Tech Tok: Technology turns mixed blessing for air travel

Hyderabad: India is witnessing a strange phenomenon, or two, in its skies this week, and from where we start for the skies, both related to technology. On one side, the Central government is introducing Digi Yatra, an initiative designed to ensure contactless, seamless processing of passengers at airports and is based on facial recognition technology. […]

Hyderabad: India is witnessing a strange phenomenon, or two, in its skies this week, and from where we start for the skies, both related to technology.

On one side, the Central government is introducing Digi Yatra, an initiative designed to ensure contactless, seamless processing of passengers at airports and is based on facial recognition technology.

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While this technology is expected to bring about major changes in the way we travel by air, the second side has a technical issue that has been plaguing several airlines over the last month.

Multiple incidents were reported, right from engine snags and a burning smell in the cabin to a bird entering a cockpit. From an IndiGo flight being diverted to Karachi after pilots were notified of an engine fault, to an Air India Express plane from Kozhikode to Dubai being diverted to Muscat after a burning smell was observed in one of the vents, apart from SpiceJet seeing at least eight incidents in less than a month, something has not been quite right with our flights.

Interestingly, aviation regulator, DGCA, said it conducted spot checks and found an insufficient number of required engineering personnel, read aircraft maintenance engineers and certifying planes of various carriers before scheduled arrivals/departures in a short interval. Those doing it now, the DGCA said, were improperly identifying the “cause of a reported defect”.

As for Digi Yatra, the idea envisions any traveller being able to pass through numerous checkpoints at the airport utilising a paperless and contactless procedure, establishing their identification through facial recognition and linking it to their boarding card.
Official documents say this offers a decentralised, cost-effective, mobile wallet-based identity management technology that addresses privacy and data protection concerns.

While one development had authorities utilising technology to make air travel much easier, the other had human error making air travel a dicey affair. Two sides to technology, one where it is used for the betterment of the quality of life, and the other, where it is not used properly and in turn, leads to risks that could go either way.
New launches/features

JBL LIVE Pro 2 headphones launched

Expanding its product lineup, audio equipment maker JBL by HARMAN on Tuesday launched its LIVE Pro 2 headphones for Indian consumers.

Priced at Rs 13,999, the JBL LIVE Pro 2 headphones are now available in black and blue colours.

The new headphones feature JBL’s Signature Sound, 40hrs battery life and 6 microphones for perfect voice call quality. It has a ‘stick’ design with 11mm dynamic drivers.

The company claimed that its true adaptive noise cancelling with smart ambient enables users to stay aware of surroundings or enjoy conversations without having to remove the earbuds.

The hands-free support and dedicated JBL headphone app allow easy access to preferred voice assistants. Its IPX5 waterproof and splashproof rating makes long runs in the elements worry-free, while the embedded six microphones isolate noise and wind to deliver superior call quality.

Android 11-powered affordable Acer TVs now in India

The Acer brand on Tuesday launched a new affordable I-series TVs powered by Android 11 operating system in India that offers a rich library of content.

The TVs, which start from Rs.14,999, are available on major e-commerce platforms and offline retail stores, the company said in a statement.

The I-series will be available in four sizes. The 32-inch model has a high-definition display resolution while the 43-inch, the 50-inch and 55-inch models have been launched in ultrahigh definition display.

All the models come with Dual Band WiFi and 2-way Bluetooth features. They are also equipped with powerful 30-watt speaker systems and support Dolby Audio.

The series offers an edge-to-edge display with a frameless design which is a continuation of the almost bezel-less display. The I-series also delivers a significant upgrade in picture quality with an enhanced wide Colour gamut that delivers over a billion colours in display, HDR 10, super brightness, black-level augmentation and 4K upscaling and much more.

It also offers an in-built Smart Blue Light Reduction technology to reduce the blue light exposure to the viewer’s eyes.

— Dennis Marcus Mathew with agency inputs