Tag Archive for: Drones

Mavic Air 2 – The Perfect Drone?

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Mavic Air 2 – Super Cool Hyperlapses!

Speed it up…slow it down….never been easier to play with with time than it has been with the @djiglobal #MavicAir2The UI makes it easier than ever to pick up and take some cracking shots with pin point accuracy…defo recommend the Fly More combo though because…who want's to go home after one battery is finished… FLY SAFE…Find out more about it here: http://www.howtokillanhour.com/gadgets-tech/mavic-air-2

Posted by How To Kill an Hour on Thursday, 18 June 2020

The Mavic Air 2 is another incredible drone from DJI. The sequel drone to 2018 Mavic Air, the Mavic Air 2 is the perfect drone for those looking for a little bit more content and power than the vlogger. While not wanting a powerhouse that a cinematographer would want. It sit’s right in that perfect sweet spot.

With an incredible battery life of 34 mins and the ability to go fast in speeds of up to 68kph in sport mode, this drone is a lot of fun! All this is achievable with the DJI Fly app, making creating your videos so easy. Furthermore the DJI Mimo app, allows you to edit on the fly, access manual settings, advanced functions, and intuitive templates to create professional compositions in seconds.

Video

The Mavic Air 2 is also one of the most portable drones that we’ve seen here at How To Kill An Hour. Which is very impressive considering all the advanced features that it has. Such as intelligent shooting functions that will produce some amazing image quality. Not just with photos but with video footage too. Recording in 4k in a smooth 60fps, the D-Cinelike flat colour profile also retains much more information for those looking to edit their footage in post. Furthermore the H.265 video codec allows you to record more information while using less storage. Even preserving dynamic range and detail. Not bad for a pro-sumer drone eh?

HDR

It get’s even better, the Mavic Air 2 will shoot in HDR video, thanks to a high performance Quad Bayer image sensor. 1 single frame will separate exposure levels in different areas, which will then capture both light and dark details. Then the images are layered together to create an amazing colourful, balanced picture with high dynamic range!

Photography

The Mavic Air 2 is also GREAT for photography. With the 1/2 inch CMOS Sensor, the Mavic Air 2 will capture impressive 48mp photos. It supports a high megapixel count which creates vivid detail. EVEN when you zoom right in. Furthermore SmartPhoto feature will recognise the scene that you’re in, HyperLight and HDR all in one mode. Which will create for one amazing image.

It works as such. The scene recognition will optimise the camera parameters for various scenes. It supports different ‘scenes’ such as sunset, skies, grass, snow and trees. Then the Hyperlight will optimise the photos that are taken in low light. Which will create less noise and enhance the clarity. While the HDR Panorama mode will create panoramic images that will give higher dynamic range and vivid accurate colours.

Focus Track

Focus Track will allow the user to create professional quality footage. At ease thanks to Active Track 3.0, Spotlight 2.0 and Point of Interest 3.0. Allowing you to think more creatively and worry less about the stability of your footage:

Spotlight 2.0

Fly freely while the camera remains locked on the subject.

ActiveTrack 3.0

With ActiveTrack 3.0 you are able to follow subjects and avoid obstacles, whilst creating super smooth visuals. The ActiveTrack technology has been updated with better pathfinding and a faster and more accurate prediction of lost subjects. The ActiveTrack technology will keep your subject in the centre of the frame. EVEN if it move’s behind a tree.

POI 3.0

POI 3.0 improves over POI 2.0, and has better recognition of flat surfaces. It can now dynamically track objects like people, cars, and boats.

8K Hyperlapse

We LOVE this feature. The Hyperlapse the Mavic Air is able to create are in 8K! You can create some stunning footage and without complex post processing! You are able to choose from Free, Circle, Course Lock, and Waypoint modes, select the shooting location, and the DJI Fly app will do the rest.

Quick Shots

This is also really cool! You can capture short cinematic video clips automatically with a feature called QuickShots. The Mavic Air 2 will plan and fly a complicated aerial route for a professional shot. All you have to do now is add music, filters and whatever you wish and then share to social media!

