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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > Powerbook in Sleep Mode Through Metal Detector

Powerbook in Sleep Mode Through Metal Detector
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Phil333
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Jul 15, 2004, 09:59 AM
 
Can I leave my powerbook in sleep while it goes through the metal detector at the airport?

Also - when electronics are supposed to be off during takeoff/landing, can I leave the powerbook in Sleep. I've already turned off wireless/bluetooth.

Thanks

-Phil
     
skybolt
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Jul 15, 2004, 10:08 AM
 
I've traveled by plane several times with my 12" Aluminum in sleep mode with no problems. Goes through security just fine. I use it on the plane, often, to watch movies, etc., so should be fine there. Just do turn of the Airport connection so as not to interfere (not sure if it WOULD interfere, but better safe than sorry!) Have a good trip!
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djohnson
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Jul 15, 2004, 10:33 AM
 
How exactly do you carry a laptop through security? I will have mine in my carryon. I guess I never paid attention until now!
( Last edited by djohnson; Jul 15, 2004 at 11:55 AM. )
     
real
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Jul 15, 2004, 11:38 AM
 
They will most likey ask you to put your PB in a container to send thru the X-ray machine. Then They will want to see that it is on and working. So yes keep the PB sleeping so you don't have to wait for it to boot up.

Hope this helps,

real
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Bozley
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Jul 15, 2004, 01:57 PM
 
I have never had a problem do it all the time�I don�t think it can do any real harm. It�s also better to leave it on by the way because sometimes they want to see that is a working laptop or something so you can just flip it open it is running instead of waiting at the busy Security counter for you comp to boot up while other people in the line steel your other stuff.

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Macpilot
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Jul 15, 2004, 03:17 PM
 
There is no issue with leaving it asleep. Just try to keep a hold of your laptop and DO NOT LET the TSA people grab your laptop to place it in the tray for screening because I have heard horror stories about how they just DROP the laptop in the tray and manhandle it in no way an Apple user would approve of. And wait till it appears that you will be ready to go thru the scanner as an indication for YOU to place your laptop on the belt. Don't let you laptop go through the screener machine while you are standing in line with three people in front of you, as this might lead to theft.

Since I am an airline pilot, I can tell you that the iBooks and Powerbooks travel quite well while in sleep mode. Hell, my current machine has been going strong for 12 days now. It has probably been set to sleep (opening and closing the lid) about 30 times in that many days.

When the laptop is asleep, all wireless cards are shut down, so you don't have to manually turn off the cards prior to setting the machine for sleep for landing. All that stuff turns off when it is put asleep.
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perbl
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Jul 15, 2004, 04:24 PM
 
Originally posted by Macpilot:
When the laptop is asleep, all wireless cards are shut down, so you don't have to manually turn off the cards prior to setting the machine for sleep for landing. All that stuff turns off when it is put asleep.
I was under the impression that most airlines require you to keep all transmitters turned off during the entire flight, and not just during takeoff/landing. Maybe you have a different policy over in the US than here in Europe ?
     
Macpilot
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Jul 15, 2004, 04:39 PM
 
Originally posted by perbl:
I was under the impression that most airlines require you to keep all transmitters turned off during the entire flight, and not just during takeoff/landing. Maybe you have a different policy over in the US than here in Europe ?
I am not aware of any rules regarding wi-fi cards or bluetooth cards. Lufthansa just started wi-fi service in their long-haul flights, so as far as interference/safety issues go, I don't think there are any.
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Phil333  (op)
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Jul 15, 2004, 05:37 PM
 
I've heard that they went wireless cards off the entire flight, but I turned them off before I put it into my bag.

Thanks for all the help guys. Here's to a safe flight and no harm to my PB ... Talk to you guys when I get back.
     
cdhostage
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Jul 15, 2004, 09:40 PM
 
Turn the Airport card off before you get to the checkin station! It's true that it is inoperative while the thing is sleeping, but it will start again when you open it on the airplane. Best not chance it, because planes regularly fall out of the sky when a benign passenger accidentally uses an low-power electromagnetic transmitter.

