This 16-rotor Passenger Drone is the personal taxi service of your dreams

Why it matters to you

With two passenger seats, 16 rotors, and a touchscreen for navigation, Passenger Drone promises to transport you in style.

A number of companies are building drones with the goal of transporting humans around, but the team behind a newcomer on the market — the simply named Passenger Drone — thinks it has what it takes to capture the number one spot.

“We have developed probably the most advanced passenger drone in the world as of today,” Peter Delco, a member of the Passenger Drone development team, told Digital Trends. “This sector is developing very fast. In the last two years while we were developing the drone there have been 2-3 similar projects launched. [However], based on size, safety, and performance we believe our drone outperforms others by far. We are the only company which has demonstrated manned flight so far — not just hovering, but actual flying.”

Passenger drone travel certainly promises a scintillating experience. The two-seater electric drone is propelled by 16 rotors, and produces no emissions. It is controlled by a touchscreen, and will take off with the press of just one button. Users can then draw their route on a map, and have the drone fly them there, using a range of smart autonomous technologies to do so without accidentally running into anything along the way.

Delco says that Passenger Drone will be perfect for private individuals who want to use it for either recreational purposes or personal travel, organizations that need to need to transport passengers quickly in congested areas, on-demand autonomous taxis, or automated cargo delivery of payloads up to 200 kilos.

The drone can reportedly travel for 30-35 minutes at speeds of 34-40 miles per hour — giving it a range of about 20 miles in total before recharging is required. “We have made 30 to 40 flights during the summer with different weights, and finally in early September we got the confidence to make the first manned flight, which lasted about 10 minutes,” Delco continued. “We probably traveled 2-3 miles without landing.”

There’s no word on exactly when this will be made available, or at what price point, although we expect Passenger Drone to have a presence at next year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. If we play our cards right, maybe we can get a test ride then? Heck, it might help us skip some of the queues!

Here’s everything we expect from Google’s October 4 hardware event

Google I/O may be the company’s biggest software event of the year, but hot new hardware usually arrives at an event in fall. Last year, that event saw the launch of the first Google Pixel and Pixel XL — phones that soon became some of the most-loved Android phones out there. Now, there’s another event right around the corner — and it’s going to be a doozie.

We’ll see more than just a new Pixel phone at the show — though the phone will be the star. Google is making a serious effort in the smart home, virtual reality, and even computing. Here are all the big products we expect to see at Google’s October 4 hardware event.

How to watch

Before we look at what we expect from the event, you might be wondering how you can catch it yourself. The event starts at 12 p.m. ET, and the best way to watch it is probably through the official YouTube page, or you can just check out the video below.

Of course, you can also check back on Digital Trends after the event to get all the news related to Google’s new hardware announcements.

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

These phones will be the main event, representing the continuation of what has fast become one of the most-loved Android phone lineups. There are a ton of rumors about the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL and what they’ll have to offer, but current rumors suggest the update may be more incremental. For starters, it may offer the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, which is Qualcomm’s latest chip, as well as an upgraded camera — though probably not a dual-sensor camera just yet.

The design of the phones will also be similar to the original Pixel phones — though instead of both being built by the same company, one will likely be built by HTC and the other by LG. Other spec leaks suggest the phone will offer the same 4GB of RAM, though with more storage options. It will also, of course, ship with the latest and greatest version of Android — Android Oreo — with a Google Pixel launcher running over the top.

Google Pixelbook

This one was a bit of a surprise when it hit the rumor mills last week thanks to Droid-Life, but a welcome addition to the show nonetheless. The Pixelbook serves somewhat as a follow-up to the Chromebook Pixel, which was launched in 2013.

The device will reportedly be a laptop with a 360-degree hinge that allows users to convert it into a tablet, and while we don’t have too many details about specs under the hood, speculation suggests it may feature Intel’s eighth-gen “U” chips. It will come in a few storage options according to the leaks: 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB.

The laptop will most likely run Google’s Chrome OS, Google’s computer operating system aimed at using mostly web-based apps, and, more recently, compatible Android apps.

Unfortunately, it does not seem as though the computer will come cheap — it’ll start at $1,200 for the 128GB option, with prices ranging up to $1,750 for the 512GB option.

