Drone deliveries one step closer to reality — but don't count on them soon
Tuesday's announcement is a particular boon to Amazon, which has invested heavily in drone deliveries and has been testing its technology in College Station, Texas, and the Phoenix, Arizona, area — and is a major step toward realizing founder Jeff Bezos' dream more than a decade ago of using drones to drop off packages for customers. 'I know this looks like science fiction. It's not,' the billionaire said at the time. (However, Bezos' ambitious prediction at the time was that drone deliveries would be realized as early as 2015.)
The proposal is key to the development and future use of air taxis, too, which the industry wants to see enabled in time for the 2028 Olympic games being held in Los Angeles. Though this rule will further that goal, many other regulatory hurdles remain.
Though significant, what's being issued Tuesday is only a proposal. It now must work its way through the byzantine federal bureaucracy, including ample chance for various sectors of the industry and public to lobby for favored changes.
Even the draft rule has been delayed for many months — a history that suggests that it could take additional months, even years, before it's finalized. The 2024 law authorizing the Federal Aviation Administration required that it be released by mid-September of last year — a deadline the agency ultimately blew through.
But the nascent drone industry desperately wants the rule, and deep-pocketed companies like Amazon, along with other interests from agriculture to law enforcement and surveyors, will no doubt apply significant muscle during the process.
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Android Authority
an hour ago
- Android Authority
You can still get a free gift card when you buy a new Samsung foldable phone
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority These offers are available from Amazon. As such, the freebies are Amazon gift cards, so you can only use them with the popular online retailer. You can use the credits for anything available from Amazon. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 + $200 Amazon Gift Card Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 + $200 Amazon Gift Card Thin, light, high-powered, and it folds! The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 offers an 8-inch OLED screen, a 200MP camera, the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, and a 4,400mAh battery. The Galaxy AI experience is baked in, offering tools across the camera, Circle to Search, and much more. Best of all, Samsung continues to evolve their fold folding hinge assembly, promising reduced visibility of the crease. See price at Amazon Save $200.00 Limited Time Deal! To many, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the very best foldable smartphone in the industry. It's also quite expensive at just a penny under $2,000, though. 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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 + $200 Amazon Gift Card Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 + $200 Amazon Gift Card A good flip phone that could have been more The Galaxy Z Flip 7 offers some of Samsung's most impressive flip phone hardware ever, featuring a 4.1-inch edge-to-edge cover screen and a thickness of just 13.7mm when closed. It also has a larger 6.9-inch inner display, good general performance, and seven years of Android updates. The Flip 7 is a great buy for Samsung fans, but if you're willing to look at the competition, there are better options available. See price at Amazon Save $200.00 Limited Time Deal! Those who prefer smaller phones will love the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7. It easily fits in any pocket without adding much bulk. It's also nice that it's nowhere near $2,000! This one goes for $1,099.99. It's still pricey, but much more reasonable, especially considering you get a free $200 gift card right now. 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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE + $100 Amazon Gift Card Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE + $100 Amazon Gift Card Budget-friendly Galaxy Z Flip With as few compromises as possible to bring the price down, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE rocks a 6.7-inch main display, a 3.4-inch front display, and an Exynos chipset. See price at Amazon Save $100.00 Limited Time Deal! While not exactly cheap, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is for those who want a quality flip phone at a lower price. It's $899.99, and this one comes with a free $100 Amazon gift card. All things considered, the differences between the Flip 7 and Flip 7 FE aren't that huge. Casual users will still be happy with it. It has a decent Exynos 2400 processor and 8GB of RAM. It's not as impressive, for sure, but it's more than enough to keep the device running smoothly most of the time. C. Scott Brown / Android Authority The battery is also smaller at 4,000mAh, but it keeps the same camera system as the main Flip 7. The 6.7-inch screen is smaller, but it has the same Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X panel, Full HD+ resolution, and 120Hz refresh rate. That said, the external screen is smaller at 3.4 inches. The aluminum frame and IP48 rating are also the same. Are you getting any of these new Samsung foldable phones? The free gift card offers have already been around for a while, so we can't imagine they will last much longer. Take advantage of these offers while you can! Follow
Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Amazon makes surprising decision to cut losses on recent deal
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Now, Amazon is streamlining its audio business in hopes of making it more efficient and profitable. If you love high-production storytelling podcasts, this could be bad news. Wondery was one of the few studios consistently investing in scripted, documentary-style audio. With Amazon shifting away from that model, it's unclear who will pick up the slack. On the other hand, fans of celebrity podcasts may see more content, more video integration, and better-quality production as Amazon doubles down on creator services. Related: The alarming reason so many tech companies are raising cash The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Here is how San Leandro residents can get a free Ring camera
The San Leandro Police Department on Tuesday began giving away 1,000 Ring cameras to help strengthen security in neighborhoods and aid in criminal investigations. Fifty residents have already claimed their free cameras, which are dispensed on a first-come basis, San Leandro Police Department spokesperson Abe Tang said. Applicants must be San Leandro residents and agree to register their cameras in a department database that lists the addresses with the city-issued security systems. After crimes are reported, the police department may ask for users' permission to view video footage. Officers already ask community members for surveillance tapes, evidence that creates 'infinitely greater' odds of getting a lead or solving a crime, Tang said. 'Video surveillance gives us the chance to at least capture descriptions, distinctive clothing, sometimes license plates, or at least a car description of a suspect vehicle,' Tang said. 'All those things can be very critical when we're building cases.' The city-funded program also aims to help lower-income residents access what can be costly security technology. One Ring camera can range from $49.99 to $179.99. 'Not everyone has equal access,' Tang said. 'People who want to maybe have some equipment or technology to help improve public safety in their homes or in their own neighborhoods, but they can't afford it.' Similar Bay Area police collaborations with the Amazon-owned home security company in recent years have alarmed local privacy advocates, who have said the cameras may intrude on the privacy of bystanders or exacerbate racial profiling. The security system company's partnerships with law enforcement have also weathered national scrutiny. In 2024, Ring announced it would shut down the feature that allowed police departments to request video footage. The policy change came two years after Ring said it handed over 11 videos to the police without notifying users during emergency circumstances, and one year after the company paid $5.8 million to settle with the Federal Trade Commission for allegedly failing to enact 'basic privacy and security protections.' Officers can obtain search warrants to access video footage without the owner's consent.
