Inflight Wi-Fi & Aviation

Advancements in Wi-Fi technology set to increase the use of passenger wireless devices on flights, says Bashar Dahabra by Al Badawa

In this article that was written in 2005, according to the two years of research done by Airbus, it is possible to use wireless communication devices and it could be as common as on ground.  There have been many advancements with WiFi technology that make it possible to use cell phones, laptops, ect. during flight.  For quite some time people believed that the use of cell phones would interfere with the aircrafts radio-navigation systems and the communication between pilots and air traffic controllers; but the studies in the past had come to conclusion that mobile devices, in-fact, do not interfere with the navigation systems.  In this article, it also mentioned that cell phones would be permitted in flights by at least 2006 and airlines were in the process of advancing with the plans to equip their aircraft with systems that would enable passengers to use their mobile devices all the times with no risk to the aircraft's communication systems.  The dangers that came with mobile devices was originated by theory rather than scientific evidence. According to this article (again - written in 2005), as more airlines warm up to the idea, more will start providing the infrastructure to enable wireless communications on board.  

Personally, I like reading articles like this from the past.  There are some points in it where we have made the advancements and others that we have yet to.  For instance, it is very common to have inflight WiFi on board but it can not be used at all times (like take off and landings).  Another example I like is the advancements they talk about with the use of mobile phones on board.  It is possible to use them in "flight mode", but it still not possible to actually talk and text during the flight.  I am still skeptical about using cell phones for talking and texting during flight because of the theory that had originated and I probably wouldn't be very fond of it anyway because it would be a disturbance (I like sleeping through long flights!).  We have come a long way with technology.  We went from limited electronic devices to using broadband on board and it is very interesting to see how far we have come.  I wonder what the Wright brothers would think!  Now what will the next 7 years present us with? 

Advancements in wi-fi technology set to increase the use of passenger wireless devices on flights, says bashar dahabra. (2005, May 08). Al Bawaba, pp. 1-1. Retrieved from http://proxy.consortiumlibrary.org/docview/194798691?accountid=14473

Fly Silent, Fly Cheap

Fly Silent, Fly Cheap is an article written by Jeffry Winters about a collaboration that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Cambridge decided on involving aircraft noise levels and the possible advancements in aviation.  Aircraft noise has been a limiting factor to the growth of aviation since the beginning.  The two colleges decided to look more into the shape of aircraft to reduce the amount of noise it gives off.  After three years, the engineers and researchers revealed a design for a futuristic-looking aircraft code-named SAX-40.  The design for the SAX-40 has a wide-flattened fuselage to provide lift and reduce the amount of airspeed also reducing the power produced by engines while minimizing noise.  It also has a customary tail and the lateral stability was processed through the small winglets at each wing resulting in less structure exposure.  The aftermath of the design changes would  allow aircraft to be a neutral part of urban environment rather than a nuisance.  With all the research accomplished the engineers also came to realization that they were not only reducing noise, they were also saving fuel.  A regular 777 Boeing aircraft receives 100 passenger MPG, while the SAX-40 receives 120 passanger MPG, making this silent aircraft an airborne Prius.

This article really caught my attention because it gives an example of what technology will bring to us and the futuristic look makes me realize that the "future" is right around the corner.  I also recognize how much of an issue noise can be when it comes to airports in urban areas, so the fact that there would be a great reduction to noise means that the growth of aviation won't be effected.  We are constantly looking for new ways to save the planet and another important part of technology is "going green."  The fact that this aircraft saves fuel and is nick-named the "airborne Prius" is great and will most likely get positive reactions from society.  Although this aircraft sounds and looks great, don't go booking your ticket yet.  There are still many questions that still need to be answered, but it does give Boeing and Airbus something to consider! 

Winters, J. (2007). Fly silent, fly cheap. Mechanical Engineering, 129(2), 40-41. Retrieved from http://proxy.consortiumlibrary.org/docview/230167561?accountid=14473

Department of Transportation Keeps Backup Systems for GPS Tracking Technologies

Soon after the 9/11 attacks, U.S. Department of Defense and Department of Transportation collaborated on a plan to secure the nation's transportation infrastructure that relied on GPS.  There was confined tracking when it came to airplanes and ships but the DOT was also in the process of tracking automobile and train movements at the time.  Advantages with GPS is that they can tell you an exact longitude and latitude of what you're looking for, as a Navaid can only tell the point at which was last checked in.  A disadvantage of this form of tracking is the obstacles that block the satellite signals to the GPS recievers and the fact that the system could be manipulated and intentionally jammed.  One of the biggest altering factors with their new plan was to reduce the amount of ground-based radio navigation systems but they wouldn't phase them out completely until one system could prove it does its job.  Until then the ground-based tracking remains as a back-up system to GPS units.

