ZDNET's key takeaways JBL's refreshed flagship headphones improve on core features while introducing an innovative sidekick for $400. The Tour One M3 are packed with useful features, have a marathon battery, and deliver a sufficient noise-canceling and audio performance.The Smart Tx is a clever idea, but many people probably won't use it to its full potential. View now at JBL Wireless headphones are a dime a dozen, so manufacturers must give us something new and innovative to keep our attention beyond improving noise cancellation and sound quality. In January, JBL announced the latest generation of its flagship headphones, the Tour One M3, and the pièce de résistance was a tiny Auracast-enabled Bluetooth transmitter.The Smart Tx transmitter is included with purchase, and it's supposed to break down connectivity barriers so you can connect your headphones to virtually any audio source. It's an interesting gadget, but its inclusion bumps the price of M3 headphones to $400. Also: The 13 best headphones of 2025I tested the JBL Tour One M3 with the Smart Tx transmitter for two weeks. Despite the novelty, are a pair of JBL headphones worth residing in the same price range of premium offerings from Sony, Bose, and Sonos?  details View at Jbl Starting with sound, the Tour One M3 headphones are impressive; they're certainly the most premium-sounding headphones from JBL. The M3's 40mm dynamic drivers wonderfully reproduce deep lows and bright highs, although the mids aren't as clear. The EQ settings in the JBL headphones app can rectify your dislike of the out-of-the-box sound, which is not moving or inspiring. You can choose from preset EQ modes or create your own using a 10-band equalizer. If the preset EQ modes don't suit your style or you can't get the custom EQ to your taste, you can take the upgraded Personi-Fi hearing test to help the headphones create a personalized hearing profile based on which frequencies you hear best.Also: I replaced my AirPods with Sony's budget earbuds - there's only one thing I'll missMy Personi-Fi test concluded that I needed a slight bass, mids, and treble bump in my left ear and a bump of only mids and treble in my right. This personalized adjustment, plus a little extra bass (I can't help myself), really made these headphones come to life.The bass and funk of Justin Timberlake's "Let the Groove Get In"JBL implemented its proprietary spatial audio format into the M3, allowing you to listen to anything in spatial audio. The Spatial Sound opens up the M3's soundstage, and like all songs in spatial audio, some sound better than others. Still, the feature offers head tracking, so your audio can move with you. It's a neat effect that works reliably and with the right media, can be highly enjoyable. Jada Jones/ZDNETThe M3 promises 70 hours of audio playback, 20 more hours than its predecessor. In perspective, the M3 pledge 30 hours more than Sony's XM5, 40 more than Sonos' Ace, 46 more than Bose's QC Ultra, and 50 more than Apple's AirPods Max.The Tour One M3 is loaded with software features, including the usuals like TalkThru mode, which lowers the volume when the headphones sense you're trying to have a conversation, touch controls, and multifunction button gestures, all of which can be manipulated in the JBL Headphones app.Also: Why these Bose headphones are still the best I've listened to - even though they're a year oldThe companion app also lets you tweak the headphones' left/right balance, sidetone when taking phone calls, and ANC and transparency mode levels. The M3's noise-canceling capabilities feature an impressive eight microphones to aid in detecting and canceling noises. The noise-canceling performance will do for commuting and quieting noise in the office, but it's not as good as what Sony and Bose can offer. Still, these headphones offer more noise-canceling customization than their equally priced competitors, allowing you to adjust noise cancellation levels and toggle between active and adaptive noise cancellation. Jada Jones/ZDNETFour beamforming microphones are responsible for keeping your voice clear when participating in phone and video calls while wearing the M3. During my testing, I took plenty of phone and video calls and didn't get any complaints about my voice clarity. Compared to headphones like the Sonos Ace with more luxury marketing, the M3 outperformed in this category.Design-wise, the Tour One M3's $400 price tag may confuse you. The M3's design is almost identical to its predecessor, except the volume buttons moved to the left earcup, and there is no 3.5mm headphone jack. Additionally, the M3 are entirely plastic, omitting any heavier and more luxurious-looking metals to elevate the design or add stylish flare.Also: Finally, a Bluetooth speaker that rivals my Bose SoundLink Max - and it's much more affordableStill, the M3's plastic build keeps them light and comfortable on your head for hours. The faux leather ear pads are thick and plushy, offering enough padding to curb ear fatigue. Although