Transportation Security Administration chief John Pistole is backing off a promise to have an independent panel look into the health effects of the full-body scanners used to screen passengers at the nation's airports. Pistole told a Senate panel this month that there would be an independent study to address some travelers' fears that they will be harmed by scanners that use the so-called backscatter technology. But Pistole later said the TSA recently received a draft report from the inspector general of the Homeland Security Department that confirms the conclusion of previous independent studies that the scanners are safe.

LOS ANGELES TIMES

Your plane may offer free WiFi for holidays Procrastinating holiday elves just gained an extra 30 minutes of shopping time. Gogo, the in-flight WiFi service, is offering 30 minutes of free access on more than 1,200 Internet-equipped aircraft. Participating airlines include Delta, American, AirTran and US Airways, among others. Passengers can click gratis through Jan. 2. Details at www.gogoair.com.

WASHINGTON POST

Priceline.com offers holiday fare calendar Wondering which days are cheapest to fly during the holidays? Check out Priceline's Best Days to Fly calendar at pcln.com/bestdays. It's updated continually.

MCCLATCHY NEWS SERVICE

Website will shop for better car rental deal Sometimes travelers scour the Internet for car rental deals, only to wonder whether they could have found a better price if they had waited. If you book your car rental through AutoSlash.com, it continues to look for a better deal for you. Every day. Four times a day. If it finds the same terms for a cheaper price, it will rebook you at the lower rate. If the new rate is with another company, AutoSlash will e-mail you to ask whether you'd like to switch companies. Dollar, Budget, Hertz, Thrifty and more are all on AutoSlash.

LOS ANGELES TIMES