Thursday, April 30, 2015

3 atom-thick transistor promises ultra-thin electronics

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/29/3-atom-thick-transistor-promises-ultra-thin-electronics/

Elektronik Platine Leiterplatte

Researchers from Cornell University announced a breakthrough in transistor technology in the latest issue of the journal, Nature. The team has reportedly developed a novel and highly efficient method of producing an experimental material known as transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD). TMD is an exceedingly thin (but highly conductive) film, which makes it useful in many high-tech applications -- everything from solar cells to flexible, wearable gadgets -- but also makes it a huge pain to produce in appreciable quantities. That is, until now.

"Our work pushes TMDs to the technologically relevant scale, showing the promise of making devices on that scale," Saien Xie, one of the paper's lead authors. TMD, like the similarly touted wonder-material graphene, could help extend Moore's Law by providing a stable and compact substrate onto which engineers can pack an ever-increasing number of circuits. However, since it's only three atoms thick, TMD production typically suffers from a high rate of breakage and failure. The new method from Cornell, which mixes diethylsulfide and a metal hexacarbonyl compound atop a silicon wafer and then bakes them for 26 hours in hydrogen gas, has proven far more successful.

Out of a batch of 200 such wafers created for the study, only two failed -- that's a 99 percent success rate. With these results in hand, the research team hopes to streamline the manufacturing process as well as improve the consistency of the resulting film. The technology is still at least a few years away from being commercially viable but when it is, we could see it usher in a new era of paper-thin, super-powerful electronics.

Filed under:

Comments

Via: The Verge

Source: Nature

Read More...

Get your Windows 10 preview for Raspberry Pi 2 while it's hot

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/30/windows-10-preview-raspberry-pi-2/

Day one of Microsoft's Build 2015 conference is in the books, but that doesn't mean the news has stopped. The Windows 10 IoT Core Insider developer preview (phew!) has launched for small devices including the Raspberry Pi 2. Redmond admits that it's still pretty rough around the edges, but it's hoping that the maker community can provide feedback for how the platform's turning out along the road to a full release. What's more, the software giant is partnering with Arduino for a series of "Arduino Certified" products to bring the ubiquitous DIY boards into the Windows family and take advantage of all that the software has to offer. For example, cloud computing, a familiar user interface, image processing and a ton more. It follows the theme of bringing everything under one roof that Nadella and Co. have been so vocal about lately, and should hopefully help tinkerers develop some pr! etty pow erful stuff in their garage.

The Windows IoT shell is a Universal app like any other on Win10. That's all your RPi will do :D pic.twitter.com/GwVkUxUCPA

- Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) April 30, 2015

This is what your Raspberry Pi 2 running Windows 10 will boot up to (you can run the x86 version on your desktop): pic.twitter.com/td1qonbdhX

- Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) April 30, 2015

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: Windows Blog, Steve Troughton-Smith (Twitter) (1), (2)

Read More...

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Take notes on your wrist with Google Keep and Android Wear

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/23/take-notes-on-your-wrist-with-google-keep-and-android-wear/

Keep, Google's cloud-based note taking app, has always been pretty handy. But having to pull out and unlock your phone, then launch the program, open a new note and finally type in your thought is often enough to make anybody yearn for a pencil and pad of paper. Luckily, Google has a newly updated means of jotting down ideas as easy as talking to the back of your hand -- you just need to shell out a couple hundred bucks for an Android Wear watch to use it.

According to the official Google Android Blog, Android users with devices running Ice Cream Sandwich and newer will be able to access the Note app directly from their wristwatch while leaving their phone in their pocket. Users can activate the app with "OK Google, open Keep" or jump directly to dictation with the command "OK Google, take a note." Existing features like swipe-and-tap navigation and adding reminders to existing notes directly from the watch are still supported.

Filed under: , , ,

Comments

Source: Official Android Blog

Read More...

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Zeiss's latest full-frame Sony lenses have OLED screens

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/22/zeiss-batis-full-frame-sony-lenses/

Sony's full-frame Alpha cameras have serious game, and their only weakness -- a lack of lenses -- is quickly becoming a non-issue. Zeiss has just added a couple more full-frame "Batis" AF lenses that have a singular feature: an OLED display. That lets the 25mm f/2 wide angle and 85mm f/1.8 portrait lenses show the lens' focal plane and depth of field, two pieces of info your camera normally can't. That'll be of dubious utility for casual photographers, but could help pros who like to fine-tune shots. The price to be on the bleeding edge of lens tech? $1,199 and $1,299 for the 85mm and 25mm models, respectively, according to Adorama.

