US aviation security authorities on Tuesday unveiled new software aimed at quelling an uproar about full-body scanners used to screen passengers — the new software will no longer produce an image of the actual person.

The Transportation Security Administration is deploying new software for scanners in three US airports that will show screeners an alert on a generic male or female figure only if an anomaly is detected and highlight the spot of concern.

The agency has been under fire for using the full-body scanners — designed to detect hidden explosives or other weapons — because they showed a revealing picture of a person. Travelers and civil liberties advocates argued they were unconstitutional and an invasion of privacy.

“We believe it addresses the privacy issues that have been raised since the AIT (advanced imaging technology) equipment has been deployed since the fall of ’07,” TSA Administrator John Pistole told reporters after a demonstration of the new software at a testing facility at Reagan National Airport in Washington.

TSA has begun using the new software on a scanner at Las Vegas McCarran Airport and will expand it to one each at Atlanta Airport and National Airport in the coming days.

“We have high hopes for it, but obviously we want to make sure that we are getting it right in terms of not only lab testing… but also operationally tested in these airports,” Pistole said.

A few months ago Pistole said that similar software used on body scanners in Europe had too many problems with detecting real threats, but TSA officials said they have worked with the manufacturer and their technology experts to address those issues for the scanners in the United States.

If the tests are successful, TSA plans to use the software in all of the scanner machines in service. There are about 500 full-body machines at 78 US airports.

The new software presently only works with the millimeter wave scanners made by L-3 Communications, about half of the machines in use, but they are working on similar software for the scanners that use backscatter technology.

TSA hopes to double the number of full-body scanners at US airports this year, but that could be difficult because of the current fight between the Congress and the Obama administration over the federal budget.

The administration has raced to use more of the body scanners after the failed attempt on Christmas Day 2009 by a Nigerian man who is accused of trying to ignite a bomb hidden in his underwear aboard a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit.

If passengers decline to go through the body scanners, they have been required to undergo a physical patdown by a TSA officer which includes their groin and chest areas, provoking further backlash about invasion of privacy.

Despite the public uproar in November about the scanners, only about 132 people filed complaints with the TSA about the screening procedures that month, according to figures released by the Department of Transportation…..What do you guys think about all of this??

This past week, I decided to make the plunge to travel solo, completely, for a month in Ireland. I don’t know anyone. I have no travel companion. What these sites and articles didn’t tell me was just how to make that plunge, how to actually click that purchase button and give it a try. If you are trying to travel solo, but just can’t make that move, here are a few of the ways I made that click happen.

Don’t Think, Just Do—I was sitting around, looking at the airfares. I have always felt that if you see a good rate, just go with it. That is exactly what I did. I saw a great rate to Ireland, but I knew if I waited, it would be gone. This is where my thinking went out the window and I just did it.

Plan The Details Later—I had thought before making the decision to travel solo that I should have all of my plans, know exactly where I want to go, what I want to see and how much it will cost me. However, planning gets in the way of actually doing. Sometimes you need that motivation of an actual plane ticket to make those travel plans happen. I will spend the next few months planning my trip, but if I didn’t have that ticket, I may not have had that urgency to do so.

Talk to People—Having my own travel blog, I posted my hesitations on actually traveling solo. I was overwhelmed with responses and encouragements to click purchase. I think those voices had a lot to do with me actually thinking I can travel solo. If you don’t have a travel blog, you can always reach out to friends and family, get their thoughts. Sometimes we need either someone telling us we can’t do something or saying we can to do it to actually make the plunge.

Stop Fretting About Loneliness—I often say traveling solo shouldn’t be a giant opportunity to socialize. Sure, it is important to meet people, but you should meet the place as well. I think fears of being lonely hold many potential solo travelers back. If your dream is to head off to Italy for a month, but you have no one to go with, don’t let fears of being alone stop a dream. I had the realization that even if no one can go with me, I shouldn’t let it stop me from traveling were I want to when I can.

Find Subtle Inspiration—For me it was a simple old man in the airport. He was traveling alone and just walked up to me asking if I would alert him when they said we would be boarding. He did this with such courage and ease. I imagine if you can ask for help at 70 and travel alone, surely I can do the same. It is important to look out for these subtle moments of solo travel plunge inspiration. If you are on the lookout, you may just find yourself inspired by something or someone and click that purchase button.

How do you make the plunge to click that purchase button when going it alone?

Maine, USA—With a slogan on the state sign, “The Way Life Should Be”, there was just something about Maine I couldn’t quite shake. It could be its natural beauty. Then again, it could be its lighthouses seemingly plucked from the great American novel. Christmas trees made of lobster cages might be the other reason why Maine amazed me this year.

