Drones •

Cyborg Unplug Can Knock Google Glass Offline

September 9, 2014 By Troy Rubenson Leave a Comment

If you’re concerned that Google Glass will invade your privacy and snoop on you in public, there is a solution for that. The new device Cyborg Unplug was designed especially for detecting drones, surveillance cameras and other mobile technology like Google Glass that are trying to access the Wi-Fi personal signal. The Cyborg Unplug will basically boot them off of your Wi-Fi connection. The makers of this interesting device say that Cyborg Unplug is a “wireless anti-surveillance system”.

The makers also stated that “Whether business office, restaurant, school or nightclub: it’s your territory and your rules, so make it harder for those that seek to abuse it.” This sounds really interesting but do we really need this or is it just one of the many useless devices that have appeared recently? If you know that you have neighbors owning Google Glass or any other surveillance devices, than you probably need this.

A cool feature that the Cyborg Unplug device comes with is the All Out Mode, which basically allows you to turn off all wireless networks, not just yours. The company says that they don’t recommend doing that because it’s illegal. Then why put such a feature on your product if one cannot use it? We still haven’t figured that out yet.

Cyborg Unplug keeps Google Glass away

The company states on their official website that “We take no responsibility for the trouble you get yourself into if you choose to deploy your Cyborg Unplug in this mode.”

They also say that the Cyborg Unplug cannot stop anyone from record or photograph someone with their devices but can only keep the data from being streamed forward. That seems fair enough. You can also select which device you can stop, for example, if you’re not bothered by Google Glass you can select it as a non threat and shut down only drones and microphones.

Drone Maker Brings 400 Jobs to Nevada

August 28, 2014 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

A while back we talked about Amazon seeks approval for drone testing and today we’ve received news that Ashima Devices, a drone maker, brings 400 jobs to Reno, Nevada.

By 2018, the city of Reno will have 400 new jobs with a reported average salary of $70,000 thanks to drone manufacturer Ashima Devices. The jobs will be in testing, manufacturing and research of the company’s drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles. The firm is coming to Reno, Nevada from Pasadena, California.

Governor Brian Sandoval, revealed at a Tuesday press conference, that drones are one of the next big things in aviation and […] the world. Alongside the governor, officials from the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada were also present at the press conference which took place at the Reno-Stead Airport.

The Economic Development Authority revealed that Ashima Devices has committed to collaborating with the University of Nevada, Reno on programs that are going to train and prepare students for occupations in the field of UAV.

Larry Lamber, the company’s vice-president, said in the press conference:

A lot of graduates from UNR and a lot of graduates from the community college system are going to find their way to Ashima. We want to build that community so a lot of your sons and daughters stay here and work here instead of going off to some other place.

The droned that Ashima Devices will start producing will be used for law enforcement, fire and rescue, industrial environments and security. The models which the company plans to produce are newly developed and are not yet in production.

The type of drone which is pictured above is called a Hexpuck and it provides a short-range situational awareness of up to half a mile. The company’s chief technical officer, Ian McEwan, said that their purpose is to get to the scene, get out and get reconnaissance going.

The Hexpuck is a little smaller than a manhole cover, it has a smooth plastic casing which allows it to slide between bushes and trees and avoid getting stuck. It can be used for tracking wildfire or detecting conflict around corners, among many other things.

The drones can all controlled by a person with the help of a tablet, which can easily be strapped on to their arm, for extra mobility.

What are your thoughts on the fact that drone maker brings 400 jobs to Reno, Nevada? Are you excited about the news? Drop us a line in the comment section below!

New MiniDrones Coming From Parrot For Your Family

June 12, 2014 By Deborah Cobing 1 Comment

If the name Parrot rings a bell to you, it means you paid attention to the avalanche of news related to drones from the past months.

Parrot is a drone – manufacturer behemoth based in Paris. Almost a month ago we presented you with the company’s latest innovation in drone technology, the Bebop flying drone.

We are here today to tell you that Parrot announced that two new minidrones, this time for entertainment purposes only, would be available starting this august.

The critters are marketed as toy drones for the children 14 and up. According to some specialists close to the company, the new minidrones, named the Jumping Sumo and the Rolling Spider, respectively, could be safely used also by children 8+.

