Sniffing out a story is what the Hot Topic is all about and this looks to be a good one. It appears that not only will The IMS Company reveal a new I7 (that’s “i” 7) – Personal Media Player in Long Beach at the WAEA/APEX Annual Conference, but that the player will be IMS’ first purpose-built portable. IFEXpress has learned that WIN, the WAEA Newsletter, will carry an article tomorrow, September 1, that says that COTS-leader IMS has opted to include a purpose-built PMP alongside its COTS devices in response to certain market requirements. We... [Read more]

While visiting a local aircraft LCD Display manufacturer recently, we blundered into discussion about HDMI/HDCP requirements and specifications and got a lively earful about the technology, the certification and the adopters who have driven the aircraft side of this High Definition video “thing”. We got to thinking and checked with a few industry know-it-all’s and discovered that there is not a lot of common knowledge on the subject. So, undaunted, we thought our readers might find what we discovered interesting. The HDMI specification in an industry certified standard... [Read more]

This is your unofficial reminder about the upcoming WAEA (soon to be APEX) Conference & Exhibition, Sept. 13 – 16, Long Beach, CA. If you are only budgeting one conference for IFE this year, this is the one. We asked an expert for a one liner about the forthcoming show and here is what he sent – most excellent! “There will be a full day of Educational Sessions on Monday, September 13. These include a panel discussion about repurposing COTS technologies in IFE. Moderated by Michael Childers (LightStream Communications), the panel includes Joseph Renton... [Read more]

Yes, we have probably mentioned the above sentiment a few times too many in the past, but it is becoming truer each day more technologies and channels are developed each year. Rewind to an article in AVIONICS magazine a couple year back when they noted: “Airlines and other users also want access to sub channels like mobile/cellular (GSM, GPRS, UMTS) networks, Wi-Fi, Wi-MAX and non-satcom broadband as a way to avoid UHF communications expense, particularly for ground operations. Such solutions, however, will require the integration of the aircraft with an airline’s... [Read more]

Not long ago we presented the Current Market Outlook, Boeing’s forecast for commercial passenger and freight aircraft. This week we focus on the Airbus version, called appropriately, the Global Market Forecast. If you want to view the complete 164 page PDF it is available for download. But if you want to see high spots in the breakdown, try the Interactive Showcase. Easy to use and sweet – gold star Airbus! Past editions of the GMF are also available via their home page as well (down at the bottom of the page). Overall, the GMF is a bit bigger and slicker... [Read more]

While pondering an apropos subject for this week’s Hot Topic, we started following threads that began with Inflight Entertainment and the changes coming for fliers. Connectivity, a paid service, is becoming popular and available on hundreds of flights in the US and abroad and IFE is probably on the list to be supported by your cash. With that, we Binged and Googled our way into this week’s words. These headlines, or rather lead lines, steered out thinking to the future, at least in the US. To give a bigger scope to the work, we included stories from all over... [Read more]

The Boeing Current Market Outlook (CMO) is simply the next 20 year demand for air travel and airplanes. For as long as we can remember, marketing types have based many forecasts; In-Flight Entertainment and others, utilizing this informative tool. IFE has two commercial aircraft component markets (line-fit and retrofit) and the CMO and it’s Airbus cousin, Global Market Forecast, are usually the basis for most new aircraft installation market size estimates. We should note that the CMO has been a conservative voice in demand forecasting but GDP or economic-based predictions... [Read more]

Are you as well? Reading the press releases/websites from Airbus and Boeing, it seems that both claim victory in the launch aid kerfuffle used by Airbus. The June 30 ruling So, wisely sidestepping a position, we asked our readers what they thought about it and here are their various perspectives in ascending order of verbosity: 1.” I read the A380 WTO report and it clearly stated the launch loans were in violation of WTO rules on export subsidies. This is just corporate posturing.” (Anonymity requested) 2. “The WTO doesn’t have any ability to impose... [Read more]

