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GOOGLE HAS BOUGHT Titan Aerospace, a maker of solar-powered drones, saying it could help bring internet access to remote parts of the world as well as solve other problems.
Financial terms were not disclosed. Google said Monday that atmospheric satellites could also be used in disaster relief and assessing environmental damage.
Titan’s atmospheric satellites, which are still in development and not yet commercially available, can stay in the air for as long as five years, according to reports.
Before it was updated Monday to reflect the acquisition, Titan’s website cited a wide range of uses for the drones, including atmospheric and weather monitoring, disaster response and voice and data communications.
Facebook was also in talks to buy New Mexico-based Titan earlier this year, but it acquired UK-based solar drone company Ascenta instead, hiring “key members of the team,” as CEO Mark Zuckerberg put it, to work at Facebook.
Both Google and Facebook have launched ambitious projects that aim to get everyone on the planet online. Google’s Project Loon sends giant balloons bearing internet-beaming antennas into the stratosphere.
Facebook, meanwhile, leads internet.org, a coalition of companies that wants to get everyone in the world access to basic internet service. Its Connectivity Lab, which is part of the internet.org effort, is researching different technologies that aim to make the internet accessible and affordable to everyone.
Zuckerberg said late last month that Facebook is working on building its first high-altitude drone to broadcast internet signals.
“With the efficiency and endurance of high altitude drones, it’s even possible that aircraft could remain aloft for months or years,” Zuckerberg wrote in an online post on 28th March. “This means drones have more endurance than balloons, while also being able to have their location precisely controlled.”
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Ah Mr burns, will you ever learn.
@Paddy Ryan:
@Conor Byrne: haha. Love it.
At 92 let me wish him & his fiancé many weeks of happiness.
Surprised she’s not younger to be honest
This guy must be a right sap when it comes to women. Would ya be bothered
New season of Succession?!
shes def with him for the looks and his seriously good bedroom action I am completely sure….not the whole filthy rich and praying he pops his clogs soon. Although theres so much greed, corruption and poison in this lad, he makes Monty Burns from the simpsons look like Mary Poppins
Only engaged 6 times at 82…. He hasn’t lived
Automatically think of Caroline Ahernes famous interview with Debbie McGee when I read stuff like this
@denis silver: Ditto! “And what was it that first attracted you to multi-millionaire Paul Daniels?”
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: was he successful when they met?
@Clare Power: Yep. He had a primetime BBC TV show. She was his assistant.
Another sleazy older rich (((man)))
He should marry his only true love… himself
I’ll give it 8 yrs, max.
@Brian Murphy: that brings him to the century mark and herself to three quarters of it.
Short term work with profitable interest.
It’s the Power of love
@Patrick Presley: a force from above!
What a catch!
Drain the swamp of all the natural inhabitants and let the Great Orange Baracuda have his reign of terror
67? Where’s he going marrying an auld wan like that?
Ah stop… he’s not well in the head
His marriages were NOt ENDURABLE. He’ll have to STRIVE harder with this lady.
Ah fair play to him, we’re all only jealous.
She says its not his money, it’s his good looks and charm that swept her off feet
@K H: she should go to specsavers.
A vile legacy of bigotry and propaganda Is all there is to this yoke
That is surely the victory of optimism over experience
A pig.
Got to love the irony of announcing this on International Women’s Day……
@John Moylan: The rest of us weren’t exactly queuing up to spend time with him, I can assure you.
Good luck to her!
Married the MONEY and asked him to the Wedding ….
Rupie once again puts his money where his mouth should b
have your say