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FAA clears DJI and other drone companies to fly near airports
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given nine companies permission to fly in controlled airspace, such as airports, as part of its Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) initiative. One of those nine companies is DJI, along with Aeronyde, Airbus, AiRXOS, Altitude Angel, Converge, KittyHawk, UASidekick and Unifly. It doesn't mean operators can fly those brands' drones over airports anytime they want, though -- it only means that professional drone pilots can now get authorization to enter controlled airspace in near-real time instead of waiting for months.
Kitty Hawk's new Flyer looks like a mix of drone and stunt plane
While the Larry Page-backed Kitty Hawk didn't make its goal to sell a flying car by the end of 2017, its newest model is more polished than the octocopter ATV prototype it debuted last April. While the Flyer, as it's still called, remains a single-seater, its latest iteration looks more like a giant drone with the pilot nestled in a formula 1 car cockpit.
Larry Page's autonomous air taxi 'Cora' flies in New Zealand
Reports surfaced in 2016 that Google co-founder (and now Alphabet CEO) Larry Page had two "flying car" projects in the works, and while we saw the Flyer recreational vehicle unveiled last year, today it's time to meet Cora. An "air taxi" developed by Page's Kitty Hawk company, the electric aircraft is intended for use as part of a transportation service instead of sale to individual users. It's built to use self-flying software, and uses 12 lift fans for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) like a helicopter, so there's no need for a runway.
Kitty Hawk's Flyer isn't the flying car you were promised
That flying car startup Google's Larry Page is backing? It's finally showing its hand... and the company's initial product is both more and less than what you might expect. Kitty Hawk's first publicly demonstrated vehicle, the Flyer, isn't so much the flying car of sci-fi fame as a recreational vehicle. The one-seat, propeller-driven vehicle is meant for a short flight across lake when you're at the cottage, not commuting to work -- that Jetsons-like future isn't here yet. You won't have to wait long to get it, though. Kitty Hawk expects to start selling the Flyer by the end of 2017. This will be a practical reality within months, in other words. You can already put down $100 to sign up for a $2,000 discount on the finished machine.
Google's Larry Page is secretly developing a flying car
Remember all of those dystopian futures where our skies are filled with grimy flying cars spewing smog across the land? The co-founder of Google is hoping to make that future a reality, at least according to Bloomberg. It's published a report claiming that Larry Page has been secretly bankrolling Zee.Aero and Kitty Hawk, two California startups working on developing a serious flying car. While the former is based on the edges of Google's Mountain View campus, Page's involvement has been considered a secret, until now.
T-Mobile's upcoming HSPA+ WWAN offerings get leaked, comical codenames revealed
It's been a hot minute since the folks at T-Mobile have introduced a new USB WWAN modem, but if the document above is to be believed, that could be changing in short order. As the Jet ages, it looks like a few others -- codenamed Kitty Hawk, Washington and Wayne -- could be swooping in to take things from here. The former is rumored to hit shelves in March, offering HSPA+ speeds of 21Mbps and the ability to solve most of the world's problems. As for Washington? That'll be T-Mob's first USB modem to offer HSPA+ speeds approaching 42Mbps, and if all goes well, this guy will also splash down next month. Moving on, there's a pair of Waynes that'll serve as the carrier's first mobile hotspots, enabling five WiFi-enabled devices to mooch off of a 21Mbps (Lil' Wayne) or 42Mbps (Big Wayne) connection. Here's hoping T-Mobile does the smart thing and sticks with the codenames -- the marketing exec in us just knows it's the right thing to do.
