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FAA writing rules for electric aircraft, to allow public to fly them in the next decade

Michael Gorman — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:33:00 EST

There are those in the general aviation community who think electric planes are the future for private aircraft, but regulatory hurdles are in place preventing them from proliferating in our skies. You see, current FAA requirements for light sport aircraft (LSA) -- planes that can be flown by anyone with a pilot's license -- preclude electric powerplants, and that makes such planes unavailable to most private pilots. Well, today at the CAFE Electric Aircraft Symposium, FAA analyst Tom Gunnarson delivered some good news for flying EV advocates, stating that the FAA has completed its regulatory study on electric aircraft, and the rulemaking process will begin soon. Once those rules have been written, electrically-propelled aircraft will be available for use as LSA by the public, which isn't possible today given their current status as experimental craft. The bad news? Governmental wheels spin slowly, and Gunnarson said that incorporating those new rules into the current regulatory framework will take five years if we're lucky, but ten years is a more likely time frame for the FAA to finish. In the meantime, you'll have to settle for air shows or terrestrial transport to get your EV fix.

FAA writing rules for electric aircraft, to allow public to fly them in the next decade originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Terrafugia Transition aircraft first hands-on (video)

Tim Stevens — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:36:00 EST

People used to say that cars in the '50s and '60s had fins, giant wing-like protuberances that designers grafted on to capitalize on the fledgling concepts of aerodynamics. Your fist impression of the Terrafugia Transition is much the same as standing next to a 1959 Coupe de Ville -- it's huge, and the giant vertical stabilizers on the back have a distinctly Cadillac feel. This, however, is different. Sure, it too is made in the US, but it's crafted of carbon fiber, titanium and aluminum, costs $279,000 and seats only two. Oh, and did we mention it can fly? It's making its major auto show debut this week and we got a chance to check it out. Follow us after the break for some grounded impressions.

Gallery: Terrafugia Transition first eyes-on

Continue reading Terrafugia Transition aircraft first hands-on (video)

Terrafugia Transition aircraft first hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Terrafugia Transition production prototype completes first flight, set to land at NY Auto Show this Friday

Zach Honig — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:38:00 EST

Terrafugia's Transition could finally be making its way to the production line. The "flying car" has journeyed far beyond the concept phase, achieving its compulsory nod from the DOT last summer, and now reaching production prototype status. On March 23rd, the latest Transition flew past one more hurdle, completing its first airborne trial. The hybrid vehicle rolled down the runway at Plattsburgh International Airport in New York before ascending to 1400 feet -- the entire flight lasted a mere eight minutes, and marks the first of six planned phases of flight testing during the aircraft's voyage past experimental stage. There's still no word on when the Light Sport Aircraft will be making its way to soon-to-be Transition owners, but those hankering for a preview can catch a glimpse of the craft at the New York Auto Show from April 6th through the 15th. You can also taxi past the break for a tail-level view of the test plane's trek to takeoff.

Continue reading Terrafugia Transition production prototype completes first flight, set to land at NY Auto Show this Friday

Terrafugia Transition production prototype completes first flight, set to land at NY Auto Show this Friday originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FAA to take 'fresh look' at gadget restrictions on flights

Sharif Sakr — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 07:53:00 EST

The only thing worse than the Terrible 10,000 Feet is the underlying sense that it's all so unnecessary. Why should using an iPad, Kindle or bag-holding alarm clock be banned during take-off and landing, even with all wireless comms switched off? Nick Bilton from the New York Times has been hounding the Federal Aviation Administration over this issue for a while, but he's suddenly received a reply other than "Just turn it off, sir." A senior official told him that the agency as decided to take a "fresh look" at the rules, not for cell phones, but for the myriad of other gadgets that can make a flight so much more peaceful and productive. Currently, airlines complain that they have to test each model of device individually, on every single plane in the fleet, and with a separate empty flight used for each test, before they're allowed to relax the rules for that model. That's why personal electronic devices remain so closely restricted, but also why there's so much room for a smarter solution -- even if there are still reams of red-tape to overcome before anything changes.

