Larry Page is rumored to be building a flying car, apparently dropping a whopping US$100M into the effort. Surprisingly, this actually makes more sense to me than a self-driving car does, because it potentially solves two problems at once: You won't have to fly the thing yourself; and it eliminates the need for roads for those who commute to work.
If we go to drone delivery and take into account advances in 3D printing for much of the stuff we use, then roads could become like railroad tracks -- just used for moving heavy stuff.
I'll share some thoughts on that and close with my product of the week: a mountable computer case -- or wall art -- that is really cool.
The Problem With Flying Cars
The big issue right now with car planes is that they are hybrids. Like car boats, the general problem is that they suck at being a car and they suck at being the other thing too.
Amphibious cars have had not just a nasty habit of being slow, but also a tendency to sink like rocks. Technology has improved, and there is a pretty cool fast amphibious jeep on the market, but it'll cost you more than a boat+jeep would cost you for a similar experience. (Of course, the coolest amphibious car was the Rinspeed Splash. )
The Pal-V One is likely the best flying car on the market, but for US$250K and a motorcycle-like experience you could get a decent plane and use Uber far less.
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