there's no 3.5mm jack, JBL asserts you won't need one when you have the Smart Tx transmitter. Connect the transmitter to your M3 headphones, plug the transmitter into your 3.5mm jack-equipped audio source, and you're rocking and rolling. Jada Jones/ZDNETThe M3 headphones come with a USB-C-to-3.5mm cord for plugging into sources like an in-flight entertainment system or gym equipment. The Smart Tx has Bluetooth Auracast, which allows you to use it as a Bluetooth transmitter (Tx) or Auracast receiver (Rx). In transmitter mode, you can plug the Smart Tx into an audio source to share the audio with someone nearby with an Auracast-enabled smartphone and headphones. In receiver mode, you can connect the Smart Tx to an Auracast stream to hear the audio through the M3 headphones.Also: The viral wireless audio dongle for in-flight entertainment just got a major upgrade - and it's legitBecause Auracast is still aiming for widespread adoption, the Smart Tx's main feature may be limited for some people, particularly those with iPhones. However, the audio-sharing feature is a huge win. If you're watching a movie on your MacBook and your friend has a compatible Google Pixel phone and headphones, you can plug the Smart Tx into the laptop and share the audio with your friend.ZDNET's buying adviceThe JBL Tour One M3 are a superb pair of reliable, everyday headphones. They promise up to 70 hours of use, provide endless personalization options, and deliver practical use in everyday situations, like commuting or working. The M3's predecessor was released just two years ago, which isn't a lot of time to dramatically improve the M3 compared to the M2. So, if you own the Tour One M2, I suggest holding onto them.If your headphones are due for an upgrade and you want a pair of high-performing headphones, I recommend the Tour One M3. However, paying a premium for the Smart Tx when its most innovative use cases with Auracast are still in their infancy seems like a miss. Hopefully, JBL will offer consumers an option to purchase the M3 separately from the Smart Tx.Many JBL headphones offer effective noise cancellation, audio personalization, and intuitive software features. If you want access to those features for hundreds less than the Tour One M3, consider the JBL Tour One M2or the JBL Live 770NC.Featured reviews

Here are five grounding truths to hold you when you’re falling apart — a research-backed guide to ... More creating boundaries with yourself right when you need them most.getty Breakups can sometimes hurt in ways words can’t always capture. One minute you’re fine — the next, you’re rereading old messages, spiraling in your notes app and questioning if you were “enough” for the other person. You may try to reassure yourself by repeating something like, “I’ll get through this. It’s not the first time.” But those words might feel empty against the memories that rush back in uninvited. In those moments, logic doesn’t help. What you need isn’t advice — it’s anchoring. These five boundaries aren’t a fast track to healing. They’re grounding reminders — designed to help you move through the pain with self-compassion and clarity, especially when the noise in your head is relentless and the ache feels unbearable. 1. I Will Not Beg For Love Or Attention This boundary is rooted in self-respect. In the early stages of a breakup, it’s natural to desire reconnection, not necessarily because the relationship was healthy but because the absence feels overwhelming. Even a single message or moment of contact can feel like temporary relief from emotional pain. But returning to someone hurtful or manipulative can reinforce a harmful dynamic. Over time, it might signal to them that your boundaries are optional and that their mistreatment carries no real consequence. Most importantly, this pattern can gradually erode your self-esteem. A 2020 study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships found that individuals high in attachment anxiety often feel compelled to rekindle relationships after a breakup due to a disrupted sense of self. This self-concept confusion predicted a stronger desire to reconnect even when it did not lead to emotional clarity or stability. In many cases, getting back together does not resolve this inner turmoil. The relationship quality tends to decline and the risk of another breakup increases, further intensifying distress. Reconnection may soothe the momentary pain, but it rarely repairs the deeper rupture. Love should not require the erosion of your dignity. Here’s one mental statement you can use when you feel the urge to reconnect with an ex-partner too soon: “If I feel abandoned, I’ll sit with the pain, not chase relief from the person who caused it.” 2. I Will Not Send Long Emotional Texts When I’m Spiraling This boundary promotes emotional regulation. When emotions are heightened, you might feel compelled to reach for your phone — to explain, to defend, to say everything that’s been left unsaid. The impulse stems from correcting