Fictional Company

Creative Division Upgrades for Success

Consulting firm Creative Divisions, responsible for designing the new infrastructure which has improved traffic efficiency by 38% in Minneapolis, has just announced plans for it's expansion along the eastern seaboard.

Building on their success, Creative Divisions will be able to bring their expertise to bear in other cities needing upgrades to outdated transit systems. 

True to their name, Creative Divisions has divided their architectural department into two separate divisions, commercial and infrastructure. The commercial division will continue to provide innovative designs for highly efficient buildings while the infrastructure division will work with government departments to improve the layouts of cities in the eastern U.S.

To manage the new expansion, Creative Divisions has partnered with award winning electronic and media firm Aristotle to provide communication services which will streamline operations and PR management to promote their company as the organization grows.

Creative Divisions will be poised to improve the lives of citizens by bringing efficiency to the cites in which they operate and lower energy consumption across the board.

Thinnest Sexiest Laptop In the World | HP Spectre

Hewlett Packard is bringing sexy back to laptops with the sleekest, thinnest, most elegant laptop in the world.

HP last Tuesday unveiled its most recent challenger to Apple's laptops at the International Luxury Conference in Versailles, touting it as the thinnest laptop on the planet.

At 10.4 mm, the HP Spectre's chassis is as thin as a triple-A battery, the organization noted.

The Spectre is powered by Intel Core i5 and i7 processors and weighs in at 2.45 pounds. It has a 13.3-inch Gorilla glass display, and stereo speakers from Bang & Olufsen. The display can be folded all the way backwards so the device can be propped up like a stand alone tablet.

It provides up to 9 1/2 hours of battery life, according to HP.

The new line "carries some of the thin design and style and hi-tech finishing touches that HP introduced in its EliteBook Folio earlier this year," stated Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT.

HP "is hoping that surpassing Apple in terms of thinness will spark notebook sales," he told TechNewsWorld.

HP - Spectre x360 2-in-1 13.3" Touch-Screen Laptop - Intel Core i7 - 8GB - 1TB Solid State Drive

Thin Is Not Enough

That stated, thinness "is merely one aspect driving item innovation and user satisfaction," King pointed out.

The HP Spectre also delivers on performance. With hard drive options from 256GB to 1TB solid state and an Intel Core i7 Processor, the Spectre doesn't compromise performance for design.

HP "also aims to develop an Apple-like cachet around its goods as becoming must-haves for shoppers," he stated. Competitors, which include Dell with the XPS 13 and Lenovo with its Yoga line, "have succeeded in such efforts over the past couple of years, which is to say that Apple isn't the only vendor HP wants to worry about."

Dell's XPS 13 "has been specifically effective in matching or surpassing functions in the 12-inch MacBook," observed King. Dell "understands that thinness is just one aspect of laptop innovation and value, and has regularly delivered XPS 13 options with excellent or superior computing performance, power efficiency and graphics."

Add in touchscreen capabilities -- "something Apple has resolutely avoided, even though existing rumors suggest a touch-enabled MacBook might be coming later this year -- and Dell's SPX 13 is arguably equal or superior to a similarly sized MacBook," he stated.

Conclusion:
The Spectre is definitely one of the most amazing laptops ever developed. It's a hotrod among compact cars. We could go the affordable route with a 256GB hard drive but that would be like driving a Mustang with a V6. We'll go with all the bells and whistles and take the 1TB.

Source: Richard Adhikari; TechNewsWorld

The Most Luxurious Recreational Vehicle in the World | Marchi eleMMent RV

Camping in Style with a $3M RV

A true wonder of modern technology, the Marchi Mobile's eleMMent is the most advanced luxury recreational vehicle in the world.

Marchi Mobile has launched its eleMMent series of ultra-luxurious recreational vehicles. Developed to provide a mansion away from the mansion, the series comes in three, completely configurable flavors and provides every little thing you could require on the road, such as automatic boarding stairs, a flybridge and an operational fireplace.

