Magnetic Magazine (blog)

Travel In Style With Moshi This Spring: Sleek Bags + Headphones, A Relaxing Playlist and Free Tickets To See Hernan ... Magnetic Magazine (blog) Spring is in the air and hopefully you will be too on your way to some exotic destination or even to Miami Music Week. Magnetic has teamed up with SF based Moshi (makers of fine bags, headphones and iPhone accessories) to give you this stellar mix of ...

Read this article:

Travel In Style With Moshi This Spring: Sleek Bags + Headphones, A Relaxing Playlist and Free Tickets To See Hernan ... - Magnetic Magazine (blog)

In just a few weeks, the 2nd annual Fools Paradiseis going down in sunny St. Augustine, FL. From theNorth Florida locals hopping in their cars for a quick drive,to thescores ofpeopleflying in from all over the countryto join the party,excitement is building for what is shaping up to be an unforgettable event! Here area fewof the many reasons to come to Fools Paradise and let your Funk Fool flag fly!

The Music:

Two nights of Lettuce, along with sets from Joe Russos Almost Dead (with Jeff Chimenti), The Floozies, The Motet, The Main Squeeze, Organ Freeman, and a special Manic Science collaboration between Manic Focus and Break Science over two days? Please, and thank you. Add Artist-at-Large spots from Oteil Burbridge and Antwaun Stanley (Vulfpeck collaborator) and were cooking with gas! With all these musicians on deck, you can expect several cross-collaborations.

When the music wraps upat the Amphitheatre, there will be late-night after-shows just across the way featuring the first-ever Infinity Jam hosted by Eric Krasno and Oteil Burbridge, a Fools For Funk performance with members of Lettuce and Dumpstaphunk, and standalone sets from Jaw Gems, Dumpstaphunk, and Eric Krasno Band.Just reading through this lineupis enough to get your adrenaline pumping

The Beach

St. Augustineboasts some of the most scenic and beautiful beachesalong the eastern coast of Florida. They are expansive (42 miles worth of beaches), relaxing, and full of fun things to do during the day before the festival sets get moving. With Fools Paradise taking place at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, you can spend your day in Anastasia State Park, the perfect place to kick it with friends, get some sun, swim in the ocean, lay in a hammock, or hike nature trails. After all, there is a reason the park was voted #6 in a recent ranking of the top 100 State Parksin the United States. But dont limit yourself to just Anastasia State Parkthats just one of the many beaches St. Augustine has to enjoy as you follow the line going South down A1A.

The Town

St. Augustine is known, historically, as the home of the fabled Fountain of Youth, the mythical beacon of immortality sought by Spanish explorer Ponce DeLen.But even beyond this fascinating storyline,St. Augustine has seen more than its fair share of historical moments, from pirate invasions, to attacks on the city, tobattles between Native Americans and the Spanish. The town evenused to act as a safe haven for runaway slaves! St. Augustinewas also a keylocation for Dr. Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights movement where influential protests received national attentionhelping swayPresident Johnsonto signanti-segregationmeasuresinto law.

The old town area on the mainland, where Flagler College is located, has plenty of great restaurants, bars, and places to see, before crossing back over the Bridge of Lions to the beachside to get your music fill. If you want to get your pirate on, stop at the St. Augustine Distillery, where they make their own small batch Rum, Gin, Vodka, and Whiskey.

Artist Excursions

Fools Paradise is one of the very few festivals in which fans get the opportunity interact and kick it with their favorite artists. You want to go on a two-hour nautical adventure with The Shady Horns, as they spin a two-hour DJ set at sea? Come aboard!How about a round of Putt-Putt Golfwith Jesus Coomes (Lettuce), Antwaun Stanley, and Lyle Divinsky (The Motet)? Fools has you covered.Maybe Ping-Pong is your game.well, Lettuces drummer Adam Deitch and guitarist Adam Shmeeans Smirnoff are holding their own tournament at the Elks Lodge, with all proceeds benefittingThe Water Collective. Sign up today!Space is limited for these artist excursions more information can be found here.

