FAA Reviewing Policy on Electronic Gadgets

FAA Logo

So they’re finally going to considering letting us do what plenty of people already do: get in one last e-mail as the plane accelerates down the runway! How many times have you been getting on to a flight and seen the people around you tapping away on their Blackberry? I was always told they have that rule so you pay attention to the safety instructions (those emergency procedure pamphlets could use an update too – they look like they all came from a de Havilland Comet).

The problem is the requirement to test every version of every device! And the FAA expects airlines and device manufacturers to cooperate; and those that don’t will be on the no-fly list! But do you really think they’re going to issue stewardesses with a field guide to identify tested and un-tested devices?! What if an Asus Transformer is certified, but a Transformer Prime isn’t?! Or the original and iPad 2 are certified but the new iPad isn’t?! Good luck with that?! And the manufacturers know that, so they’re not going to pay for all their devices certified – just enough that their brand is recognized as certified and hope that’ll carry the rest of the models through. Unless the FAA plans on issuing certification stamps that have to be clearly visible on the back of the device (like child car seats are certified for airplane use).

Source: The New York Times

Via: Boy Genius Report

Cross-posted on Schultzter’s Blog