Airline passengers browsing the web using in-flight Wi-Fi might be forgiven for thinking they've stepped back in time to the age of dial-up. But now a team at Northwestern University has developed an extension for the Chrome browser that significantly speeds up page loading in the air.
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Engineers at Caltech and the UIUC have developed the Bat Bot, a robotic bat with soft, flappable wings that could not only make for a safer alternative to keeping drones aloft with spinning blades, but also teach scientists more about the mechanics at work in natural bat flight.
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The Wingboard, designed to place riders behind a plane so they can wakeboard through the sky, has just successfully completed its first wind tunnel flight testing, edging the creator closer to his lifelong dream of recreating the cloudsurfing bear cub from the Disney series Talespin.
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Business class passengers flying with United Airlines will soon be able to enjoy a newly spruced-up experience in not just the aircraft cabin, but the airport lounge too. The United Polaris premium lounge and cabin are aimed at providing serene environments to leave passengers feeling well rested.
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Perhaps the key to good long-haul aircraft cabin design is to make passengers forget that they're stuck in a long-haul aircraft cabin. Virgin Australia's new International Business Class cabin may help to do that, with queen-length beds, 18-in HD screens and and a bar at which to booze and schmooze.
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The German physicist behind the Evolo manned multicopter and the Volocopter 2-seater has just taken his first flight aboard another remarkable aircraft: a flying electric scooter.
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Emirates has completed the first flights on its 8,833-mi (14,215-km) new route between Dubai and Auckland, which is believed to be the longest scheduled commercial flight in the world. It picks up the baton from a Qantas route between Dallas and Fort Worth, which covers 8,578 mi (13,805 km).
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Regular business flyers will know that planning trips is time-consuming, and that prices can fluctuate significantly. US startup OneGo, however, is out to change all that. It allows customers to pay a fixed monthly fee for unlimited flights on major airlines.
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If the window seat doesn't cut it for you when flying, how about a roof seat? The SkyDeck, designed by aerospace engineering firm Windspeed Technologies, will give passengers 360-degree views from a transparent bubble installed on the top of a plane.
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Space on economy class flights is notoriously limited, especially with the tray table down. Craig Rabin has created a device that means your tray table can remain stowed for the most part. The Airhook attaches to the stowed table to hold an electronic device, a drink and a coat.
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