Flight Safety

Flying drones is fun, but safety has to be key. The OcuSync 2.0 has a video transmission of up to 10km, which is then beamed in 1080p directly from the drone’s camera. Allowing you to see clearly and enjoy more freedom for exploring.
The Mavic Air 2 also supports dual frequency of 2.4/5.8ghz communication. It will then automatically switch to the best channel with the lowest interference in real time. This will improve flight safety immensely as there is less interference and therefore less chance of crashes and dropped connections!
The Mavic Air 2 also has incredible Obstacle Avoidance. The drone will perceive it’s environment in three directions, forward, backward and downward. The auxiliary light improves visibility and provdies the extra layer of security
Forwards: Vision sensor accurate up to 22 meters
Backwards:Vision sensor accurate up to 23.6 meters
Downward:Vision sensor, infrared sensor. The auxiliary light assist with visual positioning, safe landing, and visibility in the air. It can be turned on and off manually.
Furthermore the Advanced Pilot Assistance System 3.0 utilises advanced mapping tech for smooth following and reliable obstacle avoidance in even the most complex of scenarios.

Accessories

We also love the newly designed remote! Your phone now sits at the top of the remote to give easy access to what you are seeing on screen and it’s a lot more comfortable! The battery life is also a massive 240 minutes! There’s also a range of ND filters available (16/64/256) which is helpful for adjusting things like shutter speed in extreme lighting conditions. Whilst the ND set 4/8/32 enables vivid images even with low ISO values.

Features at a Glance

  • OcuSync 2.0 10km 1080p/30fps
  • 48MP Photo | 4K/60fps Video / 1/2 inch sensor
  • 10km 1080p Video Transmission
  • 34-Min Max Flight Time / 240-Min Max RC Battery Life
  • FocusTrack / APAS 3.0 Obstacle Avoidance
  • HDR Photo | Video | Panorama
  • 8K Hyperlapse
  • Drone
  • Weight
  • Size
  • Diagonal Distance
  • Max Ascent Speed
  • Max Descent Speed
  • Max Flight Time (without wind)
  • Max Hover Time (without wind)
  • Max Flight Distance
  • Max Horizontal Flight Speed
  • Max Wind Resistance
  • Camera
  • Sensor
  • Lens
  • ISO
  • Max Photo Resolution
  • Photo Modes
  • Photo Formats
  • Video Formats
  • Color Profiles
  • Max Bitrate
  • Supported SD Cards
  • Supported File Systems
  • Drone
  • 570 g
  • Folded: 180×97×84 mm (Length×Width×Height) Unfolded: 183×253×77 mm (Length×Width×Height)
  • 302 mm
  • 4 m/s (S Mode) 4 m/s (N Mode)
  • 3 m/s (S Mode) 3 m/s (N Mode) 5 m/s (S Mode during a sharp descent) 3 m/s (all modes at elevations over 4500 m)
  • 34 minutes
  • 33 minutes
  • 18.5 km
  • 19 m/s (S Mode) 12 m/s (N Mode) 5 m/s (T Mode)
  • 8.5-10.5 m/s (Level 5)
  • Camera
  • 1/2″ CMOS Effective Pixels: 12 MP and 48 MP
  • FOV: 84° Equivalent Focal Length: 24 mm Aperture: f/2.8 Focus Range: 1 m to ∞
  • Video: 100-6400 Photo (12 MP): 100-3200 (Auto) 100-6400 (Manual) Photo (48 MP): 100-1600 (Auto) 100-3200 (Manual)
  • 48 MP 8000×6000 pixel
  • Single: 12 MP and 48 MP Burst: 12 MP, 3/5/7 frames Automatic Exposure Bracketing (AEB): 12MP, 3/5 Frames at 0.7EV Bias Timed: 12 MP 2/3/5/7/10/15/20/30/60 seconds SmartPhoto: Scene Recognition, HyperLight, and HDR HDR Panorama: Vertical (3×1): 3328×8000 pixels (Width×Height) Wide (3×3): 8000×6144 pixels (Width×Height) 180° Panorama (3×7): 8192×3500 pixels (Width×Height) Sphere (3×8+1): 8192×4096 pixels (Width×Height)
  • JPEG/DNG (RAW)
  • 4K Ultra HD: 3840×2160 24/25/30/48/50/60 fps 2.7K: 2688×1512 24/25/30/48/50/60 fps FHD: 1920×1080 24/25/30/48/50/60/120/240 fps 4K Ultra HD HDR: 3840×2160 24/25/30 fps 2.7K HDR: 2688×1512 24/25/30 fps FHD HDR: 1920×1080 24/25/30 fps
  • D-Cinelike, Normal
  • 120 Mbps
  • Supports a microSD with capacity of up to 256 GB
  • Supported File Systems

(DJI)

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 For a more extensive Spec sheet please click here!

