I haven't blogged about cool iPhone apps of late because, let's be real, who can keep up? But one particular new app, called WindowSeat, has caught my eye.
Launching in January 2011 by Portland-based AppOven, WindowSeat is an in-flight map that gives passengers a chance to track their continental US flights as they fly - and learn more about points-of-interest below them - without needing GPS or a persistent network connection.
An offline moving map? Intriguing (even though I truly do not want to give carriers any further reason to delay equipping their aircraft with in-flight connectivity...the time is now, and Lufthansa's re-launch of FlyNet this week made that point crystal clear!)
So what has AppOven cooked up with WindowSeat (i.e. how does it work)?
Upon entering departure and arrival airports, users can
choose from one of five flight paths based on up-to-the-moment historical data
between cities. Once they enter their wheel-up time, WindowSeat provides a view
into the flight's location and tracks how much time remains, says AppOven.
100% accuracy "may be elusive", says the firm as there is no way to account for flight diversions and weather irregularities without GPS or a persistent network connection. For example, the pilot "may announce there's only an hour left in the flight, but the app may show an hour and fifteen minutes remain. In this case, the user can adjust the flight time, and the app will recalibrate the plane icon's location on the map."
Likewise, a user may look out the window and notice the Great Salt Lake below them, but the app may show that
they already passed it. Here, the user can drag the plane icon back on the map,
and WindowSeat recalculates the remaining flight time, says AppOven.
"One of the app's core features is the dialogue between it and the user," says WindowSeat's creator, Phil Tseng. "In this way, a user can make the flight prediction even more accurate by using their own observations as well as information they gather from the cabin staff."
The points-of-interest database contains images and descriptions of landmarks and geographic areas throughout the US. Users can also let their online friends and followers know about the points-of-interest they're flying over with a simple update that synchs up to their Facebook and Twitter accounts once they're online, notes AppOven.
WindowSeat, which requires iOS 4.1 or later, has reached its beta milestone and will be undergoing real-world testing in the next few weeks to prepare for launch in January 2011. At a price of $6.99, WindowSeat is not cheap. But if you're a moving map fanatic, it might just be worth it. At the very least, WindowSeat will help pass the time as you wait for your hometown carrier to hurry up and get in-flight connectivity already, ahem.
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