The Weather

The weather in St. Augustine this time of year is about as good as it gets. Last years weather was virtually perfect, with temperatures hovering around the low to mid-80s, plenty of sun to enjoy the beach, and a nice beachside breeze to cool things off. As the music started on the second day, everything was smooth sailing for what was one of the best weekends in 2016. Important to note: the St. Augustine Amphitheatre is open air, but fully covered, so you dont have to worry about getting wet inside the venue, in case of inclement weather.For the millions of people doing their best to stay warm amid messy winter conditions, a weekend in the sun probably doesnt sound too bad right about now

With just a couple of short weeks to go untilFools Paradise, tickets and camping/hotel packages are going fast. For additional information, check out festival website for all options available to attendees.

Excerpt from:

Why Lettuce's Fool's Paradise Is The Musical Vacation You Need Right Now - Live for Live Music

More Meditation Classes Offered

Cant make it to Susi Walters meditation classes in Clinton Township? Similar sessions are set for 7 p.m. May 5, 10 and 17 at LAnse Creuse Middle School North. Call 586-783-6330 to register.

You also can meditate with Walter Saturday mornings at the Shelby Township Senior Center from 9 to 10 a.m. March 11, 18, and 25. She will offer a special workshop on forgiveness April 22 and 29 and May 6 and 13. Call 586-731-0300 to register.

Have you ever tried to meditate? Its no surprise meditation is good for you, and undoubtedly most people have tried to quiet their minds at least once. But to most untrained meditators, thinking about nothing usually leads to thoughts about everything: Am I doing this right? Is this a waste of time? What else could I be doing?

You can learn how to silent those pesky thoughts and how to properly meditate by attending Susi Walters Tuesday evening meditation sessions at the Clinton Township Senior Center. The classes are set from 7 to 8 p.m., with sessions taking place in March, April, May and June. They are open to the public, and all ages are welcome. The cost is $40 per session.

Anyone might consider attending who is interested in learning how to meditate, improving quality of life, and holding peace within, Walter said. Meditation may help in every aspect of life. It is possible to heal the body, mind and spirit through consistent practice.

Walter, who is certified in mindful meditation through the University of Holistic Theory, begins class by discussing meditation techniques. Shell play relaxing music in the background, and the lights are slightly dimmed. She guides the class by reading meditation scripts. She also explains some fundamentals, like chakras (an energy center in the body), and auras (an electromagnetic field that extends about four or five feet around the body).

Advertisement

Typically, classes focus on relaxing the body, clearing the mind, releasing physical and emotional pain, and seeing and feeling auric energy. However, Walter does offer specialty sessions emphasizing forgiveness, releasing stress and anxiety, living with illness, grief, goal setting, breaking habits, sparking creativity and more. Shes open to suggestions from participants, she said.

Students have the option to sit or rest lying down on the floor with mats and pillows. Its important to be comfortable while meditating, so participants are welcome to sit in a cushioned chair if theyre uneasy about getting down on the floor.

Meditation is now being used in clinical interventions to help improve health and well-being. Higher levels of mindfulness is related to decreased stress, which leads to better health, and evidence suggests meditation can even improve cognitive abilities such as sustained attention and working memory.

I am thrilled that many scientific and modern medicinal groups have begun to validate meditation as a true healing modality. I have had people come to my classes as a last resort for help, said Walter, who has been teaching meditation for 10 years. It has aided so many of them who were in desperate need of healing. Many hospitals are implementing integrative medicine departments and prescribing holistic remedies, such as meditation and energy healing in order to complement contemporary medicine.

The Clinton Township Senior Center is located at 40730 Romeo Plank Road. To register for the meditation class, call 586-286-9333.