what feels like a false narrative, this is because breakups disrupt not just connection, but also your sense of coherence. As a result, you take to writing to feel in control again. A 2015 review published in Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience found that rejection activates the same brain regions involved in physical pain — particularly the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and anterior insula. This neural overlap helps explain why heartbreak can feel unbearable and why people often act impulsively in an attempt to soothe the distress, even though it delays healing. The bad news is that sending emotionally charged messages while dysregulated rarely leads to relief. It can create more confusion, miscommunication or even shame in the aftermath. What feels urgent in the moment often fades with emotional distance — and rarely reflects what truly needs to be said. Instead of sending a message you may regret later, try writing a note to yourself first: “I’ll write what I feel in my notes or share it with someone safe. Then I’ll decide, from a grounded place, what truly needs to be said.” 3. I Will Not Let Someone Else’s Silence Define My Worth This boundary grounds you in rationality. After a breakup, silence can feel louder than words. A lack of reply becomes its own kind of message, and the mind often fills in the blanks with the worst possible story: “They don’t care. I meant nothing. They don’t love me.” These interpretations, while understandable, are rarely rooted in fact. They’re shaped by past wounds, attachment patterns and the discomfort of uncertainty. A classic study published in Group Processes & Intergroup Relations found that receiving the silent treatment threatens four core psychological needs: belonging, self-esteem, control and meaningful existence. Participants perceived the silence not as indifference but as a form of emotional punishment, which at times exacted a higher toll than harsh words. This helps explain why post-breakup silence can feel so devastating. It activates something deeper than uncertainty; it makes you question your worth. To avoid jumping to conclusions, use this affirmation to ground yourself: “No reply does not equal rejection. No reply does not mean I’m unlovable.” 4. I Will Not Tolerate Emotional Manipulation, Even If I Love Them This boundary protects you from being manipulated. One of the hardest parts of healing, specifically from unhealthy relationship dynamics, is accepting that someone you love might have hurt you, not accidentally, but repeatedly. Not because they didn’t know better, but because they could. A 2022 study published in the International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology found that nearly all individuals in relationships with partners high in psychopathic traits reported emotional manipulation — including deception, gaslighting and coercion. These experiences were linked to higher rates of PTSD and depression, often more severe than the effects of physical violence. Emotional harm, the study notes, doesn’t just erode trust — it fragments a person’s identity and sense of safety. To add insult to injury, it isn’t always obvious. Sometimes it’s guilt-tripping when you try to set a boundary. Other times, it’s withdrawing affection when you express your needs. Whether subtle or blatant, the effect is usually the same: you feel small, unstable or ashamed for wanting more. Repeat this simple dictum to yourself when find yourself forgoing your self-respect for love: 5. I Will Stop Romanticizing Pain This boundary brings clarity. It’s easy to mistake emotional intensity for depth and believe that the aching, the longing, the constant rumination meant what you had was meaningful and irreplaceable. But pain isn’t proof of love — it’s often proof of emotional entanglement that wasn’t safe or reciprocal. A 2011 study published in Self and Identity found that individuals with high attachment anxiety tend to integrate their partner’s traits into their own self-concept. When the relationship ends, this creates heightened self-concept confusion — a destabilization of identity that can intensify longing and emotional pain. In these cases, the suffering doesn’t signal a deeper connection. It reflects a blurred sense of self. Real love doesn’t require the loss of who you are. Healing begins when you stop mistaking suffering for sincerity. If you want to stop mixing up grief and love, you can chant this affirmation: “I will stop mistaking obsession for devotion. I deserve a love that feels safe”. These boundaries and affirmations are often what most people need when they’re reeling from the loss of a relationship. The only difference is that while they might have come from friends, family and well-wishers in the past, you can also take charge of your own healing and always come back to them when you require them. Want to know if you should consider professional support to get through your breakup? Take the Breakup Distress Scale to find out.

