Watch Tesla Autopilot “Predict” a Car Crash Before It Happens

Though we still may be a couple of years away from the flying cars predicted by The Jetsons and so many sci-fi movies, automobile technology is advancing at a mind-blowing rate. In just the past few months, we've heard about new sensors designed to protect the ears of Mercedes drivers in the event of a crash and, of course, the arrival of self-driving vehicles around the world. At the forefront of this technological revolution is Tesla, the Silicon Valley-based automaker that counts Elon Musk among its co-founders.

Earlier this week, footage from a dashboard camera of a Tesla Model X showing Tesla Autopilot, a safety-focused piece of self-driving hardware, was released that appears to show the system alerting the driver to a car accident two cars ahead just seconds before it happens, and automatically slowing down—allowing the driver to narrowly avoid a collision.

Though Tesla has not confirmed the footage, Musk did retweet a post about the story from Elektrek Co. The bigger story, of course, is how bringing this kind of technology to the masses could improve road safety and reduce accidents. For now, we'll just have to wait and see who's the better driver: technology or humans.

[h/t: Elektrek]

Source: Watch Tesla Autopilot "Predict" a Car Crash Before It Happens

Strange things in science fiction on the verge of existence

We've seen cloaking in iconic media like Ghost in the Shell and The Avengers, and of course the Predator franchise is infamous for the cloaking technology the Predator uses to hunt prey. We've even seen it used in Harry Potter, because the ability to turn totally invisible is exactly the kind of power you give to an adolescent boy.

As for real-life, while an invisibility cloak is not yet in production, cloaking technology has been in its nascent stage for the better part of three years. Scientists in the UK, in particular, have begun the first leaps toward unlocking the secret of cloaking technology. The science behind it is weird, complicated, and would probably take an entire academic career to explain, but in short: it uses optics and metamaterials to bend light away from the object, rendering it invisible to the naked eye.

While no prototype's been developed, the theory is there, it makes realistic sense, and that's more than enough to make it count. We hope to see this technology reach maturity and become available within the next ten years, but if pop culture is anything to go by, the military will get first dibs, leaving us to wait twenty or so years before we can get our hands on it. That is, presuming we survive the Great Invisible Nuclear War of 2040.

Source: Strange things in science fiction on the verge of existence

Uber's Plans For Flying Cars, 3-D Printed Vehicles, And Making A Smarter City (R)

Once every water and gas meter, light pole, park bench, and parking spot is collecting statistics, just how do you turn all that data into useful information? Allowing access to everyone who wants to see and analyze that data can lead to amazing things, and can change people's relationships with their city.

Guests:

Source: Uber's Plans For Flying Cars, 3-D Printed Vehicles, And Making A Smarter City (R)

Flying Cars, Autonomous Trucks, and More: WIRED’s Best Transportation Videos of 2016

Over the last twelve months, WIRED's transport team has witnessed the birth of an airliner, the rebirth of a motoring icon, and the death of the human driver (well not quite). We spent the year uncovering the technology behind the trends shaping the future of how people move, and taking you behind the scenes at the companies and communities making that happen. To cap off 2016, here are eleven of our favorite video stories, showcasing everything from extreme street design to a shape-changing car, from a blind man "driving" to a truck hauling beer all by itself.

Source: Flying Cars, Autonomous Trucks, and More: WIRED's Best Transportation Videos of 2016

VR Goggles for PAL-V Flying Car

We all would love to own a flying car in the future. There are a bunch of companies already working on these ideas. PAL-V Liberty has three wheels and rotor blades that fold away on top of it. It aims to be a road and air-legal flying car. You will need proper training before using such a car. This video shows how customers can view their car with VR goggles.

Pretty cool, don't you think?

[Source]

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Source: VR Goggles for PAL-V Flying Car

The Flying Scotsman review: should we have stuck with steam?

It was a close-run thing, with a red signal against them, where the big wheels slow to less-than walking pace, combined with a couple of less than satisfactory water trough pickups, but they pushed on anyway.

"It's absolutely fatal to do this sort of exercise if one's going to do one's nut every time something goes wrong," said a beaming Pegler, "it's the exception when things go without a hitch."

She smashed it, steaming creamily into Waverley Station 30 minutes under the record-breaking time, albeit with a lighter load. Like all great documentaries, it's as much about the people as it is the machine, but 4472 was and is movingly magnificent.

"There's a feeling you are being pulled, not by a mechanical box on wheels, but by something pulsating and alive," said Awdrey.  

At the end of the film, the long shots of the hundreds of scrapped old locos waiting for the gas axe are terrible to behold. Progress takes no prisoners, but it's worth recalling how dangerous, dirty and polluting steam trains were. Nevertheless, we owe Pegler and all the other owners, including Pete Waterman, Sir Alfred McAlpine, Tony Marchington and the NRM - together with the legions of talented engineers and staff who have also served sometimes against almost insurmountable financial and technical odds to keep 4472 on the rails - a huge debt of gratitude.

As one 1968 spectator put it: "A nation that forgets its past has no future."

Peep, peeeeeeeep to that.

THE FACTS

LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman

Configuration: 4-6-2

Gauge: 4ft 8½in standard gauge

Length: 70ft

Height: 13ft

Weight: 96.25 tons

Cylinders: Three

Boiler pressure: 220lb in2

Firebox heating surface: 215ft2

Tractive effort, 85 per cent boiler pressure: 32,909lb

Power: 1,435 max drawbar horsepower, 2,921 max cylinder horsepower

More classic 'car' stories

Skoda Favorit: London to Prague in Europe's finest motorcar 

Source: The Flying Scotsman review: should we have stuck with steam?

Our self-flying car future

When I was young, I remember tuning in with my brother for the Sunday morning cartoons and watching reruns of the Jetson family going about in their flying car. That was the golden era for science fiction. Hollywood was filled with movies like Blade Runner, Back to the Future, Star Wars and The Fifth Element. These movies promised us futuristic worlds full of wonderful tech.

It seems like we've achieved that future in many ways. Everybody now has a super transmitter in their pocket, allowing them to communicate instantly with anyone else on the planet. We've mapped the human genome, made most of the human knowledge freely accessible at one's fingertips and hell, we're even making plans to colonize Mars. But despite all of this, one part is missing. There are still no flying cars in sight. They can't be so hard to make, right?

The forgotten history of flying cars

Believe it or not, flying cars have been around for more than 70 years. Ever since Jules Verne introduced the idea in his 1904 Master of the World novel, generations of engineers have tried to make flying cars happen. In 1940, Henry Ford predicted that a combination of airplane and motorcar was coming. At the time, both the car and the plane were becoming cheaper, better and saw massive adoption. A combination of the two was thought to be inevitable. It turns out Ford was right. Just a few years after his announcement, aeronautical engineer Ted Hall came out with the first fully functioning flying car.

What you just watched is a 70-year-old video of a fully working flying car. The vehicle was a combination of a road car and attachable wings. It was backed by Convair, a major airplane manufacturer at the time, and had a total of 66 successful test flights. With just a few minor adjustments, it promised to become a huge commercial success. But in 1947, a crash landing during a test flight led Convair to back out. The project, judged to be too dangerous, was eventually shut down, along with Hall's dream of a flying car in every garage.

Since then, there have been countless attempts at building flying cars. None of them made it beyond the prototype phase. However, what's most remarkable about the idea of the flying car is how enduring it is. Despite a history of failures and setbacks, every generation of engineers have been, and still are, captivated by the idea.

Ultimately, the reason we don't have flying cars isn't technological or cost limitations.

