Jetpack
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Up, up and down: The ephemerality and reality of the jetpack
Welcome to Time Machines, where we offer up a selection of mechanical oddities, milestone gadgets and unique inventions to test out your tech-history skills. Born out of sci-fi cinema, pulp literature and a general lust for launching ourselves into the wild blue yonder, the real-world Rocket Belt began to truly unfold once the military industrial complex opened up its wallet. In the late 1950s, the US Army's Transportation Research Command (TRECOM) was looking at ways to augment the mobility of foot soldiers and enable them to bypass minefields and other obstacles on the battleground by making long-range jumps. It put out a call to various aerospace companies looking for prototypes of a Small Rocket Lift Device (SRLD). Bell Aerospace, which had built the sound-barrier-breaking X-1 aircraft for the Army Air Forces, managed to get the contract and Wendell Moore, a propulsion engineer at Bell became the technical lead.
WordPress app update adds new Native Reader and improved account management
Wordpress has updated its iOS app to version 3.7 to provide readers with an improved browsing experience. The app's new Reader is designed to enhance the user experience by being rebuilt from the ground up with 100 percent native code, an improvement from the original Reader's blend of JavaScript and native code. Account management has also been improved, although it may take some users a while to notice as the improvements are entirely under-the-hood. Visually, the app looks the same, but WordPress owners Automattic have improved how the app connects to the various services used to manage WP sites. The iOS app now does a better job of connecting to Jetpack, the online Reader and notification features. In addition to these improvements and the usual bug fixes, version 3.7 changes how the View Admin feature works, at it now opens a page in Safari instead of inside the app. Finally, the update is rounded out with the addition of Thai language support. WordPress is already working on the iOS 7 version of the app, and has launched a new blog for fans to follow the progress of their mobile development. You can find version 3.7 of the WordPress app now in the iTunes store.
Future finally arrives as Martin Jetpack approved for manned test-flights
Every morning, we wake up knowing that the writers of the '60s, who promised us pill-sized meals and flying cars by the year 2000, had lied to us. But now, a New Zealand-based avionics company has been granted permission to start manned test-flights on the ultimate piece of retro-futurism: the jetpack. The Martin Jetpack, which successfully carried a dummy 5,000 feet above sea level in 2011, has been given a test license by New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority -- and inventor Glenn Martin is hopeful that a military version of the device will be ready next year. After that, the ambitious engineer plans to release a general-purpose edition in 2015 and although the price has skyrocketed from $86,000 to around the $200,000 mark, we'd probably pay double that amount just to re-enact that moment from Thunderball.
Verizon's ZTE-built Jetpack 890L 4G hotspot ships May 24th, promises globetrotting for $20
Verizon has just finished trotting out the last of its known 2012 Jetpack hotspots through the arrival of the ZTE-made model we saw back at CES in January. Now carrying a bit more Verizon red on the surface and a bit less Chinese in the name, the Jetpack 890L can share its 4G LTE sugar with as many as 10 WiFi devices at once. There's no removable battery like its Novatel-made Jetpack cousin, but you do get Global Ready (read: HSPA) roaming abroad. We're most liking the price. At $20 on a contract after a $50 mail-in rebate, the 890L will be the most frugal way to board the LTE hotspot train once it reaches stores on May 24th.
Jetman soars over Rio, flies circles around historical landmarks (video)
Why would you want to leap out of a perfectly good aircraft? To fly a winged jetpack over the city of Rio de Janeiro, of course. It sounds nuts, but it's just a day in the life for Yves Rossy, the self proclaimed "Jetman" who flew over the Grand Canyon last year. Since soaring over the Rio Grande, Rossy has pitted his carbon-fiber wings against a rally car on Top Gear, taken to the skies over Abu Dhabi and, most recently, buzzed Brazil's famous Christ the Redeemer statue. Jetman rocketed past the monument on an 11 minute flight earlier this week, beginning his journey by dropping out of a helicopter over Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. Rossy pulled his Rocketeer trick and eventually parachuted to safety on Copacabana beach. Sound fun? Head past the break to see the man in action. Us? We'll keep our feet planted on terra firma, thanks.
