On the streets of Manila, Flynn Jason Siy entertains himself with urban gymnastics. On airplanes, he avenges boredom with barf bags. During a budget flight to the resort island of Boracay—on a plane lacking TVs—Siy made a cradle for his smartphone from the metal closure tabs of several bags, allowing him to comfortably watch movies on the device. Here’s how to engineer your own seat-back screen in a few minutes.
1
Take three barf bags from nearby seat pockets, and remove their pliable closure tabs.
2
Bend two tabs into Z shapes. Work one end of each tab into gaps above the tray table lock. The other ends cradle the bottom of your phone.
3
Fashion the third tab into an inverted J, and wedge it between the lock and the upholstered seat to secure the top of the phone.
4
Plug in your headphones, sit back, relax, and (actually) enjoy the flight.