It's kind of like being told not to fire your AK-47 in the library: you might hit someone.

Of course, the gun analogy is incorrect because guns are only useful for violence and threat of violence, while Airport cards can also be used to cause cancer in your fellow passengers.

Actual conversation between UCLA and Stanford during a login on early Internet - U: I'm going to type an L! Did you get an L? S: I got one-one-four. L! U:Did you get the O? S: One-one-seven. U: <types G> S: The computer just crashed.
     
Macpilot
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Jul 15, 2004, 10:31 PM
 
Originally posted by cdhostage:
Turn the Airport card off before you get to the checkin station! It's true that it is inoperative while the thing is sleeping, but it will start again when you open it on the airplane. Best not chance it, because planes regularly fall out of the sky when a benign passenger accidentally uses an low-power electromagnetic transmitter.

You are kidding, right?

I am not aware of any planes falling out of the sky because of 802.11.
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jld
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Jul 15, 2004, 10:56 PM
 
It was a joke.

802.11 is fine on airplanes. Luftansa (as some one mentioned) has highspeed wifi connections on some of their transatlantic flights. E&M radiation is only really a problem when landing, when the plane is using EM waves to guide it in. Turning on your wifi, cellphone, or two wage pager won't shut the engines off.

Always follow airline directions though, and turn any wifi off when on board if they say so.
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rag on a muffin
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Jul 15, 2004, 11:31 PM
 
all the facts here are true said by macpilot, and confirmed by other, although some airlines have more strict policies, which disallows any sort of broadcasting equipment.

as for the x-ray machine, their are very few things that are affected by them, most common culprits are: living things, and film.

it is common knowledge that x-ray not good for humans, but not all know this about film.

x-raying film can expose the film right through light-protective cases. so if you are going to bring some film out of the country, show them the rolls, or wrap it in some sort of lead barrier.

it would have really sucked to have exposed 2000 feet of film before we even left the country.
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boysss
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Jul 16, 2004, 12:39 AM
 
How about having bluetooth on? does it associate with airplane shedding in anyway? Cheers
     
d.fine
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Jul 16, 2004, 03:48 AM
 
Here's what they would see


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cal6n
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Jul 16, 2004, 07:19 AM
 
Hmmm...

Looks like an early TiBook. Either 400 or 550 MHz

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crunked
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Jul 16, 2004, 02:19 PM
 
Great advice guys! I'll be travelling for the first time with my iBook on a plane next week and found some of your comments very helpful!


So i'd have to take everything out of my backpack huh? what a hassle!
Does the security ALWAYS ask you to open and turn on the laptop? if so, when does this usually happen...before or after it goes though the metal detector? Also, I thought it was an x-ray machine you go through...or is it a metal detector???? lol...which one is which and what's the difference?
     
tooki
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Jul 16, 2004, 03:07 PM
 
X-ray machines see through/into things. Metal detectors just detect the presence of metal... that's the arch you walk through.

I hate the whole "no electronics during takeoff/landing" BS. There's no evidence of any consumer electronics ever having caused a problem on any flight. Everything sold in this country has to be certified to not emit radio/EM interference, so any consumer product should be totally safe.

tooki
     
nick_coday
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Jul 17, 2004, 03:35 AM
 
Originally posted by real:
They will most likey ask you to put your PB in a container to send thru the X-ray machine. Then They will want to see that it is on and working. So yes keep the PB sleeping so you don't have to wait for it to boot up.

Hope this helps,

real
I recently traveled with my 15" internationally and never had to turn it on; just had to put it in a separate tray.

In Frankfurt, did not even have to do that, just left it in my bag with no problem.
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nick_coday
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Jul 17, 2004, 03:42 AM
 
Originally posted by tooki:
X-ray machines see through/into things. Metal detectors just detect the presence of metal... that's the arch you walk through.

