The big question that is on everybody’s mind is whether DJI will announce any new drone at the CES 2018 event in Las Vegas?
In the past, DJI announced new products at the Consumer Electronics Show. For instance, in 2015, they announced the Osmo and other gimbals, in 2016, the Phantom 3 4K and the Inspire 1 Pro Black Edition, and in 2017, the Osmo Silver, a limited Phantom 4 Chinese New Year Edition and the CrystalSky Monitor.
DJI RELEASE DATES
To get a better idea of what we may expect, let’s take a look at the past release dates of DJI’s consumer drones and gimbals.
The DJI Phantom series release dates:
The Phantom 1, originally known as the Phantom, was released in January 2013.
Despite costing $450 ($400 this Black Friday), DJI’s FPV goggles have been very popular. Now, they’ve released an upgraded version which comes with a few upgrades along with a new black/red color scheme.
Redesigned facial pad & headband
Sphere photo viewing
Local video playback
Analog signal/non-DJI flight controller compatible
The DJI RE Goggles will cost $549 purchased alone or $859 when purchased in a kit with DJI’s OcuSync Air System and backpack for the goggles. They should start shipping by the end of the month.
Black Friday, the holy shrine of all consumerism, is fast approaching. If you wish to actually get a good deal on something you want rather than crazily fighting for waffle irons in a Walmart at 5am, it's best to go in with a game plan. While TVs and video game consoles are often the most heavily discounted items, drones have begun to see more sales in recent years as they become more mainstream. So, to make your job easier, we have rounded up the best deals on each of the most popular drones below:
DJI Spark
Percentage wise, the Spark is seeing the biggest discount for Black Friday of any of the DJI drones. Target, Best Buy, and several other major retailers will offering the controller-less Spark for $399, $100 off it's usual $499 price tag. DJI will also be offering the standard Spark for $399, but sweetens the deal by including a free landing pad, set of propeller holders, and hand guard — a total value of $36 purchased separately. However, the best deal on the standard Spark is surprisingly from Kohl's. Though they can't offer it for any less than the $399 price, you'll get $120 in Kohl's cash with your purchase, which can go a long ways toward anything else on your holiday shopping list. As for the Spark ultimate combo, you'll find it for $599 pretty much everywhere, though once again DJI is sweetening their deal by including the same three accessories.
DJI Mavic Pro
The DJI Mavic Pro is one of the most popular drones on the market today, and with good reason. It's extremely portable like the Spark, but also offers 4k, a 3-axis gimbal, and 28 minute flight times for less than the Phantom 4 series. Most retailers will be offering the
Crowdfunding has opened the doors for many cool non-tech and tech related products. Exploding Kittens, Oculus Rift, Lume Cube, 3Doodler 3D Pen, iLumi LED Smart Bulb, etc. The list is quite extensive, and most of the companies have been successful enough to not only continue selling that product but actually introduce new ones. Even Pebble, which recently went bankrupt and had its assets gobbled up by FitBit, completed several successful campaigns and delivered on their products to thousands of backers around the world.
The history of new companies trying to launch a drone through crowdfunding is very different. Usually the product which is finally delivered to backers is an extremely dumbed down version of what was originally promised to backers, and that’s usually the best case scenario. Take the latest crowdfunded drone to fail and the once darling of the tech world: the Lily camera drone. Backers were promised a drone which you could simply release into the air and it would accurately track you
PowerVision Technology Group, a worldwide leader in UAV, robotics and big data technologies, and the maker of the consumer drone PowerEgg and the premium professional cinematography drone PowerEye, today announced PowerRay, an innovative underwater robot with ground-breaking features designed to revolutionize freshwater, saltwater, or ice fishing for today’s recreational fishing enthusiasts and casual hobbyists.