Verizon gets new prepaid plans, adds Jetpack hotspot to contract-free lineup
And just like that Verizon has revamped its prepaid pricing structure. Starting tomorrow, May 1st, the carrier will be offering unlimited talk and text packaged with 1GB of data for $80 a month. The new offering will be available first with the Samsung Illusion, a disappointingly 3G handset, though, one that wont demand a two year commitment to Big Red. Verizon is also adding the Jetpack MiFi 4510L LTE mobile hotspot to its contract-free offerings for $130. Prepaid plans for the 4G wireless hotspot start at $15 for 250 MB a week, but quickly climb to $60 and $90 for 3GB and 10GB, respectively. For more info check out the PR after the break.
Verizon confirms Jetpack MiFi 4620L will be available April 12th for $50 on-contract
It's taken considerably longer to roll out than the few weeks that were promised back at CES in January, but Verizon has now confirmed that the Novatel-built, LTE-capable Jetpack MiFi 4620L will be available on April 12th for $49.99. That's on the usual two-year contract, of course, and after a $50 mail-in rebate. In addition to supporting up to ten WiFi connection, it also notably has a removable battery that can be swapped out for a higher capacity 3000mAh unit (double the capacity of the included the one). Look for it at Verizon stores and Verizon's website initially, with a roll out to Best Buy locations following shortly thereafter.Update: We've received word that the Jetpack has begun arriving at reseller locations, and if you ask nicely you might just be able to take one home early.
Verizon's ZTE Jetpack flies through FCC, arrival time still unknown
Do you wish you had your own personal Jetpack? Well, you may not have to wait much longer for ZTE's version -- the EuFi I890, announced at CES last month -- to come out, if its entry into the records of the FCC are any indication. It may not be the kind that you strap onto your back, but at least this one takes advantage of Verizon's LTE, and it happens to add in CDMA / EVDO and AT&T-compatible 3G radios. We knew the 4G-packing MiFi was going to hit stores in "the coming weeks," so this is essentially just one step closer to achieving that goal -- unfortunately, we still don't have a solid date yet. Hit the source link if you're into digging through government documents.
Verizon's ZTE Jetpack hands-on
Verizon launched two new mobile hotspots at CES, both called Jetpack. We found the ZTE entry -- the Verizon device has all the branding -- and gave it a quick once over. The device itself is quite big for a mobile hotspot, measuring 88mm x 88mm x 18mm, though finish and materials are slick. The menu system is easy to use, buttons responsive, and as seen in the pic above lets you get at settings, SMS messages, and a quick heads up as to how many of the 10 supported clients are currently connected. Power on and off is controlled by a sliding switch, rather than an on off button, which we think is a great idea. Have a gander at the gallery for some more shots.
Verizon introduces two Jetpack 'global ready' 4G LTE mobile hotspots
Verizon Wireless is releasing a pair of worldwide mobile hotspots from ZTE and Novatel Wireless, both called the Jetpack. Not confusing at all, eh? At any rate, the Novatel-sourced MiFi 4620L is the larger of the two (3.76- x 2.36- x 0.53-inches; shown after the break), supporting quad-band EDGE and HSPA technology. It's capable of sharing 4G LTE and 3G with up to ten WiFi-enabled devices, and it also touts an OLED display that allows customers to scroll through menu options, check security settings, view battery life and manage connected devices at any given time. Customers in the US can expect download rates between 5Mbps and 12Mbps when located in an LTE zone, and the "global" aspect allows 'em to enjoy wireless data service in more than 205 countries, including more than 125 with 3G speeds (for a princely sum, naturally). Over on the ZTE side, the cube-styled EuFi890 (3.49- x 3.49- x 0.70-inches; pictured after the break) also offers an OLED display, and there's an interactive keypad to help manage connections and settings and to display data usage alerts. Regrettably, we've no pricing details to share, but the new LTE duo should hit VZW stores "in the coming weeks."
Martin says its jetpack is 'practical,' offers crappy computer animation as evidence
Ever wonder what a jetpack is good for, besides fulfilling dreams and fighting Nazis? Well, Martin wants you to know there are, in fact, practical applications for its $86,000 personal propulsion system. According to the aviation company everyone from emergency responders to search and rescue teams to military personnel could find a place for the dual-engine craft in their arsenal of tools. Sure, we could see how their ability to get in and out where the size of a helicopter or plane might be prohibitive would prove handy, but their high cost and limited carrying capacity make them a tough sell. That doesn't mean we don't enjoy seeing the (poorly) rendered vision of our future filled with jetpacks in the video after the break. Come to think of it, we could see this coming in handy for our CES coverage... excuse us, we need to make some phone calls.