Filed under:

Comments

Via: Sony Alpha Rumors

Source: Zeiss

Read More...

Monday, April 20, 2015

Stunning elevator ride up One World Trade Center shows 515 years of NYC

Source: http://sploid.gizmodo.com/stunning-elevator-ride-up-one-world-trade-center-shows-1699044584

Beautiful. Breathtaking. Tragic. Saddening. Historic. The new One World Trade Center’s observatory has elevators that display a 515-year visual timeline of New York City’s skyline and it’s an incredible view. Like if you were in a glass elevator and watching history unfold right before your eyes.

Read more...








Read More...

drag2share: Our diets have drastically changed since the 1990s and we're drinking 4 times more alcohol

source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/rWNq3hGFzIQ/how-the-global-diet-has-gotten-worse-since-the-1990s-2015-4

Over the past few years, our diets have changed a lot. For one, we're consuming significantly more alcohol than we were in the 1990s.

The world is also eating way more meat, cheese, milk, and sugar than we were just two decades ago — and way less rice, cereal, and wheat.

Here's a table from a recent Bank of America Merrill Lynch report showing some of the most powerful trends in agriculture and food between 1992 and 2014. The green rectangles show products that we've started eating way more of; the red ones show products we've started eating less of.

Screen Shot 2015 04 17 at 12.59.22 PM

The chart brings good and bad news.

Here's the good: Globally, people are eating more protein, an ingredient critical to healthy muscle and tissue development. 

And the bad:

1. Most of that protein is coming from animal sources. 

A big uptick in the amount of animals we raise for food can also put a strain on global resources of water and energy. It takes far more water, land, and energy (in the form of carbon and methane, two gases that contribute to climate change) to raise cattle that are slaughtered than it does to raise crops for people to eat.

2. Wealthy countries — where people already eat too ! much pro tein — account for most of the increase.

The countries that account for the majority of the uptick are wealthy countries, where people are actually eating more protein than they need. According to the report, developed countries like the US and the UK already eat about twice as much meat compared with the global average, and it predicts this trend will continue until well into the 2020s.

3. People are drinking way more alcohol and eating way more sugar.

The consumption of alcohol and sugar worldwide has spiked. People are drinking more than four times as much as they were in 1992 and eating nearly twice as much sugar.

Too much sugar causes your blood sugar to spike and then drop a short while later, leaving you hungry for more.

4. People are eating way less grain.

Contrary to what low-carb and paleo diets might have you think, grains are a vital part of any healthy diet.

Whole grains like brown rice, whole wheat, and cereals (as opposed to processed grains like the kind found in white bread or white rice) are rich in fiber, which helps keep your digestive system running smoothly. Some of these grains even contain enough protein to make them competitive with meat, even while being far less harsh on the environment.

Read More...

Sony's new flagship smartphone has an image-stabilizing selfie camera

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/20/sony-xperia-z4/

Sony's unveiled its new smartphone in Japan, the Xperia Z4, and like you might tell from the press images, it's a mighty familiar-looking one from a company still looking for its next big hit. Yep there's a lot of similarities compared to the Z3 (a phone that we were pretty happy with), including a 5.2-inch screen, metal frame, support for Hi-Res audio and the same wide-angle 25mm lens on the main camera. Upgrades since last year's model include a frame that's both thinner (down to under 7 mm) and lighter, while camera upgrades are focused on the front, which now gets the same wide-angle lens of the primary shooter as well as digital image stabilization to keep your selfie game completely on point.

Sony's also added timer functions for improved posing and group selfies - with or without a stick. The phone launches this summer in Japan, in four shades of metal finish, but no word on where (or if) it'll start its world tour after that. However, we'd put money on a very similar smartphone appearing at some point.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Via: Engadget Japanese

Source: Sony Mobile Japan

Read More...

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Michelin-starred chef takes organic quality to 'fanatic' extremes

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-michelin-starred-chef-takes-organic-quality-to-fanatic-extremes-2015-4

Italian chef Paolo Sari cooking in

Roquebrune-Cap-Martin (France) (AFP) - France has many restaurants claiming the "bio" label, but only one to earn a star in the fabled Michelin Guide: Elsa, a Riviera eatery run by an Italian chef, Paolo Sari.