Follow this link:

Learn how to calm the mind, heal the body through meditation - The Macomb Daily

Horror film The Devils Candy(out March 17) has generated terrific buzz since it premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2015. But one person who hasnt seen it yet is cast member Shiri Appleby. Ive been on the move so much, I just havent had an opportunity, says the UnREAL actress. I dont want to see it without an audience, because I know its the kind of movie that really deserves that. Also? Imscared to see it! she admits.

In this film from Tasmanian director Sean Byrne (The Loved Ones), Appleby and Ethan Embry play a couple who, together with their daughter (Kiara Glasco), move into a remote house with a dark past and find themselves targeted by Pruitt Taylor Vinces unhinged local. Ive never worked with somebody who had such a clear vision, says Appleby of Byrne. He knew completely the story he wanted to be telling. I felt like he was really driven. Hes a real artist.

RELATED: 20 Celebs Who Starred in Horror Movies Before They Made it Big

In the film, Embrys character is a metalhead, and Appleby says the actor encouraged her to check out the genre. I hadnt listened to that much heavy metal before the movie, she explains. Ethan really got into it, and it felt like it really became part of the experience of making the movie.So, is Appleby now cranking up the Metallica on the drive to work? No! she says. Im shooting UnREAL. The world of UnREAL is crazy enough. I get in the car and try to listen to some nice peaceful, relaxing music to counterpoint the dark world I have to get involved in as soon as I hit set.

The Devils Candy isnt Applebys first foray into horror. Back in the late 80s, the then-preteenappeared in a film called Curse II: The Bite. What was that about? I feel like it was about a snake that came out of somebodys arm that was biting people, she replies, uncertainly. There were a lot of special effects and smoke. You know we are one 100 percent going to track the film down, right? Okay, she laughs. Youll have to let me know how it was!

Watch the trailer for The Devils Candy below and an exclusive clip from the film above.

The Devils Candy will be available in select theaters, on VOD, and via digital platforms on March 17from IFC Midnight.

Follow this link:

The Devil's Candy: See an exclusive clip - EW.com (blog)

Patch.com

Snow Day Movies: 13 Patch Picks Patch.com The cameos by stars such as Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin as everyday people make this a classic anytime. Every scene is pure Chicago and it never gets old. Good soothing, relaxing music is perfect to have on in the background on a snow day." Tim ...

See the rest here:

Snow Day Movies: 13 Patch Picks - Patch.com

Jazz vocalist Stacey Kent and her husband, tenor saxophonist Jim Tomlinson, return to Salt Lake City on Monday, March 20, at the Capitol Theatre for a concert featuring music from the "Great American Songbook."

We havent toured as much (this year)," Kent said in an interview. "Every year has a different rhythm and this year weve been smarter about our touring. Even though were relaxing, Jim and I are working on a big project. Its an orchestral composition with a 53-piece orchestra, and Jim has written some beautiful new songs.

Along with her husband and their children, she said they are relaxing, skiing and composing in Colorado.

Gordon Hanks, founder of the Jazz SLC concert series, considers Kent and Tomlinson part of his extended family.

"They are an amazing husband-and-wife team and a crowd favorite, Hanks said.

Though the idea of working day in and day out with a spouse could seem daunting to some, Kent said she relishes the experience.

Besides being husband and wife we are best friends," she said. "It sounds corny, but when we were lined up on a blind date by some friends of friends, we hit it off immediately. It was love at first sight. We liked the same music, laughed at the same things and had complete respect for each other, plus the push-pull tension we have between each other keeps things interesting. The formulas work for us.

Interestingly enough, music was not in Kents plans when she was in college, she said. She sang and enjoyed music but everything changed when she studied abroad in London, enrolled in a graduate program in music and drama, and met Tomlinson.

Had we not met, I probably would have remained in the academic world, but it all changed with that encounter," she said. "My life would have been so completely different, but when you are young, like we were, everything can change at the drop of a hat.

Kent is fluent in Portuguese, French, German and Italian and adds that to her vocalist repertoire.

