Richard Branson
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Google reportedly wants in on Virgin Galactic's space business
Fresh from its $500 million acquisition of satellite specialist Skybox Imaging, Google appears to be ready to make another space-related investment. Sky News reports that the search giant is in advanced talks to take a minority stake in Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic business (which already counted Skybox Imaging as a potential customer) with a view to getting its internet satellite project off the ground. Google may invest around $30 million into the company, which is set to begin commercial flights to space later this year, forming a joint venture that would see Virgin Galactic offer up its technology in return. Reports suggest Larry Page and co. are already preparing to build 180 small satellites that will be placed into a low orbit to provide internet connections to remote areas of the globe. That, coupled with the acquisition of drone maker Titan Aerospace, suggests Google is steadily moving forward with its space project. Virgin Galactic could provide the thrust, so-to-speak, helping get Google's satellites exactly where they need to be.
Virgin Galactic's space flights cleared for US blastoff
Virgin Galactic's plans to charter its first space flights by the end of the year have been given another huge boost after it got the green light to begin planning launches. The company, which is now deep in its testing phase, signed a deal with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to help it set clear guidelines on how its missions will take place in US airspace. The agreement doesn't give Virgin a license to embark on regular trips to space (at least not yet), but instead paves the way for Richard Branson and co. to operate Galactic like a commercial airline.
Richard Branson's trying to track down the 80s kid who inspired Virgin Galactic (update: found!)
In 1988, a young chap by the name of Shihan Musafer rang BBC children's show Going Live to ask Richard Branson if he'd ever thought about travelling to space. "I'd love to go into space, as I think pretty well everybody watching this show would love to go to space," he eagerly replied. Turns out, that call 26 years ago served as the catalyst for Sir Richard to register the name Virgin Galactic, the company that's now on course to take well-moneyed civilians into outerspace later this year. To thank Shihan "for helping to inspire the idea," Branson's hoping to use the power of social to help track down the now grown-up Brit, so that he can personally invite him to get the VIP treatment while "witnessing a spaceflight." While that makes it sound like he's getting a free return ticket to the heavens, in fact he just gets to watch the rich and famous take off. So close. Update: According to the Virgin Galactic website "Thanks to everyone for your help in finding Shihan – the search is over and we've found him." There's no word on his status or a potential next step, we're still hoping there's a free ride in there somewhere.
Virgin Galactic now accepting Bitcoin for future flights into space
As the value and credibility of Bitcoin continues to skyrocket, Virgin founder Richard Branson now wants to let people use the digital currency to finance a flight into space. Ahead of its first trips next year, Virgin Galactic has already had one "future astronaut" from Hawaii book a Bitcoin-funded ticket and hopes that its affluent clientele will follow suit. An investor himself, Branson has been pushing for governments to regulate the peer-to-peer payment system and believes that today's announcement will give it more credibility. Neither Virgin Galactic nor Branson has indicated just how many Bitcoins you'll need before you get a return ticket to the heavens, but we suspect this isn't the future that Gene Roddenberry was planning.
Virgin Mobile USA opening flagship Chicago store, selling 'culture' on top of phones
Virgin Mobile USA is adding actual bricks and mortar to its primary selling channels -- the internet and box stores -- but said that a new flagship Chicago store will not just be about the phones. The location has been set up like a casual, music-themed lounge, where customers can recline while testing devices and salespeople will run workshops on subjects like apps and how to install them. The Sprint-owned company will add 14 more locations in the city by summer's end and hopes to use the launch as an archetype for key stores in its other major market cities. The concept sounds a bit like a certain other starkly designed iChain -- but the rock 'n' roll decor is pure Branson.