New Google Daydream View headset

Next up is a new Google Daydream View headset, which looks a lot like the original but comes in the same three colors as the Google Home Mini. According to the leak from Droid-Life, the headset is also around $20 more expensive than the original headset, coming in at $99, so hopefully it’ll sport a few extra features that will help make the Daydream experience a little more immersive. We don’t yet know what those features will be.

Google Home Mini

The Google Home is considered the best smart speaker for avid Android users, but it’s a little pricey, especially if you want Google’s smarts in every room. Well, thankfully it seems as though a new, more affordable Google Home is on its way — the Google Home Mini.

There are a few differences between the Google Home and Google Home Mini, according to Droid-Life, namely that the Mini is a much smaller device and hence likely offers a much smaller speaker. Still, at $49 each, it’s not a bad way to get Google Assistant into each room without having to buy a full-size Google Home speaker. The speaker will come in three colors: chalk, charcoal, and coral.

Google Home Max

While the other devices on this list are all but confirmed, this one is a little less certain. According to a report from 9to5Google, Google is working on a Google Home Max speaker that is designed to up against the likes of the Sonos Play:3 and will reportedly come with stereo speakers. It’s said that the device will be “premium” in terms of both functionality and design, but we don’t really know what that means yet.

Now, the report notes that we have no idea where the Google Home Max is in the development phase, so we may not see it at the October event. Instead, it could show up later in the year, or even at next year’s hardware event.

Here’s everything we expect from Google’s October 4 hardware event

Google I/O may be the company’s biggest software event of the year, but hot new hardware usually arrives at an event in fall. Last year, that event saw the launch of the first Google Pixel and Pixel XL — phones that soon became some of the most-loved Android phones out there. Now, there’s another event right around the corner — and it’s going to be a doozie.

We’ll see more than just a new Pixel phone at the show — though the phone will be the star. Google is making a serious effort in the smart home, virtual reality, and even computing. Here are all the big products we expect to see at Google’s October 4 hardware event.

How to watch

Before we look at what we expect from the event, you might be wondering how you can catch it yourself. The event starts at 12 p.m. ET, and the best way to watch it is probably through the official YouTube page, or you can just check out the video below.

Of course, you can also check back on Digital Trends after the event to get all the news related to Google’s new hardware announcements.

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

These phones will be the main event, representing the continuation of what has fast become one of the most-loved Android phone lineups. There are a ton of rumors about the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL and what they’ll have to offer, but current rumors suggest the update may be more incremental. For starters, it may offer the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, which is Qualcomm’s latest chip, as well as an upgraded camera — though probably not a dual-sensor camera just yet.

The design of the phones will also be similar to the original Pixel phones — though instead of both being built by the same company, one will likely be built by HTC and the other by LG. Other spec leaks suggest the phone will offer the same 4GB of RAM, though with more storage options. It will also, of course, ship with the latest and greatest version of Android — Android Oreo — with a Google Pixel launcher running over the top.

Google Pixelbook

This one was a bit of a surprise when it hit the rumor mills last week thanks to Droid-Life, but a welcome addition to the show nonetheless. The Pixelbook serves somewhat as a follow-up to the Chromebook Pixel, which was launched in 2013.

The device will reportedly be a laptop with a 360-degree hinge that allows users to convert it into a tablet, and while we don’t have too many details about specs under the hood, speculation suggests it may feature Intel’s eighth-gen “U” chips. It will come in a few storage options according to the leaks: 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB.

The laptop will most likely run Google’s Chrome OS, Google’s computer operating system aimed at using mostly web-based apps, and, more recently, compatible Android apps.

Unfortunately, it does not seem as though the computer will come cheap — it’ll start at $1,200 for the 128GB option, with prices ranging up to $1,750 for the 512GB option.

New Google Daydream View headset

Next up is a new Google Daydream View headset, which looks a lot like the original but comes in the same three colors as the Google Home Mini. According to the leak from Droid-Life, the headset is also around $20 more expensive than the original headset, coming in at $99, so hopefully it’ll sport a few extra features that will help make the Daydream experience a little more immersive. We don’t yet know what those features will be.

Google Home Mini

The Google Home is considered the best smart speaker for avid Android users, but it’s a little pricey, especially if you want Google’s smarts in every room. Well, thankfully it seems as though a new, more affordable Google Home is on its way — the Google Home Mini.

There are a few differences between the Google Home and Google Home Mini, according to Droid-Life, namely that the Mini is a much smaller device and hence likely offers a much smaller speaker. Still, at $49 each, it’s not a bad way to get Google Assistant into each room without having to buy a full-size Google Home speaker. The speaker will come in three colors: chalk, charcoal, and coral.

