9 ms·

Google Acquires Titan Aerospace, The Drone Company Pursued By Facebook

123 points by jeffpalmer 12y ago

waps 12y ago
Very interesting company. Your next internet router : http://titanaerospace.com/platforms/solara-50 http://titanaerospace.com/platforms/solara-50 Can't quite compete with what SpaceX is going to do today, but ... very nice. Doesn't look like they've actually built the thing yet though.
- Dorian-Marie 12y ago
  Returns a 404 now, here is the Google Cache version: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:VxviNXDiM68J:titanaerospace.com/platforms/solara-50/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:VxviNXD...
  - id 12y ago
    Interestingly, the link is still on their front page. And they are using WordPress: http://titanaerospace.com/wp-admin http://titanaerospace.com/wp-admin
- JTon 12y ago
  My next internet router is going to be a solar powered flying machine?
  - adrianpike 12y ago
    Mesh networks certainly get more exciting when nodes are mobile.
uptown 12y ago
So what's the grand vision with the huge shift Google is making towards drones, robotics and automation? Does it provide them with a set of data about the movement of goods and individuals unavailable through other avenues? Most Google products tie back into some input useful for advertising. Is this the same, or is it some grand branch towards expanding into something new?
- verandaguy 12y ago
  Is it completely naïve to believe that Google perhaps intends to use these acquisitions for genuine R&D rather than for analytics and data mining?
  - Balgair 12y ago
    I see your point and would like to agree to it, but no. Really, I wish Google was really interested in actually doing good. But their track record with this 'no-hire-from Apple' thing alone says otherwise. Yeah, the X guys may mean well, and yeah it might be really cool stuff, but I am super hesitant to think it's not just to track people better. For example, look at glass. Yeah, it's got a marketing problem now, but the tech is right out of 'Snow Crash'. Its amazing! But that damn camera on it. I have a real suspicion they are just tracking where you look to get abetter idea of what ads attract people in real life. Its only a matter of time before they have a feature that tracks your eye movement and focus to help take pictures or whatever. And then what? They know what you are looking at in real time. So what? Well, I just don't get the 'don't be evil' vibe from that kind of data.
    - cromwellian 12y ago
      The battery in glass is tiny. If the camera was used to do what you say, the battery life would be measured in minutes, not hours.
      - Balgair 12y ago
        Now this is why I come to HN, for comments like this. Thank you for the info, I just assumed that the battery was comparable to a cell-phone's, hours of life. This does change my opinion for the time. Once the battery comes up to the hours and days mark, then I'll worry again.
        akama 12y ago
        In addition to the short battery life, glass also get very hot when recording. It gets to the point that it hurts to wear after only a couple of seconds.
ChuckMcM 12y ago
Interesting move. More interesting that robotics companies are such hot takeover targets these days.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
elsewhen 12y ago
I think this type of initiative might also be used to provide more accurate location data for mobile users. accessing GPS satellites is sometimes challenging in cities (where most mobile users are) and a fleet of drones above each city could prove helpful.
incision 12y ago
Something unsettling about the feeling (founded or not) that a handful of tech juggernauts have the ability to buy up seemingly whatever they want. This along with the anti-headhunting collusion, sprawling campuses puts me in mind of a Gibsonian future ruled by a handful corporate arcologies [0]. Has business always operated this way and I'm only now noticing because it's happening closer to home? 0: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcology http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcology
- loceng 12y ago
  A future open technology sounds nice doesn't it? The only issue here then is making sure resources are distributed, managed and organized in a kind way.
- capkutay 12y ago
  Well, it's possible that they recognize that market capitalizations of tech companies are a little saturated right now given their sources of revenue and growth plans. So while your stock is overvalued, one of the best ways you can take advantage of it is making stock-heavy acquisitions (even if the deal is 50/50 cash-stock, it helps when your stock is valued at $550 a share). How else could they take advantage of high stock valuations in the short term?
  - seizethecheese 12y ago
    Good point. It kills me,however, when people quote a stock price when they really should talk about market cap. Stock prices are basically arbitrary unless you consider shares outstanding.
- mcphilip 12y ago