Deep Black Online coming to PC this summer
It's not every day that we get to tell you about a new MMOTPS (that's third-person shooter, if you're wondering), so without further delay: Hey guys, check out this new MMOTPS! It's called Deep Black, though we're wondering why it's not called Deep Blue since much of the action apparently takes place underwater and in the air via various forms of jetpack. Don't worry, land-lubbers, there's plenty of action on terra firma as well. The title is being developed by Biart Studio, a Russian outfit headquartered in the Moscow equivalent of Silicon Valley, and the game will feature "fully customizable [character] appearance, more than 30 types of sci-fi weapons, and three game modes at launch," according to a Biart press release. The game is a F2P instanced shooter featuring eight to 24 players, and it's coming to a PC near you in the near future. You can check out our sister site's Deep Black reveal from last summer, and you'll also want to head to the game's official website to learn more.
Global Agenda celebrates F2P success with jetpack use in Dome City
After a substantial wait and numerous requests from the community, Hi-Rez Studios has finally granted one of the most-wanted wishes of Global Agenda players: the ability to use their jetpacks in Dome City. The addition, the studio says, comes as a token of celebration for the recent success of Global Agenda's switch to a free-to-play model as well as a nod of appreciation for the players who have helped support the game with the purchase of booster packs (which grant double XP, credits, tokens, additional loot drops, and a daily allowance of 2000 tokens). What does this mean for the players who purchase the booster packs required to unlock jetpack use within the city? Well, honestly not much except for slightly more expeditious travel around Dome City, which operates as the game's social hub between bouts of players ruthlessly murdering one another. Hi-Rez Studios COO Todd Harris does note, however, that now that aerial travel is possible in Dome City, the studio plans to release "some penthouse level content in future updates." The upcoming patch 1.43 goes live tomorrow and also includes some general bug fixes and improvements. Full details on the new feature and complete patch notes for 1.43 can be found on the official site.
Martin Jetpack hits the 5,000 feet milestone, could come to market within 18 months (video)
OK, so the Martin Jetpack may not have gone into commercial production quite as soon as we'd anticipated, but there's still hope on the horizon. Over the weekend, Glenn Martin's flying machine successfully climbed some 5,000 feet above sea level, marking a new milestone in the 30-year, $12 million project. Remotely controlled by a tailing helicopter, the 250-pound craft used its two "superfans" to power itself skyward at about 800 feet per second minute, before safely parachuting back to Earth from a height of about 3,000 feet. As with its last test run, however, the Martin Jetpack was equipped not with a human being, but with a crash dummy. It may have been for the best, though, considering that the machine sustained some damage upon concluding the ten-minute flight. Nevertheless, Martin seems confident that yesterday's test "brings the future another step closer," and is hoping to deliver his brainchild to customers within the next 18 months -- plenty of time for us to hawk enough family heirlooms to afford that $86,000 price tag. Soar past the break for a video of the jetpack's big launch, or check out the source link for a more extensive interview with Martin and some background footage of his invention. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Swiss rocketeer jetpacks above Grand Canyon, lives to tell the tale (video)
There's "crazy" and then there's "craaazy." Crazy is going swimming five minutes after eating, or wearing white after Labor Day. Craaazy, on the other hand, is Yves "Jetman" Rossy -- a Swiss flight fanatic who jetpacked across the Grand Canyon at 190-mph yesterday morning. Rossy's suicide mission began inside a helicopter hovering some 8,000 feet above the canyon's floor. After hurling himself out of the chopper, Jetman ignited his four-motor jetpack and, using his body as a rudder, gently steered himself across the abyss. The daredevil proceeded to coast for a full eight minutes at just 200 feet above the canyon ridge before he presumably realized that he was flying above the Grand Canyon and decided to parachute down to the bottom. Rossy completed the flight with his physical health fully intact, though his mental condition remains up for debate. Blast past the break for a video that'll throw your acrophobia into overdrive.