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Mavic Mini – A Vloggers Dream!

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DJI Introducing Mavic Mini

This is a MUST for all filmmakers! DJI Mavic Mini!

Posted by How To Kill an Hour on Thursday, 31 October 2019

 

DJI have released their latest drone. However, this time it’s small. Very small. The foldable Mavic Mini is the lightest and smallest model that DJI have released. It weights 249g and comes with a whole host of features. That makes flying drones and aerial photography fun and accessible for everyone. The size of the Mavic Mini too doesn’t require FAA registration either!

Mavic Mini has a range of 2.5miles (4km) and has a flight time of 30mins. GPS recievers and downward visual sensors allow for precise hovering and stable flying. It has 2.7k video and 30fps which is a higher resolution than the Mavic Spark (1080p)!.

However, it doesn’t have obstacle avoidance or quickshots (pre-programmed flight photography). The Mavic Mini is designed for simple every day use, fun, quick set up and go. Not your high end filmmakers. Think of this one for your vlogging arsenal.

You can get the Mavic Mini in 2 different options.

One option, a standard option, comes with the Mavic Mini, remote controller, one batter, extra propellers and accessories for $399.

The Fly More Combo comes with all the things available in the standard but with a 360 degree propeller cage, 2-way charging hub, 3 batteries, 3 sets of extra propellers and a carrying case. All that for $499.

Available on November 11th by clicking here!

(Engadget)

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Mavic 2

Mavic 2: Brand new Drones!

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DJI Mavic vs DJI Mavic 2 Pro

Made in Sweden, Hasselblad cameras are renowned for their iconic ergonomic design, uncompromising image quality, and Swedish craftsmanship. Since 1941, Hasselblad cameras have captured some of the world’s most iconic images – including the first moon landing.

Posted by How To Kill an Hour on Tuesday, 23 April 2019

 

Mavic 2 Pro

Made in Sweden, Hasselblad cameras are renowned for their iconic ergonomic design, uncompromising image quality, and Swedish craftsmanship. Since 1941, Hasselblad cameras have captured some of the world’s most iconic images – including the first moon landing.

Co-engineered in partnership with Hasselblad after two years of tireless research, the Mavic 2 Pro comes equipped with the all-new Hasselblad L1D-20c camera. The L1D-20c possesses Hasselblad’s unique Hasselblad Natural Colour Solution (HNCS) technology, helping users to capture gorgeous 20-megapixel aerial shots in stunning color detail.

1-inch CMOS Sensor

The brand new 1-inch CMOS sensor has an active sensing area four times more effective than the original Mavic Pro. The large sensor also means better performance in low-light environments with a more extensive ISO range, max ISO lifted from 3200 to 12800.

10-bit Dlog-M Color Profile

The Mavic 2 Pro supports a 10-bit Dlog-M color profile that yields higher dynamic range for more flexibility in the grading room. The system records over 1 billion colors (compared to the 16 million colors from traditional 8-bit color coding technologies) and retains more in-depth details in both highlights and shadows. Now you can capture the subtlest gradations at sunset or sunrise, leaving greater space for post-production.

HDR Video

With 4K 10-bit HDR support, the Mavic 2 Pro can be plugged into a 4K TV with HLG and will immediately play back footage with the right color tones. The brighter highlights and increased contrast are what make HDR video so appealing.

Adjustable Aperture

The f/2.8-f/11 adjustable aperture delivers outstanding image quality both in high and low-light environments. When shooting in low light, set the aperture to f/2.8 to allow more light in and to capture bright and clear photos. When shooting in well-lit environments, set the aperture to f/11 to lower the shutter speed and make your videos smoother.

Mavic 2 Zoom

Powered by a 1/2.3-inch 12-megapixel sensor with up to 4x zoom, including a 2x optical zoom (24–48 mm), 4 the Mavic 2 Zoom is all about dynamic perspectives. Capture everything from wide angle to mid-range shots for even more creative options.

More Expressive Mid-Range Shots

Compared to a 24mm wide angle lens, the 48mm telephoto lens compresses your perspective, enhancing the parallax effect for a classic cinematic look. 4 Now a whole new world of aerial photography is open to explore with even more epic, cinematic shots.

A Worry-Free Way to Find a View

When shooting Full HD video, 4x lossless zoom (including 2x optical zoom) gives you a closer view of faraway subjects, making unique scenes more accessible to capture at a distance. This option also helps you maintain a safer distance from buildings, vehicles, animals, and people.

