On Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:52:06 +0000, Stephen wrote:

> On 27/01/2011 5:30 PM, Jim Henderson wrote:
>>>> >>
>>> >  I knew it was comming, didn't know it was here.
>> Yeah, Delta has been doing it for about a year on selected flights, and
>> over the holidays, Google sponsored it (so it was free).
>>
> In the UK, on some trains, there are some coaches that are designated
> "quite zones". No laptops, music players or phones are allowed. You even
> have to turn your book pages quietly.

There are times I'd really like that, especially flying.  :-)

>> Interestingly, they seem to block wifi-capable cell phones (my cell
>> wouldn't connect to it), but my eReader (based on Android, same as my
>> phone) had no problems - so I sent text messages using my Nook (via
>> Google Voice) to let people know my flight was delayed but that we were
>> finally en route.
>>
> Do you mean that your phone could not get onto the internet? A
> colleague, who could not get a phone signal at a hotel I stayed at
> recently, was able to phone home (to France) via Skype on the hotels
> WiFi.

Yes, my phone couldn't connect to their wifi to get on the 'net.  It 
would get an address and then immediately be dropped.  I'm guessing they 
have something that knows the MAC address ranges for various devices and 
blocks the ones that are cell phones - probably so people don't have to 
remember to turn off their cell signal (which you're still not allowed to 
use).

> Which reminds me: How did the passengers on the doomed 7/11 flights
> manage to phone home and leave messages?

There's probably nothing that prevents the cell signal from being used, 
and if the plane is already doomed, turning on a cell phone isn't likely 
to make things worse.

Jim

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