The days of being able to walk through airport security checkpoints while wearing shoes and a jacket could return if an experimental program proves successful, some Department of Homeland Security officials say.

The Homeland Security-funded project is Future Attribute Screening Technology, or FAST. Instead of focusing on whether you have hidden explosives or whether you’re carrying a weapon, sensors and cameras located at security checkpoints would measure the natural signals coming from your body — your heart rate, breathing, eye movement, body temperature and fidgeting.

There is a new email and text service that will provide travel advice and messages direct to your computer or mobile phone completely free of charge, it will even contact you in emergencies while you are away at your chosen destination. The great new service has been provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) who wish to ensure that all British travellers have all the information they could need when travelling off to a foreign clime. All holidays that are booked through the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) now have the option of signing up for the service.

If you have been putting off starting a new sport until the New Year, it might be worth reminding yourself exactly what Britain is like on January 1. Icy winds and snow will derail even the best of intentions. So, with October’s glorious scenery and – fingers crossed – weather to match, why not start now? Here is a round-up of the top-10 action sports for autumn.

1 Mountainboarding

Federal regulators on Tuesday issued final rules requiring airlines to test and disinfect the tap water served to passengers and used in plane lavatories, an attempt to remedy bacteria contamination found in onboard water.

The Environmental Protection Agency rules set out schedules for how frequently airlines must flush and disinfect the water systems on planes and test for coliform bacteria.

Coliform are usually not harmful, but they are considered an indicator of the presence of disease-causing germs.

Germany may have started the trend, but travelers can now find great beer gardens in destinations like Melbourne and Beijing.

You’re parked on a wooden bench surrounded by friends, under a wide umbrella that provides shade from the autumn afternoon sun. On the table are steins of Hefeweizen and a heaping plate of pork sausage to share. The crowd breaks into spontaneous chants: Ziggy Zoggy Ziggy Zoggy OI OI OI! Glasses clink and a waitress appears, carrying a heavy tray brimming with the next round.

And you’re in…Queens.

United Airlines has launched a program that waives certain checked baggage charges in exchange for an annual subscription fee.

The introductory price for Premier Baggage is $249 a year, which allows a customer to check two standard bags without paying extra. The subscription fee also covers baggage charges for up to eight people traveling on the same confirmation number.

Airline fees have proliferated as carriers struggle for revenue amid sharply reduced business travel and lower fares. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, baggage fees brought in more than $670 million for U.S. airlines in the second quarter.