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Tuesday, 29 April 2014

North Dakota Will Get The Very First FAA-Approved Drone Testing Facility Next Week

Last year the FAA announced that it will open six drone testing sites to explore how to regulate unmanned drone use, and the first of these will open in North Dakota next week, reports IEEE Spectrum.

Drone laws are rather restrictive — there are still miles and miles to go before we live in the Amazon-sponsored world of instant product delivery to our doorsteps, but this represents a step in that direction. Here's IEEE's breakdown on what's currently allowed:

Technically, you're not supposed to fly drones out of visual range, more than 400 feet in the air, or closer than five miles to any sort of controlled airspace (including the Class B airspace that's in place over most urban areas), without getting an an experimental airworthiness certificate (which specifically precludes carrying cargo) and applying for a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA).

North Dakota is a prime location for such a drone testing facility according to the FAA because it offers "a test range in the Temperate (continental) climate zone and included a variety of different airspace which will benefit multiple users."

The first drone that will take off from the test site will be a Draganflyer X4-ES outfitted with a device called a Tetracam, which will be able to examine soil quality from the sky and may end up being an indispensable tool for farmers and other agricultural workers.

RadiumOne's New CEO Hopes That Gurbaksh Chahal Won't Take Any 'Action That Hurts Or Distracts The Company'

gurbaksh chahal apartment secret millionaire

RadiumOne's new CEO Bill Lonergan just sent out a memo, obtained by Re/Code, to the ad tech company's employees.

In the memo, Lonegran says it became clear that now-former CEO Gurbaksh Chahal's ability to lead the company had been compromised by the legal proceedings.

RadiumOne's board fired now-former CEO Gurbaksh Chahal over the weekend in light of pressure on the company after Chahal pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors of battery and domestic violence.

"We cannot know for certain what Gurbaksh will do, and certainly hope he will take no action that hurts or distracts the company," the memo reads. "We do not believe he has any legitimate claims against the company, and we are therefore confident that the company would prevail against such claims."

Here's the full memo via Re/Code:

From: Bill Lonergan
Date: Mon, Apr 28, 2014 at 10:59 PM
Subject: Follow up from All Hands meetings
To: Team

Hello Everyone,

I have now been able to connect with most of you, around the world, to talk through the events of the last week. I wanted to follow-up and address a few questions that were sent to me following our All Hands meetings today. I have aggregated and summarized the main questions below:

What legal actions could Gurbaksh take against the company that could expose us to a period of prolonged uncertainty?

We cannot know for certain what Gurbaksh will do, and certainly hope he will take no action that hurts or distracts the company. We do not believe he has any legitimate claims against the company, and we are therefore confident that the company would prevail against such claims.

How will the company be able to move forward with Gurbaksh retaining his seat on the board?

The company will remain fully functional even with Gurbaksh on the board. He has no executive authority and because of the composition of the Board Gurbaksh cannot impact any decisions affecting the business.

Why did it take the board so long to terminate Gurbaksh’s employment as CEO and Chairman?

The board moved as decisively as it could given the complexities involved. A person is innocent until proven guilty. Given recent developments, it became clear that Gurbaksh’s ability to lead the company had been severely compromised by the legal proceedings and ensuing developments. The Board asked Gurbaksh to voluntarily tender his resignation in the best interests of the company. When it was clear that Gurbaksh did not intend to resign as CEO and Chairman, the board called a special meeting to terminate his employment.

We’ve seen an email from a board member on Gurbaksh’s blog that suggests the board was supportive of Gurbaksh. Isn’t this at odds with terminating his employment?

The email paraphrased on Gurbaksh’s blog was in fact sent, but was taken out of context. The communication was an effort to discourage Gurbaksh from hurting himself by talking with the media.

Gurbaksh has also suggested that the board influenced him to accept the plea deal with the district attorney. Is that true?

Gurbaksh and only Gurbaksh made the final decision on whether to accept the plea agreement. He asked many people for their advice and opinions and the board offered that an outcome which prevented prolonged court proceedings might be in the best interests of the company but it never pressured him into that course of action. Gurbaksh was represented by very competent legal counsel. We must assume that Gurbaksh made the decision he did because he thought that was the best outcome.

Some of you have also asked about the allegations made by Rafael Rojas and, specifically, if management turned a blind eye to allegations of illegal and unscrupulous activities by Gurbaksh.

For reasons that we hope you can respect, Rafael Rojas’ employment with the company, and the reasons for his separation, are private personnel matters and we are not in a position to comment on these matters. The company believes that at all times it acted responsibly and in the best interests of the company.

Are we still going to do an IPO?