Quick and Accurate Focus

Hybrid autofocus on the Mavic 2 Zoom combines phase and contrast detection for higher focus accuracy with an increased focus speed of up to 40% more than before. The autofocus tracking system makes subjects appear clear and sharp when zooming in and out.

Zoom During Flight

Dolly Zoom is a new QuickShot for the Mavic 2 Zoom, offering an otherworldly perspective in a fully-integrated drone. Dolly Zoom automatically adjusts focus when flying, adding an intense, warping visual effect to your video. When flying manually, you can also set proper focus speed values for even more creative shot options.

Super Resolution Photos

The Mavic 2 Zoom also has a brand new Super Resolution feature. An asset when capturing the vivid details your landscape photography deserves. When taking a picture with a 24 mm equivalent field-of-view, 4the camera will capture and patch nine photos with its telephoto lens, resulting in a 48-megapixel super resolution photo. Compared to ordinary panoramas, the super resolution photos retain the original look of the shooting targets with a more accurate composition.

(DJI)

There is so much more information on DJI’s website! It details all about the cool things that the new DJI Mavic 2 can do! Such as  Active Tracking 2.0 which includes: High speed tracking, trajectory prediction, precise recognition and obstacle sensing. Lowlight improvements, hyperlapse capabilities and longer and quiet flight time. However to get the low down on what these super cool Mavic 2 drones can do head on over to their website here.

 

 

Check out their press release here:

 

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Super High Tech Cruise With Le Champlain

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Super High Tech Cruise in NORWAY!

We recently went on a trip around the Norwegian Fjords! Upon one of Ponant's most luxurious cruise-liners and it was amazing! That's not just the views of the Norwegian Fjords either. The Le Champlain cruise liner was absolutely breathtaking! So, check out the video of our trip above to truly get an understanding of how beautiful our time on the Le Champlain was.Read more & see some beautiful pictures of our time in Norway by in the first comment on this post.

Posted by How To Kill an Hour on Tuesday, 23 April 2019

We recently went on a trip around the Norwegian Fjords! Upon one of Ponant’s most luxurious cruise-liners and it was amazing! That’s not just the views of the Norwegian Fjords either. The Le Champlain cruise liner was absolutely breathtaking! So, check out the video of our trip above to truly get an understanding of how beautiful our time on the Le Champlain was.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and encourage you, our audience, to go on one of these cruises, no matter where you are travelling in the world, you will have an experience that will last a lifetime. The memories that you will make whilst on your travels will stick, it won’t be just another holiday, it will be an absolute life defining moment. You truly feel like you are a super star whilst traveling on this cruise liner. There’s a reason as to why Le Champlain got a lot of attention when it was first announced.

Le Champlain Luxury

Not only is it a beautiful boat it is environmentally friendly too. The rooms are elegantly designed, there’s spacious suites with fantastic large windows allowing you to take in the world around you. The lounge areas of Le Champlain are open planed too, so they open into the outside area. There are a total of 92 staterooms and suites which offer a truly unique experience whilst traveling upon this cruise liner. The Le Champlain, the second ship in a brand new series from Ponant. Truly embody the cruise line’s hallmark of having a subtle blend of refinement, intimacy and comfort.

If you have a passion for travel, we highly recommend travelling aboard the Le Champlain. It flies the French Flag with pride and provides such a pleasurable and intimate ride. Not only that but there is an ever increasing list of destinations that the Le Champlain travels to. Each retaining Ponant’s luxury service topped with ethnic-chic ambiance.

World Heritage Site: Norwegian Fjords

It is said that over 1000 people visit the Norwegian Fjords each year. Furthermore 10 cruise ships traveling through the beautiful are each year too! From 2005, the Fjords are protected under UNESCO (Meaning that it’s classed as a world heritage site: As defined by Wikipedia:

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) as having cultural,[1] historical, scientific or other form of significance, and is legally protected by international treaties. The sites are judged important to the collective interests of humanity.)

“Their exceptional natural beauty is derived from their narrow and steep-sided crystalline rock walls that rise up to 1,400 metres from the Norwegian Sea and extend 500 metres below sea level. The sheer walls of the fjords have numerous waterfalls while free-flowing rivers cross their deciduous and coniferous forests to glacial lakes, glaciers and rugged mountains” UNESCO

National Geographic Recognition

National Geographic gathered a panel of experts in 2006 to rank and reward the most popular of World Heritage Sites. It is here were the Norwegian Fjords were victorious! They ranked higher than the pyramids of Egypt and even the Grand Canyon!