Richard Branson confirms Virgin Galactic's first space tourism flight will launch next year with him on board
Richard Branson has long said that he'd be on board Virgin Galactic's first commercial space tourism flight, and he's now confirmed that will take place sometime next year with his two adult children along for the ride (a bit of a delay from the company's original 2011 target). That trip will of course be made with the company's SpaceShipTwo craft, which has already completed a number of test flights, and which is capable of flying 100 kilometers (or just over 60 miles) above the Earth for a planned two and a half hour flight with five minutes of weightlessness. As the AP notes, some 529 people have already signed up for the $200,000 per person rides into space, each of whom will have to take part in a week of training prior to their trip. Bookings can still be made on Virgin Galactic's website.
Virgin Galactic unveils LauncherOne satellite vehicle
Building a satellite, that's not really much of a problem anymore. Getting them launched, well, that's what separates the big boys from the wannabes. Virgin's Richard Branson believes he has the answer to that -- LauncherOne. The delivery system for Earth orbiters is based around the WhiteKnightTwo, the same launch platform used by SpaceShipTwo to reach its sub-orbital heights. The tube-like rocket of the LauncherOne is carried up to 50,000 feet by its mother ship, before detaching and initiating its two-stage rocket engines. The current design is capable of delivering 500-pound payloads into Low Earth Orbit, while lighter satellites of 225 pounds could reach Sun-Synchronous Low Earth Orbit. Virgin Galactic says it has already signed up its first customers, including SkyBox Imaging and GeoOptics. Sadly, there's no word on when or how much it'll cost to get the spy satellite you built in your backyard placed in the heavens. Check out the video and the PR after the break. Update: We now know another of Virgin Galactic's customers. Asteroid mining startup Planetary Resources has announced that it will "launch several constellations of Arkyd-100 Series spacecraft in the coming years aboard LauncherOne."
FAA grants Virgin Galactic permit for powered tests, becomes Sir Richard's BFF
Virgin Galactic is one step closer to relieving WhiteKnightTwo of its babysitting gig. The FAA has given the Branson bunch permission to switch on SpaceShipTwo's rocket-powered motors mid-flight. The upcoming trials could open up the doors to getting at least 500 lucky people total ballers out of the desert and into the weightless environment of suborbital space. Current regulations call for more testing than back in 2004 when SpaceShipOne first achieved manned spaceflight, but they're worthwhile if past problems are prevented. What do you think will come first: frequent space-flyer miles, or Virgin Pure T6s and T7s in every home?
Virgin Pure water purifiers launch offensive against tap and bottled water in the UK
English entrepreneur and chairman of The Virgin Group Sir Richard Branson thinks that your tap water is dirty. So much so, in fact, that he's partnered up with Strauss Water to get one of his new purifiers into your home and onto your countertop. The colorful Virgin Pure T6 (£299, $466) can dispense 1.3 liters of chilled H2O per minute, or 1.4 liters of hot water that's stored internally. The T7 (£379, or $591) delivers a bit more swagger to your crib with its minimalist, tapered design that offers 50 percent faster cold water flow. It even gets a small power bump to heat your hot water more quickly than its less-expensive sibling. It all sounds well and good, but we'll really be impressed when Virgin crams one of these into its seatbacks in first class.
