After a recent trip back to Australia, I was reminded why the IFE industry exists and how the terrestrial personal technology revolution is still so far ahead. This story begins with a 15 hour journey, in a place where time stands still* as you leave earth, captive in an aluminum tube, with your space defined by a personal 16G rated plastic and metal cage. “Have a nice flight,” said the gate agent. Hmmm? Firstly, I am not going to name names or critique the experience specifically. Suffice it to say, onboard the system was the latest generation of IFE and it worked... [Read more]

“Is that a connected device in your pocket, or…” Welcome to the special commentary edition of SymontySEZ, “SymontyCES.” In a far away time (last Sunday) in a mystical dessert city (Las Vegas) did the kings of consumer technology (aside from Apple) gather to decide your technical future. This year was once again like all others CES conferences of modern times (since the almost demise of the show in 1998) in it’s ability to predict what gets us excited but by no means what we will purchase. In the 1990′s I attended COMDEX and over a... [Read more]

Let’s start with some reminiscing… (Harp music, wavy dissolve) I remember quite well how when I accidentally got in this whole IFE business, and I do mean accidentally, my IFE greeted me with a blue screen of death and a little Windows logo. Flash Forward 10 years: The IFE industry is now dominated by Linux Operating Systems with Windows support relegated to a few minor players. Meanwhile the terrestrial world has, in the specialized personal device market, gone through a similar revolution, so perhaps it is time for these two activities to merge? Lets examine the... [Read more]

It is not the size but the way you use it. Last time in “Why Size Doesn’t Matter” I outlined the specific issues limiting timely connectivity communication due to satcom latency. Today, lets talk about some fixes, to make the most out of your pipe. In a world guided by the laws of physics you may feel a little trapped by the inevitable lack of comparable Internet service when flying over the pacific at 600mph, but I have good news. The Internet is a complex place filled with a lot more than just streaming media. The Internet world is really broken into... [Read more]

Welcome to the first edition of SymontySez. I am Symonty and I hope to be able to present some views and ideas about connectivity and the IFE industry (now strangely being renamed the Passenger Experience Industry) from my 12-year journey in this field. My company, SymonTek, is responsible for the software and servers that support inflight connectivity and we work anonymously with some of the biggest names in this industry. I am completely sure loads of you will disagree with me. That’s okay. The purpose of my commentary is to make you think and ask questions. Masticate... [Read more]

The opening salvos from the WAEA (Now APEX) were as expected with virtually every speaker mentioning or displaying iPad-isms. Marketing and futurist, Sarah Davanzo, as keynote speaker opened the conference with her separating the consumer into “eggs” and “snowflakes”. At odds, the two crowds are diametrically opposed, much like extraverts and introverts. At last I found out that I am an “egg flake” because energy drinks and coffee move me from the passive mood to an active one. Sarah may not agree. And speaking of mood, the next thing... [Read more]

The Long Beach Conference & Exhibition Center is the location of the 31st annual WAEA for the inflight entertainment crowd. If you are coming, here is a good place to start: the free Long Beach iPhone App: Downtown Long Beach. A waiter at the Rock Bottom Brewery and Restaurant sent us to it as a good source for the city and more information on the free red bus that covers a lot of the Conference vicinity and downtown dining hotspots. We got recommendations about the following pubs and eateries near the Center as follows: PF Chang The Auld Dubliner California Pizza Rock... [Read more]

Disembarking iceland air at Akureyri Airport OK, OK, let the “I-told-you-so’s” begin. The volcano got us. We left Seattle with assurances if we left 2 hours early, the airport would still be open – NOT! In fact, it seemed a bit suspicious that over half way thru the flight (beyond the turn back point) we got the bad news. Well, I say news, I mean the speakers on that B757 were so crappy that between them and the lilting Icelandic patois, we had no idea where were going to land. The answer was a small town airport at the end of a fjord. Actually,... [Read more]