“This seems to confirm that Norwegians tend to take excellent care of their places compared to the rest of the world. These are skills that leaders in other places would do well to study and adapt to their own situations” Jonathan B. Tourtellot, Director of the Center for Sustainable Destinations, National Geographic Society.

The Beautiful Norwegian Fjords

Firstly, it’s very easy to see the beauty via gallery below! There are more than 1000 Fjords in Norway, all of which are along the beautiful coastline. A Fjord is a blue still lake, however, they consist of saltwater. Fjord’s are also described prolonged arms if the seas. At times, reaching deep inland with huge towering cliffs on each side. Many of the Fjords are intertwined. You can often sail through them and make your way back into the open sea. While many have described that visiting them can feel like they’ve visited a secluded universe! As a result the Norwegian Fjords have become both an important symbol of Norway and a very popular attraction for tourists.

(Visit Norway)

Check out the gallery of our time in the Norwegian Fjords below! (Click the first image to enlarge it to get a real good look at how beautiful Norway is! Consequently, you’ll be able to get a good look at the Le Champlain! The boat was HUGE and had a very nice ride. Therefore we cannot be happier with our experience upon the Le Champlain)

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Le Champlain parked
Bronzy, Captain of Le Champlain
Le Champlain Norwegian Fjords
Le Champlain Pool
Le Champlain
Aboard the Le Champlain
Mountains around Norwegian Fjords
Le Champlain window

Suggestions

Also, we’re very open to your suggestions. We want to be able to do things in your neck of the woods. Therefore we’re keen to hear from you guys! Where do you think the team should go next? Hit us up via our socials with the best places in the world to do some wild and exciting things. We’d love to hear your suggestions. The crazier and more exciting the better! Help us show off your area to the masses!

So, why not listen to the guys talking about this on the show my clicking here!

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How To Kill An Hour Drone DJI

Gifts For The Tech-Lover In Your Life

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Although being able to give someone a gift – whether it’s their birthday, for another special occasion, or even if it’s simply because you feel like it, it’s often not the easiest thing in the world when you really don’t know what someone likes or if they already have everything, or even if they’re just one of those people who seem to be a bit fussy about the things they have.

However, other people do make it a bit easier, but then comes the question of what to get them within the area that you know they really like – and sometimes this can be even more difficult than not knowing what they like because that way you have more options to get it right, and this way you’re feeling overwhelmed with too many options.

So, in this post we’re going to share with you some of our top tips for gift ideas for the tech-lover in your life.

 

Drone:

Drones have become massively popular in the last few years, and we have to admit they’re seriously cool things, so why wouldn’t they be popular? However, whilst they were at first only available to the military, the government and the media, they’re now available to pretty much anyone, and although they’re not exactly the cheapest things on the planet to buy, they would make an excellent gift for someone who’s a bit on the techy side. It’s important to remember though that drones are banned in many countries, so for example if someone is planning to use one whilst traveling to take pictures with, then this is going to be something they need to check the law on before deciding to take the drone with them because otherwise they risk it being confiscated or even finding themselves faced with a fine.

 

Hoverboard:

Although the hoverboards we have nowadays aren’t exactly those we envisioned from movies like Back To The Future, they are still pretty cool and would make a really fun gift for the techy person in your life. The great thing about hoverboards is that they’re available in most price ranges so you’ll pretty much always be able to find one to suit the budget you have available, and they also have cool features such as bluetooth.

 

Car/Motorbike Accessories:

If the person you’re buying a gift for is someone who has a passion for cars or motorbikes, then a great gift for them could be something like accessories for their car or bike. You can find all kinds of techy gadgets and cool supplies both offline and online at places like Solo Moto, so you’ll be able to see a huge selection of things that they could really enjoy and would get a lot of use out of.

 

Computer/Tablet:

Gadgets like laptops and tablets may not be the cheapest items on the market in the technology space today, however, if you know a tech-lover and are looking for a great gift, then you’re going to struggle to go wrong in this area since most of the ones being made today have some seriously cool features and are extremely powerful in many ways, and although they’re not cheap, they do come in a good variety of price ranges to suit most budgets depending on the features you’re looking for and how much you’re looking to spend.

