Things aren't all Champagne and caviar over at American Airlines, not that you'd know it from the company's latest press release. The Dallas-based air carrier just shared a plan to outfit all of its flight attendants with Samsung Galaxy Notes beginning later this year. The rollout will continue through the middle of 2013, at which point each of the airline's 17,000 cabin crew members will have their very own "tablet," which they'll use to manage flight manifests, track premium passenger meal preferences and monitor weather and gate information in real-time, on WiFi-equipped flights. Eventually, the handsets will also include the flight attendant manual, along with additional features, such as processing for in-flight meal and drink purchases (pending FAA approval).

Though the Galaxy Note II will likely be available by the time the program begins, the press release references a 5.3-inch display, which would imply the previous-gen handset. Sadly, this Note of excitement comes alongside news that some 11,000 American mechanics and ground workers could get a pink slip come November -- as frequent air travelers ourselves, we're genuinely sorry to hear that, and we don't want any gadget to overshadow the airline's ongoing troubles and the unfortunate fate of hardworking employees. You can catch that angle at the coverage link below, then read all about the Note program just after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation

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Source: American Airlines

It's hard to believe that the word "phablet" has now been in our vocabulary for exactly a year. Perhaps even more difficult to believe is that it's still in our lexicon, but it doesn't look like the term is going anywhere anytime soon. Today, Samsung introduced the Galaxy Note II, a followup to the company's S-Pen equipped sleeper hit introduced at last year's IFA. But what does the sequel have that the original doesn't? Head below with us as we take a closer look at how the two devices compare.

Note: We'll continue filling out the chart as details surface.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Note II hands-on

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Note II Press Shots

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Wireless, Mobile

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Filed under: Mobile

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• "Large is just a matter of perspective"
• "Yes, I can make phone calls"
• "It's not a STYLUS"
• "Size DOES matter"
• "More to Love"
• "Wide Load"

Filed under: Mobile

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Filed under: Mobile

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