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Virgin Galactic’s VSS Imagine is its shiny, next-gen spaceship
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShip III will start ground tests later this year. It’s an eye-catching vessel, finished with a mirror-like material that’s meant to reflect its surroundings. The coating also offers thermal protection.
Virgin Hyperloop outlines how it thinks journeys will actually work in 2030
A constant vacuum, rapid switching, Virgin-style capsules. Will it work?
Virgin Galactic is going public to fund its expensive tourist spaceflights
Space tourism company Virgin Galactic has announced that it will go public via a merger with an investment firm. Its new partner, Social Capital Hedosophia (SCH), will invest $800 million in exchange for a 49 percent stake and take Virgin Galactic public later in 2019 -- a first for a spaceflight company.
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo reaches space for the first time
Virgin Galactic has come a long way since its tragic 2014 crash. The company's SpaceShipTwo has reached space after months of testing, flying to an altitude of 271,268 feet before returning to Earth. The stay was brief (SST fired its rocket for all of a minute), but it was enough to both verify the spacecraft as well as conduct four NASA-backed scientific experiments that studied the effects of microgravity and devices that could handle life support and counteract vibration.
Virgin Orbit's rocket completes its first 'captive carry' flight test
Virgin Orbit just edged closer to its goal of launching rockets in mid-air. The company has completed the first "captive carry" test for its LauncherOne rocket, hauling the 70-foot machine under the wing of Cosmic Girl (its Boeing 747 launch aircraft/Jamiroquai reference) as it flew over southern California. The flight wasn't dramatic, but it provided vital data on how well the two vehicles will behave together when the rocket is ready to fire in earnest.
Virgin Hyperloop One recruits former MTA chief as CEO
Virgin Hyperloop One's mission to redefine transport is, once again, going to be led by new people as the company announces a new chairman and CEO. Replacing Sir Richard Branson as head of the board is his Excellency Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the head of DP World. The outgoing CEO Rob Lloyd, meanwhile, is being succeeded by transportation veteran Jay Walder (pictured), former head of the MTA.
Virgin to use eco-friendly jet fuel on commercial flight this October
Virgin Atlantic is about conduct a real-world test of its greener jet fuel. The airline plans to use LanzaTech's sustainable fuel for the first time in a commercial flight this October, with a Boeing 747 relying on the low-carbon liquid for a trip from Orlando to London's Gatwick airport. The journey will both "raise awareness" for the more environmentally friendly technology and show that it's viable for more than just experimental flights.
New rules are killing deceptive broadband ads in the UK
Nearly every telecom in the UK has reduced advertised broadband speeds thanks to new rules, according to consumer watchdog Which?. Until recently, telecoms were allowed to brag about peak speeds that were available to only one in ten users. Last year, however, the Advertising Standards Association (ASA) ordered them to show average speeds available to half of all customers at peak hours. As a result, the cheapest packages now show speeds of 10 or 11 Mbps, rather than "up to 17 Mbps" -- a 41 percent drop.
Businesses tap Google's RCS for more useful text messages
Google has supported Rich Communication Services (RCS) for a while now, hoping to bring features like group chat, high-res photo sharing and read receipts to all Android users. The company made a big push to expand RCS support on Android last year, and carriers have been slowly adopting the standard and preloading Android Messages to the standard app load out. Now, Google says that it's convinced 43 carriers and device makers to add native support for the messaging protocol.
Virgin Media is giving all of its TV customers a V6 box
Virgin Media's next-generation V6 box is now over a year old. Since its launch, the company has managed to install more than a million of the 4K-ready set-top boxes in UK homes -- roughly a quarter of its total customer base. However, with a number of older, less-capable boxes still in use, Virgin Media has come up with a way to drag the remaining three-quarters of subscribers into the present: give away the Virgin V6 box for free.
Virgin Hyperloop One might build networks in India
Virgin Hyperloop One is eyeing the possibility of building networks of high-speed tube transportation in India. The company, which recently rebranded to include "Virgin" in its name after Richard Branson's investment, has started conducting studies with three Indian states to determine potential routes. Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are looking to offer hyperloops as part of their public transit system in the future to give people a way to travel from their homes to India's economic centers in a few minutes instead of a few hours.