Paestum, Italy—Ruins that Italians seem to preserve reside in a quite town south of the Amalfi Coast. It could be so quiet as most travelers don’t head further south of Positano while in Italy. Paestum holds some of the most impressive ruins and temples I have seen. Eeriness lingers in the air in between the ruins and ancient streets. No one was swarming these Italian ruins in the middle of summer and perhaps that only added to their appeal.

Porto, Portugal—Lisbon steals away most of Portugal’s attention, but its northern city warrants ample time. The red roofs of Porto and open market smelling for fresh fish gave me a taste of a more edgy Lisbon. Port wine lovers will find their drink of choice in abundance in the city.

Barcelona, Spain—Barcelona does not need my praise, but if you haven’t been, go. The city will enchant you with its park benches for people watching, high fashion and dreamlike architecture. Gaudi fans can appreciate the city. Those looking for a cultural experience should head to a football match or attend one of the city’s neighborhood festivals like the Gracia Festival in August.

Vaduz, Liechtenstein—One of the smallest countries in the world boasts a capital that doesn’t even have a train station. What it does contain is a mystically looking castle complete with a prince. While you can’t enter the castle, Vaduz makes for a great stop in 2011 just to see the medieval castle encased in greenery up high on a hill, as it should be.

Bolzano, Italy—I don’t think I can rave about Bolzano anymore. Oh wait, I can. Rounding out one of my favorite Italian cities, Bolzano makes for a surprising escape from Italy while still in the country. Cars stop as you cross the street. German is spoken almost more than Italian. Throw in a visit to see Ützi, a 5,000 year old Iceman, along with a cable car ride up to a number of Dolomite villages and you have one of the most fascinating cities in Italy.

Devil’s Head, Colorado—I had to throw in a place from my home state. This year I revisited a favorite climb of mine in Colorado, Devil’s Head. Once you reach the top, the panorama will astound, opening up the viewer to the idea of making a date with this devil again.

What are some of your favorite places you visited in 2010?

Reading one of these lists, a jacket claims to eliminate the need for a bag. Yes, you can fit all of your gizmos in this jacket and two days worth of clothes, apparently. Not only would I love to see someone use this jacket and walk around like a weighed down marshmallow, but also I can’t help but wonder, have we overcomplicated travel with these gadgets and gizmos?

In the olden days of travel, you didn’t have these “necessary” gadgets. That was the beauty of travel. You were leaving your life, belongings and familiarity behind in search of adventure, in search of the unknown. Now, we take our lives by way of an iPhone, an entire wardrobe and cling to anything that will make a destination more familiar than unfamiliar.

Carrying the weight of the world and his wardrobe on his shoulders

I admit I am guilty of taking too much at times. For my three months in Europe this summer, I brought all manner of beauty products for while I knew Italy would have everything, it would be triple the price. At the same time, I don’t need a special clothesline that will hang my clothes for me or a particular case that promises to compress all of my belongings into a tight air sealed compartment as thin as a piece of paper. I have found those gadgets end up on the floor as my suitcase and I glide off in to the distance.

The essence of travel for those back in the days without advanced technology was not how will I pack, but rather, how will I get there, what will I see, how will I survive and how will I be changed. Travel gadgets and the like tend to cloud those questions today. It isn’t so much about how you will get there and adapt, but what item will make it better, more enjoyable, easier on the traveler. Don’t get me wrong. I love Shout Wipes just like the next traveler, but I think we all need to go a little back to basics when it comes to travel, perhaps eliminating the need for jackets that carry us and our lives along with travel hammocks and yoga in a bag.

Could you travel in these shoes? The Vikings could.

I apologize for the lack of gift ideas for travelers but here is my back to basics travel gift guide simply. Buy plain luggage for that friend that won’t travel. Get them out the door with the means to do so. Gift guidebooks and travel novels for mental and physical travel inspiration. Go to a café when you get to your destination for coffee rather than loading up your backpack with instant coffee. Hand out gift cards to airlines to facilitate travel. Show someone the wonders of rolling clothes so that you don’t need to take that travel underwear that promises to ring out in an hour so you only need one pair. You need more than one. Don’t let a travel gadget tell you otherwise.

In the mean time, I will just take these travel gadgets in stride and hope someday we don’t need all of the compartments and space savers to make travel easier. Travel shouldn’t be easy as pie but it also should not be solely about products that ease us into adapting to traveling. It should be more like in the days of old. Load up your trunk. Say goodbye to family like there isn’t Skype. Be on your way with less gadgets and more room for travel itself.

Do you think travel is too bogged down with gadgets? Are we too pampered these days as travelers that our travels are somewhat clouded?