Google to start beaming Internet like a boss
It’s been a year since Google’s Project Loon launched. The ambitious program planned to blanket the globe in Internet using connected balloons floating high up in the sky. Sounds ridiculous? Well, so far it’s working. Google told Wired that this year they plan to get the program up and running and have real people use it (so far they’ve only been running experiments). According to Wired, they plan to quadruple the number of balloons in the air (current number being 100) for 100 days each. Eventually they hope to get between 300 and 400 balloons up in the air – enough to continually offer Internet to the people. We can’t wait!
US trying to regulate navigation apps including Google Maps and Waze
The US Transportation Department is pushing Congress to give it the power to regulate navigation apps on your smartphone. According to The New York Times this proposed bill will grant the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the ability to “set restrictions on the app and later order changes if they are deemed dangerous.” Obviously tech companies are protesting but officials maintain that they don’t plan to interfere with app development – just that if they think your app might be dangerous it would give them the authority to order changes – just like they do with cars. On one hand this might slow down the pace of innovation (no matter what they say) but there also has to be a way to use the navigation on your phone without distracting you from driving. One doesn’t always have a passenger to help navigate. Both Google and Apple have kept mum on the subject.
Apple allows bitcoin-trading app back to App Store
Bitcoin is here to stay it would seem despite its volatile value in the market. So much so that Apple has now allowed the original bitcoin-trading app back on the App Store. After the change of policy, the first app back in the store is Coin Pocket. Apple has one reasonable condition: that they comply with state and federal laws in all areas that they operate. Apple has always taken a better safe than sorry approach to this virtual currency but it seems that it is slowly opening up to the idea that these currencies are here to stay.
