The PED Pouch: GhettoIFE taken to its limit?

As you all know, I’m an advocate of iPhones in sick bags when there’s poor quality In-Flight Entertainment around.

I call this concept “GhettoIFE”. You can find out about it here.

However, it’s not great for larger devices – such as tablets. However, it seems designers (and people with a lot more money) have stepped in.

Enter Avio Interiors who have released something called the PED Pouch:

So the idea is you mount the pouch on the back of the seat, and slip your device in – be it an iPad, Android Tablet, Windows Surface computer, an eBook reader, phone, or any sort of device like that. On the plus side for the passenger, there is no need to deploy the tray table, and the device is at eye level, reducing neck strain.

Nice in theory.

So what was the result of this when I posted it on Twitter? Not so hot.

So the first major concerns are of hygiene and how often they would be cleaned before you got to the PED Pouch.

However I have my share of concerns. The first one will be if the Velcro on the seat will hold out in the long term (Velcro has a bad habit of gumming up with junk after time). My other concern how this would react in a situation where the landing is very hard, and you’re pushed forward into the pouch. A face full of Personal Electronic Device

Then there’s the matter of having enough power in the device. I could imagine the PED Pouch being deployed on short to mid-haul routes where extra power for these devices isn’t a problem. Longer haul flights could be a bigger problem (but I’d hope the airline would had gone to the trouble of installing an IFE system).

Alternately, you can do what I do – and that’s make a GhettoIFE system for your phone. It works… it’s just not FAA rated.

(Although it is easy to recycle. Just not very good for tablet computers…)

Economy Class and Beyond joins in with the latest from Aircraft Interior Expo 2015, for the latest in how the next generation of interiors will affect you the passenger.

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