  Once you're a front runner in a given market sector, it's often more efficient to buy up smaller companies to gain valuable intellectual property and future revenue streams than it is to rely solely on inhouse R&D. These types of acquisition sprees are extremely common, especially with companies like Google that are flush with cash.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
techaddict009 12y ago
Larry to Mark : So you acquired Whatsapp which I was planning to acquire.. No worries.. Here we go... Titan Aerospace ! #Joke
api 12y ago
Why the hell would Facebook be interested in a drone company? Google makes only slightly more sense.
- burke 12y ago
  Google makes a ton of sense: It will be a major competitive advantage for its Maps product. Facebook makes no sense whatsoever.
- syjer 12y ago
  See their internet.org initiative for the feel good side. Or, on the business side, they want to capture their future customers where the internet is hard to access.
- dm2 12y ago
  Slightly unrelated but I think that Facebook should setup a parent company that has a different name. Whenever I see the phrase, "Facebook has acquired X" I can't help but think that the acquired company is both no longer trusted and not worth investing in or using. That might not be rational but they're just not the type of company that I think improves the value of their acquisitions.
  - kevincrane 12y ago
    Comcast tried by rebranding much of itself as Xfinity a few years ago. As far as I know, it didn't do much to sway public few once people realized they were still the same thing. http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/02/09/comcast-xfinity-idUSN0515328620100209 http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/02/09/comcast-xfinity-id...
    - deleted 12y ago
      [deleted]
- raldi 12y ago
  The 1960 version of you might have asked, "Why the hell is AT&T playing with satellites?"
mark_l_watson 12y ago
Google's stated reason for the purchase makes sense, providing more internet connectivity, etc. I give them the benefit of the doubt on this one. Off topic, but: my first two bosses at SAIC were Titan founders.
- ams6110 12y ago
  Read Spolsky's Strategy Letter V[1]. All else being equal, demand for a product increases when the prices of its complements decrease. Internet access complements all of Google's other products. It is in their interest to commoditize it even further and make it cheaper. If I were Verizon and Comcast I'd be worried. 1: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/StrategyLetterV.html http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/StrategyLetterV.html
stvn 12y ago
nothin' to see here folks. +movealong
yogi123 12y ago
The behavior of public technology companies that throw off lots of cash is entirely predictable. They are utterly shitty allocators of capital, esp when run by "visionaries." Some easy predictions: -This acquisition will have zero to negative return on investment, just like Motorola. -Oculus acquisition for 2B will have zero to negative return on capital -WhatsApp will have zero to negative return on capital The abuse of shareholder cash at cash-rich tech companies like Apple, Facebook, and Google is quite breathtaking to observe.
- chaz 12y ago
  These bets are easy because it's hard to figure out if you've won or lost. Among the challenges is that acquisitions like WhatsApp and Motorola can be more about stopping threats. WhatsApp had been adding ~1 million people a day, and if FB's mission is to connect people in the world, then WhatsApp could have become a serious competitor in a few years. The Motorola patent portfolio has been discussed, but there's a lot of potential for simple expertise in consumer goods that was acquired as well. Us outsiders will never really really know. Since we're talking about tech companies and not airlines, the value of an acq is a lot more difficult than discounted future revenue. YouTube was much derided as a terrible acquisition for YouTube in 2006 -- a bandwidth money pit and a copyright nightmare. But it looks like it was a smart move. What you describe does happen, though. Microsoft paid $6B to acquire aQuantive in 2007 and then wrote if all off in 2012.
- 3am 12y ago
  Google has a pretty good track record with acquisitions (YouTube, Android, DoubleClick, Picasa... lots of smaller tuck-in acquisitions around their big products). The Motorola is an extremely poor example, because it was defensive against the Nortel patents/Rockstar consortium. Numerous analyses have shown it was very cost effective on a per-patent basis after taking into account Motorola's cash on hand, NOL credits, and the various parts of it they sold. Edit: I couldn't find the terms of this deal, but the rumor was FB was offering $60M USD, so it's probably on that order of magnitude. I don't think it would be hard to make a business case for integrating this technology with Maps, making satellite view closer to real-time while reducing their bill for actual satellite imagery.