The big picture: If you've ever wanted to bring a bit of Severance's office dystopia into your real life – minus the mind-splitting surgery – custom keyboard brand Atomic has you covered. The company just announced the MDR Dasher, a real-world replica of the retro-futuristic keyboard featured on the Apple TV+ series. In Severance, the keyboards used by Macrodata Refinement – the department where the protagonists work – appear to draw inspiration from Data General's vintage Dasher terminals, popular in the late '70s and early '80s. Hence, the name MDR Dasher. The original machines were known for their sturdy build, chunky layout, and utilitarian elegance – qualities the show embraced in its retro-futuristic aesthetic. The Dasher fully commits to the show's design. It preserves the layout and aesthetics while deliberately omitting keys like escape, control, and option. That absence serves as a cheeky tribute to Lumon Industries and its founder, Kier Egan, and reinforces the show's authoritarian undertones. The keyboard includes 73 keys and follows the same 70-percent compact layout used in the series. The keyboard features a raised profile, thick borders, and a palette of muted blues with a dirty white frame, giving it an industrial vibe. Lighter blue keycaps dominate the center, while darker hues fill in the rest. That "rest" is substantial, thanks to the oversized deck, which leaves ample space for the arrow keys, arranged in a cross formation and set apart from the primary cluster. Off to the far right sits a trackball – just like in the show – replacing a traditional mouse and adding to its vintage charm. Unlike its on-screen counterpart, this version connects via USB-C and is compatible with modern operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. The case is crafted from durable aluminum, offering a premium feel and added sturdiness for long-term use. Its sturdy construction adds to its industrial aesthetic and retro charm that made the original design iconic. Atomic Keyboard has yet to reveal a final price. The company floated a $399 figure, but it's still unconfirmed, likely due to ongoing tariff issues. For now, sign-ups are open for the limited-run pre-launch list. Once you secure your keyboard, complete the transformation into an MDR worker bee by visiting the Lumon Industries website and refining microdata to your heart's content. Praise Kier.

Start your engines because the dangerous demolition derby tournament is coming to Twisted Metal season 2. Anthony Mackie, best known for suiting up as the new Captain America, returns to headline Twisted Metal as John Doe. John plans to enter the Twisted Metal tournament hosted by the eccentric Calypso (Anthony Carrigan). The tournament’s winner will be granted a single wish. Winning won’t be easy, as sixteen other drivers will do anything to secure the wish. The competition will play out this summer on Twisted Metal season 2. Recommended Videos Twisted Metal season 2 premieres Thursday, July 31, on Peacock. The release date was revealed in a teaser trailer, which pokes fun at Calypso’s slow entrance into a hangar. Related An impatient John says, “We’re really going to wait for this door to open all the way?” Quiet shushes John, saying John needs to admire the showmanship because it “builds tension.” At the end of season 1, John learned that his long-lost sister, the vigilante Dollface, is still alive. After John wanted to leave New San Francisco and be with Quiet, Raven (Neve Campbell) held him at gunpoint and revealed her true intention: to force him into being her driver in the Twisted Metal Tournament. Pief Weyman / Peacock One familiar face returning for season 2 is Sweet Tooth, the sadistic killer clown. Will Arnett voices Sweet Tooth, while Joe Seanoa (wrestler Samoa Joe) plays the character. Twisted Metal boasts a recurring lineup of guest stars, including Saylor Bell Curda, Lisa Gilroy, Richard de Klerk, Patty Guggenheim, Tiana Okoye, and Michael James Shaw. Twisted Metal comes from showrunner and executive producer Michael Jonathan Smith. The series is based on the vehicular combat video game franchise of the same name. Twisted Metal season 1 is now streaming on Peacock. Editors’ Recommendations

The tech giant faces multiple legal threats related to how it wields market power.