Sari boasts he takes the credo to such lengths that his 40-seat restaurant barely outside Monaco's border is "the only certified 100-percent bio establishment in the world".

Certainly he is inflexible in ensuring his Mediterranean cuisine, mixing French and Italian recipes, is entirely organic and sourced from local and near-local producers. 

That means his asparagus comes from a village in Provence, his saffron from a mountaintop village near Nice, and seafood direct from fishermen. His almonds come from Sicily and go to make a diabolically delicious souffle.

Beef, though, is one ingredient that doesn't feature on his menu because there is no organic cattle farm nearby.

"Each ingredient, each supplier, even each transporter needs to have a certification," Sari told AFP.

Organisation is key, with records provided on every menu and the percentage of dishes sold, "because an inspector could come to check at any moment".

"I let the ingredients be the star, after a fanatic search for good products," the chef said. He then adds his own "little touches". Three years of that approach earned Elsa -- which is part of a resort called Monte-Carlo Beach -- its Michelin star last year.

- Higher prices -

Maintaining the all-bio standards, though, doesn't come cheap. Supplier costs are 20 percent higher than for food coming from traditional sources using industrial techniques.

"In the beginning, it was expensive. Scarcity makes for expense," said Daniele Gercelon, the director of Monte-Carlo Beach. 

"Then we expanded the range of suppliers for greater reliability, choice and volume." 

Now, she added, she is looking to implement the bio approach to the other eateries at the resort, which is part of a bigger, Monaco-based group managing several restaurants and hotels.

The winter closure of the Elsa restaurant between October and March means Sari only needs to find fresh seasonal produce in the warmer months, when it is at its most abundant.

He also has access to a three-hectare (7.5-acre) small, private farm in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, the French village where the restaurant is located which butts up against Monaco. It also relies on another two-hectare plot of land in San Remo, a town just over the Italian border 20 kilometres (12 miles) away.

Sari, 45, said his experience working in restaurants in Japan, South Korea, China, Switzerland, London, New York, Los Angeles, Moscow and Venice gave him a broad range of influences, but he preferred an Asian "simplicity" in the presentation of his dishes.

Among his fare is an entree of green asparagus with generous slices of black truffle on a bed of potatoes. There is also a risotto made golden with saffron and a touch of bone marrow, and roast lamb ribs coated with acacia honey and accompanied by knob celery.

The wine, naturally, is all bio as well, with nearly 100 choices to match the meals.

Diners have a choice of desserts: a tarte tatin/creme brulee fusion, mini crepes Suzette with caramelised pears, or -- France and Italy united -- a Saint-Honore puff pastry cake married with tiramisu.

Join the conversation about this story »








Read More...

Thursday, April 16, 2015

This Mesh Stops Oil But Lets Water Right Through

Source: http://gizmodo.com/this-mesh-stops-oil-but-lets-water-right-through-1698178693

This looks like a fairly normal piece of stainless steel mesh—but it's coated with a special substance which allows it to block oil while allowing water through.

Read more...








Read More...

This video camera is powered by light

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/15/self-powered-camera/

Columbia University's self-powered camera

No, you haven't stumbled across an internet video from 1997 -- that's the output of one of the cleverest cameras you'll see in a while. Columbia University researchers have developed a self-powered camera whose pixels both record light and turn it into electricity. The trick is the use of photodiodes (which are common in both cameras and solar panels) that are permanently set to collect energy, not simply conduct it.

As you can see from the blurry, goofy animation above, the existing technology won't compete with the camera in your phone, let alone a pro DSLR. Columbia's prototype captures just 1,200 black-and-white pixels, and it needs a lot of light just to keep running. Even so, it's promising. If scientists can refine the technology to work at multi-megapixel levels, you could see cameras that last a long time on battery, and might not need a battery at all.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Via: EurekAlert

Source: Columbia University

Read More...

Can a head-worn fitness device work? Recon seems to think so

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/16/recon-jet-hands-on/

Long before Google had ever uttered the word glass, Recon Instruments was rising to prominence with a head-worn display designed for snow sports. You'd be forgiven for not knowing the name, since the technology was buried inside expensive sets of ski goggles like Oakley's Airwave. Then, the company announced that a new product for cyclists and runners would arrive, this time branded under its own name. Few outside the running/cycling community paid attention to the Recon Jet, since they were all distracted by Google's rival. Two years later, and Glass has been pulled from the market in the hope that Tony Fadell can turn it into a device people want to buy. As such, the road is clear for Recon's fitness-oriented wearable, but can this small Canadian company succeed where Google failed? Earlier this year, I sat down with the company's Tom Fowler and a nearly finished prototype of the final hardware to find out.