Google Home Max

While the other devices on this list are all but confirmed, this one is a little less certain. According to a report from 9to5Google, Google is working on a Google Home Max speaker that is designed to up against the likes of the Sonos Play:3 and will reportedly come with stereo speakers. It’s said that the device will be “premium” in terms of both functionality and design, but we don’t really know what that means yet.

Now, the report notes that we have no idea where the Google Home Max is in the development phase, so we may not see it at the October event. Instead, it could show up later in the year, or even at next year’s hardware event.

The best wireless chargers for your new phone

It’s been eight years since wireless charging first came to smartphones with the Palm Pre, but it took Apple building it into the new iPhone 8 and iPhone X to make it matter to the mainstream. That’s no snarky jab at Apple or its customers; in fact the iPhone’s newfound embrace of wireless charging is reason to celebrate for all those who’ve ever known the joy of cutting the (charging) cord!

That’s because wireless charging is about to return to the scene in a big way – and this time, there’s no pesky standards war to get in the way of progress. I’m MrMobile and here’s everything you need to know if you’re treating your smartphones to a wireless charger in 2017.

Featured Products

• Qi Infinity
• Itian Wooden charger
• Pasonomi Wooden charger
• Pond Ripple wireless charger battery
• Fonesalesman QiStone
• TYLT Vu -First Generation
• Belkin Boost-up
• Fonesalesman Woodpuck Bamboo
• Samsung Convertible Wireless Charging Pad

Stay social, my friends

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• Instagram

Americans are horrified by DHS plan to track immigrants on social media

Starting October 18 the Department of Homeland Security will collect and store “social media handles, aliases, associated identifiable information, and search results” in the permanent files of all immigrants. This will include new immigrants, in addition to permanent residents and naturalized citizens.

There are around 43 million foreign-born people living in the US right now. And even if you don’t personally know someone who’ll be made into a terrifying dossier for Trump’s anti-immigrant footsoldiers, you’ll most certainly show up in those millions of files somewhere as a “like” or other piece of tangential social metadata.

People who have commented on the Act are comparing it to round-up lists and interment camp dossier building. Considering the Trump administration’s plans for using data to hunt immigrants at our borders, those commenters might not be too far off. And what they don’t know is that non-immigrants are going to be collateral damage.

The “Modified Privacy Act System of Records” will also include: “publicly available information obtained from the internet, public records, public institutions, interviewees, commercial data providers, and information obtained and disclosed pursuant to information sharing agreements.” Commercial data suppliers are companies like Equifax, and “people search” vendors like Intelius and Axicom.

That “people search” websites are involved in the data collection should make use worry for many reasons. With a quick search of your name on any given “people search” website like Intelius or WhitePages, you’ll see your name, date of birth, names of family members, current and past addresses, your phone number — and much more.

People search sites get their data from public records and corporations selling your information to them (including third-party fine print agreements you agree to by using businesses such as eBay). The information they collect sometimes depends on the site’s Terms of Use regarding sharing information with third parties, as well as your privacy selections on that site (e.g., your Facebook likes and interests, your friends, your tweets, the work information you provide to LinkedIn).

The new dossiers on immigrants will include all kinds of information gleaned both directly and indirectly from social media profiles. And worse yet, much of the information might not even be accurate. In a now-removed post from Intelius’s blog, the company stated:

In a new age of modern permanent records, popular sites like Facebook and Twitter are the face of a hidden world of commercial data brokers. Moreover, not all information is accurate, and even if consumers are aware, they are unable to erase or correct their personal records.

Intelius conceded in a 2009 SEC filing that the information that it and similar companies sell is often inaccurate and out of date. For example, when I reviewed my people search files before deletion, my first-ever roommates were listed in multiple places as my nearest relatives.

Assistant professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, told press, “The fact that information gleaned from Facebook or Instagram or other social media networks might not be reliable doesn’t mean that it will preclude DHS from using it as a basis for excluding people from the United States.”

If you’re still wondering what might be in these dossiers, go check out an article on The Guardian in which a woman gets a copy of all 800 (!) pages of her Tinder history (an option only available to EU citizens). It’s not what’s in her Tinder history that applies here, rather it’s what that history contains about a person’s activity around that one account that will sober you up.

