Windows Phone Thoughts: Using Wireless Devices On Airplanes

One of the biggest problems with Smartphones, Pocket PC Phones, and similar devices is the blanket "no-phone-ish-thingy" rule on most airlines, even if the device clearly says that the phone module is off. This is only going to get worse, not better, considering all mobile electronics of various sizes are integrating both general-purpose computing and wireless technologies together. In fact, one of my pet peeves is that the above is stringently followed, while at the same time the person next to you is probably using a laptop with built-in WiFi that's scanning for an access point but the user (or the airlines) don't know it. :evil: Have you guys had negative experiences like this?

In any case, there's positive news by at least one carrier, SAS:

"Scandinavian Airlines will be the first airline to allow the use of some mobile phone functions during flight. In the so-called flight-safe mode, the mobile phone is switched on without sending or receiving signals and won’t therefore affect flight security. It is the latest mobile phones, such as the Sony Ericsson P800, which have this flight-safe mode. With this, the traveler on board a SAS flight can use a mobile phone to update his or her diary, write e-mail and take notes, edit documents, play games, listen to music and even take photos with a built-in camera – everything except make a phone call."

It's about time, I say! Of course, I'm skeptical any of the US airlines will adopt it, and will continue to ignore the WiFi and other built-in features while freaking out over exposed antennas. :roll: (BTW, I now see why the internal antenna and removable keypad on the P800 are so useful... you can turn it into a non-phone-looking device. :))