Ive always been interested in language and there is something very intimate and personal if you can sing to people in their own language," she said. "My grandfather was such a pivotal mentor in my life. When I was growing up, we used to listen to all types of music together. He looked at life with such tenderness that it affected me deeply in the way I listen to music. Brazilian music resonates with us because of that intimate connection.

Rest assured, that whatever language Stacey chooses to sing, it will be heartfelt and emotional, Hanks said. She never disappoints.

If you go

What: Stacey Kent and Jim Tomlinson

When: Monday, March 20, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South

How much: $29.50 for general, $10 for students with ID

Web: artsaltlake.org

Phone: 801-355-2787

Jeff Metcalf is a professor of English at the University of Utah and an avid jazz fan.

Originally posted here:

Stacey Kent's at home with Jazz SLC concert series - Deseret News

More Meditation Classes Offered

Cant make it to Susi Walters meditation classes in Clinton Township? Similar sessions are set for 7 p.m. May 5, 10 and 17 at LAnse Creuse Middle School North. Call 586-783-6330 to register.

You also can meditate with Walter Saturday mornings at the Shelby Township Senior Center from 9 to 10 a.m. March 11, 18, and 25. She will offer a special workshop on forgiveness April 22 and 29 and May 6 and 13. Call 586-731-0300 to register.

Have you ever tried to meditate? Its no surprise meditation is good for you, and undoubtedly most people have tried to quiet their minds at least once. But to most untrained meditators, thinking about nothing usually leads to thoughts about everything: Am I doing this right? Is this a waste of time? What else could I be doing?

You can learn how to silent those pesky thoughts and how to properly meditate by attending Susi Walters Tuesday evening meditation sessions at the Clinton Township Senior Center. The classes are set from 7 to 8 p.m., with sessions taking place in March, April, May and June. They are open to the public, and all ages are welcome. The cost is $40 per session.

Anyone might consider attending who is interested in learning how to meditate, improving quality of life, and holding peace within, Walter said. Meditation may help in every aspect of life. It is possible to heal the body, mind and spirit through consistent practice.

Walter, who is certified in mindful meditation through the University of Holistic Theory, begins class by discussing meditation techniques. Shell play relaxing music in the background, and the lights are slightly dimmed. She guides the class by reading meditation scripts. She also explains some fundamentals, like chakras (an energy center in the body), and auras (an electromagnetic field that extends about four or five feet around the body).

Advertisement

Typically, classes focus on relaxing the body, clearing the mind, releasing physical and emotional pain, and seeing and feeling auric energy. However, Walter does offer specialty sessions emphasizing forgiveness, releasing stress and anxiety, living with illness, grief, goal setting, breaking habits, sparking creativity and more. Shes open to suggestions from participants, she said.

Students have the option to sit or rest lying down on the floor with mats and pillows. Its important to be comfortable while meditating, so participants are welcome to sit in a cushioned chair if theyre uneasy about getting down on the floor.

Meditation is now being used in clinical interventions to help improve health and well-being. Higher levels of mindfulness is related to decreased stress, which leads to better health, and evidence suggests meditation can even improve cognitive abilities such as sustained attention and working memory.

I am thrilled that many scientific and modern medicinal groups have begun to validate meditation as a true healing modality. I have had people come to my classes as a last resort for help, said Walter, who has been teaching meditation for 10 years. It has aided so many of them who were in desperate need of healing. Many hospitals are implementing integrative medicine departments and prescribing holistic remedies, such as meditation and energy healing in order to complement contemporary medicine.

The Clinton Township Senior Center is located at 40730 Romeo Plank Road. To register for the meditation class, call 586-286-9333.

See the article here:

Learn how to calm the mind, heal the body through meditation - The Daily Tribune

Photo Credit: Christiaan Colen / Flickr

Since 2009, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have been allowed to search electronic devices carried by citizens or noncitizens as they cross the border into the United States from other countries. More recently, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly suggested this digital vetting should also include harvesting social media passwords. Kellys proposal prompted legal and technology experts to respond with an open letter expressing deep concern about any policy that demands that individuals violate the first rule of online security: Do not share your passwords.