Delivering the most thrilling and effortless fish finding experience for consumers, PowerRay features an optional add-on component, PowerRay Fishfinder, which leverages sonar system to detect fish with precision and sends images of fish and underwater landscape, temperature data, as well as alerts to users through internal Wi-Fi to enable fishermen to make spontaneous decisions. The PowerRay robot can dive as deep as 30 meters or 98 feet underwater. The sonar system can detect fish up to 40 meters or 131 feet below the robot, making the total diving depth up to 70 meters or 230 feet with precision up to 10 centimeters or 3.9 inches. The internal Wi-Fi system allows transmission of
DJI, the world leader in unmanned aerial technology, Tuesday introduced two new drones that raise the bar for professional imaging: Inspire 2, the best ready-to-fly platform for high-end film and video creators, and Phantom 4 Pro, the smartest and most creative flying camera of its size.
“Professional filmmakers and photographers always push to create images that have never been seen before, and DJI never stops trying to give them the tools to achieve their vision,” said DJI CEO and Founder Frank Wang. “Our newest flight platforms and stabilized aerial cameras are smarter, faster and more powerful than ever before. We can’t wait to see how creators use Inspire 2 and Phantom 4 Pro to capture dazzling images.”
Inspire 2
Advanced Imaging for Professional Results
Inspire 2 offers powerful capabilities and is easy to operate. The nimble new magnesium-aluminum alloy body increases stiffness while lowering weight. It has a top speed of 67 mph and takes only 4 seconds to accelerate to 50 mph. With the new dual battery system, flight time is up to 27 minutes. A new forward-facing camera offers the pilot the best flight view for operating the master controller, while the camera operator receives a separate feed from the professional Zenmuse camera mounted on the main gimbal. The Inspire 2 supports the brand-new Zenmuse X4S and X5S cameras and will support additional cameras in the future.
An entirely new image processing system, called CineCore 2.0, is embedded into the airframe, which allows processing large files faster than ever before. Inspire 2 captures 5.2K video at 4.2 Gbps for Adobe CinemaDNG RAW videos and leverages a newly-designed, fast CINESSD storage for a smooth work experience. A variety of video compression formats are supported by CineCore 2.0, including Adobe CinemaDNG, Apple ProRes 422 HQ (5.2K, 4K) and ProRes 4444 XQ (4K), H.264, and H.265. When recording 4K video in H.264 and H.265, the birate is up to 100Mbps.
Inspire 2 offers professional capability and control suitable for many scenarios. With optional high-altitude propellers, Inspire 2 can reach a maximum service ceiling of 16,404 feet above sea level, and the self-heating dual battery redundancy system maintains good performance of the battery to -4 degrees Fahrenheit. Through an optimized mode, Inspire 2 streams smooth video at the widely used 1080i50/720p60 broadcast standard. Enhanced Lightbridge video transmission makes smoother HDMI video possible.
High Performance and Professional Reliability
The dual-battery system ensures that if one battery fails during a flight, the other will be able to provide power for a safe return to home. Stereo vision sensors have been included on the front and bottom of Inspire 2 for obstacle detection, and upward facing infrared sensors on top of the aircraft add protection when flying in enclosed spaces.
The redesigned propulsion system can safely carry Inspire 2 through incredible vertical camera moves, climbing at almost 20 feet/second and descending at almost 30 feet/second. Redundant systems provide reliability for the IMU, barometer, electronic speed controller communication and satellite navigation modules. The master and slave controller range now extends to 328 feet and users can switch between 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz frequencies to cut through any noise for greater signal stability.
Creative Freedom
Inspire 2’s new intelligent flight modes expand DJI’s computer vision technology to safely fly routes that give creators new ways to capture what they envision. Spotlight Pro Mode locks onto a subject during flight while the aircraft flies freely in another direction – and automatically rotates the aircraft to stay on the shot if the gimbal reaches its rotational limit. The forward-facing camera offers TapFly, which directs Inspire 2 to any point on the screen while avoiding obstacles along the way. ActiveTrack recognizes common subjects such as people, cars and animals, sending Inspire 2 to follow behind, lead in front, circle above or track alongside while always flying forward, ensuring the forward-facing obstacle sensing system keeps the aircraft safe.
