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Simon & Schuster and Foli Wi-fly e-Books to an Airport Near You
May 15, 2015  | Written by Marisa Garcia
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Through an exclusive partnership with the digital content mobile distribution platform, Foli, Simon & Schuster will use geolocation technology to help travelers discover its e-book titles, starting with the biography of The Wright Brothers by David McCullough which will be available to passengers, starting May 15, at 50 US airports (listed below), as well as to visitors […]

Meeting Passenger Expectations for Bandwidth
May 14, 2015  | Written by Howard Slutsken
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“Passengers are absolutely insatiable, they can’t get enough,” said Mary Kirby, speaking about IFE connectivity bandwidth. Kirby, the founder, editor and publisher of the Runway Girl Network, was moderating the final panel session of the Spring 2015 APEX TECH Conference. Program rights are often overlooked in discussions about connectivity, said Kirby, and she first asked […]

In-Flight Payment Tech Update at APEX TECH
May 13, 2015  | Written by Jessica Sammut
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The morning session on payment technologies at the APEX Technology Conference in Universal City, led by Rich Salter, chief technology officer, Lumexis and chair of the APEX Payment Technology Working Group (PTWG) brought together experts from the in-flight payment solutions sector to further discuss the various payment technology options, including recent information uncovered by the PTWG. Vendor Perspectives […]

Mark Richman: The Challenges of Delivering Satellite Communications to Airplanes
 | Written by Howard Slutsken
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“Sometimes the speed of light is an inconvenience,” said Mark Richman, manager, Global Communications Services, Panasonic Avionics, as he began Day Two with a keynote address at APEX TECH.  Richman was describing the challenges in providing seamless, high-speed, high-bandwidth satellite connectivity to every airline passenger. With the geostationary satellite constellation sitting 23,000 miles above the Earth’s equator, there’s […]

SITA and Zodiac Partner on Next Generation Customer Service Management Tool
 | Written by Caroline Ku
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SITA OnAir is partnering with Zodiac Inflight Innovations (Zii) to improve how passengers interact with flight crew through a two-way communication channel that would operate via an aircraft’s in-flight entertainment system on seatback screens or wireless tablets. “Cabin crew will be able to provide information directly to passengers’ screens, such as messages and short video announcements,” François Rodriguez, chief strategy and marketing officer, […]

Improving Media Accessibility: Closed Captioning & Audio Descriptions
May 12, 2015  | Written by Howard Slutsken
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The implementation of Closed Captioning in in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems continues to be a major focus of APEX. Bryan Rusenko, APEX Technical Director, provided an update on the Association’s efforts at APEX TECH in Universal City, CA. With the US Department of Transportation (DOT) having experienced a delay in developing the relevant rules, it is now […]

John Craig: The Future of IFEC and Cyber Security
 | Written by Howard Slutsken
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John Craig, chief engineer for The Boeing Company’s Cabin and Network Systems, kicked off the Spring 2015 APEX TECH Conference this morning in Universal City, CA. In his keynote address, Craig presented a vision of IFEC for the future, while cautioning the audience about “the new paradigm of cyber security.” Passenger expectations for the operation […]

4K & Next Stages: What’s Next in IFE Display?
 | Written by Jessica Sammut
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Ask any techy to tell you about the latest technology in screen resolution today and the conversation will likely revolve around 4K and Ultra High Definition (UHD) technologies. In a session at APEX TECH Conference Universal City, California Larry Iboshi, Imagik International examined how this emerging tech could influence in-flight entertainment (IFE) and factors airlines should consider as they look to the future of IFEC and screen […]