pilot

Mozilla solicits user feedback with Test Pilot

One of the big challenges in open source is soliciting meaningful involvement in a project. Most open-source projects get almost no outside involvement, primarily because contributing to an open-source project takes time, familiarity with the code in question (a perpetual thorn in OpenOffice.org's side), and the skill to write meaningful contributions.

More critically, much of the best input to any product, open- or closed-source, would come from average users who provide usability and other input, but this is precisely the sort of person that has no idea how to write software, despite being the likely day-to-day customers of … Read more

FLASHBACK!: Gadgettes 77: The Songs Of Gadgettes Episode

That's right! You too can own all of the best songs from the critically acclaimed podcast sensation, Gadgettes. Order yours today by calling 1-800-750-2638, or email us at gadgettes@cnet.com. We're waiting patiently for your call, so call NOW!

Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 77

No links today... just a bunch of random clips.

Review: 2009 Honda Pilot EX-L

Let's face it: the Honda Pilot has always looked like a brick on wheels. The new-for-2009 Pilot, with its CR-V-inspired grille, looks even worse. It doesn't get much better on the inside, with a dash dominated by cheap plastics and questionable material choices. As much as we dislike the Pilot's aesthetics, we can say that the SUV feels solid, as though it were machined out of a solid piece of metal. The ride is supple without being floaty, and the cabin is among the quietest in its class.

Read the full 2009 Honda Pilot EX-L review.

Audiophile MP3 players, by the numbers

When Jasmine and I evaluate MP3 players for CNET reviews, we always try to spend a few sentences describing any noticeable audio performance characteristics we detect during our subjective testing. We'll play around with all of the gadget's different EQ and sound enhancement options, listen back on our reference headphones, and run through a playlist of familiar music. We're only human, however, and hearing loss, ear wax, head congestion, and hangovers can skew our perceptions of audio quality from day to day. Thankfully, we have Eric Franklin.… Read more

Making air traffic control more efficient

ORLANDO, Fla.--If you've ever flown on a commercial airline, you've probably wondered how air traffic controllers do their jobs.

There's certainly lots to it, but increasingly, software from a company called Adacel is behind it all.

The company was originally Australian, but relocated here. It employs several dozen people to create software used by civilian aviation agencies like the FAA in the United States and its counterparts in other countries to do a better job managing the ever-growing amount of airplanes flying today.

I visited Adacel here Thursday as part of Road Trip 2008, my voyage … Read more

IBM considering giving Microsoft the boot?

IBM Research is running a pilot program to gauge the interest in and feasibility of moving its employees from PCs to Macs. So far, the response appears to be an enthusiastic, "Yes, please! Is this PC recyclable, or should I just dump it out back?"

Why is IBM doing this? An internal document gives several reasons:

Alternative to Microsoft Windows (IBM, like many enterprises, is concerned about being locked into Microsoft) Less prone to security issues Widely used in the academic world, with which (IBM) Research has close ties Many new hires are more comfortable with the Mac … Read more

Gadgettes 77: The Songs Of Gadgettes Episode

Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 77

No links today... just a bunch of random clips. You're welcome!

Price drags down 'lightweight' flight simulator

These days, "lightweight" and "compact" aren't adjectives commonly used to describe game simulators, especially if you're shopping for one at FAO Schwarz with a budget in the neighborhood of $300,000. But those are ostensibly among the selling points for the "Dreamflyer," which is being marketed as a relatively uncomplicated system--a characteristic that certainly bucks current trends.

The simulator is supposedly more sensitive to player controls than other systems, responding to "pilot-induced roll and pitch oscillation" captured by sensors under the chair and displayed on the screen, according to Pocket-Lint. … Read more

Ideal Bite launches with scantily clad dancers, mechanical bull

I've got to say that I walked into Monday night's Ideal Bite party in midtown Manhattan with absolutely no idea of what to expect.

I knew that Ideal Bite was a new daily e-mail list that specialized in "light-green living"--you know, a sort of DailyCandy for eco-yuppies. The event, titled "Garden of Hedonism," promised "a night of total titillation that's both decadent and green," and that it would be held at--Johnny Utah's!?

New Yorkers who follow restaurant openings and closings are undoubtedly familiar with Johnny Utah's, an "… Read more

Does new iPhone ad pass the sniff test?

Life is good at Apple these days. Around 1.39 million iPhones sold. Soaring earnings. A new OS on the way. The Mac is gaining ground on the rest of the PC industry. The company can do no wrong. But that hasn't stopped a handful of critics from getting upset over one of the new iPhone ads currently running on a TV screen near you.

The ad in question is "Delay," which depicts an alleged airline pilot, Bryce, talking about how he used his iPhone's weather.com app to help avoid a major delay. The ads have gotten some of the folks over at FlyerTalk's forums pretty riled up.

Marathon Man, a poster from Massachusetts, started it all off by saying: "So I just saw for the first time this Apple iPhone commercial where a pilot (or some crew member that could be one) is standing there telling us that his iPhone was able to… Read more