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ICYMI: Hypersonic plane, social connections app and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-184810{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-184810, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-184810{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-184810").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Today on In Case You Missed It: Germany is trying to revive a decades-old plan for a hypersonic commuting plane which would deliver people from Frankfurt to Australia in 90 minutes. A video for a social connection app called Knock Knock stars a couple celebs who will likely never ask to be connected to little ol' me at a party. And a custom drone builder is calling it what it is with a giant eyeball drone. Just to clear up any confusion.
ICYMI: 3D-printed meds, old-man exoskeleton and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-397166{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-397166, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-397166{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-397166").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: An exoskeleton to mimic the effects of aging is teaching empathy and also, helping engineers develop technology to help older people. 3D-printed medication is officially happening, now that the U.S. FDA has given its approval to a drug manufacturer. And the world's biggest plane is being built which is intended to launch satellites into orbit.
Why easyJet is banking on VR, drones and 3D printing
When you book a flight with a company like easyJet, it's usually for one of two reasons: you want the cheapest tickets possible, or it's the only airline operator flying to your destination. Nobody chooses easyJet for their in-flight entertainment, or the drinks and nibbles that are available while you're thousands of feet up in the air. But for the most part, that's okay. We're all looking for a deal, and provided the flight is on time and the seats aren't too uncomfortable, most of us are happy to forgo these luxuries in order to save some cash. easyJet knows its business model well, and that's why it's exploring new technologies that can help with its day-to-day operations. These are projects that could make its commercial flights cheaper, more reliable and ultimately less stressful for customers. Some are designed for the public and clearly visible, but others are being developed behind closed doors to improve training, manufacturing and repairs. To explain some of its more experimental ideas, easyJet crammed them all into an aircraft hangar in Milan.
Terrafugia's flying car project is still a couple of years away
Terrafugia's car/plane hybrid has been "coming soon" for nearly a decade and it will stay that way a bit longer. The Transition vehicle has come a long way since those early renders, and in a talk today Terrafugia COO / VP of Engineering Kevin Colburn explained some of the design decisions involved and what else need to happen before pilots/drivers can climb in. The estimated price seems to have climbed a bit from the $279,000 projection, as he said the company is targeting between $300k and $400k. At that price it's not going to replace your (or anyone's) daily driver, but that's not the point. Terrafugia believes that being able to drive the plane from the airport to one's destination is enough to give it an advantage over other small planes or forms of travel.
AeroMobil flying car set to take off in 2017, autonomous version to follow
AeroMobil has been around for five years, pursuing the dream of building a functional and (somewhat) practical flying car. Its third-gen prototype was revealed last October, and today at SXSW, AeroMobil CEO Juraj Vaculik revealed a bit more about the company's past and future and the challenges that remain to go from prototypes to fully fledged consumer vehicles - which the company plans to accomplish in 2017.
Watch this solar-powered plane attempt to fly around the world
While you're just about to head to bed, over in Abu Dhabi the Solar Impulse team will attempt to fly around the world, powered by solar energy alone. While the plane takes off today in March, it won't likely return until late July, early August. The route will take in the sights of India, China, NYC and er, Phoenix, with final stops in Southern Europe and Africa before coming to land, finally. Watch the livestream take-off right after the break.
Taiwan plane crash gets captured (very closely) on in-car dashcam
As the TransAsia Airways plane clipped a bridge and crashed into a river in Taipei, it was all caught on a car dashcam, dangerously close. The tragic accident saw the plane glancingly hit a bridge shortly after takeoff, as seen in the video, with the plane and its 58 passengers crashing into a shallow river below. It's the second of TransAsia's ATR 72 planes to crash in the last year. We've added the video below.
War Thunder invites you to fight historical battles
War Thunder's WW2 Chronicles event series is now in its fourth week, according to a news blurb on the game's official website. Chronicles "invites players to participate in events that will involve all modes of difficulty," Gaijin explains. "Historical lineups, new scenarios, and a description of each event will enable you to fully explore the possibility of a virtual reconstruction of a real battle in the sky and on the ground in War Thunder." Today's event takes place in Eastern Europe, with the Mediterranean and Pacific theaters scheduled to see some action later this week. Don't forget to watch the associated video after the break.