In addition to her Tinder activity, the company collected her Facebook “likes,” her photos from Instagram (even after she deleted the associated account), and much more.

The Act itself avoids detailing both the method of collection, and security of storage for these expanded dossiers. Perhaps we can expect the DHS and US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to protect these records, which will undoubtedly include plenty of US citizens, as thoroughly as it safeguards its other precious data stores.

The US government tried for a while to convince the public that the “metadata” in its Hoovering up of our records was no big deal. At RSA in 2015 Congressman Mike Rogers told the giant security conference’s attendees more than once that metadata in bulk surveillance collection “is just the ‘To: From:’ like the front of an envelope.” I suspect we can expect the same kind of run-around (or worse) if this administration is put on the spot.

It’s going to be messy, and make no mistake: It will affect all of us. Chances are good that you have friend, co-worker, or family member born outside of the US. Attorney Adam Schwartz told BuzzFeed that this will also affect all US citizens who communicate with immigrants. A close read of the document shows that finding out what is in one’s file will be incredibly difficult and correcting any bad info nigh impossible.

It’s kind of like they’re leveraging Facebook, and all the others, into policing our borders in a wholly different way than a blunt-force “Muslim ban.” It’s far, far more insidious.

The “Modified Privacy Act System of Records” is set to go into effect on October 18th, though it’s in an open comment period until then. The comments so far are overwhelmingly opposed to the changes; the words “horrified,” “shocked,” and “appalled” are frequent.

Some commenters openly state fears about how this affects their children, others talk about where this is leading us as citizens at the mercy of a data-grabbing government. And there are more than a few mentions of 1930s Germany and Japanese internment.

This is happening. Americans and those who want to be Americans are scared. Those affected by the DHS plan to gather social media aren’t stereotypes: they’re people, and they’re us. It’s easy to feel disempowered by this disgusting system, and the overwhelming juggernaut of greedy data-dealers like Facebook — at whose feet I believe we can squarely lay blame for way too many aspects of our current situation.

But I hope that we’ll all look at this hideous and contorted future together, and fight it.

Images: BoJorge Duenes / Reuters (border wall), Getty Images (USCIS), Mike Blake / Reuters (Tinder icon)

Tesla is shipping hundreds of Powerwall batteries to Puerto Rico

Tesla is sending hundreds of its Powerwall battery systems to storm-ravaged Puerto Rico. The commonwealth has been almost entirely without power since after Hurricane Maria made landfall on September 20th and tore up its energy infrastructure. Once the storm passed, Tesla started sending hundreds of its standalone power banks, and some have already arrived while more are en route.

Powerwalls, first unveiled in 2015, are large batteries designed to store power gathered by solar panels. Tesla sent its own employees to help install units, and is reportedly working with local organizations to find the best locations for the power banks. These could potentially be worked into whatever energy network can be constructed, but there’s no timeline for how long it will take to revive the commonwealth’s power network.

As New Scientist points out, since the entire grid went down, it must be restarted from scratch in a labor-intensive process known as a ‘black start’. Meanwhile, a majority of the 3.4 million Puerto Ricans can’t refrigerate food, run air conditioning to stave off the Caribbean heat or pump potable water.

Via: Ecowatch

Source: Bloomberg

Walmart’s Jet.com has its own grocery brand just for millennials

Walmart has been battling it out with Amazon for some time now and last year it purchased Jet.com to give it an online edge. At the time, Walmart said that the acquisition would bring “fresh ideas and expertise, as well as an attractive brand with proven appeal, especially for millennials.” Now it’s using Jet.com to actively target “metro millennials,” whatever those are, with a new grocery brand called Uniquely J.

Uniquely J’s perceived appeal to millennials stems from stocking products that play to their values, like items that are organic and fair trade. A company spokesperson also told TechCrunch that the design of its packaging, which includes a bag of coffee with a tattoo-like skull design and a box of food storage bags decorated with things like chat bubbles that say “Nom Nom,” will also draw in young people.

The New York Post notes that Uniquely J will be available in around two months and after an exclusive first year on Jet.com, will become available on Walmart.com. It also says that breakfast cereals will be a focus of the brand because they’ve risen in price more rapidly than other groceries. But Jet.com must have missed all of the reports about millennials killing the cereal industry.

