Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Heads up — Project Loon could soon be its own company

Lulu Chang
By

project loon independent company autolauncher balloon
Google
Project Loon, Alphabet’s balloon-based internet service, might be taking flight in a new way. As per a recent FCC filing, it would appear that Project Loon is being spun out into its very own company. This marks an upgrade from its research lab project status, and could make Project Loon the latest business to come out of the Google parent corporation.

For years, the high-flying project has been housed under Alphabet’s X division, which is home to many of the company’s more outlandish and creative endeavors. But now that Project Loon has truly proven its mettle (it was recently deployed in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria to help restore cell service), it looks like it’s being given more latitude to do its own thing. Previously, Project Loon balloons were deployed over Peru, where they provided LTE coverage to the nation following a major flood. By relying on a telecom provider, the balloons were able to beam signals down to the ground.

Recommended Videos

Given these successes, it comes as little surprise that Project Loon is being given the opportunity to spread its wings even further. As per regulatory filings, the company would be named Loon Inc. As per a Business Insider report, Loon has long been a strong contender for being the newest spinoff from Alphabet’s X business. Just a few months ago, Project Loon got a new CEO, which already seemed to signal preparations for a more mature business.

Related

When Alphabet allows a project to become its own business, it generally indicates a certain degree of confidence that the venture is ready to be commercialized. Loon would be able to set its own business objectives, but would become independently responsible for its well-being (something it doesn’t necessarily have to worry about while still under the wing of X).

In any case, plenty of Alphabet spinoffs have met with success, including smart home company Nest and navigational app Waymo.

While nothing is entirely official yet, we could soon be seeing more of these internet-beaming balloons in the sky. We’ve reached out to Project Loon for comment, and will update you with any further developments.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Lulu Chang
Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
The iPhone could soon pick up a car crash detection feature that can dial 911
The Apple Watch's Fall Detection Feature.

Apple is reportedly adding an automatic car crash detection feature to the iPhone and Apple Watch, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. The feature will debut early next year, likely with iOS 16.

The report claims that Apple will work on using the sensors present in both the iPhone and Apple Watch to detect "a sudden spike in gravity," the same way Apple's Watch works at the moment for fall detection. There are no details on how it would be implemented, but likely a notification will pop up, and if the user does not respond to a notification in a timely manner, then the phone will automatically dial 911 or other emergency services. This is how the Apple Watch's fall detection feature functions.

Read more
Apple could launch a new external monitor with its own dedicated processor
Apple Pro Display XDR WWDC 2019 Hands On

When Apple unveiled the pricey Pro Display XDR alongside the refreshed Mac Pro, the company played up the strengths and innovation behind its pro-grade display. It seems that the next Pro Display is about to get even more powerful, as we're learning that Apple is working on an external monitor that has its own dedicated ARM-based processor.

According to a report on 9to5Mac, the codename for the external display that Apple is working on is J327, and the monitor comes with its own A-series processor. More specifically, Apple has been testing the panel with the A13 Bionic chip, the same one that debuted on the company's iPhone 11.

Read more
Corsair’s DDR5 RAM is up to four times better than DDR4 — and it’s coming soon
Close up shot of the Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB memory in white.

Corsair has joined the ranks of RAM manufacturers who are gearing up for the upcoming release of the Intel Alder Lake processors. The company announced that preparations are well underway and we can expect to see the new DDR5 RAM modules hit the shelves later this year. Corsair also revealed the expected bandwidth and capacity of the new DDR5 memory sticks, promising performance unlike anything we've seen in the era of DDR4.

DDR4 RAM had a good run, but with the next generation of CPUs on the horizon, it's on the way out the door. Corsair claims that we will see massive improvements in memory speed and capacity. Compared to one of Corsair's 3200MHz DDR4 RAM modules, the newly announced 6400MHz DDR5 stick is an enormous step up.

Read more