April Fools' Day roundup: the big toys, the small toys and the cats
Depending on where you are right now, you're either pretty much done with April Fools' Day (hence our bloated inbox thanks to all you lovely tipsters!) or it's just about to start on your side of the world. In fact, some of this year's submissions already got a head start, including the excellent 8-bit quest mode in Google Maps. Oh, don't worry, there's plenty more from Mountain View and the usual participants this year -- we've rounded up the best of the lot right after the break for your amusement. Keep an eye on this as we will be adding new goodies to the list throughout the day. [Thanks to everyone who sent these in]
Virgin Media suffers three hour outage days after announcing super-fast broadband
Less than a week after announcing it would double customers broadband speeds nationwide, Virgin Media suffered a nationwide blackout that sent the network dark for most of Tuesday evening. At 5:00, the service dropped after router hardware decided it couldn't go on streaming the same episode of The Jeremy Kyle Show to the nation. The company admitted to the fault and service was restored by 8:00pm. Had it been smarter, it could have gotten away with passing the whole thing off as a SOPA protest, but we admire Virgin's honesty -- even if it did lead to the brilliant comment on Twitter pictured above.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: quantum levitation, Zombie-Powered Vertical Farm and Macquariums
Alternative transportation blasted off into the future this week as DeLorean revealed plans to launch an all-electric vehicle in 2013 and Richard Branson announced the official opening of the Virgin Galactic Gateway spaceport. Researchers also developed a next-gen quantum levitation technology that could lead to floating vehicles, and we spotted a cloud concept blimp that soars through the skies. We also brought you an exclusive interview with Revenge of the Electric Car director Chris Paine, and we shared a leaked brochure with specs on Toyota's new Prius C. Renewable energy also rocketed towards a more sustainable tomorrow as Japan's team Tokai took first place in the World Solar Challenge and Apple filed a set of patents for next-generation solar technology. Meanwhile Facebook announced plans to launch a new energy efficiency app in 2012 and we launched a contest where you can win one of 25 $600 home energy audits. We also showcased a stunning set of satellite photos of the world's power lines, and since Halloween is on its way, we brought you a Zombie-Powered Vertical Farm designed to keep its inhabitants safe from the Living Dead. Speaking of Halloween, this week we shared instructions for making a DIY cardboard box robot costume, and we launched our 2011 Green Halloween Costume Contest for kids. We also brought you several developments from the realm of eco textiles -- a material that repairs its own rips and tears and a Japanese company that recycles old bras into power-generating fuel. Finally, we showcased several slick developments in aqueous technology: an oil skimmer that cleans up spills four times faster, an artificial muscle that could one day propel nanobots through the body, and a quirky set of 'Macquariums' made from Apple iMacs.
Virgin Atlantic launches low-carbon fuel, aims to halve carbon footprint (video)
Richard Branson was in London today to announce "one of the most exciting developments of our lifetime." Right, so that'd be SpaceShipFour, we presume, capable of landing on the moon? No, not quite, but a low-carbon fuel would definitely be our second guess. Virgin Atlantic is partnering with LanzaTech, a company that specializes in carbon re-use technology, to recycle waste gasses from 65 percent of the world's steel mills. In Branson's own words, they'll be "taking much of the s**t from up the chimney stacks and turning it into aviation fuel." By capturing those gases that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere, Virgin would be able to reduce its overall carbon footprint without necessarily reducing the carbon output of its individual aircraft. The airline plans to have the fuel ready for commercial use by 2014, and will begin trials on its routes from London to Shanghai and Delhi around that time -- two cities that have become synonymous with pollution. Jump past the break for an audio-less demonstration video -- that's right, there's nothing wrong with your speakers.
Richard Branson launches Virgin Oceanic to explore the ocean's depths
Sir Richard Branson may have already branded his Necker Nymph aero submarine with the "Virgin Oceanic" moniker, but he's now finally taken things to the next logical (and ambitious) step. He's just announced a new, full-fledged venture of the same name, which promises to do to nothing short of dive to the deepest part of each of the Earth's five oceans -- all within the next two years, no less. That will be done with the one-manned sub pictured above, which was designed by Graham Hawkes and will be piloted by Chris Welsh on its first dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench later this year -- those two are Branson's partners in the venture, and Branson himself is set to pilot the sub on its second mission to the Puerto Rico Trench. Not surprisingly, one of the team's goals is to set a few world records, but they're also planning to conduct some scientific research along the way, and are already musing about future vehicles that could collect samples and allow for more extensive research. Head on past the break for a teaser video, although we're told it should not be assumed to reflect an actual mission.