123 points by jeffpalmer 12y ago

waps 12y ago

Very interesting company. Your next internet router : http://titanaerospace.com/platforms/solara-50 http://titanaerospace.com/platforms/solara-50 Can't quite compete with what SpaceX is going to do today, but ... very nice. Doesn't look like they've actually built the thing yet though.

Dorian-Marie 12y ago
Returns a 404 now, here is the Google Cache version: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:VxviNXDiM68J:titanaerospace.com/platforms/solara-50/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:VxviNXD...
- id 12y ago
  Interestingly, the link is still on their front page. And they are using WordPress: http://titanaerospace.com/wp-admin http://titanaerospace.com/wp-admin
JTon 12y ago
My next internet router is going to be a solar powered flying machine?
- adrianpike 12y ago
  Mesh networks certainly get more exciting when nodes are mobile.

uptown 12y ago

So what's the grand vision with the huge shift Google is making towards drones, robotics and automation? Does it provide them with a set of data about the movement of goods and individuals unavailable through other avenues? Most Google products tie back into some input useful for advertising. Is this the same, or is it some grand branch towards expanding into something new?

verandaguy 12y ago
Is it completely naïve to believe that Google perhaps intends to use these acquisitions for genuine R&D rather than for analytics and data mining?
- Balgair 12y ago
  I see your point and would like to agree to it, but no. Really, I wish Google was really interested in actually doing good. But their track record with this 'no-hire-from Apple' thing alone says otherwise. Yeah, the X guys may mean well, and yeah it might be really cool stuff, but I am super hesitant to think it's not just to track people better. For example, look at glass. Yeah, it's got a marketing problem now, but the tech is right out of 'Snow Crash'. Its amazing! But that damn camera on it. I have a real suspicion they are just tracking where you look to get abetter idea of what ads attract people in real life. Its only a matter of time before they have a feature that tracks your eye movement and focus to help take pictures or whatever. And then what? They know what you are looking at in real time. So what? Well, I just don't get the 'don't be evil' vibe from that kind of data.
  - cromwellian 12y ago
    The battery in glass is tiny. If the camera was used to do what you say, the battery life would be measured in minutes, not hours.
    - Balgair 12y ago
      Now this is why I come to HN, for comments like this. Thank you for the info, I just assumed that the battery was comparable to a cell-phone's, hours of life. This does change my opinion for the time. Once the battery comes up to the hours and days mark, then I'll worry again.
      - akama 12y ago
        In addition to the short battery life, glass also get very hot when recording. It gets to the point that it hurts to wear after only a couple of seconds.

ChuckMcM 12y ago

Interesting move. More interesting that robotics companies are such hot takeover targets these days.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

elsewhen 12y ago

I think this type of initiative might also be used to provide more accurate location data for mobile users. accessing GPS satellites is sometimes challenging in cities (where most mobile users are) and a fleet of drones above each city could prove helpful.

incision 12y ago

Something unsettling about the feeling (founded or not) that a handful of tech juggernauts have the ability to buy up seemingly whatever they want. This along with the anti-headhunting collusion, sprawling campuses puts me in mind of a Gibsonian future ruled by a handful corporate arcologies [0]. Has business always operated this way and I'm only now noticing because it's happening closer to home? 0: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcology http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcology

loceng 12y ago
A future open technology sounds nice doesn't it? The only issue here then is making sure resources are distributed, managed and organized in a kind way.
capkutay 12y ago
Well, it's possible that they recognize that market capitalizations of tech companies are a little saturated right now given their sources of revenue and growth plans. So while your stock is overvalued, one of the best ways you can take advantage of it is making stock-heavy acquisitions (even if the deal is 50/50 cash-stock, it helps when your stock is valued at $550 a share). How else could they take advantage of high stock valuations in the short term?
- seizethecheese 12y ago
  Good point. It kills me,however, when people quote a stock price when they really should talk about market cap. Stock prices are basically arbitrary unless you consider shares outstanding.
mcphilip 12y ago
Once you're a front runner in a given market sector, it's often more efficient to buy up smaller companies to gain valuable intellectual property and future revenue streams than it is to rely solely on inhouse R&D. These types of acquisition sprees are extremely common, especially with companies like Google that are flush with cash.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

techaddict009 12y ago

Larry to Mark : So you acquired Whatsapp which I was planning to acquire.. No worries.. Here we go... Titan Aerospace ! #Joke

api 12y ago

Why the hell would Facebook be interested in a drone company? Google makes only slightly more sense.