 

VR Headset:

Virtual Reality has become massive in the past 5 years and is fast becoming one of the biggest and fastest growing industries in the technology sector, so it’s definitely one that anyone who’s interested in technology will be watching with enthusiasm. One of the best things about VR, aside from how advanced it’s becoming is that it’s actually affordable to normal people, and most of the big tech giants such as Samsung are really looking to cash in on this desire for people to have VR at an accessible and affordable price point, so this could easily be one of the best gifts they ever receive if you decide to pursue this route.

 

Camera:

Although a camera may be just a camera to some people, if you know someone who loves to take photos either as a hobby or on a semi-professional level, then a good camera is something they’ll see as an investment and something they’ll truly appreciate because they know that a good camera will really enhance the photos they take. So, if you’re looking for a great gift, this is definitely one you can’t go wrong with and that will have lots of cool features.

Apple Holiday Showcase

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We recently were invited to a super secret Apple Holiday Showcase Event where they showed off all of their latest gadgets and gizmo’s perfect for the upcoming holiday season! They showed off a lot of things from their latest keynotes amongst a bunch of other super cool 3rd party devices that are a lot of fun! Below are some of our favourites! Don’t forget to check out our gallery of the event at the bottom of the blog post!

(All purchase links are affiliate links)

3rd Party Products

Sphero Mini

sphero.com

The Sphero Mini is a smaller version of the ever popular Sphero. You can do almost everything that it’s bigger brother can do, but in a smaller form size! It’s about the same size as a table-tennis ball! Different to the other Sphero’s available, the Sphero Mini uses facial expresssions to play! Face Drive will track a users expressions such as smiles, frowns, head tilts and more to control Sphero Mini.

The Sphero Mini has three different driving modes within the app: Joystick, Tilt, Slingshot, or Face Drive.

There are also a range of games available to play with Sphero Mini too! Such as:

  1. Exile II: Use Mini as a controller to move and shoot spaceships.
  2. Lightspeed Drifter: Control a futuristic ship racing inside a tunnel with Mini.
  3. Round Trip: Rotate Mini to destroy a polygon of “bricks”.

 

As with all Sphero’s the Sphero Mini can also help users learn how to code! Using the Edu app you are able to program the Sphero Mini by drawing, dragging blocks or text coding. Sphero Mini comes in 5 colours: blue, green, pink, orange and white. All of which are interchangeable!

Specs:

  • 10M Range, connect via Bluetooth
  • Charge with the included micro USB
  • LED lights glow in any color
  • Gyroscope & Accelerometer
  • Charge an hour, play for 45 minutes
  • iOS 10+ & Android 5.0+ compatible
  • Height: 42mm / Width: 42mm / Weight 46g
  • Top speed 1m/s
  • Accessories – miniture bowling pins and cones – included

(Spher0) (Purchase £49.99)

Sphero BOLT

Sphero.com

The Sphero BOLT is the bigger brother of the Sphero Mini and it does back a punch! Producer Bill had a lot of fun trying to programme the Bolt to go around the table at the Apple Holiday Showcase Event!

It’s designed for children trying to encourage them how to code. However, we feel as though this can be for any age who are into learning how to code! The Bolt uses advanced sensors to track speed, acceleration, direction and drive Bolt without having to aim the robot thanks to the compass! It also uses infared technology to communicate with other BOLTs.  The shell itself is bluetooth enabled allowing it to communicate with the app and other BOLT’s

You can use the Sphero Edu app from a desktop or mobile device to create custom activities or even download some of the aweseome community created programmes to play with. Learning to code can be as simple as drawing on the screen, use Scratch blocks or if you are advanced coder write your own Javascript text!

Specs:

  • Live Sensors
  • 2Hr Playtime
  • Auto Aiming
  • Inductive Charge
  • Durable Shell
  • Bluetooth Enabled

(Spher0) (Purchase £149.99)

 

Play Interactive Gameball

Apple

This was a lot of fun whilst at the Apple Holiday Showcase event! It’s a simple ball game but has a lot of intelligent tech inside of it!

You can play with an iOS device for on the move fun or via the Apple Tv. The free Gameball app (iOS) comes already loaded with a ton of single and multiplayer games. They’re simple but so much fun! Such as hot potato or who can make the ball spin the most in an allotted time!

The games are focused on improving a players hand eye co-ordination, agility and creative thinking. Such as the single player game called “Impossible” this is a platformer designed to start off easy and get harder as the game progresses. Users will have to think outside the box to think about ever increasing heights, RPMs and airtime challenges.

