Travel Technology - Would you plug your own USB memory onto the seat plane socket for screening?

Wouldn't be a cool feature to be able to bring your own content on a USB to display it on your personal screen?
Why not?
What would you carry with you?

Why do you need a USB. I bring my own content with me every flight on my IPAD

Why do you need a USB. I bring my own content with me every flight on my IPAD

uncomfortable, battery needs charging, extra weight to carry...

Funny, I watch on a laptop or netbook because the personal screens are totally useless once the person in front reclines. So no I would not go through the trouble of copying something to a USB hopefully in a form their system takes to watch on a three inch screen when I have a ten or 13 inch screen with me.

Too many things could go wrong -- wrong codec support, someone snaps the USB key off when they get up from the seat next to you etc...

Too many things could go wrong -- wrong codec support, someone snaps the USB key off when they get up from the seat next to you etc...

Funny, I watch on a laptop or netbook because the personal screens are totally useless once the person in front reclines. So no I would not go through the trouble of copying something to a USB hopefully in a form their system takes to watch on a three inch screen when I have a ten or 13 inch screen with me.

+1
Add the factor of:
As$h0|e sticking gum in port, malware, is it really only being displayed on my screen or can the FAs 'screen' content in the name of 'safety', is anything being stored remotely on the plane eg 'reverse pod slurping', forgetting stick.

uncomfortable, battery needs charging, extra weight to carry...

Weight? Really, with all the iPad does the weight is negligible. I mean for Christ sake everybody rolls their stuff around the airport; it is not like you are carrying it on your back cross county.

No, I wouldn't really want to plug my own USB stick to shared/public port (unless it's for charging only).
I don't think there's security issue right now, but as it gains popularity there's bound to be malicious viruses/Trojans/etc for airline IFE system with USB port.

It would strike me that USB power plus a micro-HDMI (or similar) at the seat would be a better combination.

Who needs a iPad? iPhone or iPod touch will work fine, or just get a Nook Color and view on that - as easy as iPad.

I would. Especially if i could connect the phone also. I often have content on my phone that would be nice to see on the larger screen.

Wouldn't be a cool feature to be able to bring your own content on a USB to display it on your personal screen?


You can (to some extent) on EK's A380s

http://www.emirates.com/english/flying/our_fleet/emirates_a380/economy_class/entertainment.aspx

"Every seat has its own laptop power supply and USB connection, allowing you to view videos and pictures from your laptops or portable devices."

Weight? Really, with all the iPad does the weight is negligible. I mean for Christ sake everybody rolls their stuff around the airport; it is not like you are carrying it on your back cross county.

I dont, and even if I did roll it around the airport when I take it outside it has to go on my shoulders.

Who needs a iPad? iPhone or iPod touch will work fine, or just get a Nook Color and view on that - as easy as iPad.

Smartphone (and the iPhone or iTouch are slightly smaller than the 4" android ones) is a small enough screen for me I can't comfortably watch things on them unless I'm holding it up in front of my face. 7"+ tablet, especially the 10" are much easier to view at a distance.

I concurr with the OP.

Most (if not all) smartphones are color only, not dual-mode, and therefore suck batteries dry quickly -- and travelling is when you're at the highest risk of this, and it's when you need your smartphone the most. Same problem with notebooks.

Moreover, even if you would prefer to use your smartphone for movies, the USB port would still be quite useful simply as a power supply.

The in-seat displays are well positioned in the seat backs. If the display is passive LCD it normally swivels so it's easy to see regardless whether reclined or not. And of course with active LCD it doesn't matter if the seat reclines.

For those without the luxery of first class, reclining actually messes up the option to use notebooks - you end up with a ~60 degree angle and have to slouch, or you have to ditch the tray, open it ~120 degrees, and crouch. I'm quite surprized someone finds croaching/slouching more comfortable than the seat back displays that are installed in the most ergonomical positions. If you manage to get a notebook display well positioned, then the keyboard is poorly positioned.

For BYOD to be practical, seats would need to be better designed. Ideally there would be straps and a second tray.

uncomfortable, battery needs charging, extra weight to carry...

not to mention that I can get a 64GB usb drive for a lot less than an iPad would cost! However, the upside to the iPad solution is that you don't have to depend on someone else to provide the viewing solution for your content. (at least that is true after you purchase and carry the iPad.)

Weight? Really, with all the iPad does the weight is negligible. I mean for Christ sake everybody rolls their stuff around the airport; it is not like you are carrying it on your back cross county.

Was your blasphemy really necessary?