Many of you have asked me about our plans for an IPO. It is very straightforward right now, our primary focus is on continuing to grow our business as fast as possible whilst remaining profitable. In that way we preserve our optionality on the timing of an IPO.

I know this has been a difficult time for all of you, and I appreciate your patience and support. I am always available to take any additional questions you may have and encourage you to call me no matter how small the concern. Thank you for all the notes of support I have received over the last few days. I am very proud to be your CEO and I look forward to working with each and every one of you.

Regards, Bill

Here Are The Most Important Features In The New Version Of Firefox

Mozilla has just released a brand-new version of Firefox that gives the browser a cleaner look with more customization options.

There are a lot of minor tweaks that come with Firefox 29, but the most prominent additions include a new grid-style menu and a Customize Mode.

In general, the changes make it easier to navigate the browser more quickly while giving it a more streamlined look.

For instance, you can now drag and drop add-ons into the menu or toolbar for quick access. This means that if you want to send something to your Kindle or block adds, you can do it directly from your toolbar without having to disrupt whatever you're viewing.

It's definitely an improvement that Firefox fans will appreciate, and it makes the browser feel a bit more intuitive and modern.

Here's a quick look at the most important changes in Firefox 29:

You can access the new menu by clicking the button on the far-right-hand side of the browser. It's reminiscent of the menu in Google's Chrome OS, which also displays options in a grid format.

Lisa Eadicicco

Customize Mode is a new feature that's designed to make sure you keep the tools and add-ons you use the most frequently in your menu bar. You can drag and drop icons between the toolbar and the menu in this mode.

Lisa Eadicicco

There's also a new Bookmarks menu button right next to the star Bookmarks button. This launches a menu that lets you see recently bookmarked and tagged items among other actions.

Lisa Eadicicco

Tabs look much cleaner in the new version of Firefox.

Lisa Eadicicco

In the older versions of Firefox, tabs didn't blend into the background of your toolbar as easily.

Amazon's Secret Plan To Sell Smartphones Is Revealed, And It's Pretty Much Genius

Amazon is preparing to release its first smartphone this summer and BGR reports that the company is planning to offer a unique wireless data plan, called Prime Data, as one of the key selling points of the phone.

Although BGR's sources couldn't confirm exactly what the company has in store for Prime Data, they speculated that it would take advantage of some aspects of AT&T's new "Sponsored Data" program.

Sponsored Data, announced in January, allows companies to pay for users' data traffic for certain apps and services, meaning that data used up on a designated app wouldn't count toward the user's monthly data cap.

Amazon could be planning to give smartphone buyers free access to its various Prime-branded services, like TV and movie streaming from Prime Instant Video and its Amazon Cloud music player (it has also been rumored recently that the company might release a Spotify-esque product).

Another theory from a BGR source was that Amazon could offer a simple discount plan that's cheaper than other smartphone data plans, or that it could give users free data for several months after they buy the phone.

In whatever way Prime Data manifests itself, sources told BGR that it will be a key selling point for the Amazon smartphone.

This will be huge for Amazon, which needs a way to differentiate its new phone — running a modified version of Android — from all the others on the market. Even if its hardware and software aren't better than other options, if it's cheaper for people to use, Amazon's phone could be a huge hit.

Smartphones have gotten cheaper and cheaper, but wireless plans remain pretty pricey. If Amazon offers good service at a lower price than the competition, consumers may find its offer compelling.

Apple's iPhone 'Lock-Out' Patent Could End Texting While Driving

Kate Ter Haar/flickr

A campaign thumb-band, which reads 'texting while talking kills'.

A new technology proposed by Apple would seek to address the dangerous and ubiquitous problem of drivers who use their phone behind the wheel, according to experts.

A new patent by the technology giant could “change the culture” and help stop driver distraction with an automated system that would disable certain smartphone functions when an iPhone user is driving.

One recently published patent describes a "driver handheld computing device lock-out" system that detects when a user is driving using on-board sensors or pulling information from the car when connected, blocking the use of text messaging or using other smartphone functions from the person driving.

“As a market leader, Apple could have the power to change the culture behind texting and driving, if it works and is intuitive; that would be a very good step,” said Paul Watters, head of motoring policy for the AA. “What we find in our research is that there’s an addiction here, to texting and using smartphones, it’s an addiction that is very hard to break even when in the car — it will take some system to help people break that addiction.”

Boosts likelihood of a crash by 23 times

Texting while driving is a hot-button issue that has been labeled as a “widespread menace” by Brake, the road safety charity, which has been shown to slow driver reaction times by 35% and increase the likelihood of a crash by 23 times for commercial drivers.

