TechCrunch
Reminder: Let's Rock Out In The Balkans
Are you in Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, or Slovenia? Have I got a treat for you. In an effort to spread the good word about TC in the rest of Europe, I will be rolling through Sofia, Belgrade, Zagreb, and Ljubljana at the beginning of July for a series of informal meet-ups. If you’re in those cities, I want you to attend!
Assisting in the planning is Netokracija / Netocratic, the “TechCrunch of Southeast Europe.” They will provide us with locations and more specific timing but as it stands we expect to have some free beer, lots of sunshine, and a great chance to talk about your startup in an informal setting. We’ll also be scouting for Disrupt entrants for Disrupt Berlin in October.
If you have a startup to pitch, please submit to Disrupt right now and we’ll talk about your presentation and application when I’m in town. We are still accepting applications for TechCrunch Disrupt and applications to Berlin will be closing shortly. This is a great opportunity to get in front of a TechCrunch staffer before the event.
These will be informal meetups where I’ll talk a little bit about TechCrunch and getting the attention of media outside your own country and we can talk startups, entrepreneurship, and funding all night long.
To RSVP for Sofia on July 1 click here. Co-hosted by Netokracija / Netocratic & Eleven
To RSVP for Belgrade on July 2 click here. Hosted by Netokracija / Netocratic.
To RSVP for Zagreb on July 3 click here. Hosted by Netokracija / Netocratic.
To RSVP for Ljubljana on July 5 click here. Hosted by Netokracija / Netocratic.
Interested in sponsoring the event? Please contact organizer Ivan Brezak Brkan, head of MemeMedia, directly. We’ll have much more information soon, but until then RSVP and get your product ready for our Southeast Euro Trip!
Special thanks to our main sponsor, the .me domain.
FAA Says It Will Be Months Before In-Flight Electronics Ban Is Lifted
Just two days ago, it seemed that the Federal Aviation Administration was finally going to relax the rules that require passengers to stow away electronic devices during take-off and landing. Now it appears, however, that travelers will have to wait months before the new regulations go into effect.
Even though the FAA has prepared a draft report that says that nixing the ban on electronics usage under 10,000 feet is long overdue, it also cautions that there were will be months of testing to determine which aircraft models are most vulnerable to potential electromagnetic interference from electronic devices used by passengers.
The FAA doesn’t have a specific timeline for lifting the regulations, a potentially lengthy process that will include safety assessments, crew training, PR campaigns and coordination with foreign regulators. Futhermore, the WSJ says that the report’s conclusions could be changed before it is due in September, which means that the passengers may have to wait even longer.
Despite the periodic promises from the FAA that it will eventually get rid of the ban on electronic devices during take-off and landing, plenty of passengers are already taking matters into their own hands. A study cited by the agency shows that less than 60% of passengers say they always turn their devices off completely when asked to do so by flight staff. In fact, many don’t even know that it’s unacceptable to use their smartphones, tablets and e-readers below 10,000 feet.
Adding to the confusion is that tablets and other electronic devices are used increasingly by pilots and flight attendants during takeoff, which the FAA’s report admits sends mixed messages to passengers.
Though changes to the current rules might take a while longer, the air travel industry has made dramatic strides in how it views passengers’ electronic devices. Just two years ago, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade group that represents over 240 airlines, said that gadgets posed an even greater risk than originally thought, with the two most dangerous devices being the iPad and iPhone.
Though it will be a while before passengers enjoy the benefits of the FAA’s change of heart, it still represents a dramatic shift in how a very cautious industry views personal electronics.
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