flight+

Google is adding a new airline schedule feature to its search site today, making looking for flights potentially as easy as googling yourself.

The feature, rolling out over the course of the day, will initially be limited to some U.S. cities and show results for round-trip economy flights only.

The information comes up when you visit Google.com/flights or type into Google.com "flights from San Francisco to New York," for instance. A Flights link appears on the left side that leads to the new Flight Search feature, where users can make changes to dates, destinations, … Read more

Hewlett-Packard told CNET on Monday that it will deliver a future update to boost the TouchPad's functionality. HP also said it has seen "huge spikes" in TouchPad activation in the wake of the decision to discount the tablet.

On August 19, HP slashed the price of the 16GB TouchPad to $100, setting off a buying frenzy at stores like Best Buy and online. HP's action came after announcing the shuttering its WebOS device business. The TouchPad uses the WebOS operating system.

"We expect that HP TouchPad owners can look forward to an over-the-air update that … Read more

United Airlines today announced its cockpits will go paperless by swapping out printed flight manuals in favor of Apple's iPad.

As part of the swap, the carrier is giving 11,000 iPads to all United and Continental pilots. The iPads are loaded with Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck, an app that contains navigational charts and local airport information.

United estimates that the change from paper will save it 326,000 gallons of jet fuel a year, based on the paper the iPads are replacing.

"Each iPad, which weighs less than 1.5 pounds, will replace approximately 38 pounds of paper operating manuals, navigation charts, reference handbooks, flight checklists, logbooks and weather information in a pilot's flight bag," the company said in a statement. "A conventional flight bag full of paper materials contains an average of 12,000 sheets of paper per pilot."

United says it began doling out iPads to pilots a few weeks ago and that all its pilots will have them by the end of the year.

Both Delta Airlines and Alaska Airlines began testing iPads for navigational purposes earlier this year as part of a trial program. Executive Jet Management, a unit of NetJets, announced in February that it had gained approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to use Jeppesen's app as well. … Read more

In Dragon, Fly, you assume the role of an adventurous baby dragon, with all the spunk and courage in the world, but none of the refined flying skills to boot. Fortunately, however, the land you occupy is chock-full of hills and valleys, which serve as perfect slides and ramps for launching yourself high among the clouds. It may seem like a cheap substitute for sustained flight, but the sequential dives and climbs sure make for a fun Android game.

Your goal in Dragon, Fly is to venture as far as possible before your over-protective Dragon Mum can catch up to … Read more

There are a great number of travel Web sites on the Internet that let you search flights, hotel listings, and car rentals, but if you want a quick way to get that info while on the go, check out the Kayak for Android app. This latest version includes a sleek interface and fast search results making it a breeze to get your travel plans in order quickly.

Instead of the older tile-like interface, Kayak has instead gone with a list view in this version that makes it easy to browse flights, hotels, and car rentals. Once you choose the type … Read more

I love to fly--as long as I don't have to leave the ground to do it. That means my fun time of choice is either a flight simulator or a radio-controlled airplane.

RC Plane 2 gives me both. It's a flight simulator for iOS, one that focuses squarely on radio-controlled aircraft. In place of complex controls, you've got virtual thumbsticks for your throttle and ailerons/elevator (though you can also use the accelerometer for the latter).

For 99 cents, the app gives you two environments over which to fly (Tuscany and a seaside village), four planes to choose from (three-channel cruiser, four-channel cruiser, fighter jet, and stunt plane), and two game modes: Free Flight and Air Racer.… Read more

After soaring into the skies early this morning, the solar-powered Solar Impulse plane has completed its first international flight, traveling from its home of Switzerland to Brussels in about 13 hours--without the need for fuel and without producing any pollution.

Flown by pilot Andre Borschberg, the plane took off from its home base at Payerne Airfield at 8:40 a.m., a bit later than planned due to foggy weather conditions. Climbing to an altitude of more than 3,800 meters (approximately 12,467 feet, or 2.36 miles), the plane headed toward France and Luxembourg, and landed in Brussels airport at 9:38 p.m. The plane was originally due to land at 9 p.m., but the early-morning delay extended the arrival time.

The first international flight was expected to be especially challenging. Not only does the Solar Impulse rely on the power of the sun to keep it aloft during the day, but the plane was also set to navigate through standard commercial air traffic and possible turbulence as it soared over the different countries.… Read more

Picking up where the late uber-adventurer Steve Fossett left off, Virgin impresario Richard Branson said today he wants to go to the deepest spot on Earth.

In a press conference today in Newport Beach, Calif., Branson announced his Virgin Oceanic and Five Dives initiatives, which could send a Virgin-branded deep-sea submersible with a single pilot to the deepest spots in each of the planet's five oceans.

Virgin Oceanic will use the DeepFlight Challenger, a submersible built by Hawkes Ocean Technologies of Point Richmond, Calif., for the dives.

The five dives are intended to be to the Pacific Ocean's … Read more

There's nothing the world likes more than a good radiation scare. Mobile phone health panics are quiet at the moment--which could be permanent, like the microwave oven cancer flap that went into spontaneous remission and stayed there. Instead, the burgeoning world of in-flight entertainment beckons as the next fear factory.

Take this story from the generally sensible Flight Global publication: "Wi-Fi interference with Honeywell avionics prompts Boeing action." Sounds quite scary, especially since it's a report on a problem uncovered during certification for Aircell's Gogo, an in-flight passenger Internet system. In-flight Internet is the next … Read more