"Fixed-wing drones are more reliable when it comes to flying longer distance due to their low consumption of battery power," says Chris Sanz, CEO of Skycatch. A big balloon with hot air is much riskier to keep in the air and moves more slowly. On the other hand, balloons are far safer and more commonplace. "One danger I can think of is one of these drones falling into a populated area," says Sanz. At 165 feet wide and weighing in at 350 pounds, a Solara could do a lot of damage if it fell out of the sky. … [Read more...] about Google’s balloons versus Facebook’s drones: the dogfight to send internet from the sky
Internet of things use cases
Bill Gates says Google’s internet balloons are ‘not going to uplift the poor’
Bill Gates has questioned whether Google's Project Loon, an effort to bring giant internet-giving balloons to less-developed countries, is really that good of an idea. During an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, Gates was asked whether he thought bringing internet to parts of the world would help solve problems. "When you're dying of malaria, I suppose you'll look up and see that balloon, and I'm not sure how it'll help you." … [Read more...] about Bill Gates says Google’s internet balloons are ‘not going to uplift the poor’
Phishing scams use the promise of COVID-19 vaccines to trick you
Avoiding vaccine-related fraudThe FBI urges people to be wary of any email, text message or phone call that comes from a sender you don't recognize and offers information about the coronavirus vaccine. As with any message from an unknown sender, don't click, download or share your password. Get your information about vaccines from official sources, like state and local health departments, the Food and Drug Administration and your doctor. … [Read more...] about Phishing scams use the promise of COVID-19 vaccines to trick you
Google unveils ‘Project Loon,’ an experiment to bring balloon-powered internet to ‘the entire world’
Like Google's driverless cars, Project Loon is very much an experiment that's in "very early days." Google says that it has already built the system, however, carrying balloon at 60,000 feet, providing internet speeds "similar to today's 3G networks or faster." Balloons drift, of course, so Google says it's using "complex algorithms and lots of computing power" to ensure that the balloons can move where they're needed using a combination of wind and solar power — potentially floating around the entire globe at stratospheric heights. Google says that the balloons communicate with "specialized antennas," that only work with Project Loon — so it's not using traditional cellular or Wi-Fi tech. On the ground, internet providers can take the signal and move it to the last mile to users. … [Read more...] about Google unveils ‘Project Loon,’ an experiment to bring balloon-powered internet to ‘the entire world’
Google wants to start beaming internet from its high-altitude balloons next year
Project Loon's balloons appear to have made big advances all around. Even the fact that they're now staying in the air for 75 days or so is impressive, according to Wired. Traditionally, a similar balloon might last just three weeks. Though Loon's goal is to bring internet to areas of the world that still aren't wired up, Google is already reported to have started eyeing ways to use Loon for profit. The balloons could fill in coverage gaps even in the US, or — because they're using LTE — they could even extend the roaming ranges of big carriers. … [Read more...] about Google wants to start beaming internet from its high-altitude balloons next year
