Jetpacks not enough for you? Are you looking for something more adventurous? Then check out the Speeder, a new jet-powered motorcycle from Jetpack Aviation (JPA). This sci-fi-inspired vehicle no comic book dream. The Speeder is designed and built by the same company that created the JB-10 jetpack and recently launched the world’s first jetpack racing league. JPA is currently taking pre-orders on the self-stabilizing, jet-powered bike.
JPA has the chops to deliver an outstanding flying motorcycle. The company has expertise in jet turbines and a decade of experience developing jetpack technology. The flying bike uses four turbojet engines that can be powered by kerosene, JetA fuel or diesel. The four engines produce a combined maximum thrust of 705 pound-force, which is enough to lift the 230-pound motorcycle and the weight of its operator, up to 250 pounds.
The Speeder is more than just a motorcycle-styled hovercraft. JPA built the craft to soar into the sky. According to the vehicle’s specs, the airborne motorcycle can climb to 15,000 feet at speeds up to 150 mph. Pilots will need to provide a supplemental oxygen source if they plan to fly at the 15,000-foot maximum of the vehicle. Each flight can last up to 22 minutes, depending on the altitude of the flight and the weight of the pilot.
Similar to the JB-series jetpack, the Speeder uses a tilt-to-accelerate flight system with hand controls, a two-way aviation radio for communication, and 12-inch touchscreen for navigation. It also uses a fly-by-wire control system that self-stabilizes the vehicle in the air much like a drone. JPA plans to build different versions of the Speeder so it can be flown on a recreational pilot certificate or sports pilot’s license for convenience. JBA also is working on an ultralight version that requires no Federal Aviation Administration license at all.
JPA immediate plans are to produce 20 models of the Speeder for recreational use. Each jet-powered motorcycle will cost $380,000 and will include a flight suit and a helmet. You can reserve one for a $10,000 down payment. JPA also is developing a military/commercial version with five turbojet engines and the ability to fly remotely without a pilot.
AI companies spend enormous amounts of time convincing us their technology is safe and secure. But what happens when those same companies become targets of increasingly sophisticated AI-powered attacks? Anthropic, the company behind Claude, is now facing that question. According to a Washington Post report, cybersecurity startup Cathedral discovered vulnerabilities that let its researchers access sensitive information in Anthropic's internal systems.
The researchers used AI agents to identify potential entry points in less than 12 hours. Interestingly, they didn't need to crack Claude itself. Instead, they exploited weaknesses in third-party business applications that Anthropic uses for everyday operations. Anthropic's security testing program disclosed the findings, which allows outside researchers to identify and report vulnerabilities.
Military working dogs charge into places the rest of us would flee. So, I understand why anyone would want to breed tougher, healthier dogs for the job.
Warhound, a new startup from Colossal Biosciences co-founder Ben Lamm and Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey, has stepped out of stealth with $200 million to clone and gene-edit working dogs for American troops, police departments, and emergency services (via TechCrunch).
AI can describe a picture, identify objects, and answer questions about what a camera sees. But when a blind user needs a quick answer, getting an entire spoken essay about the scene isn't exactly helpful. Researchers at the University of Maryland (UMD) have found that AI-powered visual assistance can leave blind users doing too much work to get the information they actually need.
The study, titled Say It My Way: Exploring Control in Conversational Visual Question Answering with Blind Users, examined how people interact with Be My AI, an AI-powered feature of the Be My Eyes app. The researchers found that users often received lengthy descriptions that didn't adequately address their immediate goals, forcing them to ask follow-up questions or find ways to steer the AI towards a more useful answer.