Paul McCartney was already a rock veteran when he played 1985’s Live Aid concert. Decades later, he and his peers continue to fill seats.

DOJ wins 2 out of 3 Google loses ad tech monopoly trial, faces additional breakups Google plans to appeal as DOJ seeks to untether ad products. Ashley Belanger – Apr 17, 2025 12:19 pm | 5 Credit: picture alliance / Contributor | picture alliance Credit: picture alliance / Contributor | picture alliance Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more The verdict is in, and Google has been found to illegally hold online ad tech monopolies. For over a decade, "Google has willfully engaged in a series of anticompetitive acts to acquire and maintain monopoly power in the publisher ad server and ad exchange markets for open-web display advertising," tying its publisher ad server and ad exchange together "to establish and protect its monopoly power in these two markets," the ruling said. At trial, the DOJ argued that Google's ad business expanded to choke out competitors and benefit only Google. They argued that Google "rigged" ad auctions, allegedly controlling "multiple parts" of services used to place ads all over the Internet, unfairly advantaging itself in various markets. Now, the search giant—which already is facing down a potential breakup spinning off Chrome to remedy its monopoly in general search—faces threats of additional breakups. While analysts have warned that Google's $95 billion ad empire is "too big" to sell, the DOJ has argued that untethering Google's ad products is the only way to ensure that Google doesn’t lock the majority of publishers into paying higher fees on the publisher side because they can't afford to drop Google's ad exchange. In her opinion, Judge Leonie Brinkema noted that in the remedies phase of the trial, the US Department of Justice is seeking monetary damages, an injunction blocking Google's anticompetitive behavior, "the divesture of Google’s publisher ad server and ad exchange products," and any other relief necessary to restore competition "in the open-web display publisher ad server market and the open-web display ad exchange market." Ultimately, Brinkema found that Google's anticompetitive acts substantially harmed "Google’s publisher customers, the competitive process, and, ultimately, consumers of information on the open web." For Google, the ruling likely hits hard, despite a couple of notable wins. For one, Brinkema ruled that the DOJ did not prove Google has a monopoly in a third market "for open-web display advertiser ad networks." Additionally, Google will not face sanctions for deleting chat histories that could have influenced her decision in the case. "Chat deletions occurred when employees discussed substantive topics at issue in this litigation and continued after the federal government began an antitrust investigation into Google’s conduct," Brinkema noted. And Google's evasive tactics also included executives marking emails as "privileged" that "clearly did not involve privileged communications," the judge said. However, because the DOJ had enough evidence and testimony for Brinkema to find Google liable, the judge agreed with the outcome in the Google search trial and declined to sanction Google for the "adverse interference." "As in Google Search, the Court’s decision not to sanction 'should not be understood as condoning Google’s failure to preserve chat evidence,'" Brinkema said. While the DOJ largely claims the win, Google is apparently not considering this a loss yet. In a statement provided to Ars, Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google's vice president of regulatory affairs, confirmed that Google plans to appeal. “We won half of this case and we will appeal the other half," Mulholland said. "The Court found that our advertiser tools and our acquisitions, such as DoubleClick, don’t harm competition. We disagree with the Court’s decision regarding our publisher tools. Publishers have many options, and they choose Google because our ad tech tools are simple, affordable, and effective.” Ashley Belanger Senior Policy Reporter Ashley Belanger Senior Policy Reporter Ashley is a senior policy reporter for Ars Technica, dedicated to tracking social impacts of emerging policies and new technologies. She is a Chicago-based journalist with 20 years of experience. 5 Comments