Today, companies like Terrafugia, AeroMobil and Moller International are actively pushing the dream forward. You probably have never heard of them, but all of these companies have actual, workingflying car prototypes.

AeroMobil's latest prototype, aptly named, the AeroMobil 3.0

Dude, where's my flying car?

As we've seen, the technology for flying cars has been around for decades, and even today, companies are working on them. So why are there still no flying cars in sight?

In a word: humans.

As I covered before, humans are horrible drivers. In the U.S., cars cause about 30,000 deaths per year, costing $871 billion dollars in the process. Think of the worst driver you know. Now imagine that person flying a two-ton death machine. How would that make you feel?

Public adoption of flying cars would be a death warrant for every single building in the world. Modern buildings have been designed to sustain normal car crashes (which happen all the time), but not flying ones. In the air, a mere collision with another car could send both vehicles crashing to the ground. Who would want to live in a world where flying metal can fall on your head at any time?

Ultimately, the reason we don't have flying cars isn't technological or cost limitations. It's because most human beings are way too unreliable to fly anything.

Enters driverless tech

This is where it gets interesting: We've already solved the problem of unreliable human beings with self-driving cars.

Self-driving cars are real. All of the biggest tech companies are working on them, and it is only a matter of time until we see Google-like cars everywhere. While self-driving cars are neat, they are not nearly as fascinating as their potential successor: self-flying cars.

"How can a computer be smart enough to fly a vehicle?" you might ask.

It turns out, it is much easier to build driverless tech for flying vehicles than regular cars. In the air, there are no pedestrians, potholes, construction sites or any other obstacles that give computers a headache. This is why driverless tech has been first developed for airplanes and has now been used in airfare for decades. Recent advances in sensors, computing and AI are making human pilots almost unnecessary. Today, pilots fly, on average, between 3.5 and 7 minutes per flight. While pilots' income used to compare to lawyers and doctors, the entry salary for new pilots in the U.S. can now go as low as $10.75 per hour. There has been a lot of talk about how automation is taking out taxi and truck driving jobs. Pilots are no exception.

To sum things up, safety is the main issue with flying cars, and driverless tech is the key to solving that problem. So, who is working on that?

The usual suspects

In the last years, three major players in the Valley have raised strong interest in flying vehicles. All of them are currently working on driverless technology. Oh, and they also have very deep pockets, access to the best engineers in the world and a history of making seemingly impossible ideas happen. They are Travis Kalanick, Larry Page and Elon Musk.

Last month, Uber published a 98-page white paper explaining their vision for our flying-car future. The paper, summarized here, describes a concrete plan to expand their business toward a global, shared, on-demand aviation service within the next 10 years. In short: Picture the Uber app, but for driverless, flying vehicles.

Beyond Uber, Larry Page also has a big interest in flying cars. In the past years, he has secretly invested more than a $100 million in two flying car startups, Zee.Aero and Kitty Hawk. Zee.Aero is currently testing its prototype at the Hollister Municipal Airport, where people have reported seeing weird vehicles taking off and landing. Kitty Hawk is a bit more secretive, but interestingly enough, it is run by Sebastian Thrun, the former head of Google's self-driving car program.

Picture the Uber app, but for driverless, flying vehicles.

As for Musk, well, he doesn't quite believe in the idea of a flying car. Not because they would be too hard to make, mind you, but because he thinks there are more efficient ways of traveling between cities, such as the Hyperloop. However, for long distance travel, he thinks that electric aircraft are the way to go. In several interviews, he mentioned that his next big idea is a supersonic electric jet. In fact, he already has a design, and if no one else does it, he might start yet another company to make it happen.

What's interesting about these projects is that they have one point in common: their design. Indeed, Uber, Page and Musk's projects are about electric, human-carrying vehicles that can take off and land vertically. That last part is important.

VTOLs, aka drones for humans

You could argue that the flying cars shown so far are, at best, an awkward and overly expensive combination of a plane and a car —  the resulting vehicle being much worse than the sum of its parts. This is because planes and cars are meant for very different purposes, and merging the two means making terrible compromises. Ultimately, you would be better off buying a plane and a car separately.

To solve this design problem, we first need to let go of the idea that a flying car should look like a plane or a car. I've covered how we have the bad tendency to apply old solutions to new technology, and why ground-breaking products usually require a new design approach. This is exactly what we're getting with VTOLs.

VTOLs stands for Vertical Take Off and Landing vehicles. In short, the same technology that made possible today's drone revolution will enable our future, human-carrying flying cars. Forget wings and wheels; we're talking about the Jetson type of flying car. Picture DJI's drones, but for people.

If driverless tech was the key to making flying cars safe, drone tech is the key to making them simple and ready for mass production.

Beyond looking silly, strapping plane wings to a car is a flawed idea in many ways. Wings mean the vehicle has to take off horizontally, which is dangerous, cumbersome and requires a lot of space. By switching to vertical thrusters, the vehicle can achieve a high altitude much faster, which saves a lot of energy. With such a design, you can strip the vehicle of its most dangerous, movables parts, such as the wings, the tail and elevators. The resulting design is simpler, safer and easier to mass produce.

We need to let go of the idea that a flying car should look like a plane or a car.

Another key part of the design is the electric motor. Beyond this being great for the environment, electricity is the most logical option for VTOLs. Because they don't require as many moving parts, electric motors are much easier to produce than combustion engines. They are also way more energy-efficient, easier to maintain, less likely to break down mid-flight and can't explode in case of impact. Electric motors also enable having multiple asynchronized thrusters. If one thruster fails, the others can instantly adjust to compensate and land safely. Finally, electricity has the huge benefit of being silent. This is a big distinguishing factor between VTOLs and helicopters. In their paper, Uber estimates that, during take-off, the VTOL's noise will be comparable to the city's background noise. During flight, it should be barely audible.

Your daily, flying commute

Who has ever dreamed about, while being stuck in traffic, pressing a big red button, soaring up in the air and flying over all the other suckers? Eliminating traffic is the dream and the promise of flying cars.

Just like skyscrapers allowed cities to use limited land more efficiently, urban air transportation will use three-dimensional airspace to alleviate transportation congestion on the ground  —  Jeff Holden, Uber's CPO

As I mentioned before, traffic his a huge burden for our society. In the U.S. alone, traffic wastes about $124 billion annually. One of the biggest causes of traffic is the lack of infrastructure. Our highways were never designed to sustain today's amount of commuters. With VTOLs, that won't be a problem anymore. Their mainstream adoption would massively reduce the need for roads, rails, bridges and tunnels. In addition to being great news for the environment, this would mean hundreds of billions of dollars in potential infrastructure savings.

Furthermore, not being bound to infrastructure also means saving a lot of time. Trains, buses and cars can only go from A to B in limited and sometimes inefficient ways. Roads are constantly exposed to interruptions, such as car crashes or construction work. Flying, on the other hand, means being able to travel in a straight line, which is the shortest distance between you and your destination. In addition, being able to take off and land vertically is a huge advantage over current aircraft because you aren't dependent on airports and runways anymore. Just take off near home, and land next to your destination. Again, less infrastructure required, more time saved.

In its paper, Uber estimates long-distance commute as the best initial use-case for VTOLS. Ultimately, with mass production, they believe VTOLs could be cheaper than owning a car. For example, a 2-hour 12-minute drive from San Francisco to San Jose could eventually be a 15-minute, $20 ride in a VTOL. Pretty good.

