Getting flight data to you by iPhone, iPod devices

If Air Canada has its way, it soon will see fewer travellers lined up at the airport, clutching printouts of their boarding passes, in addition to suitcases and carry-on luggage. Air Canada is using DIY method to shorten airport lineups; BlackBerry platform also being developed.

The country's largest airline yesterday introduced an application for the Apple Inc. iPhone and iPod Touch devices that lets travellers retrieve electronic boarding passes, track flight data and receive notifications about delayed and cancelled flights.

An application designed for BlackBerry devices is also in the works, said Patrice Ouellette, director of customer service platforms.

Ouellette said web check-in is increasingly popular but only a fraction of passengers check in with mobile devices to have an electronic boarding pass emailed to them.

The problem now is those emailed barcodes can get lost in a mountain of other correspondence; the iPhone and iPod application, by contrast, consolidates all of Air Canada's flight data in one place.

Also, the airline is expanding programs that allow passengers to print baggage tags from airport kiosks. Research suggests that could shave 15 to 30 minutes off the time air passengers spend in lineups.

"To be honest, I wasn't sure if it would be picked up or not by the customer," Ouellette said of self-tagging. But the practice is catching on – about 90,000 people tagged their own bags last week – a number he expects will rise once the service expands from Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver to major airports across the country.

Such do-it-yourself approaches promise eventually to reduce relatively high costs for the money-losing airline, but for now, Ouellette said the focus is on increasing customer convenience.


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How to make video playlists for iTunes, iPod, and iPhone

Make the most out of your ipod or iphone. here are some tips on how to make video playlist for these gadgets for heavenly satisfaction and getting your money's worth.

Most people are pretty familiar with making music playlists in iTunes (if you're not, we can help). Video playlists are a less common sight. iTunes already does a pretty good job grouping your TV shows and video podcasts together in their correct order. But for all you video junkies out there who want to create playlists that scan your vast library of "Family Guy" episodes with "Stewie" in the title, playlists can be a lot of fun.

If the ultimate goal is to get these video playlists onto your iPod or iPhone, there are a few hurdles worth knowing about. For all the ins and outs of making video playlists for iTunes, the iPod, or the iPhone, check out our CNET How to video or check the step-by-step slideshow.

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new iPods to have cameras

There are rumors circulating that new generation ipods have built in cameras. The annual iPod rollout is rumored to be on its way next month, and the breadth of the changes to Apple's multimedia players is becoming apparent. The biggest new revelation is that the iPod touch and nano are about to get themselves on-board cameras, revealed by case manufacturers who apparently didn't get the memo that this stuff is secret.

Nice. In one swoop, iPods suddenly gain a significant additional reason to carry them around all the time. The thing about having a camera or camcorder on a music player that you have with you all the time is that, well, it will turn out to be the most useful camera you own. Why's that? Because a camera sitting at home in a drawer doesn't take any pictures.

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Four killer iPhone applications for runners

I used to run without music. Then I started bringing along an MP3 player. And finally I caved in to strapping my iPhone to my arm.

Sure, it's a little unwieldy, but it's comforting to have a phone with you just in case you need a sag wagon.

And don't forget the apps. Your iPhone can double not only as an iPod, but also a GPS watch, a route map, and a personal trainer. Here's my list of must-have apps for new and seasoned runners alike.

FlickTunes If your iPhone is coming along solely for iPod duty, check out FlickTunes. This 99-cent app turns the entire screen into a playback control: flick left for the next song, right for the previous one, up to pause, and so on. Sure beats trying to futz with the standard controls while you're running.

Get Running New to running? This 99-cent app guides you from couch to 5K over the course of nine weeks. It's a complete training program, with audio prompts that let you know when to run, when to walk, and so on.

RunKeeper Pro As I discussed last month, I think RunKeeper's a better system than Nike + iPod. The latest update, released yesterday, can automatically start a selected playlist when you start your run--very handy. It also adds real-time route tracking and support for geo-tagged status updates/photos. Worth every penny of the $9.99 price tag. (But the free version's still awesome, too.)

WalkJogRun Routes Looking for a good route to run while on vacation? Or a new one near home? This $2.99 app taps a library of over 400,000 user-created routes. A newly added city-search feature lets you plan ahead, and you can create your own routes on the WalkJogRun site.

OK, race fans: your turn. What apps do you take on the run? And what's your preferred method of carrying your iPhone? Armband case? If so, which one? Hit the comments to talk apps, gear, and, if you want, running in general!


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iPods may help Asperger's kids navigate life

With the advent of new technology nowadays, mankind has made life much easier. Technology that can help solve problems or reduce the obstacles in ahcieving it. Talking about technology, one item w/c basically is used for as a form of entertainment might be of big help with people who has Asperger's Syndrome.

Read for the full story, here.

Apple may be readying iPhone nano

A U.S. multi-national corporation and a consistent Fortune top 500 company lister, may be preparing another sold out product of an iPhone nano.

Apple Inc. could have an iPhone nano up its sleeve, according to a patent uncovered by the MacNN blog.

The patent describes a device that is 3.6 inches tall, 2.5 inches wide, and one-quarter inch thick, or about the size of an iPod Nano.

But it also has a screen on the front and a “force-sensitive touch-surface” on the back that works like a cursor on the front screen when a user moves his finger around on it.

MacNN said the patent was originally owned by John G. Elias, the founder of FingerWorks, but that it was transferred to Apple when he sold his company's assets to the Cupertino company. Elias now works for Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL).

Drawings and more description of the device can be found at the MacNN blog.