Jet, in essence, is a pair of sunglasses that you wear when running or cycling that look a bit heavier than your average pair of Ray-Bans. Style-wise, they're less geeky or sporty, resembling the sort of tactical eyewear that only hairy vigilante Dog the Bounty Hunter could fall in love with. That's not to say the device is ugly, but you'll have to recalibrate your wardrobe to ensure that you don't look like a reject from a Roger Corman sci-fi movie. I'd suggest ditching the suit in favor of some brightly colored spandex and a cycling helmet at the very least.

Hardware-wise, and assuming that you're wearing them, you'll find the "compute module" on the right-hand side of the frame. Tucked inside here is a 1GHz dual-core Cortex-A9, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, Bluetooth, GPS and the various movement sensors that'll track your activities. There's a 2.1-megapixel camera up front and the heads-up display that's held in position below your right eye. One thing you won't find is a cable that joins this to the battery module stationed on the opposite side, and that's because there isn't one.

SONY DSC

Instead, energy passes between the two with a microfilament, which is embedded in the lenses themselves. Undeniably cool as that may be, it serves as an added reason to treat the Jet with kid gloves, because you won't be able to replace anything on the cheap. In the future, the company is hoping to offer some aftermarket lenses in various tints (clear, yellow and mirrored) as well as prescription versions, but don't hold your breath for these to arrive anytime soon.

You may need a phone to tether your Jet to the internet, but the hardware is designed for standalone use, with the controls built into the compute module itself. There's a pair of buttons on the underside -- OK and Back -- while a four-way touch panel sits on the side to respond to your up-down and left-right swipes. There's also a small nubbin below the display that'll let you angle the screen to better suit your eyeline, and the company claims that it's the equivalent of staring at a 30-inch HD display.

SONY DSC

If you're already a glasses wearer, then nothing about the Jet will be too disconcerting, apart from the heaviness. Because the compute module is heavier than the battery by a good margin, the whole thing had a tendency to list to the right a little. Admittedly, after I'd gotten used to the feel, I had to wear the Jet over my existing glasses to try it out properly since I wasn't wearing contact lenses and there's no prescription offering.

Once you've activated the hardware, the first thing you're offered is to begin an activity, and running is, tellingly, displayed first. It's one swipe to the right if you want to switch to cycling. When you start an activity, the small screen will begin pumping the usual bevy of statistics to your eye, with more promised in future software updates. If you want additional numbers, you can pair the appropriate ANT+ accessories like a chest-mounted heart rate monitor or a cadence sensor. At the time of writing, firm battery life information wasn't available, but only the slowest of marathoners would be put off by the Jet's life, which should run to an estimated 5.5 hours on a charge.

SONY DSC

Unfortunately, in this behind-closed-doors demo, I wasn't able to take the gear out for a proper field test. Instead, I turned my attention to what Recon hopes to achieve with the Jet and how it intends to avoid the pitfalls other wearables have made. Fowler went to great pains not to mention competing products by name (so I will instead: It rhymes with "Boogle Blass"), but said that their biggest flaw was a lack of "purpose." I know what he means, since it was never clear what Google's head-mounted computer was designed to do.

For instance, we don't use our smartphones as phones anymore, but that's the task that they're ostensibly purchased to fulfill. Glass never seemed to have a sense of doing one job well, since it was a fairly rudimentary camera, navigation and notification device. Rather than being designed to stay on your face all day, Fowler believes that the Recon Jet will be used for a specific job -- tracking your runs and cycle rides -- and then put away when you're done.

There's a refreshing lack of grand plans about "platforms" from Fowler, too, although he believes that Jet has the potential to be more than just a cycling accessory. The company has teamed up with professor Samuele Marcora to learn if athletes would run faster if subjected to subliminal training. According to the research, inspirational messages that are flashed into a sprinter's eyes can help improve their speed and stamina. Recon has also been touting the Jet around various sectors including law enforcement and the oil and gas industry to help remote workers communicate.