FAA to take 'fresh look' at gadget restrictions on flights originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 07:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Congress passes bill giving the FAA $11 billion to get off radar, onto GPS

Michael Gorman — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:42:00 EST

It took awhile, and the price tag is quite a bit steeper than previously thought (shocking, right?), but the FAA is finally getting the funding it needs to bring the nation's air traffic control system up to date. Congress just passed the bill to make it happen, allotting $11 billion to the FAA to upgrade the nation's 35 busiest airports air traffic controls from radar to GPS. The deadline for the conversion is June 2015, and when complete, it'll allow for more precise positioning of aircraft -- GPS pings for the planes' locations every second, while radar updates their locations every 6 to 12 seconds. With such technology enabled, airplanes will be able to take-off and land more closely together while utilizing steeper descents than is currently possible to conserve fuel. So, now that we've got the new traffic control system to improve airline punctuality, we just need the FAA and the FCC to team up and eliminate the "Terrible 10,000 feet" and flying might actually be fun.

Congress passes bill giving the FAA $11 billion to get off radar, onto GPS originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Editorial: How FAA-certified gadgets could improve air travel and eliminate the Terrible 10,000 Feet

Tim Stevens — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:35:00 EST

If you're reading this now and have experienced the wonders of modern air travel then you have surely suffered through what I call the "Terrible 10,000 Feet." This is the period between the clunk of the cabin door closing and the bong of the cabin indicator, the chime signifying arrival of the magic altitude where "approved electronic devices" can then be used again. The first half of the worst part of the flight is then over -- the latter half to commence as soon as the plane dips again below that gadget ceiling.

This is the loudest part of the flight -- engines throttled up, flaps and gear hanging in the breeze and scared kids doing their best to drown all that out with screams and shouts. It's exactly when you most want to use your portable music player, and exactly when you aren't allowed. We've been told that this is for safety reasons, to prevent interference from the myriad devices carried by a cabin full of passengers, but that's never quite felt satisfactory to me. (Why is it okay to use those very same devices over 10,000 feet? Why can pilots use iPads but I can't?)

So many questions, but I'm not here to second-guess the people whose jobs it is to keep me safe as I schlep myself, my roller bag and my personal item across the country yet again. I'm here to propose a very simple solution: a certification program in which manufacturers submit devices for testing and the FAA charges a (possibly hefty) fee for their approval. It could not only improve the lives of frequent travellers like myself, but could also stand to provide millions in funding to the FAA, funds that could be put toward its unfortunately named NextGen air traffic control system. Win win? Read on and decide for yourself.

Continue reading Editorial: How FAA-certified gadgets could improve air travel and eliminate the Terrible 10,000 Feet

Editorial: How FAA-certified gadgets could improve air travel and eliminate the Terrible 10,000 Feet originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reports: American Airlines wins FAA approval for in-cockpit iPads, will launch Friday

Amar Toor — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:02:00 EST

If you fly as an American Airlines premium passenger, you'll get to play with a Galaxy Tab. If you actually fly the plane, though, you'll have to make do with an iPad. According to ZDNet, the carrier has already won FAA approval to use iPads "as electronic chart and digital flight manual readers," making it the world's first airline to be totally tablet friendly. A source close to the situation tells ZDNet that AA "will begin iPad operations on B-777 aircraft" before expanding to other planes, and that both first and second generation devices have been cleared for cockpit use. An AA pilot, meanwhile, tells TechCrunch that the company's tablets will feature JeppTC (a flight chart app available in the App Store), and that all onboard slates will be required to fly with an extra battery. The program, slated to kick off this Friday, could also offer substantial savings in paper and fuel costs. According to Seattle Pi's estimates, a single iPad would replace some 35 pounds of paper per year, translating to approximately $1.2 million in saved fuel costs. Insiders say United and Delta are pursuing similar initiatives, with the latter reportedly looking for an Android-specific solution, though at the moment, only American Airlines has won the FAA's seal of approval.

Reports: American Airlines wins FAA approval for in-cockpit iPads, will launch Friday originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wolfram Alpha search engine now tracks flight paths, trajectory information

Chris Barylick — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 08:56:00 EST

If you've ever looked up in the sky and wondered where a plane might be headed, Wolfram Alpha might just know the answer. The search engine, which recently began incorporating data from the FAA can now, with a five-minute delay from real-time data, use a flight's speed, heading and altitude to offer a projection of a plane's position. A search for 'flights overhead' via the Wolfram Alpha web site or app will use your location to pinpoint flights that should be visible to you. That string currently only works if the flight has at least one endpoint in the United States, so tracking international flights might be limited. Even so, this should allow you to look up flight delays, check when the next flight will be, see a cool interactive sky map and track a specific flight, of course. You'll have no valid excuse for being late to pick a friend up from the airport ever again.