Virgin Orbit’s new company will focus on government space launches
Three space-related companies apparently aren't enough for Richard Branson. Today, TechCrunch reported that Virgin Orbit, which was spun out from Virgin Galactic, has created a subsidiary called Vox Space. It's intended to focus exclusively on government contracts. Branson's other space companies are Virgin Galactic, which centers on space tourism, Virgin Orbit for cargo flights and The Spaceship Company, which aims to do precisely what its name suggests.
Richard Branson and Virgin join forces with Hyperloop One
Today, the Virgin Group has announced that it has invested in Hyperloop One, the startup that recently demonstrated a working prototype of the travel system. As well as cash, and the involvement of Sir Richard Branson, the company will re-brand as Virgin Hyperloop One in the near future. In a statement, Branson described the technology as the "world's most revolutionary train service."
Virgin V6: how to get the most out of your set-top box
Researched and written by Nicholas Fearn In the home TV entertainment market, Sky and Virgin have been competing with each other for years. Then came the rise of streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, and suddenly everything changed. To stay ahead of the curve, Sky launched the Q set-top box, which offers on-demand shows and a multi-room viewing experience. For while, it was the only next-generation box available and easily beat the traditional TiVo box offered by Virgin Media. However, Virgin Media is now taking the fight to its biggest rival with the V6. The V6 is Virgin Media's smallest, smartest and fastest TV box yet. It's half the size of the company's previous TiVo box, it comes with 10 times more power, 4K support, HDR output, an intelligent multi-room system and other cool features. Whether you already own one or are looking to upgrade, here's how you can get the most out of the V6 box. Virgin TV Anywhere app The Virgin TV Anywhere app, which is available for Android and iOS devices, brings some cool features to the V6. For instance, you can watch live TV shows and on-demand boxsets anywhere in your home. You just have to have to ensure your box is connected to a WiFi connection. As is the case with the Sky Q, you can also watch selected recordings around your home and offline. What's also neat is that you can set, cancel and delete recordings using the app, which is useful when you're out and about. While the V6 does come with a remote, you have the ability to control the box with the app too. It adopts a gesture-controlled system, so you can go through shows and menus seamlessly. To enable this, you need to make sure the box's standby settings are set as Connected Low Power or Always On. Record six shows simultaneously It can be pretty annoying when you want to record several programmes, but they end up clashing. You can avoid this situation, to a point, with the V6 as the box is capable of recording six shows simultaneously. What's more, you can do this while watching a seventh recording, or you can stream a show through a service like Netflix or Amazon Prime. You don't have to worry about memory, either. The 1TB box supports 500 hours of SD recordings and 100 hours of HD recordings. A smarter remote Like Sky Q, the V6 comes with a beefed-up remote. It uses RF technology, so you don't have to constantly point it at the box in order for it to work. That means you can hide the box away in a cupboard, as opposed to having it on show. It's pretty easy to end up losing technology, so you'll be happy to know that the box comes with a 'find my remote' feature. All you have to do is press a special button on the box, and the remote will start beeping. Movie store and children's channel Sky has always been known for its large variety of shows, movies and rentals it offers, but Virgin is slowly catching up. With the V6, you can get direct access to the new Virgin Media Store. Here, you can purchase popular TV shows and movies. If you do end up downloading one, you'll be sent a copy of the DVD in the post as well. That's something Sky has offered for a while now, so it's great to see Virgin doing the same thing. There's also a kids' channel too, which blocks out adult-focused ads and shows. Ultra HD ready Unlike previous Virgin TV boxes, the V6 supports 4K television. That means you can watch and stream shows in Ultra HD. As well as Virgin content, the Netflix and YouTube apps also offer 4K support. To ensure that you get the best picture, all V6 boxes sport HDR. Multi-room Multi-room support means you can start watching a programme in one room, and continue it in another. That's pretty useful if you end up leaving your living room to, say, make a cup of coffee and happen to have a TV in your kitchen. Recordings can also be resumed on a mobile device through the Virgin TV Anywhere app. Intelligent search Looking for a specific TV show or movie can be a pain, but this is something you can avoid with the V6's smart search feature. You can access it by clicking a dedicated button on the remote. Then you'll be able to search for content across all of Virgin's apps. SeriesLink+ is another useful feature available on the V6. It lets you look for TV shows across a variety of apps and see which episodes are available to download. You can also find out shows you've already recorded or downloaded, helping you avoid duplicate content.
