Gogo Inflight Internet app making flying sign-ins a snap

If you're one of those people who spends way too much time in airplane seats, you've probably been thrilled with Gogo Inflight Internet. The company provides Internet service on all AirTran and Virgin America flights, and has service on some flights on Air Canada, Alaska, American, Delta, United, and US Airways flights. They're expanding to more aircraft and airlines in 2011, so being able to send TwitPics of your seatmate or video of dancing flight attendants will become entirely too commonplace.

Gogo wants to make it even easier for you to get online while you're airborne. The free Gogo Inflight Internet app is designed to detect if your flight is equipped with the Gogo network, and if it is (and provided that you've also signed up with the company ahead of the flight) you can get online with a tap of a button.

For those of us who still haven't been on a Wi-Fi equipped aircraft and need to sign up for a Gogo account, there's even a button to let you do that while in the app. Unlike the very stupid or naive person who left a 1-star review of the app in the App Store griping that the Gogo service was not free, I think most TUAW readers are bright enough to understand that this app simply signs you into the service -- you still have to pay for the privilege, which can run anywhere from US$4.95 for a short flight to $34.95 for a month of unlimited in-flight Wi-Fi. The app works on any iOS device, although it's really designed for an iPhone or iPod touch.

The TUAW crew is used to seeing fearless leader Victor Agreda wandering the virtual newsroom while on Gogo-equipped flights. I'm just waiting for the opportunity to use Gogo's service to do the first inflight episode of TUAW TV Live... after the airplane reached 10,000 feet and the crew has given us the OK to use approved electronic devices, of course.

Oddsmakers make book on the iPad 2 event

Just before every Apple event, we get the word from Tony Harvey and the oddsmakers at Bookmaker.com. This time, they've set the odds on what to expect from the iPad 2. While these guys aren't tech pundits -- they're high stakes online sports bookies -- we thought you'd like to see what they came up with in terms of odds on various features for the upcoming iPad.

In each case on the table (click "read more" to see it), the +/- indicates the return on the wager, while the percentage is the likelihood that response will occur. I'm not a betting man, but I indicated my selection by putting it in green on the table. In all cases, I pretty much agreed with the oddsmakers. I did take exception to two of the items listed -- the "slimmer, lighter, and retina display" because I feel that it will be slimmer and lighter, but won't have a retina display, and the "non-smudge screen & gyroscope" because I don't think it will have a non-smudge screen.

We'll find out for sure tomorrow morning at 10 AM PST. Be sure to join the TUAW team for our metaliveblog of the event.

Note: The numbers displayed here are for entertainment purposes only and do not represent an endorsement by TUAW.com that you bet on any Apple event.

Square has billboard in Times Square, still slowly delivering card reader

If you've been reading TUAW for any length of time, you've probably seen our posts aboutSquare. This startup had the idea to develop a free credit card reader that could be used with an iPhone (later expanded to many phone models) or iPad, and provide a card authorization service with low enough rates that basically anyone in the U.S. could accept credit cards.

The service works very well; I've moved from a traditional credit card authorization service to Square, and I'm saving money in the process. However, an informal Twitter poll showed that there are still a number of people (including our very own Dave Caolo) who are still patiently waiting for their readers over a year after signing up. Not good.

That's apparently not keeping the company from shouting from the rooftops about how great their product is. The company received funding from a supporter to install a huge multi-panel billboard in New York's Times Square showing how anyone can accept credit cards with the Square reader and iPhone app. They've also teamed up with fashion designer Vivienne Tam to come out with a limited-edition high fashion card reader.

We're happy to see that you're going places, Square -- just be sure to keep sending out those card readers to all those people who are still waiting.