In-Flight iPods Take Flight

What's next for airline in-flight entertainment? iPod hook ups! With the entry of in-flight WiFi, airlines seem to finally be "getting" it in terms of technology, and have decided to upgrade from the terrible days of having to watch the one in-flight film showing on the tiny screens that flip down from the ceilings. Virgin America and JetBlue have long been ahead of the curve, providing live televised programming in the back of every seat, and in Virgin's case, outlets at every seat. Now, though, the innovators over at Rockwell Collins have created a system that would allow passengers to hook up their iPods (and other personal media devices) to an individual seat's entertainment system.

Meaning, you could watch downloaded movies on the bigger screen on the back of the seat. This system debuted recently at the World Airlines Entertainment Association (WAEA) Conference, so it’s not available in real time just yet, but hopefully soon. In addition, this system will offer battery juice in the form of USB charging capability, “which is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano and other famous portable media devices.”