Google Inc. on Monday acquired a maker of solar-powered drones—a startup that Facebook Inc. had also considered acquiring—as the technology giants battle to extend their influence and find new users in the far corners of the earth. Google didn't disclose the purchase price for New Mexico-based Titan Aerospace, which is developing jet-sized drones that are intended to fly nonstop for years. Google said the technology could be used to... Kim Jong Nam's Son Speaks Out on Father's Killing The Dirty Little Secrets of Customer Service Range Rover Velar Debuts at the Geneva Motor Show ‘Hockey Hair’ Videos Boost Minnesota High-School Tournament Poachers Kill a Rhino at French Zoo for the HornMOUNTAIN VIEW — In the latest sign that tech companies are racing for dominance in the skies, Google said Monday that it’s buying a maker of high-altitude, solar-powered flying drones. Google’s purchase of Titan Aerospace, a New Mexico-based startup that builds unmanned vehicles capable of flying long distances and durations, came after Facebook reportedly eyed Titan and ultimately took over another drone startup last month.

The two Silicon Valley rivals are increasingly vying to build or buy promising technology and stake their claims to new business models and emerging markets — whether it’s using artificial intelligence to deliver personalized services or offering low-cost mobile messaging to millions of people in developing nations. “They’re definitely looking for the next big innovation,” said Jeff Vining, a tech industry analyst at the Gartner research firm. He added: “Civilian uses for drones are going to explode far beyond the public safety and military uses we know of today.” Amazon has also boasted that it’s working on developing drones for delivering merchandise to its e-commerce customers, although experts say many technological and legal issues must be ironed out before that becomes a practical application. While Google provided few details Monday, the company signaled it will use Titan’s expertise initially to assist with Project Loon, which is Google’s effort to deliver Internet service in remote areas by deploying a fleet of high-altitude balloons carrying radio transmitters.

Facebook reportedly eyed Titan last month, but ended up hiring the team behind a British drone-maker, Ascenta, to help with a similar project. Like Google, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he wants to find new, cost-effective ways of providing Internet communication to underserved regions of the world.parrot ar drone yorum While both projects have the humanitarian goal of delivering the benefits of Internet technology to third-world and developing countries, they also mesh with the business interests of Google and Facebook, which stand to sell more digital advertising when more people are able to go online.drone buying guide “Titan Aerospace and Google share a profound optimism about the potential for technology to improve the world,” a Google representative said.where can i buy a ar drone

“It’s still early days, but atmospheric satellites could help bring Internet access to millions of people, and help solve other problems, including disaster relief and environmental damage like deforestation,” the representative added in a statement.cheap drones uk Titan describes its drones as “atmospheric satellites” because they are capable of maintaining flight patterns for months or even years, while flying within the Earth’s atmosphere at lower altitudes than traditional space satellites. storm drone 4 manualUp to now, Vining said, those capabilities have been more the province of military drones, rather than civilian craft.parrot ar drone 2 differenze Engineers from Titan will also collaborate on another Google project: The Internet giant recently bought Makani Power, a startup that’s developing high-altitude turbines to generate wind power.

The Makani turbines are mounted on a 28-foot wing designed to fly in circles, so they can generate electricity and send it by cable to a ground station. Loon and Makani are both part of Google X, a secretive company unit that works on so-called “moonshot” projects. Drones could also help Google collect real-time photos and video around the world, said Vining, who suggested the images could be used in Google’s online maps and services like Google Earth, which provides satellite views of the planet. Google did not disclose a price for the Titan deal. The TechCrunch blog reported last month that Facebook was in talks to buy Titan for about $60 million. Other reports said Facebook spent about $20 million to hire Ascenta’s engineers and managers, who are closing their startup. Facebook and Google have crossed paths several times recently while eying potential acquisitions. Google snapped up at least two companies after Facebook reportedly showed interest in them: Last summer, Google reportedly paid $1 billion for Waze, a mobile navigation service that analyzes user feedback to provide driving directions.

Over the winter, Google agreed to pay $400 million for DeepMind, a British firm that’s developing artificial intelligence software for image recognition and electronic games. Facebook, meanwhile, agreed to pay a stunning $19 billion for WhatsApp, a smartphone messaging service popular in Asia and elsewhere, after Google CEO Larry Page reportedly had initial talks with its founders. Google has bought eight robotics companies over the past year. It told U.S. officials that it hopes to pursue aviation and robotics projects at Mountain View’s Moffett Field, where the company is negotiating a lease to operate the historic Hangar One and other facilities. //+BrandonBaileyOnline or on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/ULIOfbThe technology company announced Monday that it has acquired Titan Aerospace, a start-up founded in 2012 that makes high-altitude, solar-powered drones. The purchase is part of the new push in Silicon Valley to find ways of delivering Internet service to underserved areas, particularly in the developing world.

"Titan Aerospace and Google share a profound optimism about the potential for technology to improve the world," Google said. "It's still early days, but atmospheric satellites could help bring internet access to millions of people, and help solve other problems, including disaster relief and environmental damage like deforestation." The Titan team will operate separately from Google, but will collaborate with divisions including Google Maps and Project Loon, which has been working on delivering Internet service from high-altitude balloons. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. Titan touts a variety of applications for its drones, including data delivery, crop monitoring and search-and-rescue aid. The vehicles can stay aloft for up to five years without having to land or refuel, making them an intriguing possibility for beaming out Internet service. Titan has showcased its drones in demo flights, though they're not yet commercially available. The purchase marks the latest salvo in the tech cold war between Google (GOOG) and Facebook (FB).