For now, however, Recon Jet needs to prove that it can be accepted by the fitness crowd, but will it? At this early stage, I'm struggling to see many runners who would rush to pay the $699 for one of these devices. After all, while it offers a raft of features that you can't get on a GPS watch, there aren't any that runners are exactly crying out for. Additionally, the doubled price (over other fitness wearables) doesn't justify the convenience of not having to check your wrist every now and again for your performance statistics.

SONY DSC

Cyclists, on the other hand, are likely to buy these in droves, which is why it's so incongruous that running is the first option on the menu. The unobtrusive and glanceable heads-up display would be perfect for a rider who doesn't want to take their eyes off the road. In addition, the built-in camera might just be perfect for recording those moments when douchebags cut you off in city traffic. It may be vastly more expensive than a handlebar-mounted unit, but it also does a lot more and those added features make sense here.

As a kicker, $699 is half what Google was asking people to pay for its equivalent, and many may consider it a cheap way to get into the head-mounted wearable space. As such, if your second skin is spandex and you're always wearing a crash helmet, then giving this a go seems like a good idea. In addition to the US price, you can also pick Jet up in Europe (€749), the UK (£579.99), Japan (88,800 Yen) and Canada ($879 CAD) via the company's website.

Filed under:

Comments

Read More...

Widerun turns your bike into a virtual reality machine

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/16/widerun-virtual-reality-bike-trainer/

Some people need extra motivation to exercise, and the creators of this bike trainer called Widerun hope to provide that in the form of virtual reality. Widerun is a system comprised of a steering component and a base station that attaches to ordinary bikes. It works with both Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR -- just plug them in and strap them on to bike through virtual locations, from American cities to the Alps. While that sounds like a recipe for motion sickness, its Kickstarter page says its creators performed a series of tests and found that the system worked well enough to avoid triggering the condition.

They found that motion sickness is usually caused by a disconnect between what the rider feels and sees on screen. That's why the system tries to match as much of the virtual world as it can, with the steering component letting you take the bike wherever you want to within the simulation. The base station also adds resistance when you're going up slopes to mimic the difficulty of the biking up inclines. In case you're more susceptible to motion sickness than other people, though, you can use a TV, a computer or a smartphone as a screen instead of a VR headset.

Widerun's developers are currently trying to raise £30,000 ($44,540) via Kickstarter, where you can pledge a minimum of £250 ($371) to get a system of your own when it ships out in April 2016. But don't forget that the price doesn't include either VR headset (the Rift isn't even out for most people yet) or the bike itself. So the whole system will cost you much more $$$ than what you're pledging on the crowdfunding website.

Filed under:

Comments

Source: Kickstarter

Read More...

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

drag2share: Netflix is producing a 4K follow-up to 'Planet Earth'

source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/15/netflix-our-planet/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

The cover for BBC's 'Planet Earth'

Couldn't get enough of Planet Earth's wide-ranging exploration of nature? We have good news. Netflix is producing a spiritual sequel, Our Planet, with the help of both Silverback Films (which made the original BBC show) and the World Wildlife Fund. The eight-episode series will reportedly venture into "never-before-filmed" corners of the globe, with everything shot in 4K -- just like Planet Earth, the new production will serve as a good showcase for your TV. You'll have to be patient, however. Our Planet isn't expected to debut until 2019, so you'll want to find some other nature documentaries to tide you over.

Read More...

Dell has a Linux version of its sleek XPS 13 laptop

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/14/dell-xps-13-developer-edition/

The nearly bezel-less Dell XPS 13 is one of our highest rated laptops, thanks namely to its compact size, attractive design and fast performance. But if Windows just isn't your preferred operating system, now there's another option to choose from: Linux. As part of its commitment to the platform, which took off with the introduction of Project Sputnik, Dell's announced a Ubuntu-based developer edition of its sleek 13-inch laptop. Naturally, you'll have a myriad of configurations to choose from, with prices ranging from $949 all the way to $1,849, depending on how specced out you want your Linux machine to be.

In a blog post, Dell says that since the launch of the XPS 13 back in January, the idea was to launch a developer-friendly version, but it wanted to make sure it could offer the best possible product to people who bought one. "There were issues with the touchpad and a repeating keystroke that took longer to address than we, and others, would have liked," said the company. Have you been holding out for this? Then have at it.

