Shelly Palmer Radio Report – April 22, 2014

Google hopes to one day provide wireless internet across the globe through an initiative called Project Loon. That project got a big boost recently when Google acquired Titan Aerospace, a startup that specializes in building high-altitude drones. In acquiring the drone manufacturer, Google beat Facebook to the punch, which had been eying up Titan Aerospace as it, too, aims to provide global internet through its ‘Connectivity Labs’ program. Titan was so highly sought-after because its drones fly higher and closer to the earth’s atmosphere than most other drones, which could be key to providing cheap internet connectivity across the globe – and making Project Loon a success. Project Loon is currently operating with high-altitude balloons that fly in Earth’s stratosphere, but drones are easier to control and can react more quickly to changing conditions. But the acquisition is about more than just drones – and we can see some of the effects of the acquisition, too. Titan’s drones take high-quality images in real-time – which could help make Google Maps better than ever.