Tuesday’s Tech Tip of The Week: In Flight Gaming

With summer finally here, trips, and vacations are on the horizon, but with every awesome vacation there is the possibility of a plane ride that gets you there. This week I’m going to give you some tips on how to game it up during the boring transit part of every vacation.

Tip 1: Air Plane mode. Make sure any mobile devices you plan to use (tablet, smartphone, ETC…) have airplane/offline mode. In case you were unsure, airplane mode is a setting on most devices that shuts off all transmitting capabilities, but still lets you play games, listen to music (music on the device, not Pandora) use the camera and any pre-installed apps.

Tip 2: Load your device. Make sure you have all the games, apps and music you want to have before you board the aircraft, because once you there you can’t download anything

Tip 3: Know the rules. Just because your device may have airplane mode, does not mean your guaranteed to be allowed to use it. Many airlines still prohibit the use of any device other than laptops while in flight. Also, if you plan on using your lap top in flight, it helps to know the procedure on going through security with it. According to the TSA website, your laptop must be screened separately, run through an X-ray machine, and you may be asked to turn it on.

Tip 4: Leave it off and listen. Don’t just flip on your laptop or device as soon as you sit down in your seat. Electronics need to be kept off until you reach cruising altitude or until the captain or attendant says otherwise. When they captain says it’s time to turn off all electronics, do it! Its polite, the right thing to do, and if your flight attendant is having a bad day they can make yours go the same way, at least that’s what happened on an ATA flight not too long ago.

Tip 5: Headphones, headphones, HEADPHONES. No one wants to hear the pigs in Angry Birds giggle and grunt for 5 hours, besides it’s easier to hear with them on anyway.

So there you have it. Five tips that will make you plane ride easier and more enjoyable….

Check in next week for the next Tuesday’s tech tips of the week!