The road ahead Flying cars still have a long way to go. In its white paper, Uber underlines the major challenges needed to make them a reality. For starters, even if they don't require any pilots, new flying vehicles need to comply with FAA regulations, which will likely take a long time. Furthermore, there are still concerns about costs and safety, and the battery technology isn't quite there yet. In its white paper, Uber presents how it plans to address those concerns and achieve public adoption of VTOLs within the next 10 years.

In From Zero to One, Peter Thiel presents the controversial idea that we don't live in an innovative world anymore. He argues that, while the industrial revolution saw massive innovations such as electricity, home appliances, skyscrapers, cars, airplanes, etc., today's innovation is mostly confined to IT and communication. As Thiel puts it, our smartphones distract us from the fact that our lifestyle has remained strangely unchanged since the 1950s.

I would propose that is not the case anymore. At least, not in transportation. Recent projects such as the self-driving car, the Hyperloop and reusable rockets prove that innovation is alive and well. And now, on-demand shared flying cars promise to democratize air travel the same way the car once democratized ground transportation. Ultimately, this means better, faster, cheaper, safer and environmentally friendlier mobility for all.

Flying cars might still have a long road ahead of them, but it doesn't matter. Because Marty, where we're going, we don't need roads.

Featured Image: CurvaBezi/Getty Images
Source: Our self-flying car future

Final Fantasy 15 guide: get EXP and AP fast, ascension tips, flying car unlock and more

Ten years in the making, FF15 is finally here, and we've got all the help you'll need.

It's been a very long time coming indeed, but the fifteenth entry in the Final Fantasy series is here. After a very long and rather intense development period the game is finally in your hands – and for the first time in the series it features a sprawling open-world area with loads to do.

Lots to do inevitably means there's going to be a number of questions, especially in an RPG of this scope. Thankfully we're here, and we've already pumped a good 60-plus hours into the game while crafting our review. There aren't many so well poised to fill you in as to things you should know, and so we've started crafting this, our guide to things we think the average FF15 player is going to want to know.

Rather than a complete walkthrough of every single aspect of FF15, we figure we'll at least for now let you figure out that stuff yourself. Instead, we're building very in-depth pages on specific topics that we think from our experience with the game some players will be scratching their heads over.

So – before you jump in to your quest to reclaim the throne of Lucis and the city of Insomnia, here's some stuff you should keep in mind.

Final Fantasy 15 guide: tips & strategies for beginners

As with any RPG worth its salt, Final Fantasy 15 has quite a lot going on. There are a ton of interlocking systems – some of them plain in their utility, some not quite so kind to the player in explaining what they do.

Here are our tips for beginners on how to get to grips with the game in general, plus how to power yourself up right and do it quickly.

Final Fantasy 15 guide: the best skills to unlock in the ascension grid early on

It doesn't really matter if you're just starting out or if you're a more experienced player who has simply hit a brick wall of indecisiveness – Final Fantasy 15's character progression is full of choice and as a result can sometimes be rather paralysing. These are some must-have skills to make your early choices easier.

Final Fantasy 15 guide: how to level up quickly

Final Fantasy 15 features all the EXP and level-up based shenanigans you'd expect for a big-budget, large-scale RPG, though it does take something of an interesting approach to how experience works in the game. Allow us to guide you through how to make the most of these mechanics.

Final Fantasy 15 guide: how to get AP quickly to unlock new abilities

Experience Points and levelling up are one thing, but Final Fantasy 15's character progression is actually divided into two distinct segments. The first is levelling up, which we've already covered in detail. The second is AP and the Ascension Menu – an important system to understand and correctly exploit if you want to get the most out of the game.

Final Fantasy 15 guide: secrets and other hidden details

Hidden away deep in parts of FF15 are some features that aren't exactly made obvious but are pretty damn important either way.

Final Fantasy 15 guide: how to get FF15's airship, the flying car

Final Fantasy 15's airship takes the form of a flying car, the Regalia Type-F. The Regalia is with you all game, of course, but you're able to upgrade it, changing its look to be a little more slick and then rather impressively making it into a full-on Final Fantasy airship that can fly all around the Lucis portion of FF15's game map. Here's how you get it.

Final Fantasy 15 guide: where to find all the optional Royal Arms

Final Fantasy 15's main story introduces you to the concept of Royal Arms, powerful weapons that once beloved to the long-dead kings of Lucis. Across the course of the story you'll be given a few in a compulsory manner, but there's actually far more than the game points you to out there for you to find in the world. We've listed them all here – compulsory and optional – so you can make sure you gather all of the weapons.

Final Fantasy 15 guide: how to unlock those pesky dungeon doors

If you've been getting stuck in to FF15, chances are you've spent a decent amount of time in its amazing dungeons. If you've done that and made your way all the end to a few of these dungeons, you've probably found a mysterious door. How do they open? What's inside? Allow us to explain…

Source: Final Fantasy 15 guide: get EXP and AP fast, ascension tips, flying car unlock and more

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Source: Private charter grounded for flying with Rs 3.5 crore in old notes

Did Uber Just Revived the Future of Flying Cars?

Image credit: Comicbook.com

As a teenager in the late 90s and the 2000s, films such as The Fifth Element have engraved into my mind that the future of transportation includes flying cars. Added with popular shows such as The Jetsons, Star Wars and especially Back to The Future 2, most of us were expecting to see flying cars as the conventional mode of transportation by 2015. However, I am writing this in November 2016 and flying cars are nowhere to be seen. Though many corporations tried to realise this, the flying car concept never took off.

The future of transportation today looks more like hybrid or electric vehicles (EV) with battery charging stations replacing the conventional use of fossil fuels, ride hailing or ride sharing services with self-driving cars and the like. The reality of flying cars is fading away. Until recently , in a surprise white paper by Uber, the world's leading ride hailing service is looking (very serious) in realising air transportation for the mass public.

Flying Cars – A Practical Solution of the Future?

The introduction to Uber's white paper began by fascinating readers with the following words:

Imagine traveling from San Francisco's Marina to work in downtown San Jose—a drive that would normally occupy the better part of two hours—in only 15 minutes. What if you could save nearly four hours round-trip between São Paulo's city center and the suburbs in Campinas? Or imagine reducing your 90-plus minute stop-and-go commute from Gurgaon to your office in central New Delhi to a mere six minutes.

The white paper then went on to expound on estimated money and productive hours each of us wasted as we commute in a daily basis. The solution? A futuristic flying car called the VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) that provides a rapid yet reliable tr ansportation between suburbs and cities and, inter-city travels.

Image credit: The Verge

But like myself, most of you might ask: If our predecessors have failed to realise the possibility of flying cars, what is Uber doing different from them to ensure the same fate would not happen?

According to Uber, they believe this will work as new technologies will enable us to create a lighter, rechargeable electric powered vehicle that will be 15 decibels quieter than helicopters and much more cost efficient. Flying up to 100 miles on a single charge (up to 150 mph), Uber has plans to inspire and partner with multiple corporations to create a new transportation service with pilots and soon with autonomous pilots.

Unlike its predecessors, Uber is willing t o collaborate and partner with interested parties who sees the same vision as them. But Uber also made it clear their goal isn't to design and build its own flying cars but rather to "contribute to the nascent but growing VTOL ecosystem and to start to play whatever role is most helpful to accelerate this industry's development" said Jeff Holden, Uber's product chief.

Is Society Ready to Embrace Flying Cars?

