In Short:
– Airbus warns over half of A320 fleet needs software fixes due to potential data corruption risks.
– Affected airlines must complete upgrades before next flights, with operational disruptions anticipated during a busy travel season.

Airbus has issued a warning regarding its A320 fleet, indicating that over half of the active jets will require a software fix.

It follows a recent incident involving a JetBlue Airways aircraft, where “intense solar radiation” was found to potentially corrupt data crucial for flight control system operation.

The European plane manufacturer stated that around 6,500 jets may be affected. A regulation mandates that the software upgrade must occur before the next scheduled flight.

Operational disruptions for both passengers and airlines are anticipated. The issue arose from an incident on October 30, where a JetBlue flight experienced a computer malfunction that resulted in an uncommanded descent. Fortunately, no injuries occurred, but the malfunction of an automated computer system was identified as a contributing factor.

Airlines, including American Airlines Group, have begun to implement the required upgrades.

The majority of affected jets can receive an uncomplicated software update, although around 1,000 older models will necessitate an actual hardware upgrade, requiring grounding during maintenance.

Hungarian airline Wizz Air has also initiated necessary maintenance for compliance, potentially affecting flights. This announcement has surfaced during a busy travel season in the US, with many facing delays due to other factors as well.

Regulatory Response

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has mandated that A320 operators replace or modify specific elevator-aileron computers. The directive follows the JetBlue incident, where a malfunction led to a temporary loss of altitude.

Airbus’s fix applies to both the A320 and A320neo models, representing a vital response in ensuring aircraft safety.

In Short:
– OpenAI’s “shopping research” tool helps users find detailed shopping guides tailored to their preferences.
– Users can access Instant Checkout for purchases while ensuring user chats are not shared with retailers.

OpenAI has launched a new tool called “shopping research,” coinciding with an increase in consumer spending ahead of the holiday season.This tool is aimed at ChatGPT users seeking comprehensive shopping guides that detail top products, key differences, and the latest retailer information.

Users can customise their guides based on budget, features, and recipients. OpenAI notes that while the tool takes a few minutes to generate responses, users can still use ChatGPT for quicker queries like price checks.

When users ask specific prompts, such as finding a quiet cordless stick vacuum or a gift for a niece who loves art, the shopping research tool will appear automatically. It can also be accessed via the menu.

Shopping Research

OpenAI has been expanding its e-commerce capabilities, with the introduction of the Instant Checkout feature in September, enabling purchases directly through ChatGPT.

Soon, users of the shopping research tool will also be able to use Instant Checkout for making purchases.

OpenAI assures that shopping research results are derived from publicly available retail websites and will not disclose user chats to retailers, although it does warn that inaccuracies may occur in product availability and pricing.

Shopping research is now available to OpenAI’s Free, Go, Plus, and Pro users logged into ChatGPT.