News

eVTOL Gives Glimpse Into The Future Of Personal Air Travel

CycloTech’s CruiseUp eVTOL has been 15 years in the making, and could redefine urban mobility.

Published

1 year ago

October 11, 2023

Nour Nasir

evtol gives glimpse into the future of personal air travel

CycloTech

After 15 years of planning and testing, CycloTech’s air car concept, known as the CruiseUp eVTOL, offers a glimpse into a sci-fi future where personal air travel isn’t just possible but commonplace. The high-tech aircraft uses a patented propulsion system called CycloRotor, allowing for unparalleled agility and control.

Less than twice the size of a regular car, the CycloTech eVTOL can carry two passengers. The company says that the air car won’t take to the skies until at least 2035, as it is waiting for the air taxi industry to mature and needs time to overcome regulatory hurdles and energy storage issues.

cyclotech cruiseup evtol

CycloTech’s eVTOL air car is designed for short-distance city commuting and stands out due to its futuristic design and exceptional maneuverability. CycloTech is headquartered in Linz, Austria, and has become known for its development work on “Voith-Schneider” propellers. The six barrel-shaped propulsion units on the CruiseUp use wing blades that tilt as the barrels spin, allowing for rapid directional changes in 360 degrees, combined with a top speed of 150 km/h and a range of 100 km.

Also Read: NYU Abu Dhabi Develops Cancer-Fighting Nanospheres

In the marine world, super-fast thrust vectoring is the main advantage of Voith-Schneider propellers. The technology is already used to help tugs, ferries, and firefighting ships position themselves precisely in shifting tides, quickly balancing against currents that might tip them over.

While the path to commercial success for CycloTech remains in the balance, the CruiseUp concept still has plenty of potential in smaller drone applications, where precision positioning and agility are invaluable. The CruiseUp eVTOL’s innovative mechanics and visually striking design make it a compelling addition to the rapidly evolving landscape of personal air travel.

News

Will Upcoming Changes Turn Instagram Into A TikTok Clone?

Updates are rolling out for the grid layout and Reels length, while new editing tools clearly imitate those of the rival Chinese platform.

Published

1 day ago

January 24, 2025

Nour Nasir

Instagram

Instagram recently faced backlash for swapping its iconic square grid for rectangles, disrupting the aesthetic of thousands of carefully curated profiles. However, the Meta-owned platform isn’t stopping there, after announcing more incoming TikTok-like changes designed to give users greater control over their profiles.

“We launched a new tall grid on profiles this week and I got a lot of feedback, both positive and quite negative,” Instagram head Adam Mosseri shared in an Instagram caption on Monday. “The goal is a simpler, cleaner place that maintains, and even increases, creator control”.

Here are some of the details about further changes we can expect:

Customizable Grids: Users will soon be able to tweak how their posts appear on the grid, including adjusting image crops and reordering posts entirely.
Direct-To-Grid Posts: A new option will allow users to post directly to their profile grid without automatically adding it to their main feed.
Highlights Relocation: Instagram’s Highlights feature will move from above the grid into a dedicated tab, while also becoming part of the profile grid itself.
Longer Reels: Reels are getting a significant upgrade, with the maximum video length jumping from 90 seconds to 3 minutes.

The updates are part of Instagram’s ongoing effort to compete with TikTok, which narrowly avoided a US ban following a 75-day delay granted by President Donald Trump. With the Chinese video platform’s future remaining uncertain, Instagram seems eager to capture disillusioned users by offering features that feel increasingly similar to those of its rival.

Also Read: How To Find & Cancel Pending Instagram Requests

In fact, Instagram’s recent changes go beyond just the app’s layout: On Sunday, parent company Meta launched the standalone Edits app, a clear imitation of TikTok’s popular video-editing tool, CapCut. Additionally, Meta has been enticing creators with cash bonuses to encourage them to post their videos on Instagram and Facebook.

It’s clear Instagram is shifting its strategy to appeal to the short-form video crowd. Whether these changes will win over users or continue to spark discontent remains to be seen.