flights

Of all the great enhancements, fixes, and goodies in iPhone OS 3.0 (video overview here), I quickly realized there was one glaring omission. With the useful addition of a Voice Memos app, an old problem reared its ugly head. The update put the Voice Memos app icon on the home page, pushing whatever lone app icon that sat in the lower right of the homepage onto its own screen on the next page. This meant that in order to maximize my use of page space (I have a lot of apps!), I now had to rearrange my apps on … Read more

Flight-sim enthusiasts take note that Logitech has unveiled the $299 Flight System G940 at E3. It's the company's first force-feedback flight simulation controller, and Logitech says that its design and control were inspired by military and commercial planes and helicopters.

Available in September, the G940 is compatible with most popular PC flight simulators, including Microsoft Flight Simulator X, IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 and Lock On: Modern Air Combat X-Plane 9. Logitech says the force feedback technology allows you to "control your aircraft with confidence as you feel its movement as well as its reaction to air, turbulence, and g-forces."

Check out the video after the jump:… Read more

Glyder is a fun, casual--and relaxing!--flying game, in which you pilot a hang-glider through dreamy island environments to the constant beat of a chilled-out soundtrack. The game makes simple but smart use of the iPhone and iPod Touch's accelerometer controls: you tilt up to climb and down to dive, turning left and right to steer (whether sharply or in broad, arcing swoops). You gain altitude by flying up into well-marked thermals, and you build up speed while diving. If you go too slow, you'll stall--but the game is extremely forgiving, allowing you to carefully conserve your momentum … Read more

Those who need their Internet fix while in flight should appreciate a report released on Wednesday by market researcher In-Stat.

The number of commercial airplanes providing broadband access is expected to jump from 25 in 2008 to 800 by end the of 2009, according to the report.

Broadband connectivity is brought to airplanes either through satellite or an air-to-ground network. Both technologies are battling for market share, with Aircell's service based on its own air-to-ground network, and Row44 and Panasonic's service satellite-based.

In-flight broadband has struggled to gain a foothold due to the weak economy and the availability … Read more

It's been a long hiatus since the last time a human strode across the lunar terrain, and we're still some years out from the next planned mission to the moon.

But that doesn't mean we shouldn't tinker around with notions of how astronauts in the not-too-distant future might get around the Sea of Tranquility or some other lunar destination. That's part of the driving force behind NASA's Great Moonbuggy Race, an annual event geared toward college and high school students.

The mission: design and build a lightweight, human-powered buggy, then race it around a … Read more

Flight Control is an attractive, addictive game in which you play an air-traffic controller guiding an endless armada of incoming aircraft to (you hope!) safe landings at a crowded airport. Flight Control makes brilliant use of the iPhone and iPod Touch's interface, as you use your finger to trace a trajectory for each approaching craft, sending jets to the long runway, small planes to the short runway, and slow-moving helicopters to the airport's helipad. The controls are incredibly simple and intuitive, which contributes to Flight Control's surprisingly rich and devilishly addictive gameplay.

The game starts out at … Read more

Do you have an app that you wish was on the iPhone, but hasn't been developed or ported over yet? Certainly we all have our wish lists when it comes to apps, but one that I've been waiting for since the beginning is the chat and VoIP program, Skype (Mac or Windows). Fortunately, the folks over at Skype have finally put together a great app for iPhone, and if you've never used Skype, I'm here to tell you why you will be soon.

This week's apps include Skype for iPhone and a simple game that … Read more

British Airways announced this week that it would initiate limited cell phone use on an upcoming route between London and New York City. Voice calls will not be permitted, but passengers will be allowed to send and receive text messages and e-mails.

The airline will limit the service to twice-daily flights between London City Airport and New York's JFK that are due to start in September. The all-business class route is flown by a narrow-body Airbus A318 aircraft that must make a stop in Ireland on the westbound leg. The configuration will allow for just 32 seats.

British Airways … Read more