Travelers themselves responded, too, looking for ways to avoid surrendering their device passwords to federal agents. One approach what we might call the Nothing To See Here method tries to make a device unsearchable by erasing the hard drive before travel, uninstalling social media apps, letting the devices battery charge run out or even wiping the device if an emergency or duress password was entered.

The Id Love To Comply, But I Cant approach involves exotic solutions like installing two-factor authentication on the device or social media account, and then making the second factor (such as a passcode or digital key) available only in a remote location. Retrieving the second factor would require a warrant and travel outside the border crossing.

These methods are dangerous because they put an already stressed traveler in the position of defying law enforcement at the border, a legal environment that is designed to support the government and not the traveler. Following this advice properly also requires careful execution of technical skills that most travelers dont have. And the degree of advance planning and preparation required might itself be considered a sign of suspicious activity requiring deeper scrutiny by border officials.

But its tempting to wonder: Could computer scientists and software designers like me create a better password system? Can we make Id Love To Comply, But I Cant the only possible answer for every traveler? In short, can we create passwords even their owners dont know?

The search for the unknowable password

Developing unknowable passwords is an active area of security research. In 2012, a team from Stanford University, Northwestern University and the SRI research center developed a scheme for using a computer game similar to Guitar Hero to train the subconscious brain to learn a series of keystrokes. When a musician memorizes how to play a piece of music, she doesnt need to think about each note or sequence. It becomes an ingrained, trained reaction usable as a password but nearly impossible even for the musician to spell out note by note, or for the user to disclose letter by letter.

In addition, the system is designed so that even if the password is discovered, the attacker is unable to enter the keystrokes with the same fluidity as the trained user. The combination of keystrokes and ease of performance uniquely ties the password to the user, while freeing the user from having to remember anything consciously.

Unfortunately, in our border travel scenario, the agent could demand that the traveler unlock the device or application using the subconscious password.

A team at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, proposed a different solution in 2016. Their solution, called Chill-Pass, measures an individuals unique brain chemistry response while listening to her choice of relaxing music. This biometric reaction becomes part of the users log-in process. If a user is under duress, she will be unable to relax enough to match her previously measured chill state, and the log-in will fail.

It is unclear whether CBP agents would be able to defeat a system like Chill-Pass by providing travelers with, say, massage chairs and spa treatments. Even so, the stresses of daily life would make it impractical to use this kind of password regularly. A relaxation-based system would be most useful for people undertaking high-stakes missions where they fear coercion.

And just like with other plans to make CBP scrutiny impossible, this might end up attracting more attention to a traveler, rather than encouraging officers to give up and move on to the next person.

Can you score security?

In 2015, Google announced Project Abacus, another solution to the Id Love To Comply, But I Cant problem. It replaces the traditional password with a Trust Score, a proprietary cocktail of characteristics that Google has determined can identify you. The score includes biometric factors like your typing patterns, walking speed, voice patterns and facial expressions. And it can include your location and other unspecified elements.

The Trust Score calculator constantly runs in the background of a smartphone or other device, updating itself with new information and recalculating the score throughout the day. If the Trust Score falls below a certain threshold, say by observing a strange typing pattern or an unfamiliar location, the system will require the user to enter additional authentication credentials.

Its unclear how a Trust Score authentication might affect a border search. A CBP agent could still demand that a traveler unlock the device and its apps. But if the agency couldnt disable the Trust Score system, the phones owner would have to be allowed to hold the device and use it throughout the agents inspection. If someone else tried to use it, the constantly recalculated Trust Score could fall, locking out an investigator.

That process would at least ensure a phones owner knew what information federal agents were collecting from the phone. That hasnt been possible for some arriving travelers, including U.S. citizens and even government employees.

But the Trust Score system puts a lot of control in the hands of Google, a for-profit corporation that could decide or could be compelled to provide government with a way around it.

So now what?