Image credit: Popular Mechanics

As visionary the flying car concept can be, success in realising the new transport is determined by the acceptance by society, which is vital in creating demand. This is a hurdle that Uber has to overcome to achieve success. Such as the state of autonomous cars today, society and legislators are not ready to accept the new technology as it was not able to gain the trust of people with its recent bad press.

Just as how Uber began its service in 2009, its successes was achieved by understanding the frustrations experienced by many, determining the problem and filling in the gap with a great solution. And that frustration experienced by many are the number of hours lost by millions around the world in their daily commuting.

Their research revealed that the average San Francisco resident spends about 230 hours commuting between work and home. Which means that about half a million hours of productivity is lost every single day and this a similar trend in other countries as well (or probably worst in less developed countries). Added with the advantage that Uber's ride hailing service was met with positive acceptance in each every continent, from the Americas all way till Southeast Asia, Uber's reputation and collaboration to realise the possibility of flying cars should be met with positive response.

Uber also predicts that it will be much easier to gain the approval of society with autonomous flying cars as the auto pilot systems is widely used by commercial pilots today and have earned much credibility.

Though we're not expecting to see flying cars by next year, suffice to say that it might be a conventional method of travel within 20 years. Mind you, the smartphone phenomenon began about 10 years ago, and we can hardly survive a day without it now. The same thing might just happen with flying cars.

Source: Did Uber Just Revived the Future of Flying Cars?

'Girls just need to know that you can': 9-year-old dreamer on STEM, discovery

This video is part of The Southern Girls Project, an ongoing effort exploring the lives of girls in the South today.

Matilda Saulnier, a 9-year-old from Mid-City, is a seasoned member of Electric Girls, a local nonprofit empowering girls in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Matilda dreams of pushing boundaries of discovery in STEM.

"I always wondered, in the future, if we'd have flying cars, or have propellers on cars, or solar-powered wings," Matilda said. "Sometimes I get out a paper and draw out my ideas."

She hopes to do what no person has done before, so that other girls will realize that STEM isn't limited to men. In 2016, the National Science Board reported that women count for half of the total U.S. college-educated workforce, but only 29 percent of the science and engineering workforce.

"It's always men that do science, men that do sports, but I think it's good for girls to do it," Matilda said. 

Matilda said she feels empowered by the skills she's acquired through Electric Girls. One of her favorite pastimes is sharing with other girls what she has learned.

"It makes me feel independent. It makes me feel strong," she said. "Girls just need to know that you can."

- Video and story by Taylor Galmiche, a recent Loyola University graduate and Southern girl from Picayune, Miss., for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune.

Do you know a girl we should talk to, or want to find out more about The Southern Girls Project? Email us at southerngirlsproject@nola.com or click here for more information. The project is a collaboration with journalists throughout the South: See other work on the "Rebelle" Tumblr page.  

Source: 'Girls just need to know that you can': 9-year-old dreamer on STEM, discovery

Driver and residents cheat death as ‘flying’ car smashes into home’s conservatory

WANNA SEE MY WRECK-STENSION?

Amazingly the only casualty inside was a Santa figure that lost its hat - even the family's Christmas tree kept its baubles

A SMASHED car lies embedded in a conservatory after the driver lost control.

The elderly motorist lost control of his Nissan Note, which then flew through the air before crashing into the back of the house and becoming embedded at a 45 degree angle.

Cascade News

The elderly motorist lost control of his car and crashed into the back of the house

Amazingly the only casualty inside was a Santa figure that lost its hat.

Even the family's Christmas tree was left standing with baubles intact following the impact.

The unnamed 73-year-old driver emerged from the wreckage unscathed.

Leanne Rigg, 25, was sat at the family computer when the car hit the home in Askam, Cumbria.

Cascade News

The red Nissan Note was left embedded at an angle of 45-degrees

Ben Lack Photography Ltd

Entry wound… where the car entered the property

Cascade News

Exit wound… after the car was removed

Cascade News

Damage… despite the violent impact, no injuries were reported

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She said: "It felt like an earthquake.

"The whole house just shook.

"I went out to the conservatory to have a look and was just shocked."

Miss Rigg dialled 999 before turning her attention to the driver, who had managed to climb out of the vehicle.

Grandpa crashes car filled with 12,000 litres of coke to get rid of rust
Source: Driver and residents cheat death as 'flying' car smashes into home's conservatory

Would You Buy a Car That is Also a Helicopter?

Well, the PAL-V Flying Car just might be the best way to get around.

In the past, everyone thought by this century, flying cars would be reality. Well, maybe they are now.

The PAL-V Flying Car shared in a video by Rockets Are Cool on Facebook is a three-wheeled tilting car for the road. It then becomes a gyrocopter that will take you out of traffic and into the blue skies above. This Personal Air and Land Vehicle (PAL-V) might be the future of travel.

Would you buy the PAL-V Flying Car? You certainly will be the envy of your friends.

NEXT: THIS EXTREME WEATHER TENT IS BUILT TO SAVE LIVES

Source: Would You Buy a Car That is Also a Helicopter?

Chris Grayling sent cyclist flying with his car door, video shows

Video footage has emerged of the transport secretary, Chris Grayling, knocking over a cyclist and sending his bicycle crashing into a lamppost, in an incident that left the rider in a state of shock by the roadside.

The film obtained by the Guardian shows Grayling swinging open the door of his ministerial car as it sat in traffic outside the Palace of Westminster and the unfortunate Jaiqi Liu attempted to cycle by.

Grayling sent Liu flying and his bicycle crashing into a lamppost, leaving him dazed and bruised on the pavement. Liu said his bike sustained a damaged wheel, brakes, mudguard and lost its lights.

The transport secretary left his car immediately to speak to the shaken cyclist and check on his wellbeing, apologising and putting a hand on Liu's shoulders as he sat up on the floor.

Liu said he was in shock and became aware of the pain later. "One thing he did say was that I was cycling too fast, which was not true," Liu said. "That made me really upset. He made out it was my fault."

Passersby recovered the bike. After asking if he was all right, and watching him return slowly to his feet, Grayling shook Liu's hand.

Footage shows that Grayling then left the scene. Liu says he did so without leaving any name or details, less than two minutes after the collision.

Liu said he reported the incident, which occurred just before 6pm on 12 October, to the Metropolitan police, still not knowing who had been in the car.

Liu, 35, works at the World Bank and is a regular cyclist who has not had an accident before or since. He said he suffered pain to his back, legs and head after the incident. He said that Grayling ignored the state of his bike, which he had to check in for repairs.

Liu said: "It's my first and only accident and it came out of the blue. Definitely he should stay a bit longer to check on me. But maybe he had something more important than this to rush to."

Footage shows Grayling was accompanied by his fellow transport minister Paul Maynard, who left the scene, while Simon Jones, a former Conservative parliamentary candidate and now special adviser to Grayling, is seen watching the scene unfold as he puts his identity badge in his jacket pocket.

Liu said he did not expect police to investigate, but he had wanted the incident to be logged in case his injuries proved more serious. "Also," he said, "I think it's important to report all these incidents to the police so they are recorded, and they can make the roads safer."

The footage came from a camera mounted on the handlebars of a bike belonging to Laurence de Hoest, a cyclist who was just behind Liu when he was hit.

De Hoest, a business analyst, said he was concerned about the conditions cyclists face. "I ride into London every day and I've had a couple of close calls," he said, "so I record everything. This is the minister of transport and here he is swinging his door out."

He added that the incident, which occurred on a stretch of road 20 metres before a cycle lane is restored, showed that "your cycle lane is only as good as your weakest link. We need to make sure they are properly connected".