According to the media, Parrot showcased the minidrones last year, but it only recently revealed the prices, the availability and the stores selling the drones:

The Jumping Sumo, which is essentially a hopping, spinning remote-control car that you manipulate over WiFi with a Google or Apple connected device, will retail for $159. The Rolling Spider, a Bluetooth-connected flier about the size of a baseball card, will cost $99. Both will arrive in early August and will be available online or at Apple stores, Best Buy, Verizon, and Sprint. Both are operated through Parrot’s free app, available on Android and iOS devices.

The minidrones look indeed spectacular and sport a series of features that are compelling to both children and adults. The Jumping Sumo is able to perform Olympics – style jumps, reaching a height of 2.5 feet in the air from a single propulsive launch, but it can also do a lot of spins and sharp turns. While it works more like a remote – controlled car toy, the Jumping Sumo does a lot more than a car: it can kick the object behind it with impressive force and it can stream live videos to your smart device via an incorporated camera.

The Rolling Spider is even more impressive: it flies up to 50 feet in the sky until it loses its Bluetooth connection and comes together with a pair of extra wheels so you can control it on the floor, the walls and the ceiling. The Rolling Spider trumps any remote – controlled car in this respect. Its battery lasts only a few minutes (eight minutes of flight per full charge according to Parrot representatives) but those minutes make one of the best shows in toyland.

All in all, the new minidrones signed by Parrot may have a booming success among tech aficionados. Stay tuned to the news, as we are keeping our eyes peeled for future reviews on these toys.

Google is Interested in Buying Skybox Imaging

May 26, 2014 By Deborah Cobing Leave a Comment

Google’s interest in innovative and revolutionary technologies is not a thing of the present. A while ago, the tech behemoth purchased drone maker Titan Aerospace, showing a clear intention of conquering the skies.

In the same trail of thinking, recent reports show that Google is interested in buying Skybox Imaging. The guys from TechCrunch verified their sources and, from what it seems, the acquisition is in course of getting completed.

Skybox Imaging is a satellite company that is specialized in recording in full detail landscape pictures and videos. According to people close to Google, it seems that the deal is happening and is supposed to reach roughly $1 billion. While none of the two companies involved in this acquisition process agreed to comment so far, it seems that Google is indeed set to explore other sources of revenue.

Why is Google interested in buying Skybox Imaging?

The answers to this question are not hard to guess. First and foremost, such advanced satellite services might improve the services offered by Google Maps. Having your own satellite and updating the information on a constant basis could turn Google Maps into a more consumer – dedicated palette of products and services.

The second reason for which Google might show an interest in satellite – producing companies such as Skybox and others is its own business division “Earth Enterprise”. According to the guys at TechCrunch, this division is concerned with providing extended mapping services for large customers, such as organizations and companies. Having this in mind, it becomes a bit clearer why Google is interested in buying Skybox. On its home page, there is even a confirmation of the theory:

Google Earth Enterprise allows you to store and process terabytes of imagery, terrain and vector data on your own server infrastructure, and publish maps securely for your users to view using Google Earth desktop or mobile apps, or through your own application using the Google Maps API.

There are plenty of speculations related to this acquisition. Some reports say that if Skybox doesn’t get some funding soon, it may go out of business. Other voices claim that there are dozens of companies out there which produce small satellites just as Skybox does. There are also some speculations that Google is stepping up its game against its competitors. As you might remember, Facebook showed an interest in Titan Aerospace, but Google got to sign the deal.

It is a very competitive world out there, where tech giants aim to put their own satellites in the skies, building their own constellations and making the world rich in information. However, just as the guys from TechCrunch conclude, this is a long – term bet, pricey, dicey and with mind-blowing implications. Even political ones for that matter.

Futuristic Killing Machines May Become a Reality in the Next 20 Years

May 14, 2014 By Deborah Cobing Leave a Comment

In the past, we have talked a lot of times about the science of robotics and its applications in our real lives. Creature-like robots, drones and autonomous machines to take over some tasks from humans are not new to this advanced tech world we live in. What is indeed new, however, are the growing worries related to the rise of autonomous war robots.

Yesterday, at Geneva, U.N. representatives met to discuss the fate of futuristic killing machines which may become a reality in the next 20 years. This is a historical premiere, as so far, killer robots were the exclusive concern of science – fiction movies. But not anymore! Politicians, organizations and scientist spoke about the dangers such futuristic killing machines could unleash upon the entire human race, considering that detailed laws and regulations should be created immediately.

