Neowin.net

Thanks Webgraph for this one, RealNetworks-backed MusicNet is giving a sneak-peek at the digital music subscription service the music industry hopes will help replace online song-swapping services such as Napster and MusicCity.

Strangely enough, it looks and feels much like those same file-trading services, which the record industry has spent two years in court trying to eradicate. But that could turn out to be a benefit, especially if they are to woo a generation of digital music aficionados weaned on Napster and its rivals.

The preview version provided by MusicNet--a joint venture between RealNetworks, AOL Time Warner, Bertelsmann and the EMI Group--is only a taste of what consumers will actually see, however. America Online and RealNetworks each are building the technology into their own services deeply enough that the actual interface and set of features could be very different.

News source: CNet

To screen passengers, aviation authorities are considering biometric scanners that check identities against criminal records and terrorist watch lists, Mr Charles said.

"Biometrics attempts to keep the wrong people off airplanes, instead of trying to keep bombs and weapons off airplanes," Mr Charles said.

Face-recognition systems show promise in matching terrorists' mug shots — garnered from files of the FBI, CIA or Interpol — to faces roaming airport crowds. One such system was installed in June at Iceland's Keflavik International Airport. Others are under consideration in the US.

Biometric systems are already in use by Customs and the INS. The INS' system uses hand-geometry scanning kiosks to permit entry to registered travellers. And Customs' new border-crossing cards for Mexicans store fingerprint data.

Charles said fingerprint identity checks may also appear at check-in counters, where travellers' names and thumbprints are checked against watch lists and criminal records.

But without a US criminal record — or at least a photo and some background information — a terrorist will not be intercepted by a biometric security system.

"What if he's not in anybody's database? He'll walk right through," said Robert Mannal, of KPMG's information risk management office.

Security measures being proposed for aircraft themselves take this reality into consideration.

In Cleveland, ADR Investigation and Protection Corp is discussing installing closed circuit television systems on the jetliners of three airlines, said company president Lex Rosenbaum. He would not name the carriers.

The systems would allow pilots to keep an eye on the passengers while sending streaming video to ground stations, where it could be monitored or stored for a later investigation, Mr Rosenbaum said.

Experts stressed, however, that high-tech systems are merely aids for security personnel whose duties and powers also stand to be augmented.

"Most of this is feel-good stuff," Ms Vincent said. "It avoids taking the hard measures you need to do the job."

But protecting airports and planes will ultimately fail to make Americans safe from terrorism, said William Head, a professor at Indiana University and hijacking researcher.

Terrorists, by their nature, prefer neglected targets where chances for success are greatest, he said.

"You get displacement," Mr Head said. "The terrorist says, 'OK, I can't get on a plane. I'm going to get on a bus."