None of these technological solutions to the password problem is perfect, and none of them is commercially available today. Until research, industry and innovation come up with better ones, whats a digital age traveler to do?

First, do not lie to a federal agent. Thats a felony and will definitely attract more unwanted attention from investigators.

Next, determine how much inconvenience you are willing to tolerate in order to remain silent or to refuse to comply. Noncompliance will have a cost: Your devices could be seized and your travel could be seriously disrupted.

Either way, if and when you are asked for your social media handles or passwords, or to unlock your devices, pay attention and remember as many details as you can. Then, if you wish, alert a digital civil liberties group that this happened. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a web page with instructions for how to report a device search at the border.

If you think that sensitive materials might have been compromised in the search, notify family, friends and colleagues who might be affected. And until we figure out a better way change your passwords.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Megan Squireis aProfessor of Computing Sciences at Elon University.

Visit link:

Why We Should Not Know Our Own Passwords | Alternet - AlterNet

FAIRBANKS Sara Grocott has been drawn to creams and potions since she was a teenager spending her allowance on drug-store anti-aging cream.

Later, when she worked in a greenhouse, Grocott would go around reminding her co-workers to wear sunblock.

She eventually went to beauty school to study skin care.

In 2015, she opened Spruce and Feather Skincare and Lash, offering help with skin problems and pampering with facials. She provides beauty tips and services such as waxing and semi-permanent false eyelashes.

The skin care studio is tucked in a neighborhood off Geist Road in the same building as a licensed massage therapist.

Grocott sees both men and women by appointment only and is booked out by a few weeks.

I am told by clients that I am their little secret, said the 36-year-old who grew up in Fairbanks and attended West Valley High School and the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Her fees range from $55 for a facial to $180 for a full set of false eyelashes. Waxing starts at $20 for a brow wax.

Grocott also offers a line of high-end skin care products by Rhonda Allison.

She attended the Aveda Institute in Portland after studying art in college and deciding to pursue a trade so she could have a steady paycheck.

It made sense for me to make sure that I had a job out of art school, she said.

Studying dermatology in medical school was never appealing.

I didnt want to tell people that they have cancer or prescribe pharmaceuticals, she said.

Spruce and Feather is tastefully decorated with vinyl flooring, mid-century modern furniture and numerous plants.

Grocott has cultivated a spa atmosphere with aromatherapy and relaxing music.

You come in and it is just about you, she said. We lock the door. The service is about this being your space and your time.

One of the most rewarding moments for Grocott was when a 90-year-old woman enjoyed her facial so much that she wept.

I love art and I love flowers and I love beautiful things, and I love making people feel good, Grocott said.

Contact staff writer Amanda Bohman at 459-7587. Follow her on Twitter: @FDNMborough.

Link:

Beauty expert wants to help people look good and feel good - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Since 2009, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have been allowed to search electronic devices carried by citizens or noncitizens as they cross the border into the United States from other countries. More recently, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly suggested this digital vetting should also include harvesting social media passwords. Kellys proposal prompted legal and technology experts to respond with an open letter expressing deep concern about any policy that demands that individuals violate the first rule of online security: Do not share your passwords.

Travelers themselves responded, too, looking for ways to avoid surrendering their device passwords to federal agents. One approach what we might call the Nothing To See Here method tries to make a device unsearchable by erasing the hard drive before travel, uninstalling social media apps, letting the devices battery charge run out or even wiping the device if an emergency or duress password was entered.

The Id Love To Comply, But I Cant approach involves exotic solutions like installing two-factor authentication on the device or social media account, and then making the second factor (such as a passcode or digital key) available only in a remote location. Retrieving the second factor would require a warrant and travel outside the border crossing.

These methods are dangerous because they put an already stressed traveler in the position of defying law enforcement at the border, a legal environment that is designed to support the government and not the traveler. Following this advice properly also requires careful execution of technical skills that most travelers dont have. And the degree of advance planning and preparation required might itself be considered a sign of suspicious activity requiring deeper scrutiny by border officials.

