Airplane Mode

Apple patent suggests whether best to call or text

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

While in the middle of being told Apple is washed-up, a has-been being overtaken by Android, comes a patent which reminds us the company actually has some good ideas left.

Take, for instance, those annoying calls which seem to arrive in the middle of dinner. The gear heads at Apple also find them annoying and created a way to put you in control of who calls you when and whether a text might suffice. Particularly when you have a mouth of spaghetti.

The granted patent describes a "system for facilitating contacting people using electronic devices."

Instead of taking the usual path most technology firms selling smartphones would follow - creating multiple ways to blast messages to you - Apple goes for a more zen-like approach, realizing that understanding when not to make a call could make for the ultimate smartphone...

How to quickly enable or disable Airplane Mode from the Lock screen

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 16, 2013

LockScreenAirplaneMode is a free jailbreak tweak that just touched-down on Cydia's BigBoss repo. It allows you to quickly enable or disable your iOS device's Airplane mode feature directly from the Lock screen.

A simple tap and hold will enable AirPlane mode, and another tap and hold gesture will disable AirPlane mode. As you can probably imagine, this is an extremely simple tweak. There are no options to configure, or settings to adjust.

FAA: iPad can fly, but iPhone remains grounded

Ed Sutherland ∙ March 25, 2013

It took some arm-twisting and a bit of public mockery, but it appears the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is preparing to allow flying consumers to use some electronics on planes.

However, it may take longer for your iPhone to gain acceptance. The rule-change allowing use of electronic devices such as the iPad or Kindle during takeoffs and landings is expected to be announced by the end of this year.

In July, an industry group which hard worked with the FAA on guidelines for electronic devices, is expected to unveil its findings, according to a weekend report...

Proposed bill would finally allow the use of iPads during takeoff

Cody Lee ∙ March 8, 2013

In 2011, the FAA green-lighted several commercial and charter airlines to replace their bulky, 50-page paper flight manuals with iPads. And last year, they expanded the rule to allow pilots to use their new tablets during all stages of flight.

So why in the world are passengers still required to power down their electronics before takeoff? No one really knows. And that's why Senator Claire McCaskill says she's putting together a bill that would, by law, remove this silly restriction...

Shake your device into Airplane mode with ‘Shake Air’

Cody Lee ∙ March 2, 2013

For some reason, Apple insists on keeping frequently used settings toggles buried deep within the Settings app. From the Lock screen, doing things like enabling/disabling Bluetooth or Wi-Fi take more than a few steps.

Activating a device's Airplane mode, however, is a bit easier, as it sits on the top level in the Settings app. But for those who still find the process to be a pain, we've got a new jailbreak package for you called Shake Air...

Save battery life at night with AirplaneScheduler

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

Airplane mode is a setting in iOS that allows users to disable wireless radios while the mode is active. This includes all cellular reception, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are initially disabled but can be re-enabled with Airplane mode still active). It's intended to put the device in a state where it is safe to use on a plane, but some users have taken to the feature as a power-saving mode.

AirplaneScheduler is a very comprehensive timer tweak that presets toggles for Airplane mode, allowing users to toggle Airplane mode on and off automatically on a recurring basis...

FCC asks FAA to allow greater use of electronic devices in-flight

Cody Lee ∙ Updated July 24, 2016

Back in August, the Federal Aviation Administration started calling for public input on whether or not airline passengers should be able to use portable electronic devices during any phase of flight.

The general consensus is that there's no reason why passengers should have to power down their tablets and other devices during takeoffs and landings. And yesterday, the FCC offered its 2 cents...

Let the FAA know you want to use your iPad during takeoff

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

Earlier this year, we heard reports that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was looking to relax its policies regarding the use of electronic devices on airplanes.

At the time, the Administration had started allowing pilots to use their iPads in the cockpit. And now it looks like it's ready to start making changes for the passengers as well...

‘iSleepWell’ enables Airplane mode when your iPhone is face down

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 2, 2012

Don't you just hate it when you receive an unnecessary phone call or text in the middle of the night and it wakes you up?

Apparently the creators of iSleepWell experienced one too many wakeup calls themselves, hence this new jailbreak tweak.

With iSleepWell installed, your iPhone will monitor its accelerometer to know when it's placed face down. After a user defined time threshold, your device will be automatically placed into Airplane mode. This in turn prevents phone calls, texts, and other annoyances from disturbing your beauty sleep...