As if we weren't secure enough, a lot of the nation became alive with security after the 9/11 incidents.  It is good that they are gradually converting from ground-based navaids to GPS because of the accuracy between the two.  The GPS still has its disadvantages but there is many advantages to it, not to mention it is very versatile.  You see it used with weather, military use, volcanic eruptions, movements of the Earth's plates and as I have learned in this article it has become a significant tool for the DOT and DOD.  Although I am not to fond of the 900 satellites that the world has launched into orbit (half being the U.S's), I find that it has helped us significantly.  


Bodamer, David. "Department of Transportation Keeps Backup Systems for GPS Tracking Technology." Civil Engineering 72.5 (2002): 32-. ABI/INFORM Complete. Web. 17 July 2012.

Liking is for Cowards. Go for What Hurts.

In Jonathan Franzen's "Liking is for Cowards. Go for What Hurts." he begins with how impressed he is with how far technology has advanced.  He then mentions the relationships we have with new devices and how intrigued we have become with the market's goal to continuously create products that we, as consumers, want.  We are beginning to realize that technology is developing to replace the natural world - that happens to be against our wishes - with a world that is extremely responsive and creates an extension of self.
A world that Jonathan mentions as an excellent example would happen to be Facebook.  It has brought us a transformation of the verb "to like."  This verb went from a feeling to an assertion of consumer choice.  There is a constant thrive to be likable and people are always searching for ways to portray a likeable image.  On the web this constant thrive is understandable but in human life the desperation to be liked is considered pathetic.  Franzen describes that in the end of this change to be likable, you will hurt yourself and cause depression.  We don't consider technology's manipulation the same as people's because it is again, an extension of ourselves.  Facebook is a way to show off ourselves, or as Jonathan Franzen says, mirror ourselves.  To friend a person is letting them into our "private hall of flattering mirrors."  J.Franzen mentions we have grown narcissistic tendencies with the growth of social media sites and sooner or later the perfectly likeable image will shatter and the real person behind the computer will come out. 
We use the word like because love goes so much deeper.  It touches the heart so to avoid that hurt, we stay safe and use the word like.  Pain is a natural product and indicator and as Franzen said earlier, we are using technology to avoid natural anything.  He then says "to go through life painlessly is to have not lived."  He also mentions that people who try to wait for that love and pain stuff to come later are cosigning themselves ten years of taking up space on the planet and burning up resources.  Basically, waiting isn't going to cause it to hurt any less, so what is the point?

Jonathan Franzen started something "uncool," he started bird-watching.  With bird watching came the love of birds; with the love of birds came the care for them and the care for their home and environment.  Bird-watching brought him back to his original love, the environment and the hope he had to change what the world was doing to it. He had stopped hoping for change because he thought there was nothing meaningful that he could personally do to save the planet but his new love brought him back to where he started.  What came with the love he gained was recognition of a part of him that he had never seen before.  He became less self-centered and learned to accept the anger, despair, and pain, which eventually becomes easier when you embrace something that you love.  There is a change of heart when interacting with real people or animals and it helps with care and acceptance.  

I find the goal technology has- to replace a natural world that's indifferent to our wishes - is succeeding rapidly.  Technology has created a whole other world when it comes to the social media connections.  People have been hiding behind the verb "to like" and it is something a majority of the world has been doing for quite some time now.  Facebook has turned the verb into the "commercial culture's substitute for loving" and it will forever have a different meaning because of this social media site. Let's get everyone away from the "Like" button for a moment, shall we? I feel it is important to get out and do something you are passionate about because as Jonathan Franzen said "one half of passion is obsession, the other half is love." It will also make you realize there is a less narcissistic part of you (or it won't) and you will realize that the real reaction with people and animals may cause you to love them.

