December, 2006

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Fliers with iPods may soon be able to plug in
Starting in 2007, six big airlines will install iPod connections in their in-flight entertainment systems, Apple said Tuesday. The on-board connection will be available on selected flights of United, Delta, Continental, Air France, Emirates and KLM airlines. The service will be available only in seats that have in-flight entertainment systems in place, typically first- or business-class seats. The planned upgrade, rolled out in a partnership of the airlines and Apple, is the latest development in the increasingly heated competition to offer more in-flight entertainment, particularly to elite travelers. Phil Leigh, an analyst at Inside Digital Media, says the move reflects the airlines' recognition that iPod is "a central component of future entertainment systems." Apple may benefit because the deal gives consumers one more reason to choose iPod over other MP3 players, he says. Available starting mid-2007, the connections would power and charge iPods in flight. They would allow travelers to watch and listen to videos and songs that they brought along, instead of having to watch airlines' programming. It works with regular iPods and iPod Nano, a smaller version of the original. It doesn't work with iPod Shuffle, another less-expensive version. Instead of using the small iPod screen, passengers will be able to watch TV shows or movies on larger seat-back monitors. They range from 7 inches to 23 inches, depending on the cabin class. United plans to introduce iPod connections next year in first and business class in the wide-body aircraft that fly internationally. The Chicago-based carrier will install iPod connections when the planes areput out of service to upgrade its first-class and business cabins. Delta will install iPod connections initially in its Boeing 757s that fly from New York and Atlanta to West Coast cities. The Atlanta-based carrier chose the 48 transcontinental aircraft to roll out the service because their seats, including the ones in coach, have already been equipped with a new in-flight entertainment system. Delta hopes to expand the iPod connection service by 2008 to 767s and 737s that also fly long-haul domestic flights, Delta executive Joan Vincenz says. It hopes to eventually install it on international flights, she says. Continental plans to introduce the service by the end of 2007. While the airline hasn't firmed up its plans on how it will be introduced, it will probably start with the 41 757s that fly internationally, spokesman Dave Messing says.

Japanese CubeSat gets OSCAR number
AMSAT-NA has designated Hokkaido Institute of Technology's HIT-SAT satellite as HIT-SAT-OSCAR-59 or HO-59. The tiny CubeSat launched successfully September 23, and its 100 mW CW telemetry downlink on 437.275 MHz has been copied around the world. HIT-SAT also contains a 1200 bps FM packet downlink on 437.425 MHz. The HO-59 team is seeking reception reports, including audio files. The satellite's call sign is JR8YJT. Once fully operational, HO-59 will permit Earth station operators to request certain parameters by transmitting DTMF commands on the 145.980 MHz uplink. The satellite will report back time/date, temperature and power supply voltages and thank the Earth station by call sign. At this point, only HIT-SAT ground station controllers can access the satellite. The satellite is in a sun synchronous orbit with an orbital altitude of 250 km at perigee and 600 km at apogee and an inclination of 97.79 degrees. HO-59 is a 12-cm square cube weighing 2.2 kg.

VK amateurs may lose 24 GHz amateur satellite band
Changes proposed by Australian regulatory authority could see the VK amateur service lose one of their most important amateur satellite bands. The Australian Communications & Media Authority is proposing to change the Australian radio frequency spectrum plan to accommodate ultra wideband vehicle radar technology in the 22 to 26.5GHz frequency band. If given the go-ahead, this plan would result in Australian radio amateurs losing their primary access to the 24 to 24.05GHz amateur satellite segment and being severely curtailed in experimenting in the secondary access segment of 24.05 to 24.25GHz. The Australian Communications & Media Authority invited comments on the proposed changes to the spectrum and the WIA responded. (Thanks to the Wireless Institute of Australia, VIA RAC)

December, 2006

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