Based in part on a 2001 style by Luigi Colani, this mobile luxury villa resting on a DAF XF 105 track chassis contains deliberately radical elements such as the very conspicuous oval windscreen that makes it stand out at first sight. It owes its shape to a lot more than a designer's whim, though, as the vehicle's aerodynamic properties result in up to a 20 % reduction in fuel consumption. This eco-friendly touch is nicely off-set by a "truly sportive", max 530 horsepower turbo charged diesel engine, a rear diffuser produced of carbon-fiber and a double tube sport exhaust. The automobile also boasts an above average safety rating.

The vehicles in the eleMMent series offer mobility tailored to the buyer's specific needs, whether they are looking for the comfort of a motor home, a private jet on wheels as a VIP shuttle or an upscale design truck.

They encompass individuality limited only by imagination and vision:
Precision manufacturing, state-of-the-art materials paired with an unrivalled passion for detail and functionality combine the best of motor-sports, luxury yachting and aviation – a first in the automotive world.

eleMMent PALAZZO - MOBILE HOME

The eleMMent PALAZZO is a 4 wheel luxury mansion. The fully automatic, pop-up flybridge lounge with multiple bars towers over two floors that include, among other items, a kitchen, a master bedroom with an integrated bathroom and a couch that can be converted into bar furniture at the push of a button. All the automatic setting-up and dismantling is handled by way of a touch screen control panel. A further, mobile control unit with remote video streaming functionality enables the prudent owner to keep an eye on all the essential indicators and play with lighting and temperature settings from afar.

eleMMent VIVA - VIP SHUTTLE

This is Marchi Mobile's take on company mobility. The six company lounge swivel armchairs with massage attributes make eleMMent VIVA almost certainly one of the most comfy mobile conference rooms on the planet - or at least the road. The 8.2 foot (2.5 m) tall interior provides a lot of breathing space for serious business negotiations.

eleMMent VISIONE - PROMOTION VEHICLE

The Visione is the only eleMMent vehicle constructed for the working class. It is marketed as a "superior tool to enthuse and inspire the superior target". It is basically a mobile showroom that allows wares to be shown in style. The 39.37 foot (12 m) long vehicle gives 215.27 square feet (20 sq. m) to 430.55 square feet (40 sq.m) of show space.

The three set-ups described above can be configured at will and can be fitted with almost everything you can find in a luxury mansion. This also includes an operational fireplace (for use when parked), floor heating and a rainfall shower, not to mention cool conveniences like mobile Internet or a 40-inch flat screen satellite Tv. To top things off, the more inventive buyers can even style their own fluorescent coating pattern, which must make the eleMMent stand out in the crowd even in the event of a black-out.

Jan Belezina | gizmag

4K Compatible Playstation Game Console In The Works

The PS4 can already display video and photos in 4K, it just can't handle that for games. That may soon change according to some Sony developers who were briefed on the concept of the Playstation 4.5. With an upgraded processor for starters, a more powerful Playstation would bring even more sophisticated visual effects to their titles, which could end up offering more of a visual upgrade than the 4K bump alone.

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PHANTOM 4 | DJI’s Most Advanced Drone Ever

The sexiest drone that DJI ever designed, welcome to the era of VISION.

How do you make one of the very best drones out there even better? Take out the single factor that is guaranteed to screw things up - human error.

When DJI revealed the Phantom 4 drone in New York this month, we were expecting a refined design and style, much better battery life, and possibly even a camera upgrade or two.

We got all three, but it was the surprise extras that really turned heads.

Now that we've had time to see the new crash avoidance and automatic tracking systems in action, it is about time to bring you some early first impressions on what could turn out to be the greatest quadcopter out there.

“The Phantom 4, it’s the first consumer unit that can see the world around it and adjust accordingly, the next big step towards a truly autonomous aircraft.” — The Verge, March 1, 2016 

“Smarter, leaner, faster, stronger? That's the promise with DJI's Phantom 4 ” — Engadget, March 1, 2016

“This quadcopter can do something other drones can’t: keep you and me from being idiot pilots.” — The Wall Street Journal, March 1, 2016

The Phantom 4 is an evolution of the Phantom 3, and from the appearance, it might be tough for a drone novice to tell them apart.

