News and notes from around the interweb:
- As airlines move to biometric boarding, and the government pushes for biometric exit controls, realize that China targets hacking biometric data.
By about 2010, two former CIA officials recalled, the Chinese security services had instituted a sophisticated travel intelligence program, developing databases that tracked flights and passenger lists for espionage purposes. “We looked at it very carefully,” said the former senior CIA official. China’s spies “were actively using that for counterintelligence and offensive intelligence. The capability was there and was being utilized.” China had also stepped up its hacking efforts targeting biometric and passenger data from transit hubs…
- Delta has signed an inflight catering deal with DO & CO which provides some of the world’s better airline food. Of course the quality we’ll get from Delta depends on the budget they’ve allocated.
- Santiago airport rolls out Covid-sniffing dogs
- Dr. Deborax Brix, the coronavirus task force member and AIDS researcher, will retire after admitting to undertaking holiday travel she advised the nation against. That’s not as bad as the Denver mayor who advised against holiday travel while at the airport about to board a United flight, or my mayor in Austin who advised against travel from a timeshare in Cabo. Neither of them will retire.
- United Airlines offers Crockett cookies in airport lounges
- The 681 room Park Central hotel in San Frnacisco will become the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SoMa
I noticed the SoMa hotel right as it changed. It’s still billed as a Hyatt, not a Regency. Bad timing, as it cut over on the 18th right as the 10 day quarantine hit. Rock-bottom pricing, though.
Stay at home in different rooms from your family. Wear your face mask Don’t leave for work dont go out to walk the dog. Let the smarter then you politicians travel and eat out
On the Birx thing, the hypocritical politicians were not high profile White House health care leaders. That doesn’t excuse their appalling judgement but it wasn’t appalling judgement in their field of expertise. Also, I’m not sure it matters but it’s Birx, not Brix.