Whilst Multiplayer games such as Mulitplayer Showdown is a simple racing game. While Party Time is based around silly challenges which will bring family and friends laughing for hours! Other games such as Skyscraper and Sport Labs tap into STEM and the competitive nature of users. As precise airtime, height, speed and catch force is recorded to help a user better understand the physics behind sport.

 

(Apple, Purchase here)

DJI Tello Edu

This drone from DJI is designed for the first time Drone flyers or children who are looking into drones as a hobby.

Apple

Again, like many of the devices we have featured here, the Tello Edu drone is designed to help younger people get into coding. It’s the ideal for anyone engaged in STEAM-based learning. The drone flys incredibly well and has DJI’s cutting edge flight technology like many of it’s bigger drones. Allowing for precise and stable flying.

The drone is super light and very strong, making it great to learn how to fly drones inside as it’s less susceptible to breakages and/or injuries. Plus, for all the young filmakers out there the drone has an incredible 720p video recoring camera on it and can take pictures with it’s 5MP Camera!

The Tello Edu App in conjunction with Swift Playgrounds will help users code the drone. It’s made it easier for children and novice coders with the introduction of colourful interface, helping users easily navigate themselves around the app. Therefore allowing users to have complete control of their drone whilst completing simple manoeuvres

Features:

  • Enhance your flight with DJI’s flight control technology
  • Learn coding with Swift, Scratch or Python
  • Program a swarm of drones
  • Mission Pads offer multiple fun uses
  • Unlock more programming possibilities with the upgraded SDK 2.0
  • Control Tello Edu with the app on your iPhone or iPad
  • 5MP photos and 720p video with Electronic Image Stabilisation
  • Precise hovering
  • Multiple flight modes
  • Safe and easy to use

(Apple/Purchase £139.95)

Apple Products

iPhone Xr

Apple

iPhone Xr was really impressive! We loved the form factor and the fact that it can do almost as much as the more powerful size iPhones The lower end of the Apple iPhone lineup but still as incredibly powered as it’s more flagship devices. The iPhone Xr is all screen, glass, allowing for wireless charging and aluminium design. With an LCD screen that’s the mosr advanced LCD in a smartphone, Liquid Retina, standing a 6.1 inches. iPhone Xr features Face ID, True Depth camera system, the same camera system as the iPhone Xs which creates dynamic portraits in a single camera lens. The iPhone Xr is also IP67 rated, protecting it from every day splashes. (Read More)

(Purchase £749)

 

 

iPad Pro

The iPad Pro was very impressive, we love how sharp and clean it looks! The design is definitely one of the best designs that we have seen here at How To Kill An Hour.  Using it in person the device is super quick and can undertake tasks quicker than a regular laptop can. Even dual loading two different apps at one time. We can definitely see this replacing some laptops for some of our readers out there. This device is definitely one to keep an eye on!

The iPad Pro has seen an incredible upgrade, marking the biggest change to iPad ever. The display has been transformed into a beautiful edge to edge Liquid Retina display. It now includes Face ID, USB C and out performs many PC laptops. Furthermore there are updates to Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard Folio. The second generation Apple Pencil now connects to the iPad Pro magnetically, wirelessly charging at the same time. The Smart Keyboard Folio has a brand new design that’s adjustable for added versatility. (Read More) (Purchase 11″ £769 / 12.9″ £969)

Macbook Air

Apple announced a brand new version of the Macbook Air recently to replace the current Macbook Air. This new Macbook Air features slimmer bezels on a stunning 13-inch Retina display, Touch ID and the latest processors. Making the worlds most loved notebook, the Macbook Air, even better! Seeing it in person is really really impressive. Again, this little Macbook is crazy quick and is perfect for all the bloggers and students out there!

The keyboard has been improved to share the same quality keyboard than that of Macbook and Macbook Pro. But it’s in it’s 3rd generation, with a slight improvement on the ones in the Macbook and Macbook Pro’s. Furthermore the Macbook Air’s trackpad has also been improved. Pressure sensing capabilities and haptic feedback on a 20% larger trackpad offering a quieter and more capable trackpad experience.

