Disruptions: Wearable Gadgets Upset F.A.A. Curbs on Devices
By NICK BILTON JUNE 17, 2012
Pity the poor flight attendant. They didn't sign up for this: millions of petulant airline passengers surreptitiously reading digital books and magazines on their iPads or Kindles during takeoff and landing.
The flight attendants' job was never easy. Glamorous once, at times rewarding. But now they have to stroll the aisles of a plane while it lingers at the gate or on the runway to ensure that people turn off their smartphones, computers or tablets - yes, "Off, not in Airplane Mode."
The flight attendants are left to enforce the arcane rules of the Federal Aviation Administration, which mandate that people can't use electronic devices - with the strange exception of electric razors and audio recorders - from the moment a plane leaves the gate until it reaches 10,000 feet.
This task is only going to become more complex for flight attendants as technology moves from your backpack or purse, to, well, you. Wearable computers on planes will be an enforcement nightmare.
...