Wireless is meant for everyone

At the end of a long week, I just came across this story which I think is great as it shows that wireless is fascinating - it is not only about multimillion companies employing hardcore freaks working in posh open plan offices with foosball and spending huge budgets on R&D and marketing. Luckily, it is about everyone and as we know, the total is more than the sum of all components (which, as far as I remember, was mentioned by Aristotle who probably would have been delighted by the prospect of a certain topic spreading within a society).
I keep my fingers crossed that this genius (not Aristotle, of course) will receive the funding to develop his proof of concept and bring it to the market.

Delta makes the friendly skies even friendlier... to cell phones

CNET reports today that if you’re using Delta to fly out of LaGuardia Airport, you can now use your cell phone to get on board. Today, Delta announced a partnership with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to test a paperless check-in, where passengers can download a boarding pass onto their devices with access to mobile internet and scan it at the airport’s security checkpoint and before boarding the plane. (Apparently, Continental’s in on this idea too.)

At the moment the service is only for domestic travelers flying out of LaGuardia. As with pretty much anything you do in or around the airport, you’ll have to present ID, of course. Is this a way for Delta to show environmental concern, advances in technology, cut corners due to high gas prices, paper costs and so-so profits, or all of the above?

Sounds like mobile phones are slowly becoming a more and more acceptable part of flying, even if most people think they shouldn’t be allowed on a plane. (Sounds like a nightmare: ever been on a bus when someone was yapping on their cell? Now imagine that trip times about 10 hours.)

AT&T back to basics

This article had me at “easy-to-use oversized buttons”. What a brilliant idea. I mean, to a lay person today’s mobile device can look extremely complicated and be somewhat intimating. Although the novice wireless population is low, they do exist and they are a potential customer. AT&T going back to the basics is showing the novice consumer that that they have not been forgotten. What a perfect gift idea for an older relative - mom, dad or a grandparent, who would like to have a mobile device that is easy to use. I would definitely buy my 75 year old aunt one of these!