Martin Jetpack flies again, sees IPO on horizon but no commercial sales yet (video)
We were all aflutter this time last year when it was announced that the Martin Jetpack was finally available commercially and would be heading out to eager buyers in exchange for $86,000. Regrettably, the time since then hasn't been filled with bunches of happy new owners levitating on the power of their dual-fan-equipped Jetpack and even less encouragement can be found on the product's website, which still says that sales to private individuals will begin only once "development and refinement" of the vehicle is complete. To that end, we've got video of the Jetpack's latest test, which shows it elevating as high as it's ever done, but even that's tinged by the fact it's carrying a testing dummy and is remotely controlled by a grounded human below. Ah well, at least the company itself seems to be in good shape still and is looking forward to floating about 30 percent of its value on the local stock market in order to gain extra funding. We get the feeling if they could just start selling the darn things, cashflow shouldn't be a problem. Video after the break. [Thanks, Sean]
Water-propelled jetpack is no dream, can be yours for $99,500 this March (video)
It's taken a long time since that 2005 patent was filed for, but Raymond Li is now finally ready to bring his water-propelled jetpack to the money-spending world. Nailing down a March 2011 launch date and a price of $99,500 hasn't been easy for the inventor, who says his efforts to procure capital and prototyping quotations were mostly met with incredulity -- "almost everyone thought I was crazy." His JetLev personal transporter relies on an engine and fuel tank (which remain on the water's surface) to pump H20 into a backpack that then shoots out streams of the drinkable stuff to keep your airborne. Top speed is 22MPH, max height is nearly 33 feet, and the fun factor is somewhere off the scale, whether you're talking metric or imperial. Levitate past the break for a video demonstration. [Thanks, Suraj]
Updated: On the tenth day of giveaways, NCsoft gave to me...
[UPDATE: All winners have been selected and contacted. Congratulations!] On the tenth day of giveaways, NCsoft gave to me... ten game expansions! On the ninth day of giveaways, Funcom gave to me... nine ladies lamenting! On the eighth day of giveaways, SOE gave to me... eight Station Cash cards! On the seventh day of giveaways, Kingsisle gave to me... seven Epic Cards! On the sixth day of giveaways, Nexon gave to me... six Vindictus packs! On the fifth day of giveaways, Mythic gave to me... five upgrade codes! On the fourth day of giveaways, ChangYou gave to me... four welcome gifts! On the third day of giveaways, Icarus gave to me... three months of gameplay! On the second day of giveaways, Hi-Rez gave to me... two gift packages! On the first day of giveaways, Turbine gave to me... a lifetime VIP! If you're a fan of NCsoft MMOs, you know that they feature some great holiday events. The developer teams for all of the games throw out decorations, quests, special events, and gifts galore. There's more, though! The Aion team added double crafting XP to the holiday events, Lady Winter is running around City of Heroes bent on mischief, Wintersday has arrived to Guild Wars with some new events, and we've got some awesome gifts from all three games under the 12 Days of Giveaways tree! NCsoft gave us 10 Aion gift packages, each containing a copy of Aion's Assault on Balaurea and a code for a variety of bonus pets. We also received 10 City of Heroes gift packages! Each CoH pack contains the Going Rogue Complete Collection and a 30-day jet pack code. On the Guild Wars front we have a little something extra: fifteen Balthazar and Melandru costume codes! We've got five Melandru costumes, five Balthazar costumes, and five complete sets! Ten Aion fans, 10 CoH fans, and 15 Guild Wars fans are about to have a very good day! All you need to do to enter is tell us which game is your favorite and what hooked you. Enter by Thursday at 6:00 p.m. EST, check our contest rules, and good luck!
Yves Rossy's jetpack loops a hot air balloon, looks great doing it (video)
Looks like Swiss daredevil Yves Rossy is back to the, well, daredeviltry. On November 5, 2010, the self-described Jetman lept off a platform attached to the side of the Esprit Breitling Orbiter hot air balloon and, after reaching an altitude of 2,400 meters (7,874 feet), came back to loop around the thing twice. He was aided in his endeavor by a new, smaller wing (two meters across) with four jets, and executed the maneuvers using only his body movements to steer. Afterward, he deployed his parachute and landed in Denezy, in the Swiss canton of Vaud. We might also add that we tried to get one of these devices for an Engadget Show giveaway, but our lawyers seem to think it's a terrible idea. Video after the break.
Fight another universe via jetpack, courtesy Massively and NCsoft!
What's better than fighting for truth, justice, and the American way? Jetpacks, obviously! And with Praetoria looming on the horizon of City of Heroes, now's the best time to strap a rocket to your back! Our universe needs more rocketeering men and women to defend us from the evil, yet-really-not-evil-more-like-misunderstood universe! If putting a giant flame that close to your rear sounds like a good idea to you, then skip along after the break where, thanks to NCsoft, we're giving away 20 City of Heroes 30-day temporary jetpack powers!