War Thunder's Steel Generals expansion beta is live
War Thunder, Gaijin Entertainment's WWII-flavored MMO, updated with its Steel Generals patch this week, just ahead of the holidays. It includes new vehicles, tow cable mechanics, retooled artillery strikes, and new damage modeling. Gamers can also jump into three new maps: White Stone Fortress for air and ground battles, an Eastern Europe map with "varied open ground and urban terrain features," and the massive air-combat Battle for Moscow, which reconstructs the city during the Winter Campaign of 1941-1942. The Steel Generals content, however, "steals" the show: The biggest addition to War Thunder with this update is the beta of the Steel Generals expansion, which includes the first six American tanks available now. By the end of Q1 2015, more than 30 US WWII tanks will be available. This release schedule allows Gaijin Entertainment to test each of the tanks to ensure that they are ready for battle when commercially launched. In honor of the update launch, special packages are available for purchase that contain premium US tanks and other bonuses alongside closed beta access. Players can participate in the Steel Generals beta by entering into contests and in-game events in War Thunder. Check out the new screenshots and walkthrough video below.
World of Tanks' replay files vulnerable to code injection
Are you a World of Tanks player who watches match replays from Wargaming's free-to-play arena battler? You'd best be careful, as the company has publicized a vulnerability that allows third parties to "inject malicious code into replay files." The problem will be addressed in WoT's 9.5 update as well as the 1.7 patch for World of Warplanes. In the meantime, Wargaming says that "the code is executed automatically when opening the compromised replays via the game client. Your system may be at risk if you download potentially modified replays from the internet."
World of Warplanes teaches you how to do a canopy roll
When Peppy Hare's advice to do barrel rolls fails to get you out of tricky situations in the sky, then you need to turn to the real aviation experts. The devs over at World of Warplanes say that in the event of an enemy dogging your tail, the most effective move is actually a canopy roll. In a new video -- which we coincidentally have for you after the break -- you can get a quick lesson on how to perform the three varieties of canopy rolls and which fighter craft are best suited for such maneuvers.
The Daily Grind: Do you use Steam for your MMOs?
I've been feeling the urge to play World of Warplanes lately, and it surprised me to learn that Wargaming's F2P actioner isn't on Steam. Not only that, but neither is the firm's outrageously successful World of Tanks. I guess it makes sense, though, since WG has made a mint without Steam and there would seem to be little point in renting a storefront from Valve. Still, Steam has become my defacto PC game cataloging app, and it kind of rankles when a title I want to play isn't supported. What about you, Massively readers? Do you do all your MMO gaming or PC gaming in general via Steam? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
World of Warplanes celebrates a birthday
One year ago this week, Wargaming launched World of Warplanes. Now, the company is celebrating the game's first anniversary by giving you a free premium plane, special anniversary missions, and discounted premium bundles that include all manner of digital goodies.
War Thunder prepares to roll out Steel Generals
Do you enjoy being able to roll around on the ground in War Thunder while taking out anything on the business end of your tank's main guns? Good! The game's next update is giving you new ways to do just that. War Thunder: Steel Generals is due out by the end of the year and is aimed at spicing up the ground game with the addition of US military hardware to the game's lineup. How many pieces of hardware, exactly? Try 30 new tanks and AA units from the appropriate time period. It's exactly the sort of update that can appeal to players who like the game so far but feel it just doesn't feature quite enough tanks. No specific release date has yet been announced, but it's due out before the end of the year, so you won't have to wait long to get your US-based tank on. [Source: Gaijin Entertainment press release]
World of Warplanes rolls out MiGs in update 1.6
Ready to fly some of the most iconic Soviet airplanes in history? World of Warplanes update 1.6 introduces the Soviety MiG line at Tier V and above, allowing players to take the controls of these historic crafts and use them in mid-air dogfights with other planes. There are also five new premium aircraft available in the game, offering another way to take to the skies with this patch. Aside from new vehicles, the patch also adds in a new multirole classification, placing some planes between fighters and heavy fighters. The net effect is creating planes that can use a more varied loadout and switch roles in battle more effectively. Map boundaries for the El Halluf location have also been extended, giving the update plenty of features for players to enjoy.
