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iPods to be Used as Flight Data Recorders
udamahan writes "Flight Global reports small aircraft manufacturer LoPresti is introducing a system that uses an iPod as a flight data recorder. The company states that they chose the iPod for its size, low power requirements, and the 'thousands of developers passionate about writing applications for the iPod.' The article notes that data recorders are typically used for maintenance, flight/safety analysis, or, assuming proper protection, crash investigation."
Hmmm, not so sure if I like the sounds of this. I broke an iPod by dropping it about 4 feet, I can only imagine how one will fare after plummeting 30,000...
Drops out of your pocket? The damned things break if you drop it IN your pocket!
Friend: "The NIC is misconfigured..." Me: "No prob, I'll just telnet in and fix it." *Silence*
A commercial airliner has crashed killing all 182 passengers on board as well as 8 flight crew. Investigators have recovered 191 flight recorders.
I hate printers.
The name of the product...
Airpod.
This brings a whole new meaning to a "disk crash."
Flight International is doing a similar thing, but with the Zune, it crashes before the plane does!
After an accident there will be many people who need to investigate the flight data. How problematic is it going to be that they will only be able to put the data on five computers?
So, will they have to be turned off during the takeoff and landing phases of the flight per FAA AC 91.21. Seems like these are the most useful phases of the flight to record.
I can just image it: "At this time the cabin crew would like to remind the flight crew to turn off the flight recorder. We'll let you know when we reach cruising altitide and it is safe to turn the device back on".
Before anyone feels the need to inform me that Advisory Circulars are not the same as FAA regulations, I know already!
A One that isn't cold, is scarcely a One at all.
But what if that part of the plane ends up on the other side of the island?
Harrison Ford had it right, the Ipod can be used for data storage. Hollywood hacker movies are right again. One of these days someones going to hack the Gibson.....as soon as they build the Gibson.
Libertarian Leaning Political Discussion Forum.
Four FAA-investigators, putting on an earnest face, leaning over an orange Ipod Shuffle
connected to highly professional audio Monitors:
(Ipod-Voice from Loudspeaker) "Hello, dear audience..."
(Ipod-Voice from Loudspeaker) "...this time I will replay the in-flight data for...."
intense shuffling, investigators are putting in a frown
(Ipod-Voice from Loudspeaker) "...cabin air moisture!"
(FAA agent 1) "No, not again!"
(FAA agent 2) "Who`s going for lunch? I`m sooo bored!"
"Black Boxes" are made to survive all kinds of unbelievable crashes, impacts, fires, explosions, etc..
Why don't they make the plane out of the same material as the black boxes? Problem solved. You can now use the iPod for your music and videos.
"Despite recovering the flight data recorder from the wreckage, the caush of the crash is yet to be established. It has been confirmed however that the pilot was a big Pink Floyd fan"
"flying off a lecture room table and hitting the floor two meters below"
do you go to giant school or something?
Absolutely! Similarly, the iPods will be programmed to loop "We Built This City" endlessly, virtually guaranteeing that somebody will show up to scream "Turn that crap off!"
"Hey, the third matrix movie would have been good except for the plot,story, and acting." --AC
iPod Accessories just keep getting more and more inventive. And I thought the iPod sock was inventive, but now a plane?
But think about all the great Black Box recordings that will be available on iTunes for everyone to listen to. I see the RIAA getting their mits in on this.
Can I bum a sig?
Won't the iPod disrupt the plane's flight electronics and CAUSE crashes, though? That's why the flight attendants always remind us that the use of portable electronic devices during takeoff and landing is forbidden, right?
I can see the news report now:
"NTSB crash investigators have been baffled as to the cause of the private plane crash that killed Steve Jobs and four others last week, but today they made a major breakthrough in their investigation. The crash investigators were initially stymied by the sequence of events leading up to the crash. Apparently, the initial confusion was resolved once they discovered the Crash.Events playback was set to shuffle."
"In a related story, Conspiracy therorists are not buying the explanation. They say that they have proof that the flight data recorder shows the plane was in level flight after having slammed into the Mountain. They insist that this was a plot financed by former Microsoft President Bill Gates to 'send a message' that Microsoft is not to be trifled with."
"Mr Gates was unavailable for comment as he was attending a conference on Aids in Africa."
"To counter these claims, the NTSB has offered to share crash evidence with the general public, just as soon as they can figure out how to bypass the DRM features without running afoul of the DMCA."
Good security is based upon reality and common sense. Common sense is a function of having common knowledge.
Relax, it's a White Box.
"Windows are for cheaters" - Bruce Springsteen