Here's a tidbit skittish Britannia Airways flyers may not want to read:
To save paper, Britannia has equipped every one of its cockpits with IBM ThinkPad computers that have wireless connectivity to receive regular updates from London's Luton Airport.
The laptops will eliminate approximately 40 pounds of paper safety manuals the pilots must take with them on every flight. The technology will also trim preparation time for the pilots because it will automatically perform certain distance and time calculations for them.
The airline appears to be at ease with the technology. But what about passengers?
The Federal Aviation Administration has documented instances in which laptop computers have interfered with cockpit instruments. The FAA currently prohibits the use of all portable electronic devices, including laptops and CD players, during takeoff and landing on all flights.
But IBM says that the Civil Aviation Authority in Britain deemed the ThinkPads safe.
"They did some testing and there was minimal interference," an IBM spokeswoman said. "The updates would happen only when they landed in the airport."
Bon voyage!
- - -
No rebound for telcos yet: For those investors and members of the industry wondering when the telecom industry will recover from its current funk, the answer is: not anytime soon.
The telecommunications infrastructure market -- sales of cell towers, routers and switches -- will continue to decline through 2003, according to market research firm Dell'Oro Group. The market will slowly recover in the beginning of 2004 as carriers migrate to faster, more robust next-generation networks.
Also in the report: In 2005, the market will experience a high, single-digit growth. In 2007, the industry will reap nearly $34 billion in revenue, mainly in network investments made in developing countries and in data applications like e-mail over mobile phones, the Dell'Oro Group said.
- - -
Big Brother comes calling: Verizon Wireless has unveiled a live Web camera service for mobile phones.
The service, which can be downloaded and added to the Motorola T720 and the Audiovox CDM-9500 phones for $5 a month plus air time, lets users view live images from personal or publicly available Web cameras directly from their phones. The service is powered by generationPIX.
But Verizon might not want to publicize the new service too widely. Hong Kong gyms recently banned camera phones in locker rooms out of fear they would be used to secretly record people as they undressed.
