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FCC hits brakes on in-flight calling (for now)
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]
Ryanair planning in-flight bingo, gambling
Singapore Airlines has its heavenly seats, and Virgin has textual Q&A sessions, so you knew Europe's low-cost leader in air travel had to find a gimmick of its own to implement before long. Should its in-flight calling proposal get the big thumbs-up from regulatory agencies, the airline is planning on giving customers the ability to play online bingo and a "number of other instant-win games" that will offer jackpots in excess of £200,000 ($380,000). To assist in promoting the in-flight gambling service, the company has teamed up with JackpotJoy to offer Ryanair's games on its website, and Ryanair's own CEO has already announced his plans to make "millions upon millions" off the deal. While we're certainly down with in-flight gaming creating lower ticket prices, encouraging gambling in order to so is admittedly dodgy, but if all goes as planned, you can roll your own dice starting in "mid-2007."[Via CNET]
Singapore Airlines creating electronic heaven for passengers
If you're tired of those frequent flyer miles becoming increasingly worthless, losing your in-flight WiFi, and the outright lack of sugar-coated peanuts, you may want to check out Singapore Airlines. Already the first airline to implement an in-flight IPTV service, SIA is now adding a touch of luxury (and gadgetry) to all three classes within its forthcoming Boeing B777-300ER and Airbus A380 aircrafts. First class customers, as expected, receive the most improved seating arrangements, as they're graced with 23-inch LCDs, complete with USB ports, power outlets, and noise-reducing headsets. Business class guests get their own 15.4-inch LCD, while economy seats rock a 10.6-inch edition. Although higher-end seats can morph into a full-fledged bed, all customers receive access to the airline's "KrisWorld" in-flight entertainment system, which boasts "over 1,000 on-demand movies, TV shows, games, and audio selections." Moreover, the snazzy monitors provide flight-wide access the built-in "Sun Microsystems StarOffice Productivity Suite," which reportedly supports "most popular file formats" for working on the go. While we're admittedly frightened to think what one of these oh-so-heavenly seats will cost, next month would probably be the perfect time to indulge in that long-overdue trip to Osaka (or Malaysia).
Airbus files patent for jetlag zapper
Airbus, that robot-friendly aeroplane company, has filed a patent for a device that generates "electromagnetic interaction in an airplane". No, this isn't some kind of revolutionary fly-by-magnets technology, it's actually a slightly oddball idea intended to solve the most common of airborne travel ailments: jetlag. The device, which in the event that it is ever put into service, will be integrated into passenger seats, supposedly has the capability to "prevent and reduce the occurrence of jetlag, reduce the danger of passengers suffering from thrombosis, and increase general well-being by promoting relaxation, sleep and stress reduction". Ever seen those stone magnets that people put around their wrists to "increase blood flow?" This device looks like it would operate the same away, but in an electromagnetic form. We won't question the validity of using magnets to keep people healthy, but we are puzzled at the logic behind introducing randomly fluctuating electromagnetic fields onto packed airplanes. Surely (don't call me Shirley!) the thought that this could potentially interfere with the pilot's ability to fly the plane crossed the minds of the researchers over at Airbus? Especially considering the common "please turn off your cellphones" announcement that pilots make at the beginning of every flight (FYI, cellphones emit electromagnetic fields). Maybe a wiser course of action would be to focus on cheaper in-flight Wi-Fi, keeping passengers' minds off the fact that they're floating round a tin can far above the world, resulting in less stress and therefore, by Airbus's own logic, reduced jetlag.
ASiQ promises safe in-flight cellphone use
If ASiQ has its way, worries about cellphones bringing down airplanes could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to its still well-guarded system that would let passengers make in-flight calls using their own phone. They're being stingy with deets on account of their patent status, but what we do know is that the system will consist of a device that's connected to your cellphone by either a cable or Bluetooth connection, and that it'll supposedly work with GSM, CDMA, UMTS and EDGE. It also won't be free, of course, but ASiQ says it'll be inexpensive. What's more, they claim they've managed to address the privacy concerns of other people on the plane. We still think the Cone of Silence is the answer, but we're guessing they've cooked up something decidedly less cool (and probably less effective).[Via textually.org]
Japan Airlines offers DS Lites in-flight
Japan Airlines has announced that first and executive class passengers on its flights will be able to request a DS Lite simply by yelling HOLD IT! at the nearest flight attendant. Actually, they'd probably prefer that you ask politely, but as far as we're concerned they get what they deserve by failing to stock each plane with a hundred copies of Phoenix Wright. One of the numerous terms and conditions lists the fact that the DS Lites for JAL will be specially manufactured without Wifi. Apparently, a bit of multiplayer gaming isn't worth messing with the pilot's ability to fly the plane.Other amusing T&Cs: "Please read the game manual carefully before playing" - zOMG n00bs. "The service is limited to one console per passenger." - jeez, I can play at least three consoles simultaneously... in my sleep. "The Civil Aviation Law prohibits the use of these consoles during takeoff and landing." - good luck to the flight attendant tasked with retrieving two dozen DS Lites from a plane full of people claiming that they're "nearly at the next save point!" "If you do not experience at least seven bucket loads of fun after kicking Princess Peach's ass in Mario Kart DS, then you forfeit your right to be present on the aircraft. If you find yourself in this situation, please exit out of the nearest emergency exit. This T&C brought to you by Nintendo Corporation." - possibly a bit harsh, but we can see where JAL's coming from. See also: Scandinavian airline offers in-flight PSPs and Airports vending GBA, PSP portables
JetBlue snaps up bandwidth for in-flight services
Telephone? Broadband data? Something more sinister? JetBlue isn't yet saying what subsidiary LiveTV LLC wants to do with its freshly-acquired slice of FCC pie in the 1MHz range. What about live TV, you ask? The obvious answer for such an obviously-named company doesn't seem as obvious when you consider that they already have that angle covered through a deal penned with DirecTV; the spectrum had previously belonged to Verizon's Airfone service, making in-flight phone service more likely. LiveTV paid just $7.02 million for the license at auction -- a far cry from the billions traditional mobile operators have been known to shed on PCS bands, yet they could end up with one of a very small number of services keeping you in touch from the friendly skies. Since LiveTV is a wholly-owned subsidiary, it's possible that they'll be offering service to carriers other than JetBlue. So yes, the much-maligned Airfone appears to be fading away, but with any luck, airlines will be carrying on the time-honored tradition of charging multiple dollars per minute for the privilege of annoying your fellow passengers. Update: nope, sorry, the slice of spectrum wasn't in fact in the 1MHz band, but was in fact 1MHz in the 800MHz range -- totally different, and much more interesting, if you ask us. LiveTV's license expires in 2010, which means they only have three and a half short years to figure out whatever the hell it is they just invested that 7 million on, and put that spectrum to good use. Thanks, Simon. [FCC PDF]
