Crave

When it comes to in-flight movies, it's hard to beat the convenience of an iPhone or iPod Touch.

But comfort? That's another story. Either you're holding the device upright for 2 hours or propping it awkwardly on the tray table (where the slightest turbulence can knock it over).

I speak from experience when I say that both methods can leave you with strained eyes and a sore neck.

Enter SeatBuddy, which straps your iPhone or Touch to the seat in front of you for comfortable, hands-free, close-to-eye-level viewing.

As you can see in the video, the SeatBuddy is basically a rubberized case with straps that allow it to hang over the top of the seat-back tray table (which must stay closed, natch).

What you don't see in the video is that you can affix Velcro tabs (included) to each strap, thus allowing you to secure the SeatBuddy to a treadmill or the back of a car seat (by wrapping the straps around one of the headrest's poles).

I think this little gizmo is reasonably priced at $19.95 (plus $3.95 for shipping), though obviously there are other solutions that cost less.

For example, if all you need is a stand that'll keep your iPhone propped up on a tray table, it's hard to beat the $5 GoGo Stand (which, incidentally, fits in your wallet).

And don't forget my all-time favorite: The do-it-yourself iPhone business-card stand.

Of course, those solutions don't have quite the same go-anywhere appeal as the SeatBuddy, which also leaves you more room to move around in your seat and reduces the eyestrain that comes from looking downward for hours at a time.

What do you think? Is this the answer to a frequent-flier's prayer, or is $20 too much to pay when you can accomplish more or less the same thing with an airsickness bag?

I bought a ticket and was ready to go to Woodstock; however, my ride chickened out and I missed the seminal musical event of the 1960s.

The thing is, over the course of those three days in August 1969, I, even a 20-year-old, was glad I missed it.

Sure, three days of peace and music sounds nice, but Woodstock was an instant media legend. Granted, great bands were there by the helicopter load; but the sound, as best as I could tell, was awful for the crowd gathered. Unlike today's high-powered concert sound systems that can easily play sound loud enough to cause hearing loss, the Woodstock system was probably pretty low intensity volumewise. Then again, I'm sure most of the 500,000 Woodstock Nation attendees were grooving under their own power.

That, combined with the rain, mud, and less than stellar lavatories would have made me pretty miserable.

I bought the "Woodstock: Music from the original Soundtrack" LP when it came out, and I saw the film--in 70mm in Manhattan. For me, those were a lot better than being there. I listened to the best music of the three days and didn't have to endure the rest of ordeal.

Think about it: The edited, perfected versions of the event are the ways most folks have experienced Woodstock. Most people were either too young to go in the first place, and most boomers, like myself, didn't get there. For us, Woodstock is the movie or music.

I just wonder for those who were there, have the movie and soundtrack albums replaced their memories of the actual event? There seems to be an endless stream of Woodstock titles coming out.

If you haven't figured this out already, I'm a serious airline geek. Yes, I'm the kind of person who keeps track of all his flights and I can identify planes as they taxi by at the airport. Want to know which airlines flies nonstop between San Francisco and Sydney? Well, I can tell you (United and Qantas). Some would call it an obsession, but I think that it's just an interest.

Airport Status

If you're like me, you'll be delighted to know that the iPhone App store has quite a few options to indulge your passion. Without ever leaving your iPhone, you can check for delays, find the best seat on your flight, learn facts about your aircraft, and find your departure gate at the airport.

The following is a list of apps that I've used on CNET's iPhone. When I'm not using them just for fun--like I said, it's an interest--they have come in handy quite a few times. The titles that I've highlighted below aren't the only such apps available, but they are the ones that I've used. If you have other picks, be sure to tell me about them below.

Airport Status
99 cents

This app won't show delays for specific flights, but it will show general delays affecting U.S. airports. This is especially useful when your home airport is San Francisco International--due to low clouds it often suffers from "ground stops" where flights are held at their departure airport until the weather improves. Newark Liberty is another airport that's constantly on here. New Yorkers and Jerseyites, take note. ... Read more

Test your air-traffic control mettle in Flight Control, a terrific little 99-cent game.

(Credit: Rick Broida)

At first blush, an air-traffic control simulator sounds about as much as fun as a podiatry theme park. But Flight Control is an absolute gem of a game, a perfect five-minute diversion that's perfectly priced at 99 cents.

The gameplay unfolds on a single screen containing two runways and a helipad. As aircraft appear from the periphery, you must guide each one in for a landing while avoiding mid-air collisions. It's pushing tin, iPhone-style.