New Zenmuse Cameras
DJI is enhancing the imaging potential of the Inspire 2 by expanding its line of interchangeable Zenmuse cameras, which are designed for aerial imaging and communicate directly with the aircraft’s gimbal and flight controllers. For situations that require a balance between weight and image quality, the new Zenmuse X4S has a 1-inch, 20-megapixel sensor with 11.6 stops of dynamic range and a 24 mm equivalent focal length. The Zenmuse X4S offers aperture control (f2.8-11) and a mechanical shutter that cancels rolling shutter distortion. The new Zenmuse X5S has a larger Micro Four Thirds sensor with 20.8 megapixels and an incredible 12.8 stops of dynamic range. The Zenmuse X5S camera now supports 8 lenses from wide angles to zooms. It shoots 20fps continuous burst DNG RAW (20.8 MP). In the future, a handheld mount will be available for the Zenmuse X4S and X5S cameras, bringing those cameras down to the ground for more flexible filmmaking.
Professional Accessories to Enhance Performance
A series of powerful DJI accessories will meet the needs of operators under various filming conditions. DJI Focus, a battery charging station, DJI CINESSD, CINESSD station and other optional accessories are available.
An optional DJI Crystalsky high-brightness IPS monitor features an ultra-bright screen that is clearly visible in direct sunlight and ideal for outdoor shooting. It comes in 5.5-inch and 7.85-inch sizes, with the highest brightness up to 1000 cd/m2 and 2000 cd/m2 respectively, and its dedicated system reduces video transmission latency. Dual Micro-SD Card slots within the screen make it easy to back up footage and can also be used to transfer and play back files. It operates in extreme temperature conditions from -4 degrees to 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
Phantom 4 Pro
Professional Imaging
Phantom 4 Pro offers a powerful imaging system for professional photo and video creators as well as non-professionals who demand excellence from the camera and platform they use to pursue their creative visions. The camera now packs a 1-inch 20-megapixel sensor, and almost 12 stops of dynamic range bring out levels of detail and low-light performance unprecedented in a flying camera of this size. Its mechanical shutter eliminates rolling shutter distortion in fast-moving scenes. Phantom 4 Pro can capture slow-motion 4K video up to 60 fps at a maximum bitrate of 100 mbps. In addition, the Phantom 4 Pro offers H.265 video compression, which substantially improves video quality at the same bitrate.
Reliable with Enhanced FlightAutonomy System
Phantom 4 Pro builds on DJI’s original obstacle avoidance system with FlightAutonomy – three sets of visual systems that build a 3D map of obstacles in front, behind and below the aircraft, as well as infrared sensing systems on both sides. FlightAutonomy can position, navigate and plan routes for Phantom 4 Pro, enabling it to avoid obstacles in a sensing range up to 98 feet at front and rear, even in complex 3D environments. When returning to home and tapping to initiate auto takeoff or landing, the Landing Protection function is able to detect and help avoid landing on uneven ground or water. Phantom 4 Pro has high-performance battery technology that provides up to 30 minutes of flight time. The Phantom 4 Pro flies at 31 mph in P mode with obstacle avoidance in effect, and has a 45 mph top speed in sport mode.
Professional Control with New Remote Controller
Phantom 4 Pro’s revolutionary new compact remote controller comes with an optional high luminance display, providing a clear and vivid live HD view from the main camera as well as essential telemetry data, even in direct sunlight. The aircraft will automatically choose between 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz once powering on to gain a clear signal in areas with high radio interference. The new controller has a built-in GPS, compass, Micro-SD card slot and HDMI port.
Intelligent Flight
New intelligent flight modes make Phantom 4 Pro the smartest flying camera of its size, opening new vistas for creators, such as the new Draw Mode that allows operators to draw lines on the controller display and direct the Phantom 4 Pro to fly that route.
