Tag archive: flight

It wasn’t so long ago that Microsoft’s Flight Simulator was at the pinnacle of PC gaming. In truth, it was not a game at all, but a program that just happened to look like a game. The Flight Simulator series was so popular and respected, that even Air Force pilots would occasionally fire it up to keep their skills sharp in a pinch. But then the property seemed to fade away. Microsoft put its support towards its consoles, and while the PC gaming… Read More

When the call went out in December for beta testers to give the new edition of Microsoft's classic flight sim a go, there were very few details on the game. Today though, the company has spilled the beans on Microsoft Flight, and it's out in the spring. Interestingly, Microsoft has chosen the hugely popular — with developers and publishers, at least — freemium gaming model for it's newly resurrected franchise.… Read More

According to a story posted by CNN earlier today, 30 Rock star Alec Baldwin was ordered off an American Airlines flight destined for New York City. Taking off from Los Angeles, Baldwin was spending his time playing Zynga's Words With Friends while sitting at the gate. According to Baldwin's official Twitter account, he stated “Flight attendant on American reamed me out 4 playing WORDS W FRIENDS while we sat at the gate, not… Read More

Added within a recent update to Delta's mobile application available for iPhone, Android and Windows phone owners, air travelers now have the ability to watch the progress of checked bags before, during and after the flight. After the Delta customer launches the application on a smartphone, they select “Track My Bags” and enter either the bag tag number or the file reference number into the screen. After entering a last name… Read More

Adapted from a $300 Parrot AR.Drone quadricopter, the SkyNET drone has been constructed by a group of scientists at the Stevens Institute of Technology. The Terminator-inspired machine is equipped with an injection-enabled Wi-Fi card that has the ability to scan, attack, record and join Wi-Fi networks in the area. A second Wi-Fi card communicated with an Ad-hoc wireless network to receive drone commands. The drone contains an extremely light… Read More

Jetpacks! Every child fantasizes about flying like Superman at one point or another. That same child then grows up… and continues to dream about flying without the aid of a large, gas-guzzling vehicle like an airplane. Smaller gas-guzzling vehicles are just fine however, which is why the idea of a jetpack continues to be appealing for anyone with an active imagination. James Bond also helps, of course. Well daydream no more, as the Jetlev… Read More

As part of Microsoft's announcement announcing that Windows Phone 7 will tie in deeply with its existing Xbox Live gaming service, the software giant also announced the return of a legend: the company is developing Microsoft Flight for Windows, a rebirth of its classic Flight Simulator. Microsoft offered few details about flight, but the choice of the Sopwith Camel to tease the title is not an accident: even in its earliest days,… Read More

KYE Systems' Genius division has rolled out a new line of MetalStrike joystick controllers for PC flight simulator games, offering new features to improve realism and help players get the most out of their on-screen flight time. The three new models are the MetalStrike 3D Joystick, the MetalStrike Pro, and the MetalStrike FF Joystick. All three joysticks offer a turbo function for autorepeat and offer 13 programmable buttons so… Read More

The dream of geeky travelers everywhere – in-flight Wi-Fi – will soon be fulfilled by discount carrier JetBlue… sort of. Yahoo and RIM have teamed up with JetBlue to offer wireless connections on flights, but full access to the wide open Internet isn’t available just yet. According to News.com, users with laptops will only be able to access a special version of Yahoo that allows them to check e-mail and instant… Read More

If you're the sort of person who takes flight simulation software very seriously—or the sort of person who wants to shoot down virtual enemies with as much verisimilitude as possible—you'll be thrilled to learn game and peripheral maker Saitek has announced its new Aviator high-performance joystick for use with games and flight simulation software. The Aviator sports a rugged, World War II-inspired design… Read More

From the press release: Through the use of an in-cabin third-generation (3G) picocell network, passengers on the test flight were able to place and receive calls as if they were on the ground. The proof-of-concept demonstration flight originated out of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. During the approximate two-hour flight, passengers were able to place and receive phone calls and text messages on their mobile phones. Passengers… Read More