airfield

Latest

  • Google now runs an airfield after signing a 60-year NASA lease

    by 
    Jon Fingas
    Jon Fingas
    11.10.2014

    It's official: following months of negotiations, Google now has an airfield to call its own. The company's Planetary Ventures wing has signed a lease with NASA that lets it manage Moffett Federal Airfield, including three hangars, two runways and even a golf course. The 60-year (!) deal will have the internet giant shell out $6.3 million per year in upkeep, and a total of $1.16 billion in rent. Don't worry that Google will run roughshod over Moffett's historical significance. The agreement also has the company pledging $200 million to both restore the hangars and create a previously promised educational building that illustrates the airfield's role in Silicon Valley's past. Google hasn't said exactly what it plans to do with the new turf, but the odds are that it'll be used for much more than executives' private jets. Don't be shocked if you see some internet balloons floating over Mountain View in the years ahead. [Image credit: Erik Charlton, Flickr]

  • World of Tanks' 7.4 patch brings new game modes, maps

    by 
    Jef Reahard
    Jef Reahard
    06.20.2012

    Wargaming.net is all over the place lately. When they're not dominating E3 booth space or installing gaming centers on real-world battleships, the devs find time to update their action shooters. World of Tanks' 7.4 patch brings two new game modes, new maps, and new premium tanks to the table. The new modes are called encounter battle and assault. Each is designed to emphasize strategic gameplay. Two opposing teams fight over a single base in the former, while one team defends a base against an assault team in the latter. The new maps are offering differing gameplay experiences due to their terrain and object placement. Widepark is a "dense labyrinth of streets in a half-ruined European-style town," while Airfield takes place in the hilly terrain of North Africa. Full details on the patch are yours for the reading at the official World of Tanks website, and don't forget the new trailer after the break. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]