your suitcase and then drop it off at the counter. The folks over at Rimowa and Lufthansa are hoping to simplify that process, because for Germans, every second counts. In Hong Kong, we checked out these fancy suitcases that are updated with an embedded E Ink display -- a HK$500/€60 premium across the existing range, except for the untouchable Classic Flight series -- and hear about where Rimowa's at with this feature's rollout.
Delta is rolling out RFID luggage tags by the end of summer
In an honorable attempt to make air travel slightly less terrible, Delta announced a new program this week that will track of checked baggage via paper RFID tags.
ICYMI: Smart following suitcase, NASA wormbots and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-972012{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-972012, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-972012{width:100%;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-972012").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Today on In Case You Missed It: NASA was just awarded a patent for a crawly, amorphous robot that can climb through rubble or dusty planets, theoretically more easily than rovers with wheels and gears to gunk up.
Samsung and Samsonite are working on smart luggage
There have been more than a few efforts at smart luggage, but this is one you're likely going to notice. Samsung and Samsonite (appropriately enough) are teaming up to develop smart bags that will likely be easier to buy and more accessible. They should include include loads of location and mobile notification features, such as GPS tracking, anti-tampering alerts and warnings when you wander away. However, that's just the start. Samsonite is working with airlines on baggage that checks itself in -- drop them off and they'd tell the airport about your airline, the weight and your destination. Also, Samsung is experimenting with self-propelled luggage that follows you around the airport. That last technology is still too cumbersome to be practical (the engine takes up a third of the size), but the days of having to lug (and worry about) your belongings across the airport may soon be over.
The key to unlocking this smart luggage lock is NFC
eGeeTouch seems to have solved a travel problem we weren't even aware we had. Rather than having to fumble with a dial code or a key that's been TSA approved, the company's keyless smart lock uses NFC and a battery that should perform for 30,000 cycles between changes. Push the unlock button to activate, swipe the included NFC badge or your phone over the lock, and then slide the catch to unlock the lock. Battery die mid-trip? No worries: You can still use the device's physical key or a USB port on the side that will power it while you activate the lock to open it. While the eGeeTouch's developers don't have any immediate plans to sell the lock as a standalone device, they're already in talks with luggage vendors to have this on the market by the second quarter of the year.
Bluesmart wants to crowdfund the 'world's first' connected luggage
Losing your luggage is no fun, but while companies like Trakdot have been selling trackers for some time, a startup is taking to Indiegogo to create what it calls the "world's first smart, connected carry-on." Bluesmart is a small suitcase with a host of features that its makers believe frequent travelers can't live without. Priced at $235 (or as low as $195 for early adopters), it'll include proximity tracking to alert you if you walk away from your luggage, a TSA-approved lock that's controlled by your smartphone and a built-in battery to charge your gadgets. There's also a scale integrated into the handle that'll tell you how much your bag weighs just by lifting it off the ground, and a quick-access compartment for storing your laptop.
ECBC B8 Sparrow: The "everything bag" for business travelers
I've written a lot of reviews of cases and bags over the years, but this is the first time I've actually had the opportunity to review luggage that is electronics-friendly. ECBC recently started producing the B8 Luggage line featuring the Sparrow Wheeled Garment Bag (US$399.99). Before you start wondering if you're actually reading "Luggage Daily" instead of TUAW, I need to let you know that this is perhaps the most Apple-friendly piece of luggage you'll ever find. One lucky TUAW reader is going to win this bag, so read on. To begin with, let's talk about the electronics capability of the Sparrow, since that's what will appeal to most TUAW readers. There's a front TSA-friendly fold out zippered compartment -- what ECBC calls Fastpass -- for electronics. In it is a padded foam compartment that can hold any 15-inch or smaller laptop, so the entire current MacBook line will fit with no problems. Modular inserts can be added or removed to make sure that your 11" MacBook Air isn't flopping around in that compartment Since you'd be a fool to travel without your iPad as well, there's a special padded pocket for it as well. If you happen to sport an iPad mini instead of the full-sized member of the family, you can add modular inserts to hold it in place as well. Need to give your iPhone a quick charge? No problem, since the Sparrow has a rechargeable 4,500 mAh battery for just that purpose. You'll need to provide your own iPhone charging cable, but there's a USB to micro-USB cable for recharging the battery pack. Two more small pockets for carrying your iPhone or another device as well as a cable or charging adapter round out the interior of this Fastpass pocket. Moving back from front of the Sparrow bag, we next get to a dedicated