Do you ever wonder whether you have too many electronic devices? In my case, keeping my mix of work and personal Blackberrys, iPhones, iPads and laptops charged and continually available seems redundant sometimes. I very much appreciate how Apple has simplified electronic media and data usage—allowing me to easily update it, sync it between multiple devices simultaneously, and back it up in a cloud with a simple click. Given all of the log-ins and passwords we have to remember, using one in a secure environment to complete multiple tasks quickly is simply a joy.

For North American widebody airframe MROs, the market dynamics are changing, as vendors' focus shifts to the midsize Boeing 767 and Airbus A330 families and away from the 747, whose maintenance has evolved into a niche business.

As CEO of EADS, Louis Gallois was repeatedly rebuffed by his board when he sought to acquire U.S. defense companies. Less than four months after Gallois' retirement, a single deal could finally make EADS a top supplier to the Pentagon—and in the process create the largest aerospace and defense (A&D) company ever.

Not since the 1960s when it developed the JT9D, the world's first commercial high-bypass turbofan, has Pratt & Whitney been under the industry microscope as it is with the PW1000G geared-turbofan family. While the JT9D became a success after a troubled start, it was the JT8D that gave Pratt its 30-year-plus reign as the industry's leading jet-engine supplier. It is this success the company now hopes to emulate with the similarly rated PW1000G, now in the midst of its most critical certification tests yet.

European aerospace giant EADS is tackling a number of problems in its military businesses as it proceeds with talks to merge with British behemoth BAE Systems in an effort to increase its global footprint in the defense market.

With more than 2,300 current model 737s still due to be delivered before the first reengined MAX variant makes its debut in 2017, Boeing is taking steps to improve the aircraft's competitiveness by studying a new set of upgrades which could also help bridge the transition between the two.

Malaysia's aviation market is set to undergo its biggest shake-up in years, and it could get bloody: Indonesia's largest low-cost carrier, Lion Air, aims to establish an affiliate airline in Malaysia, taking the challenge to AirAsia and potentially sparking a costly price war. Lion Air's first overseas affiliate carrier, Malindo Airways, will operate domestically and internationally. The aim is for Malindo to have a fleet of 50-60 aircraft in 10 years, says Lion's president director, Rusdi Kirana.

The merger is likely to trigger further consolidation in aerospace companies globally