Airline passengers will be able to connect their iPods to in-flight entertainment systems and watch their favorite videos without fear of running out of battery power while traveling on any of at least four major carriers. Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Dubai’s Emirates, and UAL’s United Airlines will begin offering their passengers iPod seat connections, which power and charge iPods during flight and allow the video content on the devices to be viewed on seat-back displays.

BoxWave has released the FlexiSkin case and Cleartouch Screen Protector for the SanDisk Sansa e200 Series. BoxWave’s FlexiSkin soft cases are a new type of case that gives you complete usability of your device while it’s protected. This skin case is custom contoured to your handheld, durable, soft to the touch, and can stretch and flex to help cushion your device from falls and hard knocks. And with the new SmoothTexture enhancement, it makes the FlexiSkin soft cases feel softer to the touch and reduces surface dust. BoxWave’s ClearTouch Screen Protector for Sansa e200 Series provides you with more than protection from scratches, and is available in two varieties, Crystal or Anti-Glare.

BoxWave has released the Designio Leather Case for the Palm Treo 700w. Hand-crafted from fine, premium grade leather, BoxWave’s Designio Leather Case is a leather case that is custom fitted for your device. This durable leather case neatly stores your device and protects it from everyday wear and tear, while giving it a slim and professional look. The Designio Leather Case is a form-fitting leather case that fits perfectly around your device and boasts accessible cutouts, creating the perfect union of versatility and sophistication.

BoxWave has released the ElectraSpan Extended and Standard Capacity Battery for the iPAQ hw6500. The ElectraSpan extended battery for your HP iPAQ hw6500 extends your device’s talk and use time. It is a high capacity rechargeable lithium ion battery that is specifically designed for your device–perfect for busy people on the go, and for those who use their phone and data heavily. The Standard Capacity Battery serves as an excellent primary replacement battery. When you’re on the go and don’t have time to charge your HP iPAQ hw6500, bring along BoxWave’s new Standard Capacity Battery as a spare battery. It is a rechargeable lithium ion battery that is specifically designed for your device.

Proporta has released their Mobile Device Charger in a handy bundle. The bundle includes the increasingly popular battery which charges from a USB port and stores an enormous 3400 mAH of power for when you need it most. The Proporta USB Mobile Device Charger (USB Rechargeable Battery) with Car and World AC Power includes a Car Power Supply with USB Port. This handy product allows you to charge your device, or indeed your emergency battery, whilst on the road by plugging directly into your cigarette lighter socket, converting it into a standard USB port. The pack also includes an AC Travel Charger (with USB socket) so that you can charge via an AC wall supply using the USB port.

BoxWave has released the FlexiSkin case for the Sony Ericsson K310. BoxWave’s FlexiSkin cases are a new type of skin case that gives you complete usability of your device while it’s protected. This skin case is custom contoured to your handheld, durable, soft to the touch, and can stretch and flex to help cushion your device from falls and hard knocks. And with the new SmoothTexture enhancement, it makes the FlexiSkin feel softer to the touch and reduces surface dust.

etribes announced the introduction of its mobile video-sharing service through which etribes members can send mobile video clips to their own, free, personal Web site. etribes customers create their own personal Web site at the push of a button, updating it regularly with news, photos, videos and documents. The service is designed for busy adults who do not want the hassle or technical challenge of maintaining a blog, but do want to be able to share content easily with friends and family.

Alienware has unleashed the power of quad-core processing by making the new Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 processor available on Area-51 7500 and Area-51 ALX desktops. As the world’s first quad-core processor, the Core 2 Extreme QX6700 easily tackles numerous tasks simultaneously, which frees up time for Alienware desktop users and opens the door to a richer gaming and multimedia experience.

Last week, I discussed my personal dismay at the privacy violations I saw at my voting place. I asked readers to tell us about their experiences, and we got a number of fascinating comments from here in America and as far away as Australia. Read on to the end, because Bernard Bolch’s comment about mandatory voting in Australia is fascinating.

Read this Computing Unplugged article.

Microsoft expects wireless song sharing to be the feature on its Zune portable music player that allows it to challenge Apple’s iPod, the company’s chief executive said Monday. On Tuesday, the world’s largest software maker will start selling the 30-gigabyte Zune, which allows users to beam photos and songs to one another, and it will launch an iTunes competitor called the Zune Marketplace in the United States. In a telephone interview with Reuters, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said he sees the wireless technology leveling out some of Apple’s huge early-mover advantage, because the iPod does not offer that feature yet.