Yahoo! Tech:
Could the days of having to turn your cell phone off when flying be nearing an end? Aircraft manufacturer Boeing seem to think so. It’s begun the process of outfitting new models of its 747, 777, and 787 airliners with hardware to allow incoming and outgoing calls, with the aim of making them available to airlines by 2013.
While this technology sounds like a boon for air travelers who’ve long awaited the ability to make calls while flying, they shouldn’t start celebrating just yet. Whether or not you’ll be able to fire up your phone in-flight still depends on the approval of government agencies such as the FAA who’ll have the final call on, well, calls from 30,000 feet.
Please Boeing, I’m begging you – don’t do this to us.
The Loud-Talking Douchebags will not be stopped. Sorry, Shawn.
I don’t want calls in-flight, I want the Internet. I want to send iMessages, Tweet, Facebook, read the Loop, check my photo stream, etc. I would like them to provide Wi-Fi service, basically. And to not allow phone calls.
YES! Data only. Everyone knows the on-the-phone voice is at least twice as loud as the normal speaking voice, which is already louder than appropriate airplane voices.
My limited experience suggests that most cell phone manufacturers have never found as effective a way to convey sidetone as landline phones traditionally have. That’s the factor users have to moderate how loud they sound, and it just ain’t happening any more.
Perfect opportunity to startup a NO CELL PHONE AIRLINE. Ugh.