garment area, perfect for that suit or jacket for a quick one or two day trip. You can fold it up nicely to avoid wrinkles, and there is also a small area with two triangular corner zippered pockets for socks, underwear, and the like. Then we get to the main part of the bag, where all of the rest of your clothes will reside while you're flying. Like all good luggage, there are compression straps to help you cram more into the bag and keep it from flopping around in transit. This is a rollerbag -- designed to be used as a carry-on -- so there's a locking handle. Fortunately, most of the time it can be hidden inside its own zippered pocket. When you need to move, just unzip that pocket, push the button on top of the handle, and extend it to the desired length. The wheels were a little tight on the bag I reviewed, but should roll more easily with use. While playing around with this, I was not surprised to find some other niceties. There's a zippered fold-out water bottle holder and a really cool ID holder that you just pull out to show your ID, and it retracts back into its little hiding place. There are two nicely padded handles for lifting the Sparrow into the overhead bin, and -- last but not least -- the traditional "magazine pocket" on the front of the electronics compartment. All of this is miraculously packed into a space 22" x 14" x 9", weighing only 9 lbs. Like other ECBC bags we've tested, it has a 210 denier Double Diamond ripstop lining and a tough 1680 denier HD ballistic nylon exterior in either black or grey. All of the zippers are big, easy to pull, and look like they'd even put up with the overpacking I usually do. Conclusion If you are a businessperson or student who needs to travel light with both clothing and computer equipment, the ECBC Sparrow Wheeled Garment Bag is an extremely well-constructed, stylish, and brilliantly thought-out piece of luggage. Pros Intelligent design for containing both clothing and electronics Handle has its own zippered pocket to keep it nicely stowed away when not in use Tough zippers open all of the compartments wide for easy and complete access Separate garment area is perfect for dress clothing on business travel Built-in battery pack is a nice touch for allowing emergency recharge of iPhones Very attractive design Lots of pockets for holding everything from ID to charging cables, both inside and out Cons Quite expensive, but then you get what you pay for Who is it for? Any person who travels both with dress and casual clothing as well as electronic gear who wants to avoid the hassle and expense of checking a bag Giveaway As much as I regret giving away this beautiful piece of luggage, it's our TUAW policy. So one of you extremely lucky people is going to be able to use the Sparrow Wheeled Garment Bag on your next business trip. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before October 24, 2013 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected and will receive an ECBC Sparrow Wheeled Garment Bag valued at $399.99 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Trakdot luggage tracker now shipping
Remember that luggage tracking device we did a hands-on with back at CES? Well, now you can finally get your own hands around it. Trakdot Luggage has just started shipping. The little box auto-transmits its location via quad-band GSM chip and triangulation, letting you know where your toiletries are at all times (except when you're actually in the air, naturally). Trakdot will run you $50, a price that includes a luggage tag and batteries (which should give you around two weeks of use). You'll also need to drop $9 for the activation and $13 for the annual service fee, if you want more than just a suitcase paperweight. And as for actually tracking the package, you'll have to rely on your parcel carrier for that information.
Iberia becomes the first airline to offer print-at-home luggage labels with MyBagTag
We can't say Iberia would be our first pick for a trip across the pond, but if you live in Spain, or you're traveling to the Iberian Peninsula, the airline is often the most convenient option. We're definitely intrigued by the firm's new print-at-home baggage tracker initiative as well. The new MyBagTag service, an industry first, enables passengers to print out luggage labels alongside their boarding passes, theoretically saving time at the airport and giving you an extra opportunity to ensure that both you and your bags are headed to the same destination. The service is now available for domestic flights, and will soon be extended to cover European and overseas destinations as well. It's currently only offered for direct routings though -- connecting flights will be supported in the future. See it in action in the video after the break.
British Airways teams up with Designworks for electronic bag tags that nab info from your smartphone
Tired of ripping off those old luggage tags after a trip? Well, those could be a thing of the past if all goes according to plan -- at least when flying British Airways. The airline cooked up an electronic bag tag that looks to discard the paper version with the help of the folks at Designworks. Once passengers have checked in, they simply need to hover a smartphone over the tag to beam (via NFC, we'd surmise) both flight info and the requisite barcode to the tag's display. The idea behind the whole thing isn't only to keep the paper-changing to a minimum, but to also save precious time at the check-in counter. A live trial of the tagging gadget is planned, so we'll soon be able to see if the concept stands up to baggage handlers. [Thanks, Anonymous]
