Passengers on Qantas will be the first in the world to have in-flight entertainment streamed wirelessly to tablet devices in a trial announced by the Australian airline Thursday.
To be rolled out from the end of next month on one Boeing 767-300 flying domestic routes, the six-week test will see Qantas's current entertainment programme broadcast to a tablet supplied by the airline.
The brand of tablet is yet to be confirmed, but Qantas said Apple's popular iPad was among the models being considered.
"Q Streaming" will be made available to passengers for viewing on their own tablet, laptop or smartphone later in the trial and would be a key part of the scheme if ultimately adopted, Qantas said.
"We are very pleased to be the first airline in the world to trial this wireless streaming product," said Alison Webster, the airline's customer experience manager.
It will be assessed for wider roll-out both domestically and internationally once the trial is complete, she added, with supplied tablets to be specially configured not to work outside the aircraft if stolen.
The plan could also see a "play-back" option to allow passengers who did not finish watching a programme on their own device before landing to complete their viewing, even after leaving the aircraft, Webster told the AAP newswire.
Replacing seat-back entertainment systems with tablets offered significant fuel efficiencies due to the weight saving, she added — an important consideration as fuel prices rocket and Australia debates a pollution tax.
"We are all focused on fuel burn being environmentally friendly and we have huge commitments to sustainability targets," Webster said.
American Airlines has launched a similar programme with Samsung's Galaxy tablet for first and business class domestic passengers, but content is pre-loaded rather than streamed direct.
Budget Qantas offshoot Jetstar already offers iPads for rent on some of its flights.
Japan's Sharp to stop sales of Galapagos tablets
Tokyo (AFP) Sept 15, 2011 –
Japan's Sharp Corp. said Thursday it will stop production and sales of the original editions of its "Galapagos" tablet computer, just nine months after it was launched.
The Osaka-based electronics maker said it will no longer produce its 5.5-inch and 10.8-inch screens, as Apple's iPhone and iPad continue to dominate the Japanese market.
It will, however, continue to make the 7-inch model that was launched last month for Internet and mobile phone firm eAccess, a Sharp spokeswoman said.
"This is a new and expanding market. Many new products and services have been launched. We believe (the older editions) have fulfilled the purposes that they were designed for," she said.
The company declined to discuss sales figures or performance of the products, only saying the Galapagos business will continue with the eAccess model.
"We believe the market for electronic books will continue to expand. We are continuing our business in the segment" with the 7-inch model, the Sharp spokeswoman said.
Local media said Sharp was effectively pulling out of the market, with Galapagos' sales suffering as consumers opted instead for iPhones and iPads.
Sharp launched the original editions of "Galapagos" in December in a shift, the company said, from conventional one-off sales of stand-alone products to devices that will continue to "evolve" through software updates.
The 5.5-inch screen model with a trackball allowed one-handed operation and was intended for commuters on crowded trains, while the 10.8-inch screen version accommodated a two-page magazine spread for home users.
Sharp sold the products only via mail or Internet-based orders.
But Apple's iPhone with a 3.5-inch screen and iPad with a 9.7-inch screen have dominated the Japanese market, despite aggressive efforts by Japanese and foreign manufacturers to expand their influence.