I hate the whole "no electronics during takeoff/landing" BS. There's no evidence of any consumer electronics ever having caused a problem on any flight. Everything sold in this country has to be certified to not emit radio/EM interference, so any consumer product should be totally safe.

tooki
That is incorrect, I have talked with several pilots and there are documented instances of this happening.

One instance: a passenger and his portable radio fouled up the ALS systems and caused th pilots of a NW Airlines flight to abort the landing and make a second attempt after giving the guy a talking to.

How would you feel if your cell or radio caused a plane to crash and kill 100's of people?? Is it really that big of an inconvenience to wait 15-20 before being able to watch that video on your laptop??

"Everything sold in this country has to be certified to not emit radio/EM interference, so any consumer product should be totally safe" -> This is incorrect!! Portable radios can screw up the navigation systems. Hell, I could purchase a powerful degauser with a battery pack and I bet that would cause hell, if not bring the whole plane down!!

The FCC and its certifications is so that the emissions are not overly harmful (cancer etc..) to living things (people namely), not other electronics (ALS systems: Auto Landing Sys) for the large part. That is also why hospitals make you turn off cell phones b/c there are documented cases of cell phones messing with heart monitors.

In conclusion, yes, a gameboy is highly unlikely to cause any problems, but again, can't you wait for a few minutes???
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crunked
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Jul 17, 2004, 07:18 AM
 
Originally posted by nick_coday:
I recently traveled with my 15" internationally and never had to turn it on; just had to put it in a separate tray.

In Frankfurt, did not even have to do that, just left it in my bag with no problem.
did you have to take it out of it's case/sleeve before you put it in the tray?
     
Trygve
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Jul 17, 2004, 09:12 AM
 
In the last two years, I have taken both a TiBook and an iBook through the following airports:

United States: RNO, ORD, SJC

Europe: CDG, FRA, PRG, MXP, WAW

Mid East/Caucasus: IST, DXB, TBS

Indian Ocean Region: SEZ, PRI, MRU, CMB, MLE

South East Asia: BKK, PHN, REP, VTE, LPQ, SIN

Australia/New Zealand: PER, ADL, SYD, WLG, AKL

The only place I have ever been asked to take the computers out of their cases was in the US. As I recall, I had to also turn them on in Chicago and in Sri Lanka they asked to briefly open the case. Basically, in the US it is always a big hassle to go through security with them, but in the rest of the world it is easy.

There has never been any hardware issue with the X-Ray machines, but if it is crowded, keep a close eye on your stuff.

Trygve
     
d.fine
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Jul 17, 2004, 03:49 PM
 
Originally posted by nick_coday:
How would you feel if your cell or radio caused a plane to crash and kill 100's of people??
Hmm, not much I think cause I'd be dead too ...

Yes we can wait, but it's an itch, it's a Mac PB, I can't help it ...

stuffing feathers up your b*tt doesn't make you a chicken.
     
cdhostage
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Jul 18, 2004, 09:36 PM
 
It's not about CONSUMER electronics causing problems - it's about making sure that someone can't use a custom-built transmitter to control the plane, and have the outside look like a normal PDA. They have to distrust the entire group in case one is planning something evil; this is the case for most of the air travel experience.

One of the great things about having many, many anal retentives working for the US government (as well as pressure from consumer advocate groups) is that I can be sure that my meat is safely cooked and that my car will not explode in most impacts. Another great thing is that electromagnetic frequencies are very specifically separated out. This range of frequencies is for civilian radio broadcasts, this is for TV broadcasts, this is for CB, this is for short-range data networks. Airports and the military use many, many different bands on the spectrum. I feel safer boarding a plane knowing that some beauracrat has illegalized the private use of some radio frequencies so that airplanes alone could use them.

Again, ordinary people with ordinary devices are not the problem. Terrorists who look like ordinary people are.
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