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Reports: American Airlines wins FAA approval for in-cockpit iPads, will launch Friday
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.
Wings Over Atreia: Attitude of gratitude
For Solorius, I expounded on my wish list for Aion, detailing things I wanted to see in game. Now, however, 'tis the season to express thankfulness for that which we have. While contemplating the many things I am grateful for in my life, I also considered the things that I am grateful for in the world of Atreia. Sure, things are not perfect (what world, real or pixelated, is?), and there are problems, bugs, and things I still hope are changed or added, but that does not diminish the fact that Aion still offers many things to gamers in general -- and me in particular. Originally slated to release during the holiday, this topic was preempted by last week's announcement. No matter -- I certainly don't mind stretching out the season of gratitude. So while it might be more trendy to troll and spread hate, I dedicate this week's Wings Over Atreia to just saying thanks. Don't believe there are things to be thankful for? Step past the cut (or roll, if you enjoyed as much turkey as I did) to check out my reasons and a chance to express your own.
Siri / Wolfram Alpha trick lets you know what is flying overhead
I'm a bit of an airliner freak, so I love looking up at the contrails of jets flying overhead and wondering where a plane might be going. I recently found out that Wolfram Alpha has the ability to tell you what airplanes are cruising around above you based on your position and its knowledge of where various airline and charter flights are located at any point in time. Since Siri has the built-in ability to work with Wolfram Alpha, I thought I'd see if I could just ask Siri to tell me about those flights overhead. It took a few tries and some thought about what to ask Siri, but I finally got it to work. Telling Siri to "Ask Wolfram what flights are overhead" produces the correct results. That query displays a Wolfram Alpha printout showing the flight or aircraft registration number of flights that are currently visible from where you're standing, their altitude, and the angle above the horizon. You also get information on what type of aircraft each is, how far away it is, and what direction to look, as well as a sky map showing where the planes are. %Gallery-140324% I then made an attempt to coax details out of Siri about individual flights. I thought I'd need to use the brains of Wolfram Alpha again, but found that by simply saying "Tell me about [name of airline] Flight [flight number]" prompted Siri to display a web page showing the departure airport and time of the flight along with the expected arrival airport, time and gate. The search isn't perfect. I often had flights between the West coast and Asia showing up on the search despite the fact that there was no way that the flights were going to be flying over Colorado. But as with many of the tricks we've demonstrated here at TUAW, this shows the surprising depth of knowledge that you have access to by asking Siri. TUAW editor Steve Sande is the co-author and publisher of "Talking to Siri: Learning the Language of Apple's Intelligent Assistant," found on the iBookstore and Amazon Kindle Bookstore.
Gogo announces agreement with Air China, will begin live trials in early 2012
Your somewhat boring flights between cities in China are about to get a little less boring. Wireless in-air entertainment outfit Gogo has announced that the company has reached an agreement to provide a trial of its service on Air China flights. The first live trial on a commercial flight was conducted on November 15 on a Boeing 737 en-route from Beijing to Chengdu and live trials are expected to continue through the first quarter of 2012. Gogo is currently available on in-flight entertainment systems and can be installed on an aircraft overnight. Now if Gogo could provide full service for the 13+ hour flight from New York to Beijing and your laptop or smartphone's battery would last for that duration, you'd be set.
Virgin Atlantic launches low-carbon fuel, aims to halve carbon footprint (video)
Richard Branson was in London today to announce "one of the most exciting developments of our lifetime." Right, so that'd be SpaceShipFour, we presume, capable of landing on the moon? No, not quite, but a low-carbon fuel would definitely be our second guess. Virgin Atlantic is partnering with LanzaTech, a company that specializes in carbon re-use technology, to recycle waste gasses from 65 percent of the world's steel mills. In Branson's own words, they'll be "taking much of the s**t from up the chimney stacks and turning it into aviation fuel." By capturing those gases that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere, Virgin would be able to reduce its overall carbon footprint without necessarily reducing the carbon output of its individual aircraft. The airline plans to have the fuel ready for commercial use by 2014, and will begin trials on its routes from London to Shanghai and Delhi around that time -- two cities that have become synonymous with pollution. Jump past the break for an audio-less demonstration video -- that's right, there's nothing wrong with your speakers.