To steer an aircraft, you just tap it and drag a flight path with your finger. Jets go to the red runway, prop planes to the yellow one, and helicopters to the smaller blue pad.

Things start off easy enough, but before long you're having to finger-juggle as many as 10 aircraft at a time. (Now I see why real ATCs are so stressed out!) Ultimately, your goal is to land as many planes as possible before the inevitable crash. (My top score to date: 31. Can you beat it?)

Flight Control features a jazzy little soundtrack, but you can listen to your own tunes if you prefer.

The game suffers from two minor annoyances. First, there's no "resume" option, so if you exit a game in progress, you'll have to start over next time. Second, there's no level structure to the gameplay; it just keeps getting tougher and tougher until eventually you lose--meaning that eventually you'll lose interest.

Even so, Flight Control is so cute, clever, and temporarily addictive, I consider it a must-have addition to any game lover's arsenal.

Go ahead, send that all-important text.

(Credit: Airbus)

British Airways announced this week that it would initiate limited cell phone use on an upcoming route between London and New York City. Voice calls will not be permitted, but passengers will be allowed to send and receive text messages and e-mails.

The airline will limit the service to twice-daily flights between London City Airport and New York's JFK that are due to start in September. The all-business class route is flown by a narrow-body Airbus A318 aircraft that must make a stop in Ireland on the westbound leg. The configuration will allow for just 32 seats.

British Airways didn't disclose pricing for the service, but we wouldn't be surprised if it was included in the price of the business-class ticket. Though avoiding the trek to Heathrow may attract busy financial titans shuttling between The City and Wall Street, the price of a ticket is not expected to be cheap.

Other airlines have experimented with in-flight cell phone use, including Ryanair, Qantas, Air France, and Emirates. Only Emirates allows voice calls onboard, but other airlines, British Airways included, say they might permit in-flight talking, depending on passenger feedback.

(Source: Daily Telegraph via PhoneSccop)

(Credit: iFlyz)

The iFlyz will most likely get you flagged going through airport security, but once you're on the plane, it could help you sit back and distract yourself from the overly loquacious dude sitting next to you enjoy the flight.

The "in-flight personal media solution" secures mobile electronics for travelers who want to watch a movie, surf through music, or read online without having to hold a gadget in their hands or create a makeshift balancing apparatus out of a pillow or another passenger's head.

To use the iFlyz, you attach your phone or media player to the suction cup, clamp it to a seat tray in either the stowed and locked position or unlocked and down position, and adjust the flexible gooseneck to the ideal viewing angle. It works with gadgets including the iPhone, Zune, and iPod.

The iFlyz is 5.5 inches long and 2.5 inches wide, and weighs 2 ounces. Be sure to have an explanation for it just in case airport security wants to know why you're toting a desk lamp (or something more dastardly) aboard. The product sells for $29.99 and is available online.

Quiet please: A House committee has moved to prohibit in-flight cell phone use.

(Credit: Kent German/CNET Networks)

A House of Representatives committee threw another hurdle into the path of in-flight cell phone use Thursday, when it voted to ban the use permanently. By a voice vote, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed the Halting Airplane Noise to Give Us Peace(or Hang Up) Act, which was introduced earlier this year by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.).

The legislation, which now moves to the full House for consideration, would prohibit "voice communications using communications devices on scheduled flights," with exceptions for flight crew members and a federal law enforcement officer acting in an official capacity. In-flight texting, Wi-Fi, and e-mail on airplanes would not be affected.

In a statement, DeFazio said that not only is cell phone use aloft an annoyance, but also that airlines should be stopped from using in-flight talking as a potential revenue source. "With airline customer satisfaction at an all time low, this is not the time to consider making airplane travel even more torturous," he said. "Polls show the public overwhelmingly doesn't want to be subjected to people talking on their cell phones on increasingly over-packed airplanes." During the hearing, Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) lodged a dissenting voice, saying, "You are trying to legislate courtesy, folks, and that just doesn't work."

This unconventional rotorcraft is the Bell/Agusta BA609, which made its first-ever appearance at the Farnborough air show. Akin to the Osprey, in use by the U.S. military, it is a tilt-rotor aircraft. Click on the image to see more from the show.

(Credit: Bell/Agusta)

The Farnborough international air show in England this week brought together aircraft makers eager to show off their established planes and tout their works in progress. It also attracted aerospace buffs eager to get an up-close look at aircraft on the ground and gaze at flyovers above.

The trade show is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. It was established as a place for the British public to learn about the best of British aviation engineering, and has since emerged as a global showcase for all things aerospace. Click on the image above to see scenes from this year's show.