The matt white plastic has been swapped out for a glossy finish, with the physique and landing gear slimmed down to cut a much better line through the air, but otherwise, the basic design and style hasn't changed.

The camera gimbal is supported on each side now, rather than just one, and a lot of the mechanism has been moved inside the drone body, which once more helps with the aerodynamics.

Exposing the motors gives it a lot more aggressive appearance, but also tends to make room for the activity LEDs to sit underneath them. This will let skilled pilots get that small bit closer to walls and obstacles when flying in low light.

Even the landing gear has been redesigned, with longer, thicker legs that ought to imply safer landings even if it is really windy.

Combine that with DJI's Care plan, and you shouldn't have to worry about accidents keeping you grounded.

All minor tweaks by themselves, for sure, but as a whole, they give the Phantom 4 a significantly fresher appeal - even if it meant ditching the coloured go-faster stripes of the old models.

The 4K camera on the Phantom 3 could produce some incredible looking video, so it's not an enormous surprise that DJI hasn't messed with the formula.

The sensor stays the same for the Phantom 4, with just with a few little tweaks.

The lens has been upgraded for sharper images, especially at the edges of your shots, and for much less distortion.

DJI's demo footage looked fantastic, but we'll need to see video side-by-side with the Phantom 3 to see if the differences are straightforward to spot.

You'll be capable of shooting 1080p at 120fps for the first time, which ought to make for some cool slo-mo shots, but the 4K recording is still stuck at 30fps.

An enhancement to 60fps would have been an ace, but seeing as the DJI Inspire does not even do that, it's not a surprise to see it missing here.

It's how you will use the camera that's changed, with ActiveTrack taking the challenge out of flying and focusing on an object at the same time.

Rather than flying the drone and controlling the camera angle simultaneously (usually two-individual jobs for professional drone photographers), the Phantom 4 lets you tap on the remote screen to choose a target.

The drone then creates a 3D model of that object and automatically keeps it in the frame as you fly around. You can make fine adjustments to focus, framing and camera settings on the fly, or let the Phantom do all the adjustments.

It really is brilliantly simple and allows for perfect tracking even in crowded areas.

Even better, the Phantom can do all this while maintaining an eye out for obstacles - keeping you from crashing your ultra-expensive drone since you had been also busy following the action on the ground.

Two cameras on the front and two on the bottom of the drone develop a 3D model of the planet around it, with the electronic brain inside looking for trees, walls, and any other barriers that would otherwise bring it down.

Try to drive the Phantom 4 into a wall and it'll automatically slam on the brakes. Aim it at an obstacle, and it'll go above or about it before returning to its original trajectory. If the 3D model cannot locate a way around, it'll just hover in location until you take control once more.

This safety net will be perfect for novice pilots, but it gets even simpler. TapFly is the second new flight mode, which ditches the twin stick controller in favour of touchscreen controls.

Tap a button to take off, set the maximum distance you want it to fly away from you, and the Phantom 4 will move towards the horizon. You can tap anywhere on the live video feed and the drone will alter the path.

It dodges obstacles in this mode as well, so newbies can get closer to their subjects even if they haven't got the talent to keep it steady by hand.

Twin ultrasonic sensors combine with the cameras to help keep the drone perfectly level when hovering. Other Phantoms we've used continually adjust their position, inches at a time, but the Phantom 4 was eerily steady - if the propellers weren't spinning, you'd feel it was frozen in mid-air.

It's impressive stuff, and we cannot wait to see what kinds of footage will begin springing up on YouTube as soon as knowledgeable pilots get their hands on one.

The Phantom 3 was hardly a slouch, but the Phantom 4 is a bit of a speed demon.

Usually, it can zip along at 35mph, but switch to Sport mode and you'll get a Quick and Furious-style nitrous boost that pushes the top speed up to 45mph.

It becomes a complete beast when you are flying at full whack, with impeccable speed and agility. DJI's pilots compared it to flying the pro-level Inspire, only for considerably less cash.

You are going to burn through batteries a lot faster in Sport mode, so newbie pilots must stick to Regular mode to remain up in the air longer.