burke 12y ago
Google makes a ton of sense: It will be a major competitive advantage for its Maps product. Facebook makes no sense whatsoever.
syjer 12y ago
See their internet.org initiative for the feel good side. Or, on the business side, they want to capture their future customers where the internet is hard to access.
dm2 12y ago
Slightly unrelated but I think that Facebook should setup a parent company that has a different name. Whenever I see the phrase, "Facebook has acquired X" I can't help but think that the acquired company is both no longer trusted and not worth investing in or using. That might not be rational but they're just not the type of company that I think improves the value of their acquisitions.
- kevincrane 12y ago
  Comcast tried by rebranding much of itself as Xfinity a few years ago. As far as I know, it didn't do much to sway public few once people realized they were still the same thing. http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/02/09/comcast-xfinity-idUSN0515328620100209 http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/02/09/comcast-xfinity-id...
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
raldi 12y ago
The 1960 version of you might have asked, "Why the hell is AT&T playing with satellites?"

mark_l_watson 12y ago

Google's stated reason for the purchase makes sense, providing more internet connectivity, etc. I give them the benefit of the doubt on this one. Off topic, but: my first two bosses at SAIC were Titan founders.

ams6110 12y ago
Read Spolsky's Strategy Letter V[1]. All else being equal, demand for a product increases when the prices of its complements decrease. Internet access complements all of Google's other products. It is in their interest to commoditize it even further and make it cheaper. If I were Verizon and Comcast I'd be worried. 1: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/StrategyLetterV.html http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/StrategyLetterV.html

stvn 12y ago

nothin' to see here folks. +movealong

yogi123 12y ago

The behavior of public technology companies that throw off lots of cash is entirely predictable. They are utterly shitty allocators of capital, esp when run by "visionaries." Some easy predictions: -This acquisition will have zero to negative return on investment, just like Motorola. -Oculus acquisition for 2B will have zero to negative return on capital -WhatsApp will have zero to negative return on capital The abuse of shareholder cash at cash-rich tech companies like Apple, Facebook, and Google is quite breathtaking to observe.

chaz 12y ago
These bets are easy because it's hard to figure out if you've won or lost. Among the challenges is that acquisitions like WhatsApp and Motorola can be more about stopping threats. WhatsApp had been adding ~1 million people a day, and if FB's mission is to connect people in the world, then WhatsApp could have become a serious competitor in a few years. The Motorola patent portfolio has been discussed, but there's a lot of potential for simple expertise in consumer goods that was acquired as well. Us outsiders will never really really know. Since we're talking about tech companies and not airlines, the value of an acq is a lot more difficult than discounted future revenue. YouTube was much derided as a terrible acquisition for YouTube in 2006 -- a bandwidth money pit and a copyright nightmare. But it looks like it was a smart move. What you describe does happen, though. Microsoft paid $6B to acquire aQuantive in 2007 and then wrote if all off in 2012.
3am 12y ago
Google has a pretty good track record with acquisitions (YouTube, Android, DoubleClick, Picasa... lots of smaller tuck-in acquisitions around their big products). The Motorola is an extremely poor example, because it was defensive against the Nortel patents/Rockstar consortium. Numerous analyses have shown it was very cost effective on a per-patent basis after taking into account Motorola's cash on hand, NOL credits, and the various parts of it they sold. Edit: I couldn't find the terms of this deal, but the rumor was FB was offering $60M USD, so it's probably on that order of magnitude. I don't think it would be hard to make a business case for integrating this technology with Maps, making satellite view closer to real-time while reducing their bill for actual satellite imagery.