
Send in the drones.
Google says it has agreed to acquire Titan Aerospace, a 2-year-old start-up maker of high-altitude drones.
The search-engine giant did not say how much it will pay for Titan, whose solar-powered drones will help Google collect aerial images.
Google’s gain comes at the expense of Facebook, who earlier this year was in talks to buy the New Mexico-based company for a reported $60 million. Facebook ended up purchasing Ascenta, a U.K.-based aerospace company that has also been working on solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles, for $20 million.
When Facebook announced its Connectivity Lab initiative last month, it said it added “the world’s top experts on aerospace technology,” including Ascenta employees.
The 20-person Titan team will be paired with Google’s Project Loon, which is building large, high-altitude balloons that send Internet signals to areas of the planet that are currently not online, according to Google.
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SOURCE: Jon Swartz
USA TODAY