The lack of nationwide security and privacy ordinance means that data governance is placed in the hands of states to develop their own regulations and requirements, yet less than half of all states have passed data privacy regulations as of February 2025. States such as California, Colorado, Indiana, and Maryland have comprehensive privacy laws whereas states such as Nevada, Vermont, and Washington have narrow privacy laws in effect. Some states enact strict policies and penalties in the face of a cyber-attack or breach. Other states offer the ability to correct security flaws without facing punishments or consequences. Recently, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) issued a report outlining how state security laws fail to protect privacy and ways to improve.  With the onset of emerging technologies such as AI and quantum computing, it’s never been more critical to ensure that data is protected. This means that in the near future, businesses need to reevaluate their policies and procedures to meet evolving standards. Security teams who do not have the proper resources or knowledge are left vulnerable to attacks like ransomware.  During this turbulent time, it is important for business and security team leaders to equip themselves with a robust cyber resilience plan and strategy. The main concern is the ability for threat actors to take advantage of evolving legislation causing weaknesses in networks and systems.  Related:Threat Actors will Take AdvantageBad actors are aware of how vulnerable businesses currently are with changing policies and regulations and may try to capitalize on the current landscape. Threat actors will take advantage of the fact that security teams are not getting the most up-to-date threat information and analytics from national researchers. Recent cuts to the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center for example, means that organizations no longer have access to intelligence briefings on emerging cybersecurity threats, notices on the latest security patches, incident response support and penetration testing.  IT teams cannot equally fight blind spots in their networks such as misconfigurations and exposures while also staying ahead of advanced sophisticated attack strategies. The only way to combat this is to ensure a proactive offensive cybersecurity strategy that is prepared ahead of inevitable attacks. Adopting an Offensive Cybersecurity Strategy The key to mitigating fines, reputational damage, and operational loss lies in being on the offense and having a well-documented remediation strategy. This approach includes strong security controls, regular software and system updates, network monitoring and visibility, frequent employee training, incident response planning and ensuring immutable backup and segmentation of storage for your data.  Related:Strong access controls mean granting only the necessary access to employees so that they may perform their specific job function without viewing other data or information. This can be done using multifactor authentication, requiring multiple forms of verification. On top of this, conducting regular system and software updates that can patch vulnerabilities and scan for any rectifiable weaknesses in the system is a must. However, once these updates are made it is also important to have a granular view of the network and ecosystem. A robust employee training program should also be incorporated. Employees who have strong cyber maturity are less likely to leave a backdoor open for bad actors to break through.  No offensive security approach is complete without incidence response planning. If roles and responsibilities are outlined prior to an attack, then operational downtime may be minimized if a plan is put in motion at the first sign of malicious behavior.  Related:Deploying Immutable StorageIt is important to highlight that one of the best ways to ensure your data is protected and secured is to employ immutable storage. This is because it stores a backup copy of unalterable and undeletable data, offering strong protection against data tampering or loss. Applying facets of zero trust to your immutable storage (as mentioned in ZTDR best practices) completely segments the backup software from the backup storage and adheres to the 3-2-1 backup rule as well as the extended 3-2-1-1-0 backup rule. Employing a 3-2-1-1-0 backup strategy effectively leverages the strengths of both immutable and traditional backups, optimizing security and resource allocation. Immutable backups can be established through various infrastructures and stored across diverse platforms, including on-premise and cloud environments. Unlike conventional backups that may be susceptible to changes, immutable backups create unchangeable copies of your valuable data, offering an ironclad defense against accidental or malicious modifications. Another benefit of immutable backup is its ability to help companies maintain data integrity and comply with legal and regulatory data retention requirements, ensuring that original data copies are preserved accurately. Overall, with less federal oversight of security and privacy regulations, these requirements are now in states' hands. Some states offer a window to rectify security flaws without further penalty, while others enact stiff penalties for a customer breach along with requiring direct engagement from a state regulator. Therefore, business leaders need to keep their data safe to mitigate monetary loss and reputational damage by adopting an offensive cybersecurity strategy and deploying truly immutable storage to ensure compliance and resiliency.  

