http://www.tsa.gov/

Is there an executive summary of all that government drivel?

Are laptops banned now?

I suppose it is inevitable that they will be.

Exec summary? That would be too user-friendly.

Re laptop, perhaps if you put it in a little plastic baggie...

I just flew NYC-Chicago last week, and there were plenty of laptops. Regs were same as previously for screening; must be taken out of bags and placed in separate tray to go through X-ray screening. I'm not sure if it will be different if you are flying via, say, Heathrow; if you can wait a couple of weeks, I can give you firsthand info.

(Sigh...I'm waiting for the day they make me remove the plate on my fibula for inspection.)

certain airlines have banned certain laptops due to the exploding battery issue. (i believe dells and macs are affected. dunno which else. kinda stupid considering it's actually sony batteries which are doing it and most laptops have them in them.) you should check with your specific airline to see if they're more panicked about a one in a millon chance of a battery melting down or beverages being spilled.

Current situation, London: You can take a laptop in a laptop bag as cabin baggage. You can put whatever you like in it except for the obvious sharps, inflammables, and now of course liquids and gels...so don't imagine you can get your washing gear in there.

You will have to extract the lappy for separate screening, and take off your shoes.

Immediately after the latest terrorist plot came to light, the British tried to ban laptops and cell phones from the cabin. This lasted for less than two days as there was a violent revolt among business passengers, a great many of whom cancelled their flights and stormed out of the airport rather then check their laptops. My favorite comment was, "Here's an idea, why don't you just close down the whole fucking airline? Because if I can't travel with my laptop and cell phone, there's no bloody point in my traveling at all."

To add a touch of surrealism to the stupidity, it turns out that all the major airlines' conditions of carriage actually forbid you from checking your laptop. Of course, many companies also forbid their employees from checking laptops as laptops are not only expensive, they typically contain very sensitive (and valuable) business information. The whole policy, if you can call it that, was a clusterfuck of the first water.

Anyway, all this is to say that laptops and cell phones are, indeed, acceptable carry-on baggage once again.