Wolfram Alpha search engine now tracks flight paths, trajectory information originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Nov 2011 08:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Terrafugia Transition aircraft gets DOT roadworthiness sign-off, can now drive you to the airport

Zach Honig — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 04:02:00 EST

For most experimental aircraft, earning an airworthiness certificate is enough of a challenge. But the Terrafugia Transition is a unique type of flying machine, requiring approval not only from the FAA, but also from the USDOT's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), since this air / land hybrid is likely to spend just as much time cruising down the highway as it will flying 5,000 feet above. The Transition is now slightly closer to takeoff, with the NHTSA granting exemptions for absent airbags, a missing electronic stability system, and the plane's lightweight polycarbonate windows (polycarbonate is lighter than automotive safety glass, and won't shatter and obscure a pilot's vision in the event of a bird strike). Unfortunately the Transition still has other hurdles to fly over -- its cabin is limited to carrying 330 pounds when fully fueled, including passengers, and the price has jumped 41 percent, to $250,000. In the meantime, Terrafugia hopes to move forward with production later this year, bringing the 'flying car' slightly closer to a runway (and highway) near you.

Terrafugia Transition aircraft gets DOT roadworthiness sign-off, can now drive you to the airport originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 04:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Government report finds LightSquared's LTE interferes with GPS -- color us surprised

Christopher Trout — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 19:31:00 EST

No one said bathing the great United States in LTE would be easy, but the hits just keep on coming for Falcone and co. Following up on reports and concerns about LightSquared's possible interference, a government study has found that the outfit's proposed broadband network does indeed impede GPS signals. According to the National PNT Engineering Forum, the federal advisory group that conducted the study, LiqhtSquared's network disrupted GPS signals for all of the devices tested in the area. The report lists OnStar, Garmin, John Deere, emergency services, the FAA, and NASA among those affected by interference. Both LightSquared and the GPS industry are scheduled to present their own tests for the FCC's consideration next week. The news isn't exactly shocking, but it certainly doesn't bode well for the ambitious LTE network.

Government report finds LightSquared's LTE interferes with GPS -- color us surprised originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FlyNano plane is super-light, pretty cheap, a little scary

Brian Heater — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 07:33:00 EST

Since the dawn of time, man has dreamed of soaring through the clouds, without invasive TSA security checks and having the guy next to him fall asleep on his shoulder, drooling. FlyNano debuted three new planes at last week's Aero 2011 show in Friedrichshafen, Germany, which it hopes will deliver that very dream. Thanks to a composite carbon fiber bodies and a sub-44 pound drive trains, each weighs less than 154 pounds, hitting the FAA definition for an ultralight vehicle and forgoing the need for a pilot's license. But, while the company is pitching these electric-powered propeller vehicles as flyable straight out of the box, the things are still subject to FAA regulations, so don't expect to go joyriding near a major airport anytime soon -- and then there's the "theoretical operational distance" of 40 miles to contend with. Pricing ranges from €25,000 to €27,000 ($36,380 to $39,290) and the company claims that they'll start shipping in three months, plenty of time to get your life insurance premiums paid up.

[Thanks, Jani]

Continue reading FlyNano plane is super-light, pretty cheap, a little scary

FlyNano plane is super-light, pretty cheap, a little scary originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Apr 2011 07:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPad gets approval from FAA to replace paper flight charts and maps

Vlad Savov — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 09:03:00 EST

The Federal Aviation Administration is moving with the times, it would seem, as it has just granted the first approval for the use of iPads instead of paper charts for informing airline pilots while on duty. There are already a number of EFB (electronic flight bag) devices in use, however the iPad is by far the cheapest and most portable one that's been validated yet. Executive Jet Management, a charter flight operator, went through three months of testing with the iPad, wherein it was used by 55 pilots on 250 flights, in order to obtain its FAA license to rely exclusively on the Apple tablet for its in-flight mapping data. Other airlines will have to go through the same process in order to dump their big stacks of paper charts for a slinky slate, but the important thing is that the precedent has been set. As to redundancies in case of failure or a software crash, the likeliest scenario is that pilots will carry a spare iPad with them, though there wasn't even a single (software) crash during the trial period -- which also included rapid decompression and electronic interference testing. So there you have it, the iPad's found itself a grown-up job just in time to retire from its throne as consumer sales leader.