When the new XPS 13 launched earlier this year, the logical question was would there be a developer edition of it, as well? That answer was yes, but it took out teams some time to work through a few things to ensure that it would be the best possible experience for those who purchased it. There were issues with the touchpad and a repeating keystroke that took longer to address than we, and others, would have liked, and we thank everyone for their patience and assistance - especially those who contribute to our Project Sputnik forum.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Source: Dell

Read More...

Monday, April 13, 2015

3D Robotics takes on DJI with Solo 'smart drone'

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/13/3d-robotics-solo-smart-drone/

If you're in the market for a camera drone, things just got real. Last week, DJI updated its ubiquitous Phantom series with a 4K video version. Today, 3D Robotics (makers of both consumer and professional craft) ups the ante with Solo -- a stylish "ready to fly" quadcopter that challenges the Phantom (on the 'copter side of things) in quite a few ways. You'll need to bring your own camera though.

Top of the 3DR Solo spec-sheet are twin 1GHz Linux computers: one in the drone, one in the controller. The idea is, the Solo has plenty of power for "smart" features, without taxing the core (and somewhat important) flight computer (3DR's own Pixhawk 2, for those asking). Other key features include live HD (720p) streaming direct from a GoPro to your phone (or any display via HDMI) from over half a mile away, several cinematic flight modes (more on these later), comprehensive autopilot features, and a modular/swappable "accessory bay."

The cost? $1,000 (drone only), or $1,400 with the purpose-built Solo GoPro gimbal (camera stabilizer). For anything more than the most casual of filmmakers -- i.e. those most likely to already own a GoPro -- this puts the Solo in the same ballpark to the Phantom 3 Professional ($1,260) in terms of initial outlay. First-time flyers without a GoPro will, of course, have to weigh up the cost benefits of the Phantom 3 Professional over the features 3DR is offering. Colin Guinn, SVP Sales & Marketing at 3DR, explains "90-percent of our buyers already own GoPros. That means we can put more of that cost, and more of that technology into the Solo." Essentially, 3DR focuses on the drone, leaving the camera expertise to GoPro (it will be compatible with other cameras soon).

Despite its name, the Solo has two sides: It's both a consumer-friendly product (Guinn says it'll be in 2,000 physical stores), yet customizable and hackable. Adding new features is as easy as swapping out a phone battery thanks to the accessory bay. Possible add-ons include indoor-flying or infrared sensors or even a ballistic parachute. Similarly, you're not tied to 3DR's gimbal, as that's swappable too. The battery bay is designed to accommodate bigger cells, and the motor pods are replaceable with just four screws.

3DR collaborated with GoPro so that Solo has direct access to the camera's settings. A simple, but huge benefit. Stop/start recording when you want, switch from video to photo, change the video mode, or basically anything you'd be able to do on the ground, directly from Solo's mobile app. No more taking off and recording 15 minutes on one setting. Or worse, landing only to find you forgot to record anything at all!

Most professional aerial video requires two people: one to fly the drone, another to control the camera. Pro setups will still want that, but the Solo's "cable cam" and "orbit" modes mean you can set up fancy shots on your own. For example, fly the Solo to point A, frame a shot press a button. Next, fly to point B, frame a shot, press a button. This creates a virtual "cable" between these points, and the Solo will only fly between them in a straight line, panning and tilting the camera as it goes. Or, manually pan the camera yourself, but remain on the fixed "cable." If you've ever flown a drone with a camera and been disappointed trying to get anything beyond smooth forward or backward sweeps, you'll know how useful this will be.

The Solo's appeal teeters on the brink between casual (but enthusiastic!) pilot ($1,400 for drone and gimbal isn't small potatoes), and aspiring pro user. Example: on the one hand you have some interesting cinematography modes, yet you can also share video clips directly to Instagram via your connected phone. The very definition of prosumer, perhaps? Solo also has an aggressive look -- it was designed by the same team behind the high-street products like the Nike FuelBand, and the Xbox 360 -- if you want to stand out from the white Phantom crowd. For those keen on creative filmmaking, the few hundred bucks between DJI's Phantom 3 Professional (which comes with a camera, but has fewer software tricks) and the 3DR Solo with gimbal (and GoPro) might seem pretty small. If, however, you're starting from scratch, the initial outlay on Solo (and optional, yet desirable gimbal, plus GoPro) is going to be a harder sell. Beginners might still like DJI's price and simplicity. But, if you've already got the flying bug, Solo should have you excited.

The Solo launches in May for $1,000 (drone only), or $1,400 with the GoPro gimbal.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: 3DR

Read More...