De Hoest said he was concerned that the transport secretary was insufficiently alert to the risks that his policies, as well as actions, posed.

He too was unaware of Grayling's identity at the time of the incident, but sent the video to the Guardian after seeing the minister in an interview reported in Cycling Weekly earlier this month, where Grayling had complained that cycle lanes in London "cause too much of a problem for road users". The minister added: "Motorists in London have got to be immensely careful of cyclists."

Liu, having learned who Grayling is, told the Guardian: "And he says cycle lanes are the problem, which makes me angry. If he is still in the position to make cities safer for cyclists, he needs to do something."

A spokesperson for Grayling said: "This was an unfortunate accident. Mr Grayling got out of the car, checked the cyclist was OK and waited until he was back on his feet. Mr Grayling spoke to the cyclist and apologised; they shook hands before he left."

Source: Chris Grayling sent cyclist flying with his car door, video shows

Flying cars– what if we saw them in reality?

Flying cars, we've seen them in books, in movies, on television, and in our imaginations. But what if we saw them in reality? The flying car has been a dream of many because of the ability to travel faster, and the fun of just owning one. That being declared should the technology of enabling our automobiles to hover around the sky, be welcomed to society, or should the idea not proceed and remain fantasy?

The first time I was introduced to flying cars I was watching the iconic sci-fi film "Back to the Future." The movie blew my mind leading to questions, curiosity, and where I can get one. But that was years ago when I was younger. When I re-watched the movie, I already knew that the ability of making cars fly was just a movie magic, but my awareness of today's technology made me think, "Flying cars can be possible, just need the proper tools". With the thought in my head, I asked my friends of what it would be like to have our automobiles hover around the sky; all responses were the same; "It would be cool, but is really needed?" Means to say, how would flying cars would impact the world.

When cars were first introduced to the world, it brought luxury, improvement of transportation, and freedom. Henry Ford's assembly line of the Model T had a huge impact, revolutionizing automobile manufacturing. It motivated the car industry to innovate the idea of the assembly line since it minimized the amount of time to make cars. And for the buyers, well, what do you expect, they bought a Model T of their own and drove with thrill and excitement.

Besides being able to accelerate off the ground and into the clouds, how would flying cars be manufactured? Will it have the same impact as Ford's assembly line or make a bigger mark in history? And does the world really need it?

The thought of having flying cars have been popular long before, in the early 1900's. It began in 1917 with Glenn Curtiss who made something similar to a flying car called the Autoplane. It had three 40-feet wings with a four-bladed propeller at its rear. Sadly, even with its features of flight, the Autoplane only made a few hops.

Next was the 1937 Wildo Waterman's hybrid Studebaker Aircraft, the Arrowbile. This rear propellered, three-wheeled car had 100-horse power. But the lack of money declined the project to proceed. Another one was in 1946, Robert Fulton's, Airphibian. This six-cylinder engined, 150-horse powered vehicle also had the same features as the Aeromobil; drive on ground and fly in the sky. But just as Waterman's flying car, Fulton's didn't proceed because the lack of funding.

After that year there was the ConvAirCar. Gave an hour of flight, and could've been more when it crashed three times. And then there's the Aerocar by Moulton "Molt" Taylor, referred to be the most well-known flying car. It had a 10-foot drive shaft that connected the engine to push the propeller, flied 120 mph and was near marketing. But because of the oil crisis, the project was cancelled, right before it being marketed.

Make no mistake, the flying cars have been made and it will soon join future technology. The Aeromobil 3.0 is a recently made, flying car. The company has been in production since 1989. They've made four versions of the Aeromobil, three being prototypes, and the 4th, which is the 3.0, has been tested and will be ready to go in 2017. The car itself is looks like what you would see on an airplane; wings and wheels. It can be both on ground and air. According to Aeromobil company owner, the main consumer that they'll focus selling the car to are "wealthy supercar buyers," implying that the car will be very expensive, obviously.

The Aeromobil 3.0's top speed when on ground is 99 mph but when on flight mode, its 124 mph. Other features are a steel framework, carbon coating, and a Rotax 912– an aircraft engine.

Attempts of making and marketing the flying car have failed, and maybe the Aeromobil will have the same outcome. What if it's just meant to be? Think about it, some people would just invent their ideas not for the need of it, but for the fun, which is not a bad thing. For example: the pillow pet doesn't do that much good for the world but people still made it for kids and leisure. The flying car isn't a terrible thing to have in this world, as a matter of fact it's pretty cool.

Another example could be smartphones; we have phones to contact people who are out of our reach, then Steve Jobs added other features making it "cooler and fun," such as games, apps, and camera etc. But we never really needed them.

Everyone needs leisure and something to occupy boredom; new ideas are what we need because it ignites the people's mind to challenge themselves in creating new inventions that will just be useful but entertaining for them, and when something new isn't made every generation, life becomes simple and the same. Flying cars are a brilliant idea, and in my opinion they'll be needed in the future when cars get old.

Source: Flying cars– what if we saw them in reality?

Flying Car Outpaces Jet Fighter in BMW Motoring Group Christmas Video

A Lancashire car dealership has flown a dog into space whilst on a test drive. The interstellar journey forms the plot for Lancashire-based Bowker Motor Group's Christmas video. The video footage features singing dogs; a flight around Preston Marina; and, a race with jet fighter.

The flying BMW convertible then escapes into orbit with Magnus – its chauffeur-driven Bernese Mountain Dog passenger.

The lead cast of six dogs is joined by Bowker staff in Blackburn, Preston, and Osbaldeston plus hundreds of local groups and partners.

Clitheroe's GB Pentathlete Samantha Murray; the Sir Tom Finney Soccer Centre, PNE Community and Education Trust and Junior 'Miss Lancashire Galaxy' Cordelia Wood all make cameo appearances.

The video features a karaoke tribute to 80's anthem 'Lovin' Every Minute of It' by Canadian rockers Loverboy.

For Bowker Motor Group, marketing manager Amy Lancaster, said: "This year's Christmas video has been an epic collaboration and our most ambitious video project yet. Fortunately, staff and friends of the dealerships all joined forces. We couldn't have done it without their help.

"We think the result is one of the best ever. We hope everyone enjoys it and has a wonderful Christmas."

PR-Racing motorcycle racing team riders, Kuba and Matej Smrz, made a cameo appearance.

The video was filmed and produced by Preston-based PR agency The Buzz Factory.

Source: Flying Car Outpaces Jet Fighter in BMW Motoring Group Christmas Video

Flying cars are coming, but are we ready?

Airborne police car and taxi, circa 2260, according to The Fifth Element.

I want my flying car. According to Blade Runner, the gritty streets of Los Angeles will be policed by flying vehicles called spinners by 2019. By 2062, to keep up with the Jetsons, every family should have a bubble-topped flying car. The Fifth Element gave us a vision of the future that seems to have become grimier and strangely more retro, but the narrow slices of sky between the towering, dilapidated buildings is filled with flying taxis and cop cars. I'd even settle for a hacked DeLorean, especially if it's tricked-out with a time travel package. For years, we have been asking why the flying cars aren't here yet.

Terrafugia's vision for the future of personal transportation, the TF-X™ is a semi-autonomous four-seat hybrid electric flying car with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities.