[Thanks, Andrew]

iPad gets approval from FAA to replace paper flight charts and maps originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Record number of aircraft 'laser events' gives us one more reason to hate LA

Thomas Ricker — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 08:50:00 EST

Are you that kid aiming his father's laser pointer at people walking along city sidewalks? Yeah, well stop it -- now. What you might consider a harmless prank can have serious repercussions when aimed at the cockpit of an approaching jetliner. What seems like good fun at the time can temporarily blind a pilot attempting to land nearly a million pounds of life, metal, and fuel. According to the numbers just released by the FAA, 2010 saw a record number of reports of lasers pointed at aircraft -- "almost double" the number of reports from 2009. Of the 2,800 incidents reported nationwide, the Los Angeles area reported the most with 201 incidents, followed by Chicago (98), Phoenix (80, half of which were probably UFO related), and San Jose (80 -- nerds!). Top 20 list after the break.

Continue reading Record number of aircraft 'laser events' gives us one more reason to hate LA

Record number of aircraft 'laser events' gives us one more reason to hate LA originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 08:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FAA warns of ongoing GPS issues in southeastern US due to Defense Department 'tests'

Donald Melanson — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:53:00 EST

Don't panic, but anyone planning on using GPS in the southeastern US for the next month or so will likely want to make sure they have a fallback option. That's according to a flight advisory just issued by the FAA, which warns pilots that their GPS signal "may be unreliable or unavailable" due to "GPS tests" that the Department of Defense will be conducting between January 20th and February 22nd. Details are fairly light beyond that, but the FAA does note that when the "tests" occur they will be active for 45 minutes, and be followed by 15 minutes of off time -- additional notices to pilots will apparently be issued at least 24 hours prior to any test. Of course, while this particular advisory is directed at pilots, it will presumably will also affect all other GPS devices, as the FAA doesn't mention any GPS issues specific to aviation. The real question, however, is just what those mysterious "GPS tests" are -- if they're, in fact, GPS tests at all...

[Thanks, Brady]

FAA warns of ongoing GPS issues in southeastern US due to Defense Department 'tests' originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FAA gives SpaceX the first-ever commercial license for spacecraft reentry

Paul Miller — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 17:26:00 EST

Well, SpaceX just scored a huge milestone in space travel for the proletariat: we get to come back now. The FAA just gave SpaceX's Dragon capsule a reentry license, paving the way for it to make round trips to the International Space Station and eventually even take people up there. NASA, who already has some hefty contracts with SpaceX for launches, has congratulated SpaceX over Twitter on the good news, though we're sure the few billion dollars in future business speaks volumes already. Engadget's own Chad Mumm, resident Space Destiny Enthusiast, had this to say about the momentous occasion:

"We're standing on the shoulders of our ancestors, reaching out a small, child-like hand at the stars. And then returning safely to earth thanks to FAA certification. We're on the verge of the impossible."

Sorry, there's something in our eye...

Continue reading FAA gives SpaceX the first-ever commercial license for spacecraft reentry

FAA gives SpaceX the first-ever commercial license for spacecraft reentry originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 17:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Terrafugia Transition flying car gets a little closer to reality with FAA approval

Tim Stevens — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:29:00 EST

If you're a little heavier than your spouse would like, you have two choices: get a new diet, or get a new spouse. However, if you're the Terrafugia Transition flying car and you're a little heavier than the FAA would like, you have a third option: get an exemption. The, uh, car is 120lbs too heavy to fit into the FAA's "light sport" designation, defining craft that can be flown by pilots with only 20 hours of logged seat time. However, the 1,560lb craft was given special exemption, enabling it to continue onward to production. If you haven't been following along, the thing can manage 115mph in the air then land, fold up its wings, and get 30mpg on the highway. If all goes according to plan we should be seeing this car get its big, beautiful self up for sale sometime next year -- all $194,000 worth of it.