Facebook and Instagram go down for Virgin Media customers
If you're a Virgin Media customer and you're experiencing issues trying to access Facebook or Instagram, you are not alone. The broadband provider has admitted that customers have been unable to access Facebook services, including Facebook.com and Messenger. A fix is on its way, but the company warns that some customers could frozen out of their favourite social networks until later this evening.
Virgin Media now offers up to 100 Mbps broadband as standard
Virgin Media's slowest fibre broadband package is now faster than the top speeds offered by other mainstream UK providers. In its first tariff reshuffle in some time, Virgin is scrapping its up to 50 Mbps plan, making the up to 100 Mbps package the new entry-level tier. What's more, there's now a VIVID 300 plan promising top speeds of 300 Mbps, which eclipses the best competitors like BT, Sky and TalkTalk can offer (up to 76 Mbps max). Virgin first made up to 300 Mbps fibre available this time last year, but only as a special upgrade aimed at home workers. Today it becomes a more visible option for regular consumers.
Virgin Media readies itself for the future with the V6 box
After months of teasing, Virgin Media has finally lifted the lid on what it believes will help it move "from cable TV to connected entertainment." At the heart of its new proposition is the Virgin V6, the 4K set-top box we were first introduced to in August, which the company says is specifically "built for apps." It supports a "full deployment" of BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Netflix, Hayu and Vevo, but is also capable of recording six channels at once to its 1TB hard drive (two more than the Sky Q), which can store up to 500 hours of standard-def recordings, or 100 hours of HD content.
Virgin Atlantic turned industrial waste into greener jet fuel
Illinois-based LanzaTech and Virgin Atlantic have been working on an alternative fuel source for Sir Richard Branson's flagship airline since 2011. This week, the two companies announced a breakthrough that could drastically reduce the airline industry's carbon emissions. LanzaTech has produced 1,500 US gallons of jet fuel derived from the industrial gases given off by steel mills.
Virgin Media has a broadband plan just for gamers
When most people shop for a new broadband package, they're focused on download speeds. What can I expect when everyone in my home is trying to stream Netflix? Or downloading a game like Inside to their PlayStation 4? But, now more than ever before, customers are interested in upload speeds too. It can affect your performance in a game like Overwatch, as well as Twitch-style streaming and video uploads to sites like YouTube. Virgin Media is catering for this group with "VIVID 200 Gamer," an optional upgrade for its VIVID 200 tariff. If you're willing to spend an extra £5 per month, you'll have your upload speeds increased from 12 to 20Mbps. While Virgin Media is targeting "gamers" (some cringeworthy advertising is no doubt in the pipeline), the plan could appeal to anyone that deals with large files and demanding services. Professional filmers who regularly upload footage, for instance. Or wedding photographers that need to quickly upload large image libraries. Of course, video games are a popular past-time, so it's easy for Virgin Media to market the new tariff this way. Anyone that's played a fast-paced shooter in the last few years, like Titanfall or Battlefield 4, will understand the frustration when it's your internet connection, rather than your thumbs, that result in a loss.
Virgin Galactic gets its spaceship license
Virgin Galactic is one step closer to making us all space tourists: it just received its operator license from the US Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA-AST). To get the paperwork, which allows Virgin Galactic to use its ship for commercial operations. THE FAA looked into the vehicle's system design, safety features and flight trajectory analysis. Virgin Galactic's Senior VP of Operations Mike Moses said: "The granting of our operator license is an important milestone for Virgin Galactic, as is our first taxi test for our new spaceship. While we still have much work ahead to fully test this spaceship in flight, I am confident that our world-class team is up to the challenge."
