“If you’ve ever been to an Apple store, you’ll know that they’re often a frenetic hive of energy, a barely contained chaos of overflowing Genius Bar appointments and random people crowding in just to check their email on a new Mac or play music on Bluetooth speakers,” Mike Murphy writes for Quartz. “But it’s possible that things are about to get even crazier.”
“The Hover Camera Passport, a small consumer drone produced by Chinese startup Zero Zero Robotics, is about to go on sale at Apple stores, the company announced,” Murphy writes. “And starting today, prospective customers at a few US locations will be able to actually get a demonstration of the $500 drone flying around the store.”
“Quartz reviewed the drone last year,” Murphy writes. “While it’s a one of the most portable, safe, and easy-to-use drones available, it’s also exceedingly loud. And not only is it loud, but the sound its four small motors produce whenever its flying is so high-pitched that my colleague compared it to a swarm of mosquitos attacking your eardrums.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Here’s what the Hover Camera Passport looks like and can do:
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
Oooh! Egoists rejoice! 360º selfies!
I want to punch people with a selfie-stick badly when I see them.
These people, count on losing your $500 drone if one come near me. Seriously, the ultimate for the self-obsessed generation. Poking eyes out watching that video.
Yes! Definitely one of the most horrible problems in the world today! Everyone should be very upset about this.
You forgot the </s> sarcasm tag. Many may have missed your intent here.
I want to punch people who continually use the sarcasm tag… you know the rest.
He, he, he….
Says the guy with a stick…
I have been flying Quadcopters of various kinds for a number of years and the standard let the buyer beware applies. You see ads of them flying outside in the open when many are ill suited to much more than inside or a well buffered back yard.
A lot of these small drones are damn near worthless in any kind of wind. I have not seen this one in person yet, but I imagine it will follow the normal pattern.
If you live of intend to use a drone in a windy area, expect shorter flight times than quoted as the drone will be working harder just to stay or go where you want- small ones usually do not have enough power to handle much wind. Years ago I bought one of the then tiniest available and took it out on a dead calm day, and mother nature served up a single gust which swept it over the peak of my house and down the block- I had to run to catch up and make an emergency landing on a neighbor’s roof to keep from losing the thing before the battery died.
Bottom line- the ads can be deceptive to the uninformed. Get into a coastal area and there is usually a fairly strong wind and if you run out of battery life over the water you now immersed drone will sink or come washing up on the shore.
It is also important to prepare yourself, your family and your neighbours to how loud and annoying drone is going to be.
The most people just can not imagine this and then they turn out to be just embarrassed to use the drone much since they do not want to annoy people around.
Even this little thing from the news is incredibly bothersome. The attached video does not show the part where people who are near you when film yourself are trying to shoot down the annoyance.
Clearly a useful health and exercise bonus then.
The shots of people enjoying the beautiful outdoors are breathtaking. But I’d imagine that the noise the drones make would be very disturbing to those nearby, including animals.
No matter where you go nowadays, there’s idiots with crap that they can’t put down for one minute. Only way to get around it is to go someplace where people who are too effin’ lazy won’t go. Drives me mad.
It’s an “eye in the sky” stalking machine. The ad is actually promoting the stalking of childern.
You will never see a commercial showing just how loud (and annoying) it actually is.
RRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!
They will just show it hovering with relaxing music in its place.
I’ll stick to my much quieter Mavic.
Notice how still the water is at the lake – no wind. That aside, I could see this as a great tool to shoot wonderful vacation and nature footage – assuming wind is not a problem 😁
Kinda like DUNE or Man of Steel personal floating drone robot light thingy things. Well maybe one day soon.
Here’s a business idea: Stealth anti-drone takedown devices! Fly your toy over my house and it magically goes down without leaving any trace of itself.
I won’t even patent the idea, feel free to build it and market it. Your Welcome!
or a device that would shoot up a net, bring the drone down, and you can come see me to buy your drone back…..or not
The military, and some police, already have those.
For everyone else, shooting at a drone is illegal. The FAA says they have a right to be over your property, just like other aircraft.
Selfies are Faux Pas. Only self absorbed narcissists do that. I hope your selfie drone explodes.