Terrafugia Transition flying car gets a little closer to reality with FAA approval originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GPS-based air traffic control system to go live by 2020

Tim Stevens — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 09:21:00 EST

If you've ever watched an investigative journalism show that exposes things you didn't know you had to worry about, there's a good chance you've seen footage of the archaic green-screens in use at airport towers across the country paired with shocking headlines like "Hidden Airport Menace" or "Glidepath to Danger." Plans to replace that tech are finally in motion, with the FAA indicating its new air traffic control system will go into effect by 2020, possibly as early as 2015. This system requires that any aircraft flying within commercial airspace must have a GPS-equipped navigation system -- and we don't mean a TomTom stuck on the windshield. These systems will cost between $5,000 and $10,000 for small planes and are able to beam information to ground control stations that will no longer have to rely exclusively on radar. The plan could cost the FAA alone roughly $4 billion, giving bored local news personalities something else to sensationalize.

GPS-based air traffic control system to go live by 2020 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 09:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stronger airline seats with airbags might just save your life, even on a business trip

Tim Stevens — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:41:00 EST

If you're a product recall specialist hoping for your relatives to bank it big on an airline disaster-related life insurance claim, this post isn't for you. For everyone else who'd like a greater chance of walking away from a decidedly rough landing, here's your ticket. New airline safety regulations going into effect this fall require that all airline seats stay intact even under an impact of 16 times the force of gravity -- nearly double the old nine G requirement. As of now any aircraft model introduced after 1988 has the sturdier new seats, but starting October 27 all planes will. Additionally, a number of airlines are starting to have seats sporting airbags but, wouldn't you know it, they're largely found in first class. Ostensibly that's because the greater gaps between seats means in an impact your calm, blank face won't get restrained by the tray of the seat ahead, but you know the truth, don't you?

Filed under: Transportation

Stronger airline seats with airbags might just save your life, even on a business trip originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FAA computer glitches causing significant flight delays

Nilay Patel — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:47:00 EST

It's not clear what the exact problem is, but every major airport in the country is currently experiencing flight delays because of an FAA computer problem at a facility south of Atlanta. All that's being said is that the system that processes flight plans is having troubles, but that all flights currently in the air are fine and should land safely. Given that a single FAA computer failure has caused over 17,000 passengers to be stranded in the past, we're not too optimistic that these delays won't get worse and worse -- but then, nothing about air travel really inspires optimism lately, does it?

Update: All better now. Too bad air travel is still generally a dismal nightmare.

Filed under: Transportation

FAA computer glitches causing significant flight delays originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FAA warns of Boeing 787 hacker vulnerability

Paul Miller — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 02:01:00 EST

Boeing's still in the final stages of production on its 787 Dreamliner mid-sized jet, but the FAA has already spotted what looks to be a serious security vulnerability in the plane's IT infrastructure. Apparently the computers that provide the 787's passenger area with in-flight internet access and other amenities are physically networked with the main plane computers, including control, navigation and communication systems, which could theoretically provide a path for a hacker to screw with the plane, and even go as far as take full control of the 787. Boeing says that it's aware of the issue and is prepping a solution that will be tested shortly, but we're not sure what sort of "solution" can beat separating the two systems entirely -- which seems like what should've been done in the first place. Boeing has more than 800 advance orders for the plane, and should start delivering in November of 2008, but the FAA is requiring that the company demonstrate a fix for this issue before the planes hit the skies.

Filed under: Transportation, Networking

FAA warns of Boeing 787 hacker vulnerability originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Jan 2008 02:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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US in-flight calling can't catch a break, ruled out for "foreseeable future"

Darren Murph — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 08:42:00 EST

As the long-running fight for US in-flight calling (or the lack thereof) rages on, it seems that we're finally getting a definitive answer on the matter -- for the time being, of course. According to Telegraph Travel, Les Dorr, of the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), stated that "proposals to lift the ban on in-flight mobiles had caused such an outcry [that] they had been dropped." Furthermore, it was noted that aviation authorities had "ruled out the use of mobile phones on planes for the foreseeable future." Unfortunately, there was little exaggeration beyond that, but it seems that in-flight calling on US flights is on hiatus for the time being.

