GoPro Might Produce Their Own Camera Drones in 2015
GoPro cameras and drones go hand-in-hand. With GoPro's easy-to-use interface and rise as the action sports athlete's go-to camera and the increasing availability of drones, the pairing is kind of a no-brainer. If a report from the Wall Street Journal is to be believed, GoPro is taking the next step in the natural pairing by producing their own GoPro-equipped drones late next year. GoPro intends to create line of multi-rotor helicopters with their own cameras pre-installed within the drone next year for an estimated $500 to $1000 price tag.
GoPro already has pre-existing relationships with various drone companies, already providing their cameras to such companies in bundle packages or deals. By taking matters into their own hands, they certainly can cut the middle man out, but at the expense of the very same companies they've supported.
The decision could further be marred with the FAA's intentions on requiring pilot's licenses to man drones for commercial use. However, if the regulation of commercial drone use isn't as bad as it may appear and GoPro is able to undercut the competition's prices, the GoPro-brand drones could be a very viable option for both the company and consumers alike.
[via PetaPixel]
FAA Proposes Major Restrictions on Commercial Drone Usage
If you haven't watched any episodes from this season of South Park, I highly recommend doing so. South Park has always been a bastion of consistently entertaining satire, but the quality has elevated even more this season with well-thought out social commentary on topics such as the gender binary, existentialism, and privacy. It's this last theme that brings the rest of this article full circle. As South Park is wont to do, they poked fun at UAVs (re: unmanned aerial vehicles or drones) in relation to privacy, voyeurism, and self-policing. Beyond the humor and entertainment of the episode, it did pose a question over whether or not personal drone use is as safe for those being captured by video without their consent.
Recently, the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) suggested their proposal to regulate drone usage with limitations and restrictions. Namely, they want to require valid pilot's licenses for commercial drone users, or those who intend on making a profit from the footage their drones capture. Other regulations include only allowing drone usage during the day, stay under 400 feet in altitude, and ensuring drones are always in sight of their users for all drones weighing 55 pounds or less.
The FAA plans on making an official proposal by the end of the year, but is keen on input and suggestions to help formulate an ideal decision that would make sense for both consumers and their agency. Again, it should be noted that the regulations would apply to commercial use of drones only, but where is the line drawn between commercial and private use? How will that be tracked and regulated? I'm sure answers to these questions and many others will be clarified over the ensuing months when the proposal is made public.
[via Engadget]
President Obama Wants to Reclassify the Internet as a Utility
As a 27-year-old, I'm part of the last generation that knew what life was like before the internet took over our everyday lives. To bring some context to this, MySpace was only rising in popularity during my Senior year of high school in 2004-2005. Since then, we've entered a huge renaissance where the internet has become a near necessity in our lives. As such, companies have monetized and commercialized our access to the service, but in a way that was standard for everybody, whether you're an online entrepreneur or a web surfer.
Back in January, the FCC ruled against the "net neutrality" provision, which paved the way for certain internet service providers (ISPs) to enter in business deals with various websites/services to provide premium speeds/prices dependent on your provider. If this comes off a bit confusing, imagine it like DirecTV with a premium channel package or Comcast making certain sites load faster than others because they offered to pay more. As I detailed back then, this meant larger sites like Google would load quicker when compared to a competitor like Bing... perhaps depending on your ISP, Bing wouldn't even be accessible. Net neutrality allows an even, level playing field for all ISPs, websites, and online services. It shouldn't matter if you access the internet through a laptop or smartphone, whether you have Comcast, AT&T, SBC Global, etc., or whether you like to visit larger sites like Complex or VICE or smaller sites like Ruby Hornet and the like.
Earlier today, President Obama officially sided in support of net neutrality, and officially made a request to reclassify the internet as a utility. By doing so, the reclassification would ensure all ISPs follow a standard set of rules across the board, which include the following:
- No blocking. If a consumer requests access to a website or service, and the content is legal, your ISP should not be permitted to block it. That way, every player — not just those commercially affiliated with an ISP — gets a fair shot at your business.
- No throttling. Nor should ISPs be able to intentionally slow down some content or speed up others — through a process often called “throttling” — based on the type of service or your ISP’s preferences.
- Increased transparency. The connection between consumers and ISPs — the so-called “last mile” — is not the only place some sites might get special treatment. So, I am also asking the FCC to make full use of the transparency authorities the court recently upheld, and if necessary to apply net neutrality rules to points of interconnection between the ISP and the rest of the Internet.
- No paid prioritization. Simply put: No service should be stuck in a “slow lane” because it does not pay a fee. That kind of gatekeeping would undermine the level playing field essential to the Internet’s growth. So, as I have before, I am asking for an explicit ban on paid prioritization and any other restriction that has a similar effect.
Watch the brief video President Obama released indicating his support of net neutrality and urging of the FCC to classify the internet as a utility below.
[youtube id="uKcjQPVwfDk"]
[via White House]
Concept Art for George Lucas' Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
This past June, it was announced that George Lucas' Lucas Museum of Narrative Art would find a home in Chicago. The museum should further drive tourism to the city, especially considering its proposed 2018 opening will be during the release of the next slate of Star Wars films. Beyond that, it'll serve as another museum along the Museum Campus next to the Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, and Adler Planetarium, not to mention the neighboring Soldier Field.
