Back in June we learned the Federal Aviation Administration was planning to loosen up some of the rules controlling the use of electronics during takeoff and landing. On Sunday, the New York Times got a preview of what those new rules would look like, and when they would likely go into effect: In short, e-books, podcasts, videos, and so on would be allowed, but things that required a data connection, such as phone calls, e-mail, and texts, would not. An F.A.A. advisory panel is expected to finalize its recommendations this week, submit them to the F.A.A. by next month, and put them into effect next year. But now that flyers won’t be forced to read things on paper for those moments on either end of the flight, we’ve got to wonder: Will this change spell the end for Sky Mall?