It is illegal to use a hand-held phones while driving, even when stopped at lights or in traffic in the UK, with an automatic fixed penalty of three points on the driver’s license and a fine of £100.

Three in 10 of all drivers admitting sending or reading messages while driving, according to research by Brake and insurance company Direct Line. That number increases to more than four in 10 for drivers aged 18 to 24, while one in eight drivers admitted to using smartphone apps while behind the wheel.

‘Technology has a role to play’

Attempts to disable smartphones or limit distracting features of phones have been made in the past. Several developers have released apps that prevent drivers from texting behind the wheel for Android, but it has not been possible for the iPhone due to Apple’s restrictions on apps and system control.

“Technology has a role to play, but there is no single solution to the problem of distracted driving,” said Ellie Pearson from Brake.

Apple is currently making a large push into software for cars with its CarPlay system, which integrates an iPhone with a car's entertainment and communication tools, including connecting the car’s navigation system using Apple’s mapping app.

The patent for locking down the device was filed in 2008, but has only now been published. Apple could have a system in place that plays well with CarPlay, preventing the driver from texting using the smartphone other than via voice control through the car’s systems.

“Even if you cut off some functionality, it doesn’t necessarily remove the distraction the phone causes for drivers,” warned Watters. “There is no greater safety system than simply turning off the phone while driving.”

Google Has A Radical New Plan To Change Android, Wresting The Platform Away From Samsung

Google has a plan to regain control of Android from Samsung, while at the same time, establishing Android as top-tier, premium smartphone platform comparable to the iPhone.

Amir Efrati at The Information reports Google is planning a program called "Android Silver." Google would kill the Nexus brand, and replace it with "Silver."

However, instead of creating its own smartphones and selling them online through the Google Play store like it did with the Nexus brand, Google would partner with other prominent Android handset manufacturers and carriers.

"Google will help underwrite the Silver phones, though the payments to partners wouldn’t be direct," say Efrati. "The company has recently discussed pouring hundreds of millions of dollars—possibly as much as $1 billion—into promoting Silver devices through ad campaigns and special kiosks in wireless stores staffed by Google-trained employees."

The Information reports that Motorola and LG may be "prime candidates" for the program, while Samsung, HTC and Sony aren't likely to partake in Android Silver. Google is looking to partner with Sprint and T-Mobile to sell Android Silver devices in the US, The Information reports.

What would set Silver apart from normal Android is that Google would limit the number of third party apps and services included on the device, hinting that these phones will run the pure version of Android. Most popular Android smartphone makers, such as Samsung and HTC, put their own skin that focuses on their proprietary apps over Android.

This isn't the first time we've heard about Android Silver. Earlier this month Android Police obtained what claim to be internal Google documents that detailed the program.

Efrati says, "Google’s main goals are to reverse consumer perceptions of Android as a down-market knock-off of the iPhone and establish a more consistent 'Google' experience for high-end Android customers."

Further, he says Google is worried that Samsung is taking over Android, pushing it in directions Google doesn't want to go. Silver would be part of a plant to reclaim the platform.

IT'S OFFICIAL: The Biggest Private Equity Deal of All Time Has Gone Bust

Reuters

The TXU Monticello Steam Electric Station power plant.

The biggest private equity deal in history has been put out of its misery, and Energy Future Holdings has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The $45 billion deal to take the 132-year-old Texas utility company private marked a peak in the leveraged-buyout boom in 2007, right before cash dried up all over the world. At that point, it seemed like everyone was doing deals, and even Warren Buffett made a $2 billion bond investment — an investment he called a "big mistake."

As early as February 2013, however, the major players in the deal — Leon Black of Apollo Global Management, Blackstone’s GSO Capital Partners, KKR, TPG Capital, and others — were sitting down to discuss how to restructure the company's $40 billion debt.

A debt payment due in October 2014 loomed large.

“This deal never made sense,” Erik Gordon, a private equity and law professor at the University of Michigan, told Bloomberg back in 2013. “It could only have been done during the times of hysterical overoptimism by everybody — by KKR and TPG and by all the lenders who put up the money.”

Reports about the urgency of the bankruptcy deal conflicted in the weeks before it was done. The New York Times reported that there was "little pressure on the company to act immediately as it has ample cash on its balance sheet to make its next round of interest payments," according to Wall Street analysts.

But on Tuesday evening, as the news broke that the bankruptcy had been filed, the Wall Street Journal reported that the company had $100 million in skipped debt payment coming due this week.

The negotiation included over $11 billion in loans, exchanging subsidiary Texas Competitive Electric Holdings for $25 billion in debt forgiveness, and enough details to fill up the Lone Star State.