ActiveTrack recognizes common subjects such as people and bikes, then follows them from any angle while maintaining camera focus, and includes three new modes – New Circle, Profile and Spotlight.
Narrow sensing enhances obstacle avoidance sensitivity so the aircraft can fly through complex environments like narrow doorways. TapFly now works backwards and comes with a new Free mode that allows a pilot to set the direction of flight, turn the Phantom 4 Pro or tilt the gimbal without changing the direction of flight. With the new AR Route feature, operators will be able to tell the flight route on the screen.
As an additional safety feature, within a minute of losing GPS signal, the aircraft will automatically return to the last connected position and hover there precisely to wait for the pilot’s command. With the enhanced return to home function, the aircraft knows where it should be going from up to 984 feet away and avoids obstacles along the route.
Price and Availability
Phantom 4 Pro’s U.S. retail price is $1,499 with a standard controller. The Phantom 4 Pro+, which includes a Phantom 4 Pro aircraft, and a high luminance display remote controller, will be available at $1,799. Phantom 4 Pro and Phantom 4 Pro+ are immediately available for pre-order online and DJI flagship stores in Shenzhen, Seoul and Hong Kong. These products will begin shipping one week after launch.
The U.S. retail price of the Inspire 2 aircraft is $2,999. The Inspire 2 Combo, which includes one Inspire 2 aircraft, one Zenmuse X5S, CinemaDNG and Apple ProRes License Key, is available for $6,198. Customers who order the Inspire 2 Combo before January 1, 2017 can enjoy a special price of $5,999. Inspire 2 and its accessories will be immediately available for pre-order online and also in the three DJI flagship stores. Inspire 2 Combo will start shipping in early December 2016 while customers who purchase the aircraft and camera separately can expect their orders to start shipping in early January 2017.
Though everyone was mainly hyped about the launch of the GoPro (aka "The GoPro Drone"), GoPro Founder and CEO Nick Woodman started off the event by first updating their camera line. Gone are all of the GoPro 4s except for the newest of the bunch, the GoPro 4 Session, which will sit at $199 as their introductory camera.
Both of the new GoPro 5 cameras share many features, the biggest of which is 4K video. No longer does the Session have to the lame duck cousin as the similarities don't stop there. The HERO5 Session also features the same new voice control, video stabilization & auto cloud upload as the HERO5 Black. The HERO5 Black has in return inherited the Session's caseless waterproof design, allowing for clearer audio and easier use. However, the similarities end there as the HERO5 Black features a gorgeous 2" touchscreen across its back, a 12MP sensor, higher video frame rates, a built in GPS, and new RAW + WDR (wide dynamic range?) photo capture.
With all of the new features I expected the HERO5 Black to easily stay at the same price as its predecessor, but GoPro will actually be selling it for just $399. The HERO5 Session will thus fill the gap between the two at $299. Both will be available starting October 2 and will also be sold in bundles with the GoPro Karma once that is released on the 23.
It’s not glamorous, but the first glimpse we get of the long-awaited GoPro Hero 5 may be this super short how-to video that shows you how to connect the unreleased action cam to your smartphone. Still, even at just 9 seconds, there’s plenty to be gleaned by this “sneak peek.”
GoPro tinkerer Konrad Iturbe discovered the video buried inside the GoPro Android app APK. The Verge was able to find the same file, titled “add_camera_hero5.mp4.” giving us hope that this is a legitimate leak and not something made up by a diligent troll.
From the short glimpse you can glean a few things: (1) The next GoPro has rounded edges and a raised record button; (2) The whole back of the camera is a touchscreen, no more BUS interface to attach accessories through, giving credence to the rumor that the Hero 5 may be waterproof out of the box; and (3) The more user-friendly touchscreen menu includes something called “GoPro Sniper,” a mysterious new option nobody seems to know anything about.