This is the best job in the world. We get to see some of the best stuff invented by some of the best people in the world. Here are a few that you might not have seen or heard about, but really impressed us. VoCem from TriaGnoSys – A series of software optimizations that are really multiple compression algorithms for satcom communication…in operation today on Inmarsat. This “invisible” product can improve thruput of Inmarsat by anywhere from 4 to 10 times. Axel Jahn and his team have lowered the cost of communication to about 60 cents per minute by basically... [Read more]

Let’s see; Tux – check. Tails – check. Body Glove wetsuit – huh? Airline CEO’s often participate in PR events surrounding airline happenings but few could match the panache and daring of the amazing Sir Richard Branson. For the record, here is an exclusive photo of his attire during a recent stunt at the 10 year Anniversary of Virgin Atlantic Airway’s UK-Las Vegas route. Incidentally, it now ranks fourth in revenue generation for Virgin’s route system. We wanted to show our readers “the man” in preparation for his... [Read more]

If you heard about the mayhem in the famous Bellagio fountain last week, the image of Sir Richard Branson riding, or dumping, a jet ski in the water in Las Vegas is probably permanently etched in your brain. The event honored the 10 year anniversary of Virgin Atlantic’s non-stop flight service to Mcarran airport from the UK. As he usually does, Virgin’s Sir Richard, prompted a stunt to mark the event and we will give you some coverage of that madness next issue. The Virgin investment of $2 Billion in new planes and new service from Manchester airport, as well... [Read more]

You know, we are all missing something. It’s the possibility of an Android or a MS-based tablet PC that can be used for IFE. Sure, the score is 2 million to almost nothing, but think about the possibility one year from now when the other operating system devices roll out. While Apple devices rule today for ancillary IFE, surely because of their almost flawless design and app availability. Sitting quietly on the sidelines is the “open” Android operating system from Google and it’s collection of thousands of apps, and from Microsoft, a future Windows... [Read more]

Sometimes we love our work… and this is one of those stories. Covering companies like Lumexis is one for the story books because they are the “IFE Mouse that Roared.” For at least 5 years now, we have been writing about Rich Salter Jr. and Doug Cline and their dream to develop a lighter weight, higher bandwidth IFE system based on fiber optic connectivity and we could not be happier for them. IFExpress covered their escapades from development boxes to show floor rumors and at this year’s AIX in Hamburg, it looks like they won all the marbles: first... [Read more]

One of the hottest world-wide electronics products ever – 2 million sold to date – was seen everywhere at AIX Expo 2010… what is it? The iPad of course, and we dug a little deeper for a bit more ‘real data’ on the device. Apple’s iPad is an enormously successful consumer device. And when it was suggested publicly that it might be used as an IFE platform, the consumer electronics press and the geek-gadget-blogs waxed orgasmic over the notion of the iPad as IFE. In Hamburg, two different Personal Media Players (PMP) suppliers “offered”... [Read more]

The Aircraft Interiors mash-up in Hamburg ended this past week with some very interesting and unpredicted trends in the IFE space. For sure, the move toward smaller, thinner, lighter and more capable electronics was present. Second, third, and fourth generation electronics were claimed in the thin seat/thin and smart IFE world. Without a doubt, this is the trend of the next round of seatback/seat hardware. We really liked the Thales product! There were a number of R&D projects almost ready for prime time: A wireless seat power development project that claimed 97% efficiency... [Read more]

Greetings from Hamburg, Germany! Thanks to AYA-FIOLA-YOKUL – a few out-of-the-way airports, delayed flights, unexpected bus tours, missed connections, and schedule slides we managed to make it to Hamburg… better late than never! Next week’s issue of IFExpress will include the latest and greatest from AIX… assuming the volcano doesn’t get too obstreperous at the end of the week when we are to fly home via ICELAND again! Now for the Hot Topic: Never satisfied with the status quo of inflight LCD displays, Yukio Sugimoto founder of Aircraft Cabin Systems (ACS)... [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]