I think this would be an attractive feature for some. For me I can't watch a movie
without my HD screen on the laptop. Yes I'm spoiled, but that is my problem. Plus the security issues involved. Would it be a direct connection to my screen or will it route through the IFE? Hacking issues, etc would be an issue if through IFE.

Was your blasphemy really necessary?

Blasphemy? He didn't say a word against Apple products or St. Steve...

uncomfortable, battery needs charging, extra weight to carry...

This is the second post I have seen mentioning the weight of an iPad as a factor. Eventually I am going to start to believe it is a factor I guess but I just don't even notice it. I just tried a test with my laptop bag by having my 6 year old take out and put in my iPad without me seeing it. I was unable to detect the weight difference in 5 attempts. OTOH my 6 year old thought it was a blast :).

There's no real benefit for me. As far as I can tell it is much more comfortable, lasts many hours and doesn't have any potential security issues. The USB would be something I would have to keep up with and I seem to lose those things regularly (never store anything of value on them).

Why do you need a USB. I bring my own content with me every flight on my IPADAs do I along with the "inflight cable" on every flight as with UA and equipment swaps, I never know if I'll get swapped up so I'm always prepared (and the looks and/or comments from f/a's and other pax while I'm watching the Three Stooges or Family Guy is priceless :D)

Blasphemy? He didn't say a word against Apple products or St. Steve...



Had he done that, his post would have been deleted and he would have disappeared very quietly. ;)

I used my smart phone to watch about 4 hours of content from ZRH-IAD this summer when the AVOD was out, and my phone only went down maybe 15-20% battery. I also second the tablet option, I could only imagine the flight attendants turning into IT support when someone can't play some media file, it's bad enough when AVOD doesn't work.

Plus the security issues involved. Would it be a direct connection to my screen or will it route through the IFE? Hacking issues, etc would be an issue if through IFE.What hacking issues might there be (who would be doing the hacking)?

If you're carrying around an easy-to-lost thumb drive with unencrypted sensitive information on it, that's another issue altogether.

What hacking issues might there be (who would be doing the hacking)?

If you're carrying around an easy-to-lost thumb drive with unencrypted sensitive information on it, that's another issue altogether.

That is like saying "I don't use my email for anything sensitive". if it is a network anyone else on the plane could hack it, depending on the network setup, etc of course.

Even if the thumb drive was encrypted, you would have to unencrypt the data so the plane's IFE could read it most likely, that is a security vulnerability at that point.

My assumptions are all based on the plane's IFE being an IP based network setup that would work through a central hub or similar. If it is not setup like that then there would be minimal threat to your data.

Even if the thumb drive was encrypted, you would have to unencrypt the data so the plane's IFE could read it most likely, that is a security vulnerability at that point.
I was thinking you'd probably not need to encrypt the movie (or whatever) you'd be watching.

@nerd

Good point, most likely you would have non-sensitive movies, music, etc on there. Some people don't have multiple thumb drives though and might store sensitive with non-sensitive. Though that is foolish as you imply, but people go with what they can afford.

Though that is foolish as you imply, but people go with what they can afford.

If you can't afford a second $10-$20 thumb drive for your sensitive data (and indeed, it can probably be a tiny one and under $10 -- unlike media files, sensitive data is usually, if not always, small!), how can you afford an airline ticket?

Small thumb drives get given away as business cards, after all.

Now, granted, you might have other "sensitive" media files which you don't want to share, whether that's the potential embarassment of having people find out you travel with a couple of full watch Gossip Girl, or whether more umm, adult, fare... but really.

If you can't afford a second $10-$20 thumb drive for your sensitive data (and indeed, it can probably be a tiny one and under $10 -- unlike media files, sensitive data is usually, if not always, small!), how can you afford an airline ticket?

Small thumb drives get given away as business cards, after all.

Now, granted, you might have other "sensitive" media files which you don't want to share, whether that's the potential embarassment of having people find out you travel with a couple of full watch Gossip Girl, or whether more umm, adult, fare... but really.

Ha good point on thumb drive and plane ticket. But really, most people who are not tech inclined don't think of or realize the implications of security when it comes to personal data.

And yes the roid rager rocking out to Britney has the potential to be highly embarrassing.

Too many things could go wrong -- wrong codec support, someone snaps the USB key off when they get up from the seat next to you etc...

This. Not to mention the security risks... (not talking about risks to the plane, but to your own data and computer).

It would strike me that USB power plus a micro-HDMI (or similar) at the seat would be a better combination.

That's a good idea since most new phones and netbooks have HDMI-out ports.