German video effects company builds camera drone for the Red Epic
Red Epic + Flying drone = The sort of geek math you can't help but wish you'd come up with yourself. German VFX company OMStudios decided to mount Red's super-camera into a custom Octocopter to record footage in resolutions up to 5K. As cool as the setup is, there's a practical purpose: not only is it far cheaper than renting a crane, it can also climb up to 150 meters -- making it just high enough to fly over Hollywood's tallest man, Tom Cruise. Since it's highly unlikely we'll ever get to play with one of these, we'll just have to point you to the video after the break and hope that no catastrophic power failures take place halfway through any real-world shoots. [Thanks, Jeremias]
Prototype magic carpet uses electrified threads to 'fly,' Aladdin pre-orders (video)
If you spent your childhood longing to fly, you're not alone -- and one Princeton grad may have come one step closer to making it a reality with a prototype magic carpet. Ok, it's not actually a rug of the magical variety, but a 4-inch piece of plastic electrified by tiny conducting threads. It works as such: by applying a current to the sheet, tiny air pockets form underneath, propelling it forward one centimeter a second. Since it requires air pockets to move forward, the carpet must stay close to the ground -- making it more like Marty McFly's hoverboard than Aladdin's preferred mode of transportation. Better yet, the inventor has plans for a solar powered version, which would free the carpet from heavy battery constraints and allow it to travel freely over larger distances. Check out the video and source after the break for more deets.
Garmin releases aera 795, 796 flight navigators, private jet not included
The GPS gurus over at Garmin have just launched the aera 796 and 795 -- a pair of new navigation devices designed specifically for pilots who don't enjoy getting lost. As the flagship member of the aera family, the 796 sports a seven-inch, 480 x 800 capacitive touchscreen (capable of displaying maps in either landscape or portrait mode) and features Garmin's 3D Vision technology, providing users with a behind-the-plane view of the terrain below, including rivers, landing strips or any other obstacles. This knee-mounted co-pilot can also serve as an electronic flight bag, allowing captains to digitally store flight routes and airport diagrams directly on their devices. Plus, if it's hooked up to a compatible GPS system, the 796 can provide real-time traffic updates, while streaming SiriusXM radio straight to the cockpit (the North America-specific 795 features identical specs, minus XM compatibility). Aviation enthusiasts can buy the 796 and 795 for the respective prices of $2,500 and $2,200, at the source link below. Full PR after the break.
Visualized: Boeing 747-8 makes its longest flight to date, writes name in the sky
It's always fun to write your name on things -- chalkboards, diplomas, speeding tickets, yellow snow... you know, the usual. The folks at Boeing couldn't agree more, which is why they tasked 747-8 pilots with writing the jet's name in the sky on a flight test across the US. What could be called the "747-8 wuz here" mission is designed to test the outer limits of the jumbo jet in a max endurance operations test. Taking off yesterday morning from Seattle's Paine Field, the jet flew across 18 states in a 747 pattern until it landed on the west coast a little after midnight -- 17 total hours of mayhem. It seems like everything went swimmingly, which means the brand spanking new jet will be sold to Cargolux, a ginormous cargo airline, later this year. The jet writing does somewhat resemble a drunken righty's attempt at left-handed writing, but hey, who are we to judge?
Lost Pages of Taborea: What could have been
We always face changes in our favorite MMOs. A new patch comes along and changes multi-click gathering to single-click, a cool pet system gets added or our main class gets nerfed. Sometimes changes happen before the game ever sees them, though. Runes of Magic had some different features planned that were never implemented. Tile-dungeons, a streaming client and party-spells are a few of these features left on the cutting-room floor. In this week's Lost Pages of Taborea, I want to insert a titular line and look at what could have been.