[Via Textually]

Filed under: Misc

US in-flight calling can't catch a break, ruled out for "foreseeable future" originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Oct 2007 08:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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US in-flight calling can't catch a break, ruled out for "foreseeable future"

Darren Murph — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 08:42:00 EST

Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation

US in-flight calling can't catch a break, ruled out for "foreseeable future" originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Oct 2007 08:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FCC hits brakes on in-flight calling (for now)

Chris Ziegler — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 19:16:00 EST

The seemingly never-ending "will they or won't they" saga involving the FCC, the FAA, airlines, mobile carriers, and the extraordinarily annoying plane passenger sitting next to you has taken another unexpected turn this week. On the heels of a CTIA study suggesting that so-called "picocells" placed on planes to communicate with phones won't completely eliminate paralyzing interference with ground towers, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin suggesting that the feds should hold off on lifting the in-flight calling ban. Apparently, the big issue revolves around phones operating on bands that aren't supported by the installed picocell; in the absence of that local communication, the handset goes right back to mussin' and fussin' with the traditional towers several miles below -- potentially with disastrous effects to the network and other users, never mind the fact that no one's managed to conclusively prove that aircraft systems won't be affected. For what it's worth, the chairman's suggestion is just that -- a suggestion -- and doesn't prevent the agency's commissioners from approving the move anyway. While we're the first to agree that the thought of a couple hundred passengers yakking away in tight quarters is a starkly frightening one, we're not sure it's the FCC's place to be legislating away annoyances -- let the feds do their technical due diligence, we say. Word has it the picocells can be tweaked to fix the CTIA's concerns, and if that holds up, airlines will decide individually whether to let customers dial (or, at the very least, access data services) mid-flight. From there, we'll all be voting with our dollars.

[Via Techdirt]

Filed under: Cellphones

FCC hits brakes on in-flight calling (for now) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Mar 2007 19:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Korean Air bans Dell laptops, Apple PowerBooks and iBooks

Cyrus Farivar — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 06:06:00 EST

So it would seem that Korean Air has forbidden all Dell laptops and Apple's PowerBook and iBook models from its flights due to the risk that those computers' batteries might explode, reports The Korea Times. The newspaper also reported that Australian airline Qantas made a similar ban last month for the same reasons. Naturally, the longer it takes Sony, the batteries' manufacturer, to sort through this exploding battery fiasco, the harder and harder its going to be to get your Dell or Apple on a plane, but we know the pressure's on. Sony has already faced the wrath of the Japanese Ministry of Trade, and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, and apparently the US Federal Aviation Administration is also looking into the problem as well. Damn, it's hard out there for Sony -- maybe it'd do well to quell everyone's fears by giving out some free PS3s for awhile, whattayasay?

[Via ThinkSecret]

Filed under: Laptops

Korean Air bans Dell laptops, Apple PowerBooks and iBooks originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Sep 2006 06:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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L.A. drone grounded, disciplinary action possible

Evan Blass — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 14:32:00 EST

The folks who keep planes from crashing into one another over at the FAA were none too pleased to read about that little UAV demo conducted by the L.A. County Sheriff's Department this weekend, with the agency telling Sheriff Lee Baca and company to keep their drone grounded pending the result of an investigation. What's more, the department could actually face disciplinary action for the SkySeer's inaugural flight -- FAA spokesperson Laura Brown commented that although the agency wasn't "peeved," they were "definitely surprised" that authorization had not been requested for the trial. Commander Sid Heal, point man for this program tasked with ~~spying on Angelinos~~ locating criminal suspects, lost hikers, and missing children, countered by arguing that since private citizens can fly model planes without FAA clearance, it's puzzling that providers of a so-called public service would be required to do so. While this temporary delay will probably come as a relief to Big Brother-fearing privacy advocates, it still seems pretty inevitable that one day thousands of these drones will be patrolling every major city in America, along with millions of other walking, crawling, rolling, swimming, and hovering robots keeping an eye on every square inch of public space.

[Thanks, Joel J.]

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Misc. Gadgets, GPS

L.A. drone grounded, disciplinary action possible originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jun 2006 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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