I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to close the silver lid to my Powerbook while in mid-flight because my laptop battery was dead. And forever I’ve pondered two things: 1. why can’t planes install power outlets for fliers since so many of us now carry gadgets the need the juice. and 2. why can’t laptop and gadget batteries overall hold more juice? The second question I know is more of a long-term tech nical solution. As for the first, part of me suspects that airplanes would need a complete architectural overhaul to get outlets installed. And then there is the concern the people would have that by plugging in they’re somehow diverting pow from the plane so they can watch the Little Mermaid DVD on their laptop. It turns out, though, that the power on plane issue may already be addressed and that all you need is an adapter. Yes, according to this post found via Worldhum, owners of Apple’s new Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro ca purchase a new product that will allow them to plug in at 30,000 feet.
Called the Magsafe Airline Power Adapter, this handy gadget apparently works with the in-seat DC power ports found on many commercial airliners. The adapter supports both EmPower and 20mm ports…which means nothing to me. I merely wanted to point out this exists, ad so if anyone out there can explain whether this adapter will allow you to plug-in on a, say, JetBlue flight, we’d like to know. Anyone who can shed some light on this will get our endless admiration.