Flight attendants want to bring back gadget ban during takeoff and landing
Frequent travelers might be happy that the FAA now allows the use of phones during takeoff and landing, but the biggest union of flight attendants (60,000 strong) in the country sure isn't. The union's lawyer has just attempted to get the FAA's decision overturned in the Court of Appeals, arguing that the FAA should've followed standard procedure by notifying the public first and allowing people to comment before issuing any ruling. Also, Atty. Amanda Duré says her clients (the flight attendants) are concerned, because a lot of people have stopped paying attention to pre-flight safety demos and emergency announcements ever since the gadget ban was lifted. They're worried about mobile devices turning into projectiles during turbulence, as well -- something which has already happened in at least one incident.
The flying car gets another shot at reality this October
Outside of goofy newscasters referencing The Jetsons and Back to the Future 2, flying cars don't get much airtime these days. The concept is far from dead, but similarly distant from viable reality: simply put, it's too expensive of an idea to exist as a consumer product with modern technology. Slovakian company AeroMobil disagrees, and its third prototype is ready to be shown to the world this October 29th at the Pioneers Festival in Austria. The device is still in prototype form, but the folks at AeroMobil previously demonstrated their ability to achieve flight with a car (a video of AeroMobil 2.5 is below). It's far from elegant -- the wings fold into the backseat behind the driver, and the car itself (at least the prototype) isn't much of a looker -- but it does work. The prototype holds two people, and allegedly flies up to 430 miles (540 if you're driving); it also reportedly runs on standard gasoline (the Rotax engine inside takes 91 octane -- the fancy stuff). No word on pricing or availability just yet, but it looks like AeroMobil is another major step closer to its bizarre, bizarre dream becoming reality. Seriously, watch the video below and you'll understand.
This live action War Thunder trailer looks pretty expensive
Gaijin Entertainment, the Russian studio behind War Thunder, has released a live action trailer commemorating the Eastern Front conflict between Russian and German forces during World War II. The clip, titled Victory is Ours, debuted at last weekend's Russian Comic Con. Fortunately you don't have to travel to Soviet Russia to view it, as we've embedded it just beyond the cut.
A jet fit for a (Sacramento) King: Nike's sports plane of the future
If you haven't heard of Teague, it's the Seattle-based firm that designed this year's e-bike of the future, the Pringles can and the original Xbox. The company also has a sideline aircraft cabins, and it was here that it learned of a peculiar problem facing professional sports teams. According to a 2008 study, baseball players that cross three time zones to play a game would have a 60 percent chance of losing, thanks to the lack of comfort afforded by air travel. That's why the company paired up with Nike to design an aircraft interior designed to expressly carry a basketball team from coast-to-coast without compromising their performances. That's why it comes with lie-flat beds that are tall enough for a 7-foot player, smart bathroom facilities that analyze hydration statistics and a separate chill-out zone for pre-and-post-game relaxation. Curious for a little tour of these state-of-the-art facilities? Head on down and check out the gallery.
The Daily Grind: What did you accomplish in your games this weekend?
This past weekend I played a little Marvel Heroes, a lot of Space Engineers, a bit of War Thunder, and a few other things that I can't justify writing about on an MMO site. I gained some Storm levels in MH and got a few nice drops, but I had the most fun building up my outpost in SE and inviting a friend into my game to serve as my mining slave help me design and craft a few essentials. What about you, Massively readers? What did you accomplish in your MMOs or multiplayer games over the weekend? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