Navy blends Jet A and algae-based biofuel, uses it to power Seahawk chopper (video)
Considering that helicopters are entirely dependent on a spinning rotor to remain in the air, an MH-60S Seahawk doesn't exactly seem the most likely candidate for experimental fuel. That didn't seem to stop the US Navy, however, which successfully completed a test flight with a 50 / 50 blend of algae-based biofuel and Jet A (traditionally the flavor of choice for turbine-based aircraft). The mixture used is known as Solajet HRJ-5 Jet fuel, which doesn't quite have the same ring to it as good ole Jet A -- but it does happen to be based on a renewable resource and managed to keep the rotor spinning. There's no word on how much the new fuel costs to produce or when it might be ready for commercial use, but if all goes to plan, we may soon be using the green stuff for more than just sushi rolls and miso soup.
D-Dalus aircraft lacks fixed-wing or rotor, looks like flying steamroller
Every other year, aviation fanatics gather in the city of baguettes and burlesque to order airplanes, gawk at concept vehicles, and dream about a better future. The D-Dalus, one of the more bizarre concepts at this year's Paris Air Show, from Austrian research company IAT21, stays aloft using quad contra-rotating cylindrical turbines -- and perhaps a touch of magic. Theoretically creating a completely new category of aircraft, the carbon fiber D-Dalus maneuvers by altering the angle of its blades, giving it virtually limitless abilities to launch, hover, and turn in any direction. An aircraft with this level of flexibility is more suited for military use than consumer applications (you won't be flying home from Paris in a freakish black tube), but could become a key asset for everything from freight transport to search and rescue operations -- on land, at sea, or even in a burning building. We haven't come across any proof that the Dalus can actually fly, but hit up the source link to see the craft suspended from the show floor ceiling in Paris.
Batcopter UAV observes anti-collision bat behavior, crashes into ground (video)
If you wander out into a gaggle of fellow humans in total darkness, chances are you're going to bump into one or two. Such is not the case for bats, which do much of their hunting after the sun sets. Boston University's Intelligent Mechatronics Lab launched operation Batcopter to better understand how bats can fly in clusters large enough to be detected by radar without colliding. Equipped with a GoPro 3D HD camera, GPS, and OpenPilot's CopterControl system, the 1.8-pound quadcopter UAV joined Brazilian free-tailed bats in the skies of South Texas, capturing some pretty cool footage along the way. A trio of high-speed infrared cameras positioned on the ground photographed the aircraft's interactions with the flying mammals, which seemed to maneuver around the man-made intruder without incident, until a rotor failure resulted in a Batcopter inversion and subsequent ground collision. Even so, the craft still managed to take to the skies. Jump past the break to see the crippled UAV in action, and hit up the source link for some awesome infrared footage and stills.
The Daily Grind: What's your favorite mode of travel?
From the earliest days of video games, players have understood that there's a lot of ground to cover. Of course, you could always walk around like an animal, but most MMOs give you a variety of different ways to get from place to place. Aion lets you take to the sky on wings, City of Heroes lets you take to the sky on absolutely nothing if you like, and Guild Wars lets you just teleport wherever you want to go once you've visited at least once. Whether you're hopping on a flight path in World of Warcraft, fueling up your ATV in Fallen Earth, or setting off at warp speed in Star Trek Online, it's still the same core concept -- going from point A to point B in the fastest and most stylish fashion possible. So what's your favorite way to fly, drive, or ride around your game of choice? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Google flight schedule search takes off, helps you figure out when to get aboard
Been wishing you could find flight information the same way you would for a bus or train? Now you're covered with the new flight schedule search feature Google launched last week. By simply typing "flights from / to" a destination in the search bar, it displays specific flight routes or all routes from a particular airport, all of the airlines serving the locales along with flight numbers, and travel dates / times. The ITA travel search software which the DOJ finally allowed Google to purchase last month isn't powering the feature, although Google stated on its blog that the flight schedule search is a "small step" in an overall effort to make finding flight information simpler. The service supports ten languages, and you'll find more info by hitting the source link below. Now if only it could tell us whether our flight has WiFi...