Audio experience on the new Macbook Air has also been improved seeing a 25% loudness imcrease and 2x more bass than the previous generation. The Macbook Air also comes with 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports. Allowing connections to external storage, docks for additional ports and 4K and 5K displays. (Read More)

Mac Mini

Mac Mini has had a upgrade in performance. The device now comes with quad and 6-core processors, up to 64gb memory and up to 2TB of all-flash storage. Therefore increasing the speed to up to 5 times faster performance than the previous generation. The quad-and 6-core 8th generation Intel Core processors with up to speeds of 4.6GHz and Intel UHD graphics is responsible for this massive increase in performance. As a result rivalling many larger, more powerful machines. Allowing users to perform tasks such as video editing, software development and photo editing at a much faster rate than previously.

This little powerhouse is not shy of ports either. It has 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports, each with double the performance of the previous Mac Mini. It can connect to high speed storage, 4K & 5K Thunderbolt displays and output video in three different formats. The Mac Mini also has a HDMI 2.0 port, 2 USB-A ports, an audio jack and 10gb Ethernet ports. (Read More)

(Purchase £799)

Homepod

The Homepod is very impressive as a singular device. However in a stereo pair the smart speaker is very very very VERY impressive. We were blown away how clear the audio was coming out of this little device. You can hear every little musical intrument and the bass is powerful but not overpowering. Even at a low volume, we could still hear the bass and the vocals. Nothing was lost. Nothing was taken away. At either end of the spectrum of volume.

AirPlay 2 alongside bring with it stereo play with 2x Homepods, it also brings multi room playing so if one Homepod is in the kitchen and one homepod is in the living room, you can simply ask Siri to play “Pop Music” in the Kitchen, whilst staying in the living room. Living Room’s music will be untouched. Seriously impressive.

Sound

All the speakers, tweakers and all music based tech from within Homepod is all Apple built and with this brings tremendous sounding music. The way that the speakers are formed and the brains from within the device, the A8 chip. Allow the speaker to adjust itself to wherever it is and from any room – even if it’s moved. No longer is sound directly forced in front of you. With the HomePod, the audio is all around you. You get the best experience, from anywhere in the room.

Consequently we are very impressed by this and cannot wait to continue learning more about this wonderful device. As audiophiles we are blown away by the craftsmanship and quality of this device.

(Purchase £319)

 

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Episode 304 Apple Holiday Showcase

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project maven

Project Maven

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Google have announced that they have a part in ‘Project Maven’. A project in which as Gizmodo are reporting, ‘helping the Pentagon build AI for drones’ CRAZY NEWS!

The project began in 2017 as a pilot program to simply speed up the United States military’s implementation of the most up to date technology of artificial intelligence.

It’s a relatively cheap programme too! Project Maven is said to cost less than $70M in it’s first year. Focusing solely on integrating machine learning in it’s drones. Why would the Pentagon want to invest in improving AI in drones? To improve it’s intelligence when it comes to targeting drone strikes.

Project Maven: Peace

Google released a statement on Tuesday of last week, claiming it’s part in Project Maven. Stating that it’s involvement in the project was simply a peaceful one. Stating that Project Maven was “Specifically scoped to be for non-offensive purposes.”

Since then many sectors of Google itself have called upon it’s CEO to pull them out of the project. With the Verge reporting that 3,100 employees have signed a letter urging the CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai, to re-evaluate it’s involvement. Stating that Google should not be in ‘the business of war’ – With Diane Green head of Google’s cloud operations also emphasizing Google’s peaceful stance. Stating that their tech will not be used to fly drones, nor will it launch any weapons.

Details on what Google are actually doing working on Project Maven aren’t very clear. A Google spokesperson did confirm to the Verge that they have given the department of defence access to software (TensorFlow) that is used to help machine learning apps understand contents of photos.

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Episode 254 Star Wars Drones!

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Gun-firing drones

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US firm reveals gun-toting drone that can fire in mid-air

 

A tech firm in America has developed drones that are able to aim and fire while flying in mid-air.

The Tikad drone, developed by Duke Robotics, is armed with a machine-gun and a grenade launcher.

The gun can be fired remotely by remote control and have been designed to with the ideal to reduce military casualties  by cutting down the number of troops on the ground.

 

Campaigners have been pretty vocal about the concerns they have about these drones, such as them being mis-used and killing innocent people.

Robotics expert Professor seems to agree with these concerns as he said ‘there have been many legal cases of human-rights violations using the large fixed-wing drones, and these could potentially result in many more.”

 

There has already been a lot interest in the drone from several governments but how it will be rolled out in the future will depend on America.

Tag Archive for: Drones