Shipping accounts for 3 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissionsSuphanat Khumsap/Getty Images Excess emissions from international shipping will be subject to a hefty carbon charge under a new plan to decarbonise the sector agreed earlier this month. The agreement is a “momentous outcome” that sets the framework for the shipping industry to deliver on its promise to reach net zero emissions, says Nishatabbas Rehmatulla at University College London. “We’ve got here something that is unprecedented, a global carbon price for a sector,” he…

On Thanksgiving weekend of 2013, Jeff Bezos, then Amazon’s CEO, took to 60 Minutes to make a stunning announcement: Amazon was a few years away from deploying drones that would deliver packages to homes in less than 30 minutes.  It lent urgency to a problem that Parimal Kopardekar, director of the NASA Aeronautics Research Institute, had begun thinking about earlier that year. “How do you manage and accommodate large-scale drone operations without overloading the air traffic control system?” Kopardekar, who goes by PK, recalls wondering. Busy managing all airplane takeoffs and landings, air traffic controllers clearly wouldn’t have the capacity to oversee the fleets of package-delivering drones Amazon was promising.  The solution PK devised, which subsequently grew into a collaboration between federal agencies, researchers, and industry, is a system called unmanned-­aircraft-system traffic management, or UTM. Instead of verbally communicating with air traffic controllers, drone operators using UTM share their intended flight paths with each other via a cloud-based network. This highly scalable approach may finally open the skies to a host of commercial drone applications that have yet to materialize. Amazon Prime Air launched in 2022 but was put on hold after crashes at a testing facility, for example. On any given day, only 8,500 or so unmanned aircraft fly in US airspace, the vast majority of which are used for recreational purposes rather than for services like search and rescue missions, real estate inspections, video surveillance, or farmland surveys.  One obstacle to wider use has been concern over possible midair drone-to-drone collisions. (Drones are typically restricted to airspace below 400 feet and their access to airports is limited, which significantly lowers the risk of drone-airplane collisions.) Under Federal Aviation Administration regulations, drones generally cannot fly beyond an operator’s visual line of sight, limiting flights to about a third of a mile. This prevents most collisions but also most use cases, such as delivering medication to a patient’s doorstep or dispatching a police drone to an active crime scene so first responders can better prepare before arriving. Now, though, drone operators are increasingly incorporating UTM into their flights. The system uses path planning algorithms, like those that run in Google Maps, to chart a course that considers not only weather and obstacles like buildings and trees but the flight paths of nearby drones. It’ll automatically reroute a flight before takeoff if another drone has reserved the same volume of airspace at the same time, making the new flight trajectory visible to subsequent pilots. Drones can then fly autonomously to and from their destination, and no air traffic controller is required.  Over the past decade, NASA and industry have demonstrated to the FAA through a series of tests that drones can safely maneuver around each other by adhering to UTM. And last summer, the agency gave the go-ahead for multiple drone delivery companies using UTM to begin flying simultaneously in the same airspace above Dallas—a first in US aviation history. Drone operators without in-house UTM capabilities have also begun licensing UTM services from FAA-approved third-party providers. UTM only works if all participants abide by the same rules and agree to share data, and it’s enabled a level of collaboration unusual for companies competing to gain a foothold in a young, hot field, notes Peter Sachs, head of airspace integration strategy at Zipline, a drone delivery company based in South San Francisco that’s approved to use UTM.  “We all agree that we need to collaborate on the practical, behind-the-scenes nuts and bolts to make sure that this preflight deconfliction for drones works really well,” Sachs says. (“Strategic deconfliction” is the technical term for processes that minimize drone-drone collisions.) Zipline and the drone delivery companies Wing, Flytrex, and DroneUp all operate in the Dallas area and are racing to expand to more cities, yet they disclose where they’re flying to one another in the interest of keeping the airspace conflict-free. Greater adoption of UTM may be on the way. The FAA is expected to soon release a new rule called Part 108 that may allow operators to fly beyond visual line of sight if, among other requirements, they have some UTM capability, eliminating the need for the difficult-­to-obtain waiver the agency currently requires for these flights. To safely manage this additional drone traffic, drone companies will have to continue working together to keep their aircraft out of each other’s way.  Yaakov Zinberg is a writer based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.