FitSugar

Brilliant or Baffling: San Francisco Airport Opens Yoga Room

Emily Co — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:15:26 PST

If you ever happen to stop by the San Francisco Airport, you might want to check out its new yoga room, which officially opened yesterday. The room, available from 4:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., is located in SFO's newly renovated Terminal 2, and only passengers will get to try it out - it's stationed past the security checkpoint. If yoga is not your thing and you still want to meditate, check out the Berman reflection room, which is a "center for quiet self-reflection and meditation."

What do you think of this new perk?

Shoes-Off Screening to Be Phased Out at Airports

Emily Co — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 13:04:48 PDT

It's such a chore walking through the airport screening these days. Your shoes, outerwear, and jewelry come off, and your electronics and liquids have to be taken out of your bags and dumped into a tray.

There's good news and bad news for passengers sick of these screening rituals. The good news: the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano recently announced that travelers won't have to take their shoes off at airports in the future. Before you start jumping up and down for joy, here's the not-so-good news: the technology needed for scanning shoe-wearing passengers does not exist yet, and won't be available soon.

And for those who find the liquid limits for air travelers tedious and confining, no hope on the horizon there. Napolitano says, "The technology isn't quite there yet, and it won't be for a while, but I think one of the first things you will see over time is the ability to keep your shoes on, and one of the last things you will probably see is a reduction or removing the limitation on liquids."

What are your pet peeves about the airport screening process?

Geek Tip: Don't Use "Free Public Wi-Fi" This Summer (or Ever)

GeekSugar — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 05:53:06 PDT

Traveling cross-country or abroad this Summer? While you're able to easily find free WiFi in airports these days, you shouldn't just hop on the first free and available WiFi signal you can find and start browsing, shopping, or logging in to secure websites.

Just as leaving your home network open and unprotected with a password can be dangerous, so is piggybacking on an unsecured WiFi signal in a public area. Hackers can create fake networks in hopes of stealing your personal information. Usually (and most often), these networks are labeled to the tune of "Free Public Wi-Fi," and can be dangerous if used. Be sure to check with the airport customer service desk to find proper log-in instructions for its official wireless network. Even if you have to pay a fee to use it, it's probably worth it considering the risk you'll take by using an alternative and free unsecured network!

Yummy Links: From Elvis Presley to Mike Isabella

YumSugar — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 11:30:52 PST

Ring in Elvis Presley's 76th with a fool's gold loaf. - Serious Eats
Obama has signed the record food safety bill into law. - Huffington Post Food
Why it was a really bizarre year for California's Napa Valley. - Grub Street SF
Could airport restaurant delivery be far off? - USA Today
2010's hottest US restaurants, according to Yelpers. - Yelp Blog
Ranchers are pushing for horse meat as a source of nutrition. - Denver Post
A 754-pound bluefin tuna sold for the record-breaking price of $396,000. - Eater
After a 40-pound weight gain, Top Chef's Mike Isabella is back on the diet track. - Washington Post

Jay-Z's 40/40 Club: Coming Soon to an Airport Near You

YumSugar — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 04:00:58 PST

Who says airports can't be fly? Rapper and hip-hop mogul Jay-Z has decided to give Americans a newfound reason to travel by opening outposts of the 40/40 Club, his sports bar, at various airports across the United States, Slashfood reports.

So if you've got any TSA dirt to get off your shoulder, rest assured that you can at least enjoy some eats and ESPN on the screen at the 40/40 while you're at it.

For more details on the menu and all the club's tricks, check out the full story at Slashfood.

Yummy Links: From Punch to Applesauce

YumSugar — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:40:59 PST

Here's seven delicious drink recipes that can easily be made in batches. - Huffington Post Food
Must make: Spanish meatballs with romesco sauce. - Hands on Gourmet
While it may be harder to get through the security line, it's easier to find a drink at the airport. - USA Today
Learn how Grant Achatz creates a menu for Alinea. - GQ
Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich are fighting protesters with a lawsuit. - Grub Street NY
Would you eat Whipped Lightning, an alcoholic whipped cream? - Eater
Thanks to a new bill passed by the Senate, the FDA will have more power to regulate food. - The New York Times
Taste-testing store-bought applesauce. - Serious Eats

Health Concerns Following New TSA Security Regulations

Kristen Hawley — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 03:00:24 PST

With heightened news coverage due to the impending holiday season, the new TSA security screening devices have many worried about privacy concerns, but some are also worried about potential exposure to radiation. There are two types of new body-scanning devices making their way to airports across the country: one that uses millimeter-wave technology, and a second that uses backscatter X-ray technology. The former is of minimal concern because it doesn't expose passengers to any notable level of radiation. The backscatter technology, though, has some health experts concerned, even though officials from the TSA and FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health have certified that the machines are completely safe.

Backscatter technology exposes travelers to a small amount of radiation as they walk through the scanner; a concern especially for pilots, frequent fliers, and children, who, some say, could have to worry about skin cancer. According to the director of the Center for Radiological Research at Columbia University, the risks associated with one-time exposure are very, very low. But every time a person is exposed to radiation, the small associated risk is multiplied by the number of exposures. If you're a person who flies several times a month (or each week), the seemingly small risk could potentially turn into a larger problem.

For now (and to protect your holiday sanity), casual travelers - especially those who will be flying for the holidays - shouldn't worry about the effects of these machines.

Airport Security Is Not the Time to Recruit Vegans

Colleen Barrett — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 11:10:30 PDT

Two things that should never be sexed up are animal rights and airport security, but here we are. PETA's latest aggressive ad is of a woman's body in a bra and underwear, saying "Be proud of your body scan: go vegan." This makes two assumptions: first, deep down we care what TSA employees think of our bodies, and that fear is enough to change dietary habits.

Fortunately, New York's LaGuardia and JFK airports are grounding the idea. They rejected the ad, prohibiting its placement near airport body scanners. JCDecaux North America, the company in charge of the airports' advertising, says the decision is based on the company's policy against "nudity or political ads," not because it's that risqué.

I wouldn't say it's risqué either, but just a gross exploitation of two things that should never meet but have: body image and airport security.

Another Reason to Cross-Train: Make That Connecting Flight!

FitSugar — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 05:50:00 PDT

Though I prefer direct flights, it's impossible to get to my hometown flying direct - there are no flights offered. Even though I've instituted a mandatory two-hour layover policy, somehow delays always leave me cutting it close. This past weekend was no exception; after an initial flight delay, I found myself racing through Washington DC's Dulles airport, which consists of three separate buildings connected by trains and shuttle buses. Transferring between gates and terminals presents many obstacles, and as I raced between terminals to make my connection, I couldn't help but laugh at all of the different workouts I managed to squeeze in before I (thankfully) made it to the second plane with 60 seconds to spare.

Speed Read! Do Full Body Scanners Violate Child Porn Laws?

TresSugar — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 09:30:39 PST

Full body scanners might violate child porn laws - The Guardian
Heiress Casey Johnson, found dead yesterday at age 30, revealed the difficulties of being a lesbian socialite - Jezebel
Obama gives the Oval Office a makeover - Huffington Post
Sneak peek at James Franco on 30 Rock - BuzzSugar
David Brooks says the educated class is under siege - New York Times
South Africa now has three first ladies, after its polygamous president married his third wife - The Daily Beast
Spanish supermarkets get deliveries of cocaine hidden in banana boxes thanks to smugglers' slipup - BBC