Actually, the flying cars are here. And here. The latest concept car from BMW, a futuristic Mini Cooper, even has a transparent, bubble-like top that is eliciting comparison to the vision in the Hanna Barbera classic The Jetsons. (Time travel still appears to be out of reach.) But are we ready for them? Can you imagine your teenager getting a pilot's license? And it will take a lot more power to defy gravity than to power wheels. Where will that come from and how will it affect our energy infrastructure? Do we actually want to let people—including law enforcement—fly at low altitudes overhead? What about privacy? What about the potential that vehicles could be appropriated as weapons by terrorists?

"Mark my words: a combination airplane and motorcar is coming. You may smile, but it will come." (Henry Ford, 1940)

The flying car idea has been around as long as cars, and possibly people dreamed of flying carriages before that (which would certainly have been accompanied by their own hazards!). Henry Ford experimented with small, personal aircraft as early as the 1920s. He hoped to develop a flying car that would be as affordable and widely adopted as his Model T. Unfortunately, the prototypes (really very small, one-seater planes) were not terribly successful, described by Charles Lindbergh as "the worst plane I ever flew." A crash killed the test pilot and put a damper on the program.

Ford's Sky Flivver was a fixed wing aircraft, meaning that it would have had to attain specific forward speeds to remain airborne, which would tend to make taking off, landing, and negotiating a sky full of traffic more complicated. Licensing and regulation were less restrictive in the dawn of aviation, but one would certainly need to be an accomplished pilot to use this type of craft for personal travel. The wingspan would also have made it less realistic for road travel in today's world of congested roads.

Aeromobil expects to bring its first model to market in two to three years. The craft will be street-legal when the wings are folded, and require a pilot's license to fly.

The first models from Aeromobil and Terrefugia will also be more like conventional airplanes, with folding wings and wheels to make them drivable. However, Terrefugia is planning its next generation TF-X to incorporate folding, tiltable propellers, permitting it to takeoff and land vertically, as well as hover and glide. The addition of self-driving technology will simplify the requirements for piloting these craft, as the computer will control most of the decisions about takeoff, flight path, and landing.

The problem is that — despite a near-perfect safety record for semi- and fully-autonomous cars to date — people don't trust them. Are they more likely to trust an autopilot in the sky? And what if concerns about hacking internet-connected driving technology are realized? Flying car manufacturers will have to overcome both perceived and real security concerns in order to court consumers for their new technology.

In the Netherlands, PAL-V has based its flying car on a combination gyroscope and motorcycle.

Power is another issue. The first generation Terrafugia cars have gasoline engines; they are expected to have a range of 400 miles on an 87 liter tank. The next generation will have a hybrid engine, with batteries charging during flight. Other versions of the technology are expected to be fully electric. A lot of progress has been made recently in the technologies needed for reliable electric vehicle operation, including steady advances in battery technology, but batteries are still heavy and their capacity might be expected to be reduced at the lower temperatures experienced during flight. Like other electric vehicles, these cars will represent a non-stationary load on the electric grid, since they might be charged in different locations from one day to the next. If they were to become truly mainstream, this variability would complicate electric power planning and operation.

Moller International is developing the Skycar200, a two-passenger ethanol/electric hybrid vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

Most fuel options are highly volatile, ranging from gasoline to ethanol and hydrogen cells. This means that a fueled aircraft — even a small one — is a potential weapon of destruction, without further alteration. If it can be completely computer-guided, it could perhaps also be programmed to crash land at a specific location, without requiring a suicide pilot. Of course, flying cars will be a lot more expensive than improvised explosives or even crop dusting aircraft for quite some time, so we probably don't have to worry too much about terrorist appropriating them yet.

However, a look at the controversies surrounding the use and potential misuse of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or more colloquially, drones) suggests that we will need to deal with significant legal and policy issues before flying cars become commonplace. Concerns about air rights and privacy will be exacerbated if the public and law enforcement are meeting in three dimensions. The Federal Aviation Administration has been slow to adapt its regulations to deal with the explosion of UAS users, including hobbyists, public safety professionals, and commercial applicants. It is unlikely that the evolutionary rate of bureaucracy will accelerate to cope with flying cars.

The technology for flying cars is coming together, with improvements in materials, batteries, global positioning services, and autonomous navigation. Tough challenges remain in the human systems that will have to be altered before the personal aircraft can really take flight.

Source: Flying cars are coming, but are we ready?

Beware of flying cars and boats that drive

Sam Asano

Writing a business plan on your new invention is tedious regardless how detailed or brief it would be. The important thing is to write the first edition and keep reading it many times to improve it. 

A business based on your invention requires significant time thinking and writing your business plan. Many inventors spend significant time thinking about and building prototypes, but almost no time writing a business plan. They produce a prodigious amount of hand-drawn sketches of the device and try to explain how it works. When asked to show the plan to conduct his business, I often receive replies like "Oh, what's that?"

Now that we have more or less covered the subject of business plans, let's move on to finding problems to which your solution must be found. That is the crux of an invention!

I receive many requests for consultation on inventions from amateur inventors. The majority take almost identical form. "I have an invention, which I believe would become a successful product. I cannot divulge what it is, but would it be possible for you to meet with me and give me some advice?" "I honestly don't know where to go from here and I'd appreciate if you could point me to the right direction."

What's unsaid (or scarcely hidden) under this message is usually: "I don't want to tell you what I have in mind as I am afraid you'd steal it and make money from it. Also, I don't want to pay you any consulting fee because I am not asking any technical questions. I just want to know the general advice, which should be free."

I have am accustomed to this situation and I meet people when my time permits. Through these meetings I have accumulated some basic knowledge as to how to guide amateur inventors so they don't go hog-wild wasting their scant savings before any positive development happens.

So, here is Rule #1: Find a problem. Obviously, the purpose of finding a problem is to find a solution to eliminate it. Do not develop a solution looking for a problem! Human history is riddled with solutions looking for a problem. So much capital has been poured into these projects manned by brilliant scientists and engineers as well as seasoned businessmen, and yet in the end they were abandoned; labeled too expensive, too unreliable, too difficult to operate, too complicated or too expensive to maintain. But, the most striking declaration of death is "nobody wants it."

A prime example of a solution looking for a problem invention is a flying car. Ever since automobiles came into existence, I suppose people have dreamed of developing cars that can also fly. I cannot fathom how much capital has been thrown into the flying car development, but I can only guess it must reach in excess of $10 billion. Even Henry Ford worked on it. Go to YouTube and see "4 Real Flying cars That Actually Fly." Some flying cars look slick and do fly. How much does one have to pay to own one isn't quite clear, but I am sure there is a limited number of wealthy people who could afford one. That's one issue. The drivers, or pilots, must be licensed to fly in accordance with FAA regulations. The flight range is less than 400 miles with an air speed of less than 90 mph, so a 300-mile trip would take 3½ hours. The train or bus would probably get you there in a similar time. Therefore, there isn't a significant time saving by using a flying car.

In terms of cost, less than $200 for Amtrak or a bus cannot be compared with the flying car's sky-high (no pun intended) depreciation expense. So, unless I am going to a destination in the middle of a jungle or wilderness, the trip wouldn't justify. Another problem is that if you are going to a wilderness, you can't use the car part of the flying car as there wouldn't be paved roads.

Years ago there was a car that could also become a boat. It was called Amphicar, a German product. At that time, I was a beginner inventor and was fascinated by the product. The car drove OK, but its performance on the water as a boat was nothing like I had imagined. The product, however, survived for some years, and I am sure some can be purchased today in the vintage car (or boat?) market. The first question the amateur inventor should ask himself is: "Who needs it?"

Shintaro "Sam" Asano was named by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2011 as one of the 10 most influential inventors of the 20th century who improved our lives. He is a businessman and inven­tor in the field of electronics and mechanical systems who is credited as the in­ventor of the portable fax machine. Write to him at sasano@gmail.com.