Yep, and it’s from AP Avionix. Can you guess what it is? Here is a hint – it is called Cab-N-Connect. Give up? Try 802.11n airborne wireless router. When we saw the creature we had to get the story for our readers. So here is what they told IFExpress: “AP Avionix’s new Cab-N-ConnectM wireless access point takes advantage of the recently adopted IEEE 802.11n specification, which increases maximum throughput to wireless clients from 54mbps to over 300mbps. Engineers from AP Avionx and Motorola have collaborated closely together in ruggedizing and adapting Motorola’s... [Read more]

Let’s start out this week with a new Aircell aeronautical equipment package for Swift Broadband service that’ll roll out at EBACE 2010 in Geneva this week. Two featurers of the new hardware are Thrane & Thrane’s new AVIATOR 200 and a very interesting antenna. Here’s the skinny on the radios for our techno readers: “Thrane & Thrane’s innovative AVIATOR 200 simultaneously provides data speeds up to 200 kbps and a single AMBE 2 channel for voice calls, providing smaller aircraft with a complete airborne communications solution where... [Read more]

This week we sorted through a plethora of information bits for our readers to digest and are presenting them here in some order of importance…sorta. The “smiling” face that adorns this issue of IFExpress is that of John Wade, long-time IFE’er. John has been promoted to Executive Vice President and General Manager of Aircell’s Business Aviation Services. As a lifer in IFE, John has been associated with most of the connectivity providers during the turbulent beginnings of the technology. We asked John for a comment and he sends the following; “Aircell’s... [Read more]

The subject here is Airshow and there looks today, to be a competitor on the horizon offering a value-based solution to what must be thousands of aircraft equipped with the moving map display. While the two markets (airline and bizjet) have different needs, the solution from Flight Display Systems will make an impact on bizjet owners today…and possibly commercial airlines in the future. FDS is offering a replacement to earlier Airshow boxes that are not even supported today (100, 200, and 400 Systems). So we asked FDS about their bizjet solution, specifically, why their... [Read more]

We just got wind of a VERY Important meeting before AIX that all of our readers should take notice and possibly attend. Read on! “The WAEA is optimistic that its Single Focus Workshop: Seats and IFE—being held on May 17 in Hamburg on the eve of AIX—will have the important effect of stimulating greater cooperation among the stakeholders involved in seat/IFE integration. Hosted by Airbus at its Hamburg facility, the event brings together both Boeing and Airbus, along with IFEC suppliers Thales and Panasonic, and seat manufacturers Recaro, Weber and Sicma, with others... [Read more]

Recently, while searching around for a Hot Topic, we came across a note from Dave Garing, CEO of Innovative Advantage, a Seattle area maker of cabin systems for business jets. We asked if their products might see the light of day (GRIN) on the commercial aircraft world because they feature Fiber Optic interconnectivity. Here is what he told IFExpress about their cabin management/in-flight entertainment system: “Yes, we are new attendees to WAEA TC. Have developed fiber-based IFE infrastructure targeting the biz-jet (installing now on Gulfstream G450s and G550s and... [Read more]

Readers of In-Flight Entertainment are probably tired of hearing what we have to say about the industry so we decided to turn the tables on you and asked what you thought about the latest WAEA TC Meeting in California last week and here is what you said (names withheld to protect the innocent). Responder One: “The WAEA SFW on Connectivity was well attended, although there seemed to be fewer airlines attending than for the first SFW in Everett, WA in June 2009. Airlines are clearly embracing airborne connectivity for passengers and airplanes. IFE & C suppliers... [Read more]

This is Hot Topic is like life; you get the test first and the lesson later! We have structured a couple questions to help our readers stumble thru the mire of the latest technology and newest products, with an attempt to guess where all this stuff might lead. At the end, we will give you our spin on where it’s all heading. Question 1. Arrange the following terms in chronologically development/general application order: Desktop, Mainframe, Laptop, Smartphone, Netbook, and Minicomputer. C’mon, this is easy. Good, now it gets harder. Throw in these terms to make... [Read more]