The grocery-shipping business is an increasingly popular one and it’s in Walmart’s best interests to try to tap into it as much as possible. The company has its own online grocery ordering service, which it has played around with from time to time, but so does Target and, of course, Amazon. It’s unclear whether Uniquely J will pull in the younger crowd Walmart’s hoping for. But it’s not even here yet and it feels like it’s trying a little too hard, which millennials may respond to even less than they do cereal.

Via: Recode

Source: Jet.com

Disney merges its kid-friendly streaming options into a single app

Disney has combined four of its kid-friendly streaming apps into one all-encompassing one called DisneyNOW. It has everything that the separate Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior and Radio Disney apps had, but all of the content is now consolidated under a single main app.

DisneyNOW has full show episodes and livestreaming of shows airing on Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD when you use a valid cable, satellite or digital service — such as Hulu and YouTube TV — login. Multiple users can create their own profiles and the app will hold their spot in shows they don’t finish and suggest content they might like based on what they watch. DisneyNOW also has games, more of which will be added monthly, and Disney Channel original movies. However, it doesn’t have theatrical releases. Disney is saving those for its Netflix rival set to launch sometime in 2019.

DisneyNOW is available now on iOS, Apple TV, Android, Fire tablets and Roku with Fire TV, Android TV and web support coming in 2018.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Disney

Facebook reportedly tests facial recognition to recover your account

Your face is getting a lot of attention lately. The iPhone X’s Face ID is a recent example, as is Android Pay’s reportedly upcoming facial authentication for loyalty programs. Airports may soon use the tech to help streamline boarding and security lines, though there are still privacy concerns over the implementation. Still, that hasn’t deterred Facebook from testing “a facial recognition feature to help secure your account,” according to a tweet from TheNextWeb’s Matt Navarra.

NEW! Facebook working on a facial recognition feature to help secure your account

h/t Devesh Logendran pic.twitter.com/demol4dKj1

— Matt Navarra ⭐️ (@MattNavarra) September 29, 2017

According to TechCrunch, the feature is only being tested to let users back into accounts they’ve been locked out of. The site also reports that a social media researcher sent the screenshot to Navarra, and that if the feature is reliable and not easily hacked, it could roll out to more users. There’s not much detail on the technology or its implementation (mobile? laptop? special hardware?) nor any implementation timeline, though. We’ve reached out to Facebook for comment on this matter and will update the post when we hear back.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Matt Navarra/Twitter

Elon Musk’s latest crazy idea? Rocket-based travel. On Earth.

Why it matters to you

If Elon Musk has his way, rocket-based travel will take you between any two major cities in under 40 minutes. All for the price of a regular economy flight.

For most people, revolutionizing the electric car, paving the way for colonization of Mars, and building a HyperLoop tunnel under Los Angeles would be enough to fill their every waking moment. Elon Musk isn’t most people. Speaking on Friday, September 29, at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Adelaide, Australia, the SpaceX and Tesla CEO outlined his next big goal — to use SpaceX’s interplanetary rocket system to make extremely fast long-distance travel possible on Earth. Should all go to plan, the idea is that you would be able to travel anywhere on the planet in just 40 minutes, for no more than the price of an economy price airline ticket.

In a video showcasing the “point-to-point” concept, passengers are depicted traveling by boat from New York City to a floating launchpad. These floating launchpads could be created near major cities all over the world. They then board the SpaceX reusable BFR (that’s Big Fucking Rocket), which exits the atmosphere, before re-entering and touching down on another launchpad. Proposed routes for the city-to-city rocket system could include New York to Shanghai in 39 minutes, Hong Kong to Singapore in 22 minutes, London to Dubai or New York in 29 minutes, and Los Angeles to Toronto in 24 minutes. This would make it, by far, the fastest form of transport in history. At its peak, the rocket would hit speeds of around 18,000 miles per hour — which is enough to leave even the Corcorde’s 1,447 miles-per-hour in the dust.

At present, the technology to do all of this doesn’t exist, although the various SpaceX launches that have taken place in recent years show the ability to vertically land a rocket is getting more and more reliable all the time. (But mistakes can still happen.) Still, it remains to be seen just how many people would be willing to save a day’s travel by being transported in this way. Musk has a word for us doubters, though: conservative. “Some of our customers are conservative, and they want to see the BFR fly several times before they’re comfortable launching [on it],” he said during his talk.

There’s no hard-and-fast deadline on when all of this will take place, but Musk is currently aiming for 2024 as the date he hopes to send humans to Mars aboard the BFR.