flight

Glyder is a fun, casual--and relaxing!--flying game, in which you pilot a hang-glider through dreamy island environments to the constant beat of a chilled-out soundtrack. The game makes simple but smart use of the iPhone and iPod Touch's accelerometer controls: you tilt up to climb and down to dive, turning left and right to steer (whether sharply or in broad, arcing swoops). You gain altitude by flying up into well-marked thermals, and you build up speed while diving. If you go too slow, you'll stall--but the game is extremely forgiving, allowing you to carefully conserve your momentum … Read more

Those who need their Internet fix while in flight should appreciate a report released on Wednesday by market researcher In-Stat.

The number of commercial airplanes providing broadband access is expected to jump from 25 in 2008 to 800 by end the of 2009, according to the report.

Broadband connectivity is brought to airplanes either through satellite or an air-to-ground network. Both technologies are battling for market share, with Aircell's service based on its own air-to-ground network, and Row44 and Panasonic's service satellite-based.

In-flight broadband has struggled to gain a foothold due to the weak economy and the availability … Read more

It's been a long hiatus since the last time a human strode across the lunar terrain, and we're still some years out from the next planned mission to the moon.

But that doesn't mean we shouldn't tinker around with notions of how astronauts in the not-too-distant future might get around the Sea of Tranquility or some other lunar destination. That's part of the driving force behind NASA's Great Moonbuggy Race, an annual event geared toward college and high school students.

The mission: design and build a lightweight, human-powered buggy, then race it around a … Read more

Flight Control is an attractive, addictive game in which you play an air-traffic controller guiding an endless armada of incoming aircraft to (you hope!) safe landings at a crowded airport. Flight Control makes brilliant use of the iPhone and iPod Touch's interface, as you use your finger to trace a trajectory for each approaching craft, sending jets to the long runway, small planes to the short runway, and slow-moving helicopters to the airport's helipad. The controls are incredibly simple and intuitive, which contributes to Flight Control's surprisingly rich and devilishly addictive gameplay.

The game starts out at … Read more

Do you have an app that you wish was on the iPhone, but hasn't been developed or ported over yet? Certainly we all have our wish lists when it comes to apps, but one that I've been waiting for since the beginning is the chat and VoIP program, Skype (Mac or Windows). Fortunately, the folks over at Skype have finally put together a great app for iPhone, and if you've never used Skype, I'm here to tell you why you will be soon.

This week's apps include Skype for iPhone and a simple game that … Read more

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 … Read more

While the video game industry has been far outperforming many others in the economic downturn, and has even appeared recession-proof as sales have soared, there have been a number of layoffs and studio closings.

Now, according to Gamasutra and VentureBeat, as part of its move to cut 5,000 jobs over the next 18 months, Microsoft has axed hundreds of positions from its game division.

The main victim was ACES, a wholly owned studio producing the venerable Flight Simulator franchise.

A Microsoft representative confirmed on Friday that ACES will be shut down but added that the company remains committed to … Read more

'Change you can believe in'. 'A new era of responsibility'. 'I will be a President who will do things that actually make sense'.

These were kinds of phrases lifting my spirits when I came across a new iPod touch application that made me feel I'd just walked into a very large road sign. You see, this new application is called BulletFlight. And it will help you, well, shoot things better.

You know, things like tin cans on a ledge. And partridges in a pear tree. And, well, I don't know, annoying varmints or neighbors, I suppose. Although I … Read more