Source: Beware of flying cars and boats that drive

Did Uber Just Revive The Future Of Flying Cars?

As a teenager in the late 90s and the 2000s, films such as "The Fifth Element" have engraved into my mind that . Added with popular shows such as "The Jetsons", "Star Wars" and especially "Back to The Future 2", most of us were expecting to see flying cars as the conventional mode of transportation by 2015. However, I am writing this in November 2016 and flying cars are nowhere to be seen. Though many corporations tried to realise this, the flying car concept never took off.

The future of transportation today looks more like hybrid or electric vehicles (EV) with battery charging stations replacing the conventional use of fossil fuels, ride hailing or ride sharing services with self-driving cars and the like. Until recently, in a surprise white paper by Uber, the world's leading ride hailing service is looking (very serious) in realising air transportation for the mass public.

Flying Cars – A Practical Solution Of The Future?

The introduction to Uber's white paper began by fascinating readers with the following words:

"Imagine traveling from San Francisco's Marina to work in downtown San Jose — a drive that would normally occupy the better part of two hours — in only 15 minutes. What if you could save nearly four hours round-trip between São Paulo's city center and the suburbs in Campinas? Or imagine reducing your 90-plus minute stop-and-go commute from Gurgaon to your office in central New Delhi to a mere six minutes."

The white paper then went on to expound on estimated money and productive hours each of us wasted as we commute in a daily basis. The solution? A futuristic flying car called the VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) that provides a rapid yet reliable transportation between suburbs and cities and inter-city travels.

But like myself, most of you might ask: If our predecessors have failed to realise the possibility of flying cars, what is Uber doing different from them to ensure the same fate would not happen?

According to Uber, they believe this will work as new technologies will enable us to create a lighter, rechargeable electric-powered vehicle that will be 15 decibels quieter than helicopters and much more cost-efficient. Flying up to 100 miles on a single charge (up to 150 mph), Uber has plans to inspire and partner with multiple corporations to create a new transportation service with pilots and soon with autonomous pilots.

Unlike its predecessors, Uber is willing to collaborate and partner with interested parties who sees the same vision as them. But Uber also made it clear their goal isn't to design and build its own flying cars but rather to "contribute to the nascent but growing VTOL ecosystem and to start to play whatever role is most helpful to accelerate this industry's development," said Jeff Holden, Uber's product chief.

Is Society Ready to Embrace Flying Cars?

As visionary the flying car concept can be, success in realising the new transport is determined by the acceptance by society, which is vital in creating demand. This is a hurdle that Uber has to overcome to achieve success. Such as the state of autonomous cars today, society and legislators are not ready to accept the new technology as it was not able to gain the trust of people with its recent bad press.

Just as how Uber began its service in 2009, its successes was achieved by understanding the frustrations experienced by many, determining the problem and filling in the gap with a great solution. And that frustration experienced by many are the number of hours lost by millions around the world in their daily commuting.

Their research revealed that the average San Francisco resident spends about 230 hours commuting between work and home. Which means that about half a million hours of productivity is lost every single day and this a similar trend in other countries as well (or probably worst in less developed countries). Added with the advantage that Uber's ride hailing service was met with positive acceptance in each every continent, from the Americas all way till Southeast Asia, Uber's reputation and collaboration to realise the possibility of flying cars should be met with positive response.

Uber also predicts that it will be much easier to gain the approval of society with autonomous flying cars as the auto pilot systems is widely used by commercial pilots today and have earned much credibility.

Though we're not expecting to see flying cars by next year, suffice to say that it might be a conventional method of travel within 20 years. Mind you, the smartphone phenomenon began about 10 years ago, and we can hardly survive a day without it now. The same thing might just happen with flying cars.

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Source: Did Uber Just Revive The Future Of Flying Cars?

Underground Car Tubes

PLP Architecture's CarTube concept is a reversal of old-fashioned futurist imaginings. Decades ago, one of the staples of an imagined future was the flying car. The logic behind such a vehicle was practical, if also grandiose: cars that can fly will relieve traffic on the ground, making cities less congested. While flying cars haven't yet panned out, the CarTube concept uses the same logic.

PLP Architecture's idea is to build a series of underground tubes with automated, moving tracks and numerous entry and exit points. The system could run under roads, freeing up space and clearing congestion.

The CarTube concept is designed specifically for electric vehicles. This is because electric vehicles have virtually no harmful emissions, whereas gas-powered cars' exhausts would get trapped underground and could lead to poor air quality or even suffocation.

Source: Underground Car Tubes

What Do Flying Cars and Drones Have in Common? More Than You Think

Drones have been around for seemingly forever, but as the technology gets more refined, battery life gets longer and regulations become friendlier, they've gone from geek to chic. The potential boons to the global economy are tremendous, and seemingly every sector can benefit -- including those currently out of reach.

Anthony Foxx, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, has shown himself to be in favor of using drones in as-yet-unrealized ways.

"The potential benefits of these breakthrough technologies are remarkable -- according to one study, the expansion of commercial drones alone could add $82 billion in economic value over the next 10 years and by 2025 employ an additional 100,000 Americans," Foxx wrote in a June 2016 post on the White House's official blog.

All areas of the economy could benefit from having a technology that can go into areas difficult or expensive for human beings to navigate. And as an investor, it's important to take advantage of that.

"Whenever there are new technologies that people begin to understand the vast impact on the global economy, investors want to get into it," said Andrew Chanin, CEO of PureFunds, which has $900 million in assets under management. "Drones have been around for decades, but we're starting to see the convergence of other industries that are far reaching, so it warrants attention."

PureFunds has an ETF, the Drone Economy Strategy ETF (IFLY) , which takes advantage of this trend. Chanin said it invests in companies that are pure play trends on the space such as French-based Parrot, which makes consumer-focused drones; AeroVironment (AVAV) , which has government contracts; and a number of other  companies linked to the drone space.

Source: What Do Flying Cars and Drones Have in Common? More Than You Think

Skype Co-Founder Invests 10 Million in a Flying Car That Can Travel More Than 250 KM/H

In Brief

Lilium Aviation's current flying car prototype has a maximum speed of 250 to 300 km/h (160 to 190 mph).

Several other companies are trying to bring flying cars to the market, but must first overcome regulation issues and safety concerns.

Pumping Money Into Flying Cars

Flying cars might not have the most beautiful exteriors, nor are they the safest form of transportation, but for Atomico, a European venture firm, that doesn't matter. They're betting flying cars will take-off, not only literally but financially as well.

It's faith in this technology that has the venture firm investing 10 million euros in Lilium Aviation, a start-up aviation company that plans on bringing flying cars into reality.

The company's current prototype is the forth in a line of attempts. It boasts a lightweight frame that has a take-off weight of around 600 kilograms with a maximum payload of 200 kilograms. It's able to fly by using VTOL technology, which is also seen in some military fighter jets.

Instead of giant engines though, the flying car is able to lift-off vertically using 36 "directable, ducted electric fans." The vehicle is able to achieve flight by slowly turning the fans horizontally, with the wings and the fuselage generating aerodynamic lift. It has a maximum speed of 250 to 300 km/h (160 to 190 mph).

Credit: Lilium Aviation Bringing Flying Cars to Consumers

The flying car industry may not be taking off in the near future, what with several challenges standing in its way, including regulation issues and safety concerns. Lilium is confident however: "we looked into, when we designed the plane, that we can certify the plane with existing legislation," says Daniel Wiegand from Lilium Aviation in TechCrunch.