DJI has boosted flight time to 28 minutes, up from 23 in the Phantom 3, but has utilized a bigger battery to do it. That indicates any spare batteries you've got for an existing Phantom are rendered useless.

The tweaked looks, faster top speed and enhanced camera lens are all welcome modifications, but it's the clever object tracking and automatic flight modes that will make it ideal for novice pilots and experienced aerial photographers alike.

At $1399.00 it is much more expensive than the Phantom 3 Professional, but if you've waited this long to get onboard the drone bandwagon, the higher price definitely looks worth it.

Cobalt's CO50 Valkyrie | Advanced Aviation Technology for the Private Sector

Looking much more like a higher-tech fighter than a light plane designed for private use, the Valkyrie from Cobalt Aircraft has just been launched. With a canard front wing, sleek aerodynamic shape and a turbocharged 350 hp (260 kW) engine, the new Valkyrie is claimed to be capable of traveling at speeds of up to 260 knots (482 km/h, 300 mph) and has the capacity for up to five adults and their luggage.

Produced in two models, the CO50 is a fully-certified version capable of being flown unrestricted and with an estimated delivery time of mid-2017 while the Valkyrie-X is a factory-constructed experimental-certified aircraft with an estimated production time of six months from the date of order.

After an extended time in the design and construction phases, the Valkyrie is the brainchild of David Loury, the founder and chief executive officer of Cobalt who has assembled a team of designers, builders, and service folks in facilities in San Francisco, California, Paris, France, and Saguenay, Canada in preparation for construction and delivery.

Cobalt Valkyrie CO50 Sleek Design

"Ten years ago, I had a vision to disrupt the aviation industry with an innovative private aircraft, that is not only technologically sound and safe, but also design-centric and luxurious," said Loury. "Today, Cobalt is no longer just a prototype. It's a world-class aircraft, complete with advanced safety, technology, and modern design features for travel-loving consumers and aviation enthusiasts."

The Valkyrie utilizes a canard design (where there is a small forewing at the front of the aircraft), which is a popular option for various light aircraft, such as the Vertex Hybrid Drone, or other pusher-type aircraft, such as the P.1HH HammerHead, because it adds stability and improves lift, especially in less traditionally-proportioned aircraft.

Cobalt Valkyrie CO50 canard

Sporting a single, rear-facing, piston engine driving a three-blade carbon-fiber pusher propeller, the Valkyrie is claimed to be able to cover more than 1,400 nautical miles (1,600 mi/2,590 km) at 220 knots (253 mph/407 km/h) in economy mode with a pilot and one passenger. This distance decreases as the number of passengers or speed increases, but even fully-loaded and traveling at maximum speed, the Valkyrie is still claimed to be able to travel more than 840 km (520 mi) before refueling.

Cobalt Valkyrie CO50 carbon fiber pusher propeller

Also claimed to have the biggest, single-piece canopy on the planet, the Valkyrie's massive, forward-tilting glasshouse cabin not only gives access to the leather-appointed interior, it also gives a 320-degree view for the pilot and passengers alike. The exterior is crafted from composites and is obtainable in a range of colors, which includes dark hues Cobalt says are not typically achievable in such components.

Cobalt Valkyrie CO50 | Chrome for Maximum Bling

Decked out with a huge array of modern day electronic displays on the dashboard, there is also a dedicated space for an iPad. As for storage, Cobalt states that there is more than ample room for golf clubs, skis, and suitcases. Each model measures 30 ft (9.1 m) extended, 30 ft wide and 10 ft (three m) high.

Cobalt Valkyrie CO50 Instrumentation

Cobalt Valkyrie CO50 Prototype Interior

Standard with retractable landing gear, the Valkyrie models also come with an optional bonus feature in the form of a rescue parachute. Deployable in the case of catastrophic failure or total loss of aircraft control, the parachute system is capable of lowering the entire aircraft and its passengers safely to the ground.

Pre-orders have just been opened, and an experimental Valkyrie-X version can be had for US purchasers as early as the middle of 2016 for a US$15,000 deposit now and the remainder of the $595,000 total when the craft is prepared for delivery. The ultimate, fully-certified version will be accessible by the middle of 2017 and set you back around $699,000, before additional options of course.