Technologies

Ocean drone caught inside Hurricane Sam captures hair-raising video

A brave drone ship entered the belly of a Category 4 beast and witnessed some wild waves.

Hurricane Sam is the strongest storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season so far, though it’s fortunately not threatening to make landfall. While we’ve seen Sam churning from orbit, we now have some extraordinary new footage from inside the Category 4 storm.

Autonomous ocean vehicle company Saildrone is working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to monitor the storm from an unusual vantage point. On Thursday, Saildrone shared a video taken by its Saildrone Explorer SD 1045.

The video shows heaving waves at stomach-turning angles as witnessed by the drone ship. In a statement, Saildrone described it as «the first video footage gathered by an uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) from inside a major hurricane barreling across the Atlantic Ocean.»

A second video shows the drone’s location within the hurricane.

The ocean level view is very different from what we typically see from space or from Hurricane Hunter aircraft that fly into storms. The drone ship sports a special «hurricane wing» that allows it to deal with the whipping winds of the storm.

The drone isn’t just surfing for the fun of it. «New data from saildrones and other uncrewed systems that NOAA is using will help us better predict the forces that drive hurricanes and be able to warn communities earlier,» NOAA scientist Greg Foltz said.

Hurricane Sam could still have an impact on coast lines. It’s expected to remain a major hurricane for several more days and is likely to send significant ocean swells toward some islands, including the Bahamas and Bermuda. Those swells could reach portions of Canada and the East Coast of the US by this weekend. NOAA is warning of «life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.»

The Sam-exploring drone is one of five hurricane-monitoring Saildrone ships that are working the Atlantic this season. The brave vessel has gone where no human would want to go and lived to show its story to the world.

Technologies

The Fourth Episode of the VERUM AI Mini-Series Is Out

Verum Messenger has released the fourth episode of its AI mini-series SHADOWS, created using Verum AI. The new episode, titled “No Borders,” continues the story of a team trying to stay out of the OMEGA corporation’s sight.

Following the events of the previous episodes, the team moves between cities and countries while OMEGA continues its search. The new episode puts particular emphasis on Verum Messenger’s capabilities that allow users to conceal their location.

“No Borders” is another chapter in a story about privacy, freedom of communication, and technologies that erase borders between people.

The VERUM AI mini-series consists of seven episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 4 is now available. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

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Technologies

Verum Messenger Introduces Built-In Verum Chess

Verum Messenger has released a new update for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, adding another feature to its growing ecosystem — Verum Chess. Users can now play chess directly inside the messenger without switching between different applications.

The new feature allows users to start a game in just a few taps while reinforcing Verum’s vision of a unified digital environment where communication and everyday services come together in a single platform.

Verum Messenger continues to evolve into a multifunctional ecosystem that combines secure chats and calls, AI tools, a built-in VPN, anonymous email, eSIM, financial services, cryptocurrency features, and offline communication. With the introduction of Verum Chess, the platform now also offers a new way for users to interact and spend time together without leaving the app.

The update is now available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac on the App Store.

Technologies

Episode 3 of the VERUM AI Mini-Series Is Now Available

Verum Messenger has released the third episode of its AI mini-series, SHADOWS, created using Verum AI.

The new episode, titled «Ghost Money,» continues the story of the conflict between a team of heroes and the Omega corporation, which seeks to take control of digital communications. This time, the focus shifts to anonymous payments and financial freedom, revealing how privacy can extend beyond messaging.

Like the previous episodes, the new release not only advances the storyline but also showcases the capabilities of the Verum ecosystem, highlighting technologies designed for secure communication and digital privacy.

The mini-series consists of seven episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 3 is now available. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Watch on Instagram
Watch on YouTube