Is In-Flight Wi-Fi Now Threatened by Terrorists?
Bomb scare turns renews questions of wireless devices while in flight.
In-flight Wi-Fi is a modern wonder. In an age where electronics are suspiciously inspected in airports, getting to access the internet while at higher than 30,000 feet seems like a small miracle. That's why Virgin America is one of the preferred ways to fly here at Tom's, but sadly the wonders of Wi-Fi on a plane could be threatened by paranoia over terrorism.
New Scientist believes that recent laser printer cartridge bomb that had travelled undetected on aircraft to the UK and to Dubai, but luckily went undetonated, could stir reasons for a further clamp down on wireless electronics in air travel.
The bombs were hooked up to cell phones, but they did not contain SIM cards, making them useless for making or receiving calls. This nearly rules out that the phones would use cell technology to activate the explosives.
What the discovery could do, however, is stall or even kill off the development and adoption of wireless device use while in flight. For gadget lovers, it would be a case where the terrorists win.

Bomb makers don't look for the most technologically advanced detonation method, they look for the easiest and most concealable method. That would usually be a timer.
If you're going to go by air signals to pick a place for the explosion, one of the easiest ways would be to trip the trigger either when the plain exits cell range (exploding on the way out of the airport) or when it enters cell range near landing.
Relying on the onboard WiFi would be a far more complicated and less reliable trigger method. The only reason someone would go to those extra lengths is to prove they could. I don't see terrorist giving up a "sure kill" in an effort to prove their technical proficiency
Actually flying is a service that you pay for.
Bomb makers don't look for the most technologically advanced detonation method, they look for the easiest and most concealable method. That would usually be a timer.
If you're going to go by air signals to pick a place for the explosion, one of the easiest ways would be to trip the trigger either when the plain exits cell range (exploding on the way out of the airport) or when it enters cell range near landing.
Relying on the onboard WiFi would be a far more complicated and less reliable trigger method. The only reason someone would go to those extra lengths is to prove they could. I don't see terrorist giving up a "sure kill" in an effort to prove their technical proficiency
Get rid of the TSA, have people be their own TSA, like what happened on Christmas Day to the idiot and his underpants!
Probably the best idea...just put EM shielding on the entire cargo hold so you can't use any form of wireless communication to/from it.
And yes, from an Elec Eng perspective it wouldn't be too difficult to design a bomb trigger system that would use Wifi to connect to the internet and check a "should I blow up now?" server every few minutes. But you could just as easily use a sat phone for the trigger and avoid a ton of potential complications from wifi (like a login redirect screen).
Actually flying is a service that you pay for.
i hate it when people say crap like that.
its not a right, its also not a privilege, its a means of transportation.
this means of transportation, however, is regulated strictly by the government, and people screw it up more by how paranoid they are.
you give me a compeditive airline, that only has bag checks, 1 metal detector and a second hand held one for people who fail number 1, with people watching for people who look like they are up to no good, and i will fly with them in a hear beat, you get your nude photos taken and everything but a cavity search (unless they suspect drugs are in you) and people feeling you or your kids up as much as you want, if thats what it takes for you to feel safe (pro tip: if they people what to hurt you, they will, and no amount of security shy of flying nude and xrayed will prevent this) with extra emphasis on the word FEEL
DRIVING is a privilege.
I think what they're worried about is some intelligent device connecting to the plane wi-fi so it can be controlled over the internet - not by a person in the plane. It would be a bit tricky since the device would have to "subscribe" to the service and pay with a credit card... but it wouldn't be impossible.
I trust the people on the scene rather than somebody who has gotten to where he is today by lieing.
Capitalism foils all the best plans.
:-p