Drones

I only received my review unit of the DJI Mavic 3 Pro Cine last night, but it didn’t stop me from catching some nice sunset clips to show you what all three lenses can capture. (Yes, “Mavic 3 Pro Cine” is a mouthful; this naming convention is getting out of hand!)

Sony just announced upgraded software and accessories for its $9,000 professional Airpeak S1 drone released in 2021.

The new, denser 3,938mAh battery packs ($400 each) enable the increased flight time, along with a new lighter-weight Gremsy gimbal ($4,000) that is designed for more accurate imaging in industrial applications. It works better with smaller lenses like the 24mm f/2.8 G.

And with Sony’s new RTK kit ($4,000) the Airpeak can be controlled more reliably and accurately, especially around areas of strong interference — think wind turbines. It also enables repeat missions with centimeter-accurate positioning compared to the previous meter-accurate GNSS system.

Satirical conspiracy theories aside, stuffed birds really are being turned into drones for surveillance purposes.

A team of researchers designed the “ornithopters” to resemble a flying bird in hopes they can be used to stealthily study wildlife — and maybe spy on people and foreign militaries. The team acknowledged to New Scientist that it should “look into research policies for dealing with dead birds before getting more ambitious,” though.

Originally announced in November, they’re instead rolling out this week with the 21.1.106 update. Check them out in the first third of the company’s “Enterprise Release Notes” video below.

The Ring Always Home Cam promises to fly around your house to keep an eye on things from every angle, but it’s not ready for release just yet — and won’t come out this year.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy got our first in-person look at the device, along with a lot of Amazon’s other upcoming smart home gear, at CES 2023 this week.

Skydio CEO Adam Bry wouldn’t dish on it beyond “We really liked the office.” On potential partnerships, “nothing to announce.” But the drone company and the action cam company whose drone epically flopped are always within sight now.

Bry also wouldn’t confirm or deny if Skydio worked with Snap on its discontinued Pixy drone, or whether it’ll ever build a smaller drone of its own.

Sorry to keep you waiting! Fresh off the presses, here’s our TikTok about the new Skydio Dock I told you about this AM.

Around 50 of the 500 drones used in the “City of Light” Christmas performance in Perth, Australia malfunctioned and plunged into the river below.

According to Australian news outlet WAtoday, each drone cost about $1,300. “I am trying not to think about it, but it was an expensive show for us,” Joshua Van Ross, the managing director of the show told WAtoday.

Only the strong survive, robot. Choo choo! I’m a train.

I guess we know how the horse feels about the metaverse!