It also has not stopped several other companies that are planning to bring flying cars to the market. Chinese company eHang has already unveiled a drone that can transport passengers. Other companies like Aeromobil and Terrafugia have opted for a more conventional flying car design – slapping wings onto an aerodynamic car/fuselage on wheels.

Whatever the best approach, flying cars are getting a lot of attention from investors that see their potential to reshape the future of transport. Who knows, traffic might become a thing of the past, as Lilium claims.

Source: Skype Co-Founder Invests 10 Million in a Flying Car That Can Travel More Than 250 KM/H

European Flying Car Company Receives $10 Million Investment

Flying cars have been zipping through our science fiction films and TV shows for decades, but in the real world they've yet to take off. It's not that the technology isn't there—flying cars that utilize vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) technology have been a possibility for years. But there are many roadblocks, like safety and cost, that have prevented them from becoming mainstream. Despite all the barriers, at least one group of venture capitalists still believes that flying cars are the future. As TechCrunch reports, the venture firm Atomico is investing €10 million (about $10.7 million) in a German vertical take-off and landing plane developer called Lilium Aviation.

Lilium cites several reasons why their concept will succeed where others have fizzled out. Their vehicles will be relatively cheap, for one, with the cost of a commuter trip comparable to that of an Uber ride. They also claim that their product will be safer and more energy-efficient than other VTOL passenger drones in development.

When they're commercial-ready, the electric-fan powered pods will be presented as an alternative to helicopters and conventional planes. The aircraft will eventually have a range of 185 miles and reach speeds of 185 MPH. Lilium writes on their website:

"What if the way you thought about distances radically changed? Imagine, you could have breakfast in Munich, go shopping in Milano and enjoy dinner in Marseille […] Commuters will use VTOL aircrafts to land directly on landing pads extending from their balconies, on rooftops and assigned landing areas. No need to wait for the bus, no need to conform with plane and train schedules."

Founded in 2015, this latest investment marks a major step forward for the company. After expanding their team of specialists and engineers with the new funds, they plan to begin full-scale test flights within the next year.

[h/t TechCrunch]

Source: European Flying Car Company Receives $10 Million Investment

Flying Lizard Scores Repeat 25H Thunderhill Win

Photo: Bob Chapman/Autosport Image

Flying Lizard Motorsports has won the 25 Hours of Thunderhill for the second consecutive year, beating the Ryno Racing Team Ginetta G57s that struck trouble in the final hours.

Darren Law, Dion von Moltke, Johannes van Overbeek and Mike Hedlund shared the No. 45 Audi R8 LMS ultra to complete 751 laps of the Californian circuit.

While the pole-sitting No. 57 Ginetta put on a dominant performance leading the entire race until the closing stages, Ryno Racing Team hit problems with both of its cars, giving Flying Lizard the advantage with a little over two hours to go.

Ryno's No. 5 Ginetta lost its rear-right wheel while the No. 57 car sustained rear-right suspension damage, in what appeared to be similar incidents within the space of 30 minutes. Both cars went back out on track after repairs, but still damaged.

However, Flying Lizard wasn't able to take the full benefit of Ryno's misfortune, as the Audi was awarded a 15-minute penalty for driving conduct. The Lizards kept the lead but the margin had been reduced.

Further complicating proceedings, the Audi began to suffer from a fuel intake issue that only allowed it to run a half-tank of fuel in the closing stages.

Nevertheless, van Overbeek took the Audi to the line, while Colin Braun brought the No. 57 car home in second, six laps down.

"Two in a row!" exclaimed Law. "We had some adversity this weekend. I didn't think we would have gotten the prototype, but they had problems this morning and it worked out. We had that late penalty this morning. We had enough of a lead that it really didn't matter, but it was an anxious moment.

"The car ran flawlessly, the Toyo Tires were great and the crew was right on all day. Everything came together. It was also nice to bookend the overall podium with our No. 74 Porsche coming in third place. Unbelievable!"

Flying Lizard's second entry, the Porsche 911 RSR, finished third, while the No. 5 Ginetta was fourth.

The pair of Ginettas were shared between Ryno's full lineup of drivers, with most drivers completing stints in both cars.

Braun, Parker Chase, Colton Herta, Bryan Herta, Ryan Carpenter and Randy Carpenter were responsible for the second and fourth-place finishes.

Flying Lizard and Ryno took the ES and ESR class wins respectively, while Diamond Level Motorsports took the ENP honors by default with a sixth-place overall finish.

Valkyrie Autosport won E0 with its Nissan 350Z, while Grip Racing was victorious in E1 with its BMW 330ci. The BMW 325is of KD Motorsports led the E2 class, and RAmotorsports' Mazda Miata won in E3.

Source: Flying Lizard Scores Repeat 25H Thunderhill Win

Flying car wheel Car Crash Compilation

When you're out there traveling on the road, you need to be ready for just about anything that could come your way. In just a blink of an eye, an obstacle could present itself and pose a big threat to your car and your personal safety.

This time, we catch up with about one of the strangest obstacles that you might come across with a series of flying tires that seem to have become detached from the car that they were once on and now are left to do damage wherever they might land.

Even though something like this might seem to be an isolated incident, the creator of this video was able to gather enough of those incidents to put together a compilation of them. A lot of these tangles look mighty painful as these tires pierce windshields and hoods.

Check out the video below that shares with you a whole host of flying wheels and tires that cause some big-time carnage. Personally, I most certainly would not want to get in the way of one of these high-velocity objects that's on a mission of destruction.

Source: Flying car wheel Car Crash Compilation

Final Fantasy 15 flying car - How to unlock the Regalia Type F

You're given several means of transportation in Final Fantasy 15's sizeable open world - such as by road on your trusty Regalia to Chocobos - but you can also go by air, too.

Unlike airships in other games in the series, the Final Fantasy 15 flying car Regalia Type F is an entirely optional find, so you could easily miss it if you're going for the story alone.

It's a late game find, but makes going back to previous areas all the more enjoyable.

In the meantime, you'll have to continue exploring by ground, though we can save you some time with an infinite sprint trick that should speed up any hunts and other activities.

To unlock the Regalia Type F, you have to clear out three Imperial bases. Two of these are integral to completing the game's main story - so play through them, building up your party's experience and AP which will come in handy for the third base - to receive two key items, the Warped Wings and Unstable Stabliser.

You then need a third component, the Strange Engine, which you can procure from Fortmouth Garrison. You should get a side-quest alerting you to this base after completing the others, but it's also said you can approach it directly to also gain access.

The base is optional and very challenging, and we'd argue you should go in above the game's recommendation to take it on at level 46, perhaps after finishing the main storyline.

It culminates in two giant mech battles, and though you can cheese it with gun turrets (see the above embedded video to see what we mean) it pays to come back with a high level squad.

Once you've cleared it, take the Strange Engine and other two previously collected key items to trusty mechanic Cindy, who will upgrade you party with the flying car. Off you go!

Final Fantasy 15 guide and walkthrough How to tackle the open-world's many quests and activities

Need more help? Our Final Fantasy 15 guide and walkthrough can provide tips on the open-world's many quests and activities, including the The Professor's Protege frog locations. Learning how to get AP fast in Final Fantasy 15 will aid you in combat, and if you want to get around easier, learn the infinite sprint trick and get your hands on the flying car Regalia Type F as soon as you can.

Source: Final Fantasy 15 flying car - How to unlock the Regalia Type F