GRASP Lab quadrocopters learn to follow the leader and fly in formation
The University of Pennsylvania's GRASP Lab has already recklessly taught its autonomous quadrocopters to move in packs, fly through hoops and build things on their own, and it's now for some reason decided to teach them yet another trick they'll surely use against us one day. As you can see in the video above, the quadrocopters are now able to take cues from a leader and fly in formation. What's more, they can even continue with the formation if one loses communication and falls out of the pack, which the researchers note is key to the success of any swarm. Isn't that reassuring?
Blade and Soul videos feature PvP, gliding
Blade & Soul's first Korean closed beta phase may be over, but apparently the video drops are just beginning. Hot on the heels of last week's YouTube class showcase come some new clips courtesy of MMO Culture. This time around, we get a good look at the game's PvP action as well as some unique mechanics that appear to take both PvE and PvP engagements off the beaten path. The first clip shows off an interesting glide mechanic that owes a debt to both DC Universe Online and Aion, as the player character leaps tall mountains in a single bound and subsequently power-glides over, around, and into various scenic peaks. The second clip features a 1v1 PvP scrum, while video number three shows us a frenetic group engagement and more gliding shenanigans. Check out the three clips after the cut, or head to MMO Culture for further details.
T-Hawk UAV enters Fukushima danger zone, returns with video
We'd love to head on down to Fukushima with a DSLR and some iodide pills, but that's obviously not going to happen. Sending in a flying robot seems to be the next best thing, though, and that's exactly what Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) has done. T-Hawk, a US-made MAV (Micro Air Vehicle) commonly used to search for roadside bombs in Iraq, made its Japanese debut last week when it photographed the nuclear plant from above, providing a detailed look at the interior damage a month after iRobot's visit. Small enough to fit in a (rather large) backpack, officially the T-Hawk is named for the tarantula hawk wasp species, but could just as easily have been named for the T. Hawk Street Fighter character, who also swoops in to attack his opponents from above. As expected, things look pretty nasty at ground zero, so head past the break for a video of the damage.
EverQuest II offering aerial races and time-limited aircraft prizes
Think you've got the right stuff? Maybe you fancy yourself a cracker-jack test pilot? Well, grab your helmet and goggles and get ready to put your money where your mouth is. Sony Online Entertainment is looking for the Norrathian equivalent of Jimmy Doolittle to put some gnomish aircraft through the paces of three new test pilot courses in EverQuest II. The courses hover over the zones of Butcherblock, Tenebrous Tangle, and Lavastorm and offer players the chance to queue up for a variety of aerial shenanigans. Each course offers its own set of challenges, with Butcherblock being the most hazardous to your virtual health, Tenebrous requiring the most endurance, and Lavastorm necessitating a fair bit of finesse on the control stick. Entering is as easy as your average snap roll: Simply talk to the Gnome next to the scoreboard at each region's entrance, then step on the adjacent teleportation pad. Participants will nab prizes, and winners will walk away with a unique title and the time-limited use of their own aircraft. The event concludes at 1:00 p.m. EST (10:00 a.m. PST) on Friday, March 3rd, so hurry for your chance to win (and don't forget to check out the video after the break).
Australia's Jetstar Airways takes the training wheels off iPad rental program, wants the tablet 'on every aircraft'
Here's a quick and easy way to escape the mediocrity of those tiny low-res LCDs embedded in the seat in front of you: slap down 10 Australian dollars and upgrade to the iPad's IPS goodness for the duration of your Jetstar Airways flight. This rental option has been available on the Australian airline's flights since June, but only in pilot form (insert your own jokes here), and the feedback has been good enough for the company to make it a fleet-wide policy. "Movies, music, magazines, books and games" will all come preloaded, so you shouldn't fret about having to shell out extra hunting around for content. Licensing agreements are expected to be finalized shortly, with the rental program rolling out in full this April.