What seems to be the problem? If you saw the latest RoboCop movie, it’s easy to understand: how can we leave killing decisions in the hands of mindless machines that are not provided with ethics, morals, emotions and human instinct? How can we leave ourselves at the mercy of entire armies of Terminators? And, most importantly, how will the human race survive if these killer robots are unleashed in the world? These questions stirred the waters and almost split the U.N. representatives into two opposing factions. There are a lot of people concerned with the “autonomy” and “decision making” of such robots. We already have a “Terminator” among us, namely the

Samsung sentry robot used in South Korea, with the ability to spot unusual activity, talk to intruders, and, when authorized by a human controller, shoot them.

The authorization of a human controller seems to be the issue here. The ones who support the development of robotic military technologies say that the future machines could be used for pacifist purposes, for protection and for saving millions of human lives. The opposing faction is concerned with ethics and morals. In the words of Pakistan’s U.N. ambassador Zamir Akram,

In the absence of any human intervention, such weapons in fact fundamentally change the nature of war,

warning the assembly that such futuristic killing machines could jeopardize global security and peace. His thoughts were shared by other participants to the meeting. Kathleen Lawand, head of the ICRC’s arms unit made a very clear point:

There is a sense of deep discomfort with the idea of allowing machines to make life-and-death decisions on the battlefield with little or no human involvement.

It is indispensable to maintain human control over the decision to kill another human being, German Ambassador Michael Biontino told the meeting. This principle of human control is the foundation of the entire international humanitarian law.

In a world shaken by conflicts in many of its areas and heavily inclined towards disarmament, the issue of futuristic killing machines becoming a reality in warfare is indeed uncomfortable. These talks won’t stop here. A future discussion on these matters is scheduled for November.

New Drones in the Sky. This Time Coming from Paris

May 13, 2014 By Deborah Cobing Leave a Comment

You can’t finish reading your news feed without stumbling upon an article related to the creation and development of drones, be them military, for commercial purposes or for your entertainment only. Since our duty is to provide you with the latest news in the tech world, let’s take a look over the latest information speaking about new drones in the sky, this time coming from French wireless products manufacturer Parrot.

A spectacular outdoor show took place recently in a historical former U.S. Mint building in San Francisco. The Bebop drone created by Parrot took off in the air, buzzed, circled and hovered for the delight of the audience, proving once again that when it comes to flying drones from the ground, imagination is the limit. But what does Bebop do and what is its main purpose?

According to the ones witnessing the graceful flight of the new drones in the sky, the Bebop is

aimed squarely at smartphone or tablet owners keen on getting bird’s-eye views of the world.

In other words, you can control the flying drone and see from above everything that happens around, thus having the pure sensation of flying while your feet are still on the ground. Bebop is said to become very useful to filmmakers wanting to shoot aerial footage with minimizing the costs of renting helicopters and so on, but the filming drones are not something new to this world.

However, if you imagine the new drones in the sky signed by Parrot as being the size of a fly and spying around innocent people, put your worries away: the Bebop’s weight is around 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram approximately), so you will see it hovering around you if someone decides to use one. However, one of the most interesting features of the Bebop is that

A Bebop drone can be controlled using smartphones or tablet computers powered by Apple or Android software, displaying on the screens what is captured by its high-definition camera with a 180-degree “fish-eye” view.

This means you will be able to control one with virtually no fuss and use the footage it recorded when the drone comes back. You can just download the imagery and send it again in another adventure. The Bebop has a range of around 300 meters so it won’t be able to spy that much, if this was your main concern. Speaking of spying, it is clear that even if the developers announced the availability of the new drones on the market by the end of this year, they will still have to pass all the regulations involving privacy, aerial and aviation laws and so on. But, for all it’s worth, the biggest news is that the

The drones can also sync to Oculus Rift virtual reality headsets, letting wearers essentially look around by moving their heads as though they are actually flying.

So how about that? How long before we will all sit comfortably in our homes and scope the neighborhood with our new drones in the sky?

Commercial Drones: We Have the Tech, But not the Laws

May 7, 2014 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

If back in the day the drones were considered only amazing props in science – fiction movies, devices used by the military and high – scientific research accessories, in recent years these machines gained a lot of popularity because there are countless applications for them, starting with capturing aerial footage for movies or documentaries, to delivering fast Internet connections to even the most remote places on Earth. Not so long ago we have talked about the hacker drone, Snoopy, not to induce a mass state of paranoia related to the less…orthodox use of drones, but to thoroughly explain the potential positive uses of this innovative technology. Before entering the murky waters of spying drones and the general fear of having our privacy invaded by swarms of flying robots, let’s recap the recent history of commercial drones and their future in our bright skies.

