Items tagged with drone
DJI is one of the top companies in the world of personal drones for shooting video and other content. DJI also has a history of having a tough time keeping its new products under wraps. The $799 Mavic Air leaked back in January and it was officially launched not long after that slip-up. Another DJI drone has leaked and this time it is said to be the upcoming Mavic 2. The Mavic 2 designation on the drone is clear in the leaked image. You can tell from the hands near the drone that while it might be larger than the Mavic Air it still appears to be compact enough to be easily transportable....
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It appears that the naysayers have won out this time at Google with regards to its involvement in Project Maven, a Department of Defense program involving aerial drones used in military operations. Google has reportedly decided against renewing its contract with the Pentagon after facing immense backlash both inside and outside of the company. At a meeting with employees on Friday dubbed the "Weather Report", Google Cloud CEO Diane Greene broke the news saying that Google will not renew its contract once it expires in 2019. The meeting, which were first reported by Gizmodo,...
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When it comes to consumer drones, many people look to DJI for products like the Spark and the Mavic Pro. However, GoPro, which made a name for itself with action cameras, though that it could encroach into DJI's territory with its swanky Karma drone. Well, things haven't exactly been going well for the company on the drone front. A fresh report from TechCrunch says that GoPro will lay off between 200 to 300 employees this week, with most of those dismissals coming from its aerial drone division. According to a letter that the publication was able to obtain, GoPro says that its it taking this drastic...
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DJI has announced that it has a new firmware for the Spark drone coming this week, and it will be mandatory for everyone. The update brings with it enhancements for flight safety and performance, and owners who don't install the new firmware update by September 1 won't be able to fly their Spark drone. DJI says that the new firmware enhances the battery management system to optimize power supply during flight. The update also brings support for the DJI Goggles to the Spark drone's repertoire. Other tweaks included in the firmware are optimization for the PalmLaunch function that makes the...
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Most pet owners will agree that there are some days when walking the dog is the last thing you want to do. A drone retailer in the UK called Dronesdirect has a customized version of the Proflight drone that is specifically designed to take Fido for a walk when you just don't feel like it. This sounds like a great idea, as long as your dog is good on a leash and you don't mind those nearby assuming you to be the laziest dog owner ever. The drone is called the Proflight Walkies Dog Drone and it has a retractable lead to keep the dog safe and under control. Like the Proflight drone that it is...
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US Army recently banned the use of all drones built by drone maker DJI. The military warned that the drones might have unspecified "cyber vulnerabilities." The Army memo was published on August 2nd and read in part, "due to increased awareness of cyber vulnerabilities associated with DJI products, it is directed that the U.S. Army halt use of all DJI products." DJI is a Chinese company and the US government has long had fears of Chinese manufacturers installing spyware or backdoors into products, giving them access to classified and sensitive data. DJI for its part has announced that it is...
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DJI already blew us (and the GoPro Karma competition) away with the release of the Mavic Pro last year, and now the company is going even smaller with the release of the Spark. With the Spark, DJI has managed to cram in a ton of functionality into a device that is roughly the same size as a 12-ounce Coke can and weighs just 10.6 ounces. DJI is really pushing further into the mainstream market with an easy-to-fly drone that can be controlled with hands gestures. Although using hand gestures likely isn’t optimum for all situations, the Spark does have the ability to automatically enter Gesture Mode...
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Shippers like UPS and FedEx are looking for new ways to make the package delivery process more efficient as volume and costs increase across the board. For its part, UPS just showed off a new drone delivery system in Tampa, Florida that will allow the company to potentially reap millions of dollars in savings The HorseFly UAV Delivery drone, which was developed by Workhorse, resides in a compartment within the roof of UPS’ iconic brown delivery vehicle. A trap door within the ceiling allows the UPS driver to access the drone’s bottom-mounted delivery cage, into which they can place...
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At a time when most of the world is still debating on how to best regulate drone use for both consumer and commercial purposes (not to mention the use of autonomous vehicles on American roads), Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority has gone ahead and given the approval for the use of aerial drones to transport people. The impressiveness of this move can't be understated. Over the past few years, some major companies have been trying hard to make drone-use in business viable, especially Amazon. Only recently was the etail giant able to give "Prime Air" a test run, and that was in the UK. But here...
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Amazon may not be racing around the world in eighty days, but it has an eye on the sky. A recent United States patent application revealed that Amazon plans to develop a flying, zeppelin-like warehouse that would deploy delivery drones. Amazon has dubbed its portable warehouse as an “airborne fulfillment center” or AFC. The AFC would house unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or drones that would deliver items from the AFC to customers. Some of the UAV’s would be temperature-controlled in order to deliver food. Amazon also plans to develop shuttles that would transport goods, drones, and people from...
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In case you haven't noticed, the popularity of drones has simply exploded over the past few years. That's to be expected, as their pricing continues to fall making them more accessible to the regular Joe (or Jill). That growth, however, comes with one big downside: an increased nuisance to the public and law enforcement. Yes, we're entering a time when people will want to do battle with drones, although in Drone Shield's case, no physical damage needs to be done. Drone Shield looks like a firearm, but it doesn't shoot bullets. Instead, it can send such an intense signal towards a drone that it...
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Just when GoPro was looking to make it big in the camera drone market with its Karma, the world’s largest drone maker, DJI, has counterpunched with the impressive new Mavic Pro. Coming in at roughly half the size of the flagship Phantom, the 1.65-pound Mavic Pro is DJI’s smallest 4K-capable camera drone yet. The device manages to fit into the palm of your hand and could easily tuck into a backpack or even a small purse. The Magic Pro is able to achieve this space-saving trickery by folding its front arms rearward (and tucking its rotors), while the rear arms fold forward creating an incredibly...
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Children are the future. Drones are the future. Apparently, kid-controlled drones are also the future, which is why Flybrix has released a programmable LEGO drone for young adventurers. There are currently two available kits: the basic ($189) and deluxe ($249). The basic kit works with an app, while the deluxe kit includes a handheld controller. The handheld controller can also be purchased separately for $80. Both kits include 56 pre-used LEGO pieces from LEGO wholesalers. This keeps the LEGO from the landfills and also lowers the overall price of the kits. The packages also include a pre-programmed...
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We hope you do not mind if we drone on about drones. AT&T and Qualcomm announced that they will soon test Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), or drones, operating via commercial 4G LTE networks.Chris Penrose, Senior Vice President of loT Solutions at AT&T, noted, “With a focus on both regulatory and commercial needs, LTE connectivity has the potential to deliver optimal flight plans, transmit flight clearances, track drone location and adjust flight routes in near real-time.” The fact of the matter is that radio links and Wi-Fi are simply not powerful or reliable enough to guarantee a safe...
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