For a city known for its skyline, the proposed concept art for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art by Beijing architecture firm MAD will add yet another interesting architectural masterpiece (or eyesore) if its designs are used. Keeping in line with the Star Wars-esque futuristic/space theme, the museum looks very similar to a space headquarters of some sort. It actually fits very well next to Soldier Field, which itself received a very unpopular redesign in 2003 that renovated the upper deck into resembling a spaceship from the street perspective.
Nevertheless, check out some of the concept art for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art below.
[via The Verge]
[Video] Stream Nik Wallenda's Chicago Tightrope Walk
At 6pm tonight, Chicago will play host to daredevil Nik Wallenda's next feat: a tightrope walk across the Chicago River. Starting from Marina City's West Tower, Wallenda will make his way south across the Chicago River to the Leo Burnett Building's roof, then after making his way back to the West Tower, he will walk another tightrope to the Marina City East Tower completely blindfolded. Weather reports are indicating wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour. Further endangering Wallenda is his decision to not have a safety net hung out below his routes. Just in case you're unfamiliar with the buildings in question, the Leo Burnett Building on Dearborn and Wacker stands at 671 feet while the Marina City Towers across the Chicago River are roughly 588 feet high.
If you're unable to watch the walk in person, you can stream Wallenda's walk below. For more camera angles, you can also visit the Skyscraper Live website.
[youtube id="tS_UppMVr0U"]
HBO is Cutting the Cord, Offering Cable-Free Subscriptions in 2015
“That is a large and growing opportunity that should no longer be left untapped. It is time to remove all barriers to those who want HBO." - HBO Chairman and CEO Richard Plepler.
For somebody who hates downloading stuff illegally, I've missed out on a lot of amazing TV shows because of my lack of HBO. Sure, I could borrow HBO Go logins from friends (and have honestly attempted to), but I never went through with them. I've gotten caught up in the Game of Thrones hype, yet I've never actually seen an episode, I, too, want to see dragons and nudity and sword thrones! But alas, without a cable subscription (or even a normal TV subscription due to my recent move this summer) or money to throw down on the Game of Thrones DVD/Blu-ray sets, I was resigned to waiting until the series hit Netflix Instant.
However, in a move that has been rumored for a couple of weeks, HBO has finally come to their senses and announced their intentions to offer HBO to users who don't have an HBO cable subscription. By their count, there are 80 million homes in the United States that don't subscribe to HBO, and it's this demographic that the company is hoping to attract with their announcement. No concrete details, such as pricing, limitations, etc. were revealed.
What should be noted is how this announcement will affect pre-existing relationships with service providers like Comcast and DirecTV. Surely, they won't be too thrilled that HBO is taking their service into their own hands. However, I'm sure there are provisions in place that will continue to offer cable subscribers incentives (exclusive shows, cheaper rates?) that non-cable subscribers won't have. Of course, this is all just speculation, but we'll hear more information as the weeks follow.
[via HBO]
China Blocks Instagram in Reaction to Protest Photos
Instagram has joined the growing list of banned sites in China following an in flux of pro-democracy protest photos that were uploaded to the popular service. China is known for its strict online censorship, with a plethora of Google sites and YouTube blocked across mainland China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau). The protests, dubbed "Occupy Central," "Umbrella Movement," and "Umbrella Revolution," have stemmed from Chinese citizens' disagreement with the government not allowing them to vote for their new leader. With growing resentment of China's communist government, will the country every move towards enacting democracy?
Outside of the politics of the ban, withholding access to one of the most popular online social networks surely won't be met with happiness. Then again, with the pre-existing ban on other popular sites, it surely was only a matter of time before the government blocked Instagram. Nevertheless, change can't be silenced. Follow along with the #OccupyCentral (and other, similar hashtags) on Twitter and Instagram to help spread awareness of what our friends and family are facing in China. You can also see a small sampling of some Instagram photos from the protests below.
[via PetaPixel]
GoPro Announces Three New Cameras: HERO4 Black, HERO4 Silver, HERO
GoPros have become one of the most reliable cameras to turn to for action and first-person videos. The diminutive, durable cameras have been used for everything from bike rides across the world, roller coaster rides, skydiving, concert videos, and more, helping GoPro cameras be some of the best and most popular cameras to use for video. Not wanting to rest on their laurels, GoPro announced a new suite of cameras to their line.
The "premium" camera is the GoPro HERO4 Black. With an MSRP of $500, the camera features twice the performance of its predecessor, with 4K quality video shot at 30fps, and 8.3 megapixels for video stills. Photos come in at 12 megapixels with a burst option that offers 30 photos per second. The HERO4 Black also offers a 50% faster Wi-Fi connection speed, which should allow faster upload speeds right on the spot.
The tier below the HERO4 Black is the HERO4 Silver. While it doesn't feature 4K quality videos, it does offer a built-in touch screen display to help get through those admittedly annoying GoPro menus. Like the HERO4 Black, the HERO4 Silver also features a 50% increase in Wi-Fi speeds. The HERO4 Silver retails for $399.
Finally, there's an entry-level GoPro HERO camera being offered. It comes in a permanent waterproof case that shoots videos at 1080p at 30fps or 720p at 60fps. It also shoots photos at 5 megapixels, which is a dramatically lower quality than the HERO4 Silver and Black, but at $129, it's the perfect price for those ready to test the GoPro waters.
The new line of GoPro cameras will be available on the GoPro website on October 5th. You can watch GoPro's official announcement video below.
[youtube id="wTcNtgA6gHs"]