That’s one of the many bells and whistles Virgin is reportedly going to bring to its U.S. planes, according to Travel Mole. From the article:

• Enabling a traveler’s gadget-conscious lifestyles. Every seat on Virgin’s new airline will have a power plug for laptops and USB chargers for MP3 players, for example.

• Eliminate the hand signals and call button etiquette problem. Virgin America has an online ordering system where passengers can pay through a cashless system.

• Discounts without the discount airports. Other airlines have often out-of-the-way airports but Virgin is flying only from DC to Los Angeles and San Francisco, at least at first.

• Connecting with other passengers. Virgin has what it calls a “seat to seat” chat button built into every seat. Passengers can put their seats into “discoverable” modes to talk.

I’m liking this. I’m not sure if, as the article predicts, this will set a new bar for U.S. airlines, but anything’s possible.

In today’s installment, security expert Bruce Schneier interrogates TSA Administrator Kip Hawley on burning airline security issues, including shoes and scanners that allow screeners to see you sans clothing. The upshot? Don’t chuck those easy-to-remove travel shoes anytime soon.

BS: When can we keep our shoes on?

KH: Any time after you clear security. Sorry, Bruce, I don’t like it either, but this is not just something leftover from 2002. It is a real, current concern. We’re looking at shoe scanners and ways of using millimeter wave and/or backscatter to get there, but until the technology catches up to the risk, the shoes have to go in the bin.

BS: This feels so much like “cover your [expletive deleted&8212;ed.]” security: you’re screening our shoes because everyone knows Richard Reid hid explosives in them, and you’ll be raked over the coals if that particular plot ever happens again. But there are literally thousands of possible plots.

So when does it end?