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News

• US sounds alarm on hacking of passenger jets, air traffic control

  Millions of air passengers could be at risk if more isn't done to prevent hackers targeting aircraft and air traffic control systems, the U.S. government said on Tuesday.

• Expedia to buy Orbitz for $1.6 billion

  Cheaper air travel is making the world seem smaller -- and that's increasingly the case for the online booking market too, with Expedia planning to swallow up rival Orbitz Worldwide barely a month after buying the smaller Travelocity.

• Uber rolls out safety features in its ride-hailing app across India

  Uber Technologies has started a pilot across Indian cities of new safety features for its ride-hailing app, but the new measures may cut no ice with regulators in Delhi where the service was banned.

• Hundreds apply for FAA drone licenses

  The Federal Aviation Administration has issued eight more drone licenses, the latest approvals for several hundred applications it has received.

• Last call for last-minute flight booking charges, EU court rules

  It's last call for last-minute flight booking charges in Europe: Websites must show the total price for a flight right from the outset, and not wait till the last screen before booking to display additional charges, the European Union's top court ruled on Thursday.

• Amsterdam traffic controllers offer commuters personalized route advice

  Ever get stuck in your daily commute? That happens to people in Amsterdam too. But with a new smartphone app that provides free personal route advice based on the latest traffic conditions, Dutch commuters could soon be avoiding annoying traffic jams on their way home.

• Uber says Korean service legal, despite indictment of CEO for illegal taxi operations

  Would iconic ride-hailing startup Uber Technologies CEO still be worth its US$40 billion valuation if founder and CEO Travis Kalanick were in prison?

• Startup wants to be the Zipcar for scooters

  A San Francisco startup has solved one of the drawbacks with a lot of car-sharing services -- though you'll have to make do with two wheels instead of four.

• New cruise ship a floating heaven for tech geeks

  Walking up the gangway to board Royal Caribbean's tech-laden Quantum of the Seas, it was hard not to marvel. Across the harbor was Manhattan, and at 348 meters the new ship is almost as long as the Empire State Building is tall. But it's what the ship contains that made my inner geek salivate.

• Commercial pilots group concerned over Amazon drone safety

  An organization representing thousands of commercial pilots in the U.S. and Canada says it's concerned about the safety implications of Amazon flying drones at a site near Seattle.

• Days after Dragon returns, NASA readies Cygnus launch

  Two days after a SpaceX Dragon cargo craft left the International Space Station and returned to Earth, Orbital Science Corp.'s Cygnus cargo spacecraft is getting ready for a Monday launch.

• At Austin airport, Wi-Fi predicts how long the security line will be

  The Internet can ease travel concerns in many ways, including flight-delay information, maps of road congestion, and ride-sharing apps. But a Wi-Fi network at the Austin, Texas, airport can now answer one of the great unknowns: How long will I have to wait in line at security?

• China's Baidu developing an OS for smart bikes

  Chinese search giant Baidu is getting on the smart bike bandwagon with an operating system that lets cyclists track their workouts and routes.

• The Navy is building robotic weaponized boats

  As a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, loaded with 60 aircraft and more than 6,000 sailors, heads toward port, it's protected by a group of 10 or more small boats.

• Orange offers 'smart app' dev tool and global M2M location service

  Network operator Orange wants to help businesses deliver relevant information to their customers, and keep track of things and people, with three new services that take advantage of its mobile networks.