7 posts and columns on passenger

Don’t Read This While Driving: T-Mobile Launches Safe Driving App

in Mobile on January 19, 2011 at 8:10 am PT

The carrier plans to offer a service called DriveSmart Plus that detects when a phone is in a moving car and disables most calling and texting functions.

The Freak-Out Flight Attendant's Internet Moment: Facebook Fan Page, Ballads on YouTube and, Yes, a Taiwanesed Treatment!

in News on August 11, 2010 at 5:15 am PT

BoomTown has not been much of a fan of Facebook fan pages, finding most of them sterile affairs with empty marketing messages and little in the way of real life. But things are actually hopping if you click over to the one created for JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater, who went loco after an encounter with a belligerent passenger, opened the emergency inflatable slide and got out of Dodge.

Web Meme: BoomTown and the Internet Is on #TeamSlater and His Inflatable-Slide Rage

in News on August 10, 2010 at 8:15 am PT

The story of JetBlue flight attendant Steve Slater–who, after being abused by a passenger, did a full “Norma Rae” and huffed off the airplane via an inflatable slide–spread like wildfire across the Internet yesterday, almost immediately after the incident occurred. It’s too much to hope that someone on the flight had a Flip camera and is uploading the incident on YouTube right now, but video was unnecessary after the tale of flight rage got out and details piled upon details. This is just the kind of silly, but true-to-life, story that everyone loves to share, and share it they did, with #teamslater quickly gaining ground on Twitter, and online comments and news stories exploding.

Inside Ford's App-Happy Fiesta–But No Manilow (and BoomTown is a Fanilow)!

in News on April 26, 2010 at 8:51 am PT

Last week, outside the Facebook f8 developers conference, BoomTown checked out the new 2011 Fiesta model, which will be the first vehicle in which smartphone apps can be voice-controlled via its in-car synching software called SYNC AppLink. While getting a test, I interviewed the Ford dude–Julius Marchwiki–who has been in all the YouTube videos of late touting its digital prowess. And, even though he had no Apple iPhone sync and no Barry Manilow to offer, Marchwiki did manage to keep my interest.

Ford Launches Voice Control of Apps in Car: No More Phone-Fiddling While Driving?

in News on April 20, 2010 at 4:15 am PT

Ford, which has been trying to fast-forward its automobiles in the digital space, announced today that its 2011 Fiesta model will be the first vehicle in which smartphone apps can be voice-controlled via its in-car synching software. One issue: Initially, Ford’s SYNC AppLink, downloadable as an upgrade, will work only with Google Android and Research in Motion BlackBerry devices. Still, anything that stops dodos from fiddling with a smartphone while driving can’t be bad.

Wi-Fi on Wheels Is Steady, but Has a Speed Bump

in Personal Technology on November 12, 2008 at 6:04 pm PT

Wi-Fi wireless Internet connectivity has become nearly ubiquitous. Whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or even on some commercial airliners, you can get online with a Wi-Fi-equipped laptop, smart phone or portable game machine. Now, Wi-Fi is making its way into your car.
wifi

This Is Your Captain Speaking: Will the Gentleman in Seat 21A Please Stop Surfing Porn

in News on September 12, 2008 at 11:33 am PT

Now that air-to-ground broadband has added Internet porn to American Airlines’ in-flight entertainment offerings, the company’s flight attendants are asking that it be taken off. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents 19,000 AA employees, is urging the airline to block access to Web content it feels is family-unfriendly.