Cover design contest announced for Branson's iPad magazine 'Project'
Last week, we wrote about the release of Richard Branson's iPad-only magazine Project, and this week brings us a contest to design the publication's cover. Interested designers were to participate in a scavenger hunt held in both New York and San Francisco, where they had to locate one of four paper mannequins containing coordinates of USB drives holding the information on how to enter the contest. If it sounds to you like a rather convoluted way to run a contest, I would agree -- but since it's coming from a company trying to launch its own space program, it shouldn't be too surprising. For those of you who weren't able to scour NY or SF to look for the drives, Mashable's Lauren Indvik has gotten hold of a .zip file containing the information for those looking to enter the contest. She has made it available for download via her personal Dropbox account, and once you have come up with your own design for the cover, you can enter it over at facebook.com/project. There is no prize money for winning the contest and entries are due by December 15th, but just being able to design a cover for Branson's new iPad-based magazine seems like it would be worth it for the bragging rights. Click Read More to watch a video about the challenge. [via DigitalTrends]
The Engadget Interview: Sir Richard Branson on Project and the iPad
So we were lucky enough to sit down with Sir Richard Branson at this morning's launch of his iPad-only Project magazine, and just like the last time we hung out, our conversation was both entertaining and illuminating. The highlight? In addition to telling us that Project would eventually hit both Android tablets and other devices "in time," Sir Richard was totally candid in saying that he had "no f**king idea why" Project was only on the iPad and not on the web -- although he did say Project was a "proper magazine" and not "just thrown together for the web." (Ouch.) Sir Richard was also excited about the possibilities for advertising, saying that the new medium can "bring advertising alive." We've definitely got our doubts about limiting content to one platform without any robust sharing options -- and we obviously think it's possible to do high-quality content on the web -- but there's no doubt that Sir Richard is an extremely charming pitchman, so make sure to check out the whole interview.
Virgin officially announces Project magazine for iPad (and iPhone soon)
We're here at Virgin's press event for Project magazine, which Sir Richard Branson just called the "first all-digital magazine." It's launching on iPad first, then on the iPhone, but we also snuck a peek at the app last night and noticed a line about Android tablet support coming soon. Branson says the content will change constantly -- there'll even be comments, and sharing features are said to be "coming soon." Mapping features will be introduced in the iPhone version, which the Project editor-in-chief describes only as "all the coolest places in the world mapped by our users." Pricing for the iPad version is set at $2.99 per month, with the app updating throughout the period with new content and features. When asked about Rupert Murdoch's The Daily, Branson responded that "this is not a battle, not a war, but the future of publishing," while his chief editor had this to say: "We're not similar ... they're a daily newspaper, we're a monthly style magazine ... we wish them nothing but luck."
Richard Branson's 'Project' iPad magazine now hitting European iTunes stores
He just had to beat Rupert Murdoch, didn't he? Project, Richard Branson's iPad magazine, is now available in the iTunes store -- at least in Italy and the United Kingdom, since it's past midnight there. App is free, cost per issue is $2.99 for "a full month's worth of updating content." We suspect it'll hit US, too, the next few hours, but for now, those across the pond can read up on Jeff Bridges (audio and video interview), Earth 2.0, and a "well-informed Godzilla." Take that, yet-to-be-released The Daily.
Richard Branson's iPad-only Project magazine to debut Tuesday
Mega entrepreneur Richard Branson is set to release his iPad-only magazine, Project, tomorrow. That's Jeff Bridges on the cover, no doubt talking Tron inside. This issue seems to focus on pop culture, with articles about a French record label and a new super car from Jaguar teased on the front cover. Plus, the official blog has stories about gadgets, clothing, internet culture and movies. That's about all we know, really. There's no word on pricing, navigation, business model, etc. We'll find out soon enough. One can only assume that the super-competitive Branson is thrilled to have delivered an iPad-only publication before Rupert Murdoch. You can watch a brief (and we mean brief) teaser video after the break. [Via 9to5Mac]
Richard Branson launching 'Project' magazine for iPad next week
Is there something in the air? Hot on the heels of Rupert Murdoch's impending The Daily newspaper for the iPad, we're getting word of a Richard Branson-funded, iPad-specific magazine dubbed Project. The magazine will cover entertainment, travel, business, design, and international culture. It's hard to tell if these two announcements are somehow related to each other, or if they imply some sort of shift in Apple's treatment of publications, but either way they do indeed seem to be happening. The full announcement of Project is due for Tuesday next week.
