Air Force grants AeroVironment $13 million; Snap survival strategy leaked; Treyarch prepares for new game launch
AeroVironment Awarded $13 Million Contract
Drone manufacturer AeroVironment Inc., based in Monrovia, announced Oct. 5 it received a contract from the United States Air Force for $13 million. The award will fund AeroVironment’s deployment of its RQ-11B Raven drone to U.S. Southern Command stations across Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. Military and Aerospace Electronics magazine reports the drones are designed for low-altitude surveillance and reconnaissance, and that they have a maximum range of roughly 6 miles and maximum mission duration of 90 minutes.
Snap Inc. Chief Executive Evan Spiegel produced an internal memo that promptly leaked and is now in the hands of TechCrunch, which reports the company has a plan to combat its sinking stock (currently trading at under $8) and become lucrative once more. According to TechCrunch, the memo from Spiegel addresses Snapchat app redesign errors; a focus on the app’s chat feature; positive Discover user statistics but a need for new design; and prioritizing developing markets, particularly adults.
Treyarch Prepares for New Game Launch
Santa Monica-based Treyarch Corp., developers of Activision Blizzard Inc. franchise “Call of Duty,” is preparing for the planned Oct. 12 launch of its newest title, “Call of Duty: Black Ops 4,” according to the Hollywood Reporter, which got an inside look at the process. In total, the first “Call of Duty: Black Ops” game grossed more than $650 million in its first week; and garnered more than $1 billion in revenue to date. To compete with immensely popular and fast-paced new titles such as Epic Games Inc.’s “Fortnite,” the latest “Black Ops” game will include a battle royale mode and more cooperative play opportunities.