What else do you see from the video? Did you notice other features, options, or design queues can in the 9-second clip that we missed? Let us know in the comments. GoPro is expected to release the Hero 5 in time for the Holidays, but in the meantime this little video is all the “legitimate” information we have.
Breakthrough Pro Features & Advanced Display Technologies Come to the Most Popular iPad Size
CUPERTINO, California — March 21, 2016 — Apple® today introduced the all-new 9.7-inch iPad Pro™ — at just under one pound it features a new pro Retina® display with greater brightness, wider color gamut, lower reflectivity, Night Shift™ mode and introduces new True Tone® display technology to dynamically adjust white balance. The new iPad Pro delivers incredible performance with the 64-bit A9X chip that rivals most portable PCs, along with a four-speaker audio system that is twice as powerful, new 12-megapixel iSight® camera for shooting Live Photos™ and 4K video, 5-megapixel FaceTime® HD camera, and faster wireless technologies. And iPad Pro includes support for the breakthrough Apple Pencil™ and a new Smart Keyboard™ cover designed to fit the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro. “iPad Pro is a new generation of iPad that is indispensable and immersive, enabling people to be more productive and more creative. It’s incredibly fast, extremely portable, and completely natural to use with your fingers, Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard. And now it comes in two sizes,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The 9.7-inch iPad Pro has a new Retina display with True Tone technology, four-speaker audio system, blazing fast A9X chip, 12-megapixel iSight camera, 5-megapixel FaceTime HD camera, faster wireless, and support for Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard. It is the ultimate upgrade for existing iPad users and replacement for PC users.” Designers, illustrators and businesses have quickly adopted iP
ad Pro and it’s changing the way they work:
“People don’t realize how much hand drawing is needed to produce computer animation,” said John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer, Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. “iPad Pro and Apple Pencil are the closest we’ve ever been able to get in the digital world to actually drawing on paper.”
“I’ve done everything including designing the latest cycling collection on iPad Pro,” said Alex Valdman, Head of Design for Rapha. “It goes with me everywhere, and has not only replaced my laptop, but my paper notebook as well. For the Rapha design team, iPad Pro will become standard issue.”
“At Citi, iPad Pro is truly transforming how we work,” said Stephen Gates, U.S. Head of Design for Citi Global Consumer Banking. “iPad Pro and Apple Pencil have played a huge part in the new Citi Design team’s work to create new innovative customer experiences. We use iPad Pro for sketching out new design concepts, presenting our work, answering our emails, working with our design files on Adobe Creative Cloud and participating in FaceTime meetings with our other design teams all over the world.”
Pro display
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro features advanced display technologies, including a True Tone display, which uses new four-channel sensors to dynamically adjust the white balance of the display to match the light around you for a more natural and accurate, paper-white viewing experience. The advanced Retina display is 25 percent brighter and 40 percent less
Amazon today announced two new Alexa-enabled devices: the Echo Dot and Amazon Tap.
Echo Dot is a hands-free, voice controlled device that uses the same far-field voice recognition as Echo. Directly connect Echo Dot to speakers with an audio cable or via Bluetooth, and add voice-control to your home stereo system. Plus, with its small built-in speaker, you can place Echo Dot in the bedroom and use it as a smart alarm clock, or in any room as a voice assistant to control smart home devices and more. Echo Dot is available for $89.99 exclusively for Prime members through Alexa Voice Shopping. To order an Echo Dot, existing Echo and Fire TV customers can just say “Alexa, order an Echo Dot.” (I have an Amazon Echo so if someone wants me to order them an Amazon Dot just let me know!)
Amazon Tap is an Alexa-enabled portable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi speaker that offers rich, full-range sound. Just tap the microphone button and ask for music, hear the news, search for information, order a pizza, and more with the Alexa Voice Service. Amazon Tap has dual stereo speakers with Dolby processing that provide crisp vocals, extended bass response, and 360° omni-directional audio. Amazon Tap is available for pre-order today for $129.99.