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

In Nicholas Carr's article "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" he seems to be very unsure of the answer he is looking for.  He says the internet seems to be "chipping away my [his] capacity for concentration and contemplation."  He is used to taking things in the way the internet delivers them, short and to the point.  He describes this change by saying, "Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words.  Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a jet ski."  Nicholas Carr no longer reads into the detailed writings like he had before because of the way the internet distributes things.  This is where his question, "Is Google making us stupid?" originated from.
Carr takes tid-bits of stories he had read relating to technology and what it has done to society in the past and finds that there are both pros and cons having to do with each topic.  There had been many doubts in the beginning of each situation, like Socrates and the development of writing or Hieronimo Squarciafico with the printing press, but we have found ways to adapt to these changes and they have benefited society.  He gave us all the information in the article and the question remains unanswered.  He then says "be skeptical of my skepticism," like he wants us embrace what he has said and find an answer for ourselves. 
As human begins, it is our key role to adapt in evolution.  We've adapted to the printing press and we have adapted to the clock.  Although the clock ensures us to listen to time rather than senses, I'd say we're doing well and we have come a long way.  There are many critics that have said that technology "weakens the mind," and causes "laziness," but at the same time it is strengthening the mind. 
Through the whole article I read how each story adapted to the new technologies and I thought that if we've been adapting to new technologies since back in the day, what is the big deal now? Then I reached the end of the article and read the part from Kubrick's dark prophecy, "as we come to rely on computers to mediate our understanding of the world, it is our own intelligence that flattens into artificial intelligence." and it changed my mind in a way.  It obviously took an intelligent person to create a computer, so it is pretty disheartening to see that what we have created is now dumbing us down...   My answer to the question "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" is undecided and I feel that we have to wait and see. 

Flight From Conversation

In Sherry Turkle's "The Flight From Conversation" article, she touches on a few problems that society has been having with technology.  Turkle talks about how technology has declined the amount of communication between one another and mentions how accustomed we are to the new way of being "alone together," meaning technology has made it possible for someone to be alone in a room full of people but still able to connect and be wherever they want to be.  Her study shows that our drive for constant connection isn't just occurring at home or school, it is also happening in the work place, stores, restaurants and many other places.
 Somewhere along the line of the development of technology, people grew fond of the feeling of being comforted by silent connection and the capability of being in touch with so many people at once.  There is something about the distance between one another and the ability to control it that people enjoy.  We also have the ability to edit, delete, and rewrite anything we choose.  There are people who think the little pieces of online connection, like a tweet or Facebook post, are enough for a real conversation, but Sherry Turkle disagrees.  She thinks that we need to be having real face to face, meaningful conversations to not only improve our communication skills but our intelligence.
The more we use technology, the more we are drawn to it.  It is causing a growing expectation of receiving more from technology and causing us to expect less from each other.  With technology is company and it is "an illusion of companionship without the demands of relationship," Sherry stated.
I found the part where she mentioned the constant connection making us feel less lonely most thought provoking and I like when she says "if we are unable to be alone, we are far more likely to be lonely."  I agree with her point that our constant drive to "connect" stems from a fear of being alone and if we are unable to accept loneliness, we are bound to be lonely.  This article really inspired me to try to get my friends and family off of their laptops, cell phones, and tablets to have converse and communicate like we should be doing as people.  

Technology Experiences!

Technology has come a long way since it first started developing.  Some people think it is taking a tole on society and others believe it is helping us.  I am in between the two for this argument.  I think society is taking advantage of technology when it comes to iPhones, iPads, Blackberry, ect. in the sense that there is a time and place to use your technology.  For instance, texting and driving - not the time nor the place, or perhaps when you are out to dinner on a hot date or with your family, also not the time or place, and my all time favorite - the movie theater.  The theaters are now airing five minute long previews and even short movie clips about texting and talking during the movie.  A ninja security gaurd may or may not jump out of those fancy velvet curtains hanging on the wall, tackle you and your phone to the sticky, grimy, movie theater floor, and escort you out because you are disturbing the people around you...  I would advise thinking about whether or not your current environment is the time or place to be using technology.
On the other hand,  I enjoy the use of technology, when the time and place is right of course.  Social networking sites make it possible for me to connect with family that I only get to see once a year and although I am not too fond of texting, it is a short and sweet way to contact somebody without getting stuck on the phone for an hour.  I can't forget to mention that Google is my best friend!  It has an answer for everything.
I also use it for educational purposes.  I have taken a few online courses and it has helped me stay on track throughout my high school and college career.  Technology also keeps me up to date with current assignments and other announcements that our instructors are able to post to make communicating with the students easier. 
All in all, technology is great and it will always be improving.  It just happens to hurt us as much as it helps us and that is something that we need to try to help control.