But its tempting to wonder: Could computer scientists and software designers like me create a better password system? Can we make Id Love To Comply, But I Cant the only possible answer for every traveler? In short, can we create passwords even their owners dont know?

Developing unknowable passwords is an active area of security research. In 2012, a team from Stanford University, Northwestern University and the SRI research center developed a scheme for using a computer game similar to Guitar Hero to train the subconscious brain to learn a series of keystrokes. When a musician memorizes how to play a piece of music, she doesnt need to think about each note or sequence. It becomes an ingrained, trained reaction usable as a password but nearly impossible even for the musician to spell out note by note, or for the user to disclose letter by letter.

In addition, the system is designed so that even if the password is discovered, the attacker is unable to enter the keystrokes with the same fluidity as the trained user. The combination of keystrokes and ease of performance uniquely ties the password to the user, while freeing the user from having to remember anything consciously.

Unfortunately, in our border travel scenario, the agent could demand that the traveler unlock the device or application using the subconscious password.

Could this be the new way to log in online? Listening to headphones via shutterstock.com

A team at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, proposed a different solution in 2016. Their solution, called Chill-Pass, measures an individuals unique brain chemistry response while listening to her choice of relaxing music. This biometric reaction becomes part of the users log-in process. If a user is under duress, she will be unable to relax enough to match her previously measured chill state, and the log-in will fail.

It is unclear whether CBP agents would be able to defeat a system like Chill-Pass by providing travelers with, say, massage chairs and spa treatments. Even so, the stresses of daily life would make it impractical to use this kind of password regularly. A relaxation-based system would be most useful for people undertaking high-stakes missions where they fear coercion.

And just like with other plans to make CBP scrutiny impossible, this might end up attracting more attention to a traveler, rather than encouraging officers to give up and move on to the next person.

In 2015, Google announced Project Abacus, another solution to the Id Love To Comply, But I Cant problem. It replaces the traditional password with a Trust Score, a proprietary cocktail of characteristics that Google has determined can identify you. The score includes biometric factors like your typing patterns, walking speed, voice patterns and facial expressions. And it can include your location and other unspecified elements.

The Trust Score calculator constantly runs in the background of a smartphone or other device, updating itself with new information and recalculating the score throughout the day. If the Trust Score falls below a certain threshold, say by observing a strange typing pattern or an unfamiliar location, the system will require the user to enter additional authentication credentials.

Its unclear how a Trust Score authentication might affect a border search. A CBP agent could still demand that a traveler unlock the device and its apps. But if the agency couldnt disable the Trust Score system, the phones owner would have to be allowed to hold the device and use it throughout the agents inspection. If someone else tried to use it, the constantly recalculated Trust Score could fall, locking out an investigator.

That process would at least ensure a phones owner knew what information federal agents were collecting from the phone. That hasnt been possible for some arriving travelers, including U.S. citizens and even government employees.

But the Trust Score system puts a lot of control in the hands of Google, a for-profit corporation that could decide or could be compelled to provide government with a way around it.

None of these technological solutions to the password problem is perfect, and none of them is commercially available today. Until research, industry and innovation come up with better ones, whats a digital age traveler to do?

First, do not lie to a federal agent. Thats a felony and will definitely attract more unwanted attention from investigators.

Next, determine how much inconvenience you are willing to tolerate in order to remain silent or to refuse to comply. Noncompliance will have a cost: Your devices could be seized and your travel could be seriously disrupted.

Either way, if and when you are asked for your social media handles or passwords, or to unlock your devices, pay attention and remember as many details as you can. Then, if you wish, alert a digital civil liberties group that this happened. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a web page with instructions for how to report a device search at the border.

If you think that sensitive materials might have been compromised in the search, notify family, friends and colleagues who might be affected. And until we figure out a better way change your passwords.

Megan Squire, Professor of Computing Sciences, Elon University. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Here is the original post:

Why We Should Not Know Our Own Passwords - Government Technology