One of the most interesting cases of drone use belongs to photographer Raphael Pirker, who used drones to capture footage of Lady Liberty from high above and film from an aerial point of view the campus of University of Virginia. His actions weren’t left unnoticed, as in 2011, Pirker was fined by the Federal Aviation Administration for operating a drone which was recklessly too close to people and buildings. Well, that was a premiere in the U.S. legal fighting grounds and Pirker’s fine was dismissed because the U.S. doesn’t have the necessary laws to regulate the use of commercial drones.

Nowadays, however, major tech giants are investing billions of dollars in drone technology. Back in 213 Amazon shook the world by announcing the future use of commercial drones to deliver goods to the online shoppers and the futuristic same – day delivery system known as Prime Air is currently under testing. But it wasn’t just Amazon who thought about the extended commercial drones use: Facebook and Google each bought solar powered drone manufacturing companies in their efforts to deliver fast Internet to remote areas and conflict zones. The commercial drones are the next best thing in a lot of industries (movie making, safe deliveries of goods and medication to disaster areas and war zones, wildlife documentation, monitoring and conservation, agriculture, etc.) and yet, the U.S. fell behind a lot in finding a regulatory legal system for the use of drones, in comparison with other countries, like Japan, Australia, Canada and the U.K., where authorities are constantly trying to support the development and use of drones from all points of view.

Are we scared of the Big Brother invading our privacy? Are we terrified by the perspective of the skies turning black under the swarms of flying drones dropping parcels and shooting movies? Just as Daniel Burrus, a tech futurologist and innovator says,

Whenever you have a new technology that could create a hazard or could hurt people, you need rules and regulations.

Until the tech people and the law people find a balance in the use of commercial drones and proper legislation regulates the use of such devices, we will be keeping our eyes on the news, as we are witnessing history being written. How can we be so sure? How does this title sound? Low cost airline is testing drone technology to help engineers inspect its 220-strong fleet of aircraft and check for faults…

Hacking Smartphone Drone Can Steal All Your Private Info From Under Your Nose

March 21, 2014 By Deborah Cobing Leave a Comment

You may believe that evil – genius hackers are only to be found in movies, but if you understood by now that reality can beat the most imaginative science – fiction silver screen production, you will find this news terrifyingly brilliant: a bunch of London hackers developed a hacking smartphone drone that can steal your private information directly from your cell and it does it so amazingly simple and easy, you can’t help but wonder how come they didn’t invent it sooner. Or did they? While drones are nothing new to us, this one takes the cake by far with its evil genius features.

Say hello to Snoopy, a drone that can fly past you and hover around while you are innocently trying to find a Wi – Fi network connection for your smartphone. The technology that comes with every smartphone or tablet available on the market makes your devices prone to search for nearby networks you already accessed before, and this gives you total vulnerability in the curious eyes and greedy hands of Snoopy. The drone will mimic a network connection nearby and your phone will not – knowingly connect to the drone’s signal instead of the real network. From that point on, everything you send and receive via the Internet belongs to Snoopy: it can be anything from your location you so proudly shared on Facebook, to the e-mail password or even other important personal accounts data, not to mention credit card information and

The hacking smartphone drone was developed by a team of researchers who, contrary to all appearances, don’t want to use the drone for illegal purposes such as gathering personal data and identity theft or credit card fraud, but to increase smart devices’ manufacturers of the vulnerabilities and flaws of such gadgets. They also say it has positive applications, like locating in real time all sorts of on – going felonies and thus alerting the authorities. However, you’d have to have your Wi – Fi settings turned on.

Snoopy will be presented soon at the at the Black Hat Asia cybersecurity conference in Singapore and even if everything sounds terrifying, the developers assure us the drone is going to be used only for the greater good of mankind. But to make sure, if you happen to walk the streets of London (or any other city for that matter), turn off your Wi-Fi settings and make your smartphone ask for your permission before connecting to a network. Snoopy is watching!

Cyborg Unplug keeps Google Glass away

Why is Google interested in buying Skybox Imaging?

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