http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/ Engadget Comments for Parrot AR.Drone now available for pre-order, shipping September 3rd http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 4:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/
Yeah, and I don't think the iPhone interface can take pics or record the video shot either. BUT, anything iPhone related usually gets a lot of free press, so this may still sell even though I think its a gimmick that people would quickly tire of.]]>Jul 29th 2010 4:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/I need my Android version, I will buy it the mment it gets released.]]>Jul 29th 2010 4:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/
I was gonna get one, tipped for mid August release here in the UK. Then checked the price £299, thats $467 and was like, no thank you.
I can't stand being ripped off by apple in the UK, but at least their £ are beneath $ figure wise, this is just ridiculous...

HMV is the retailer if anyone was interested]]>Jul 29th 2010 5:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/
why buy it? just go play with it at brookstone for hours.]]>Jul 29th 2010 5:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Or you could fly it out the door, "go get it" and run like hell.]]>Jul 29th 2010 5:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 5:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 5:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 5:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/
Not everyone can just throw away hundreds of dollars, and so want a toy thats fun for more than 15 mins. If it were a $15 pico-copter, then its a whole other story. ]]>Jul 29th 2010 6:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 9:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 30th 2010 9:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 4:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/
Its not a POS, its just design flawed, but people w/o any RC experience probably won't realize the limitations before purchase. =/

The iPhone control interface is unfortunately a gimmick, since its very imprecise, the wifi control mechanism by FCC design AFAIK is far too short range (even my neighbor's house signal is very weak here), and the small size and weight of the device likely prevents its use outdoors as it would get blown around in the slightest of breezes which then begs the question of why you'd need the weight and cost of the camera if you're within visual range of the craft.

Since that renders the camera pointless and it flies itself with no accurate control by the user, it would surely bore most people after fifteen minutes.

Scale this up a bit, perhaps in a slow durable parkflyer chassis rather than quad-copter, use a regular affordable transmitter for better range and precision control and any old netbook or laptop (or xbox controller would even work if you like), and it'd be an awesome little neighborhood or sight-seeing personal spyplane.

And if you want to be a menace to society, attach rocket pods for FPV fireworks missles!!! :D :D :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBn1h0x-37E]]>Jul 29th 2010 4:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 4:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 4:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 4:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/
Geek, not nerd, get it right. I suck at math.]]>Jul 29th 2010 6:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 7:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 4:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 4:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 4:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 4:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/
Could have been worse. They could have let Sharper Image rebrand and sell it for 20% more.]]>Jul 29th 2010 5:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 4:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 4:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/
Well you could go for the android version shown in Google I/O, right?

video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR_iUjLL8b8]]>Jul 29th 2010 4:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 4:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://vimeo.com/6194911 ]]>Jul 29th 2010 4:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 10:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 4:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 4:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/
PS3 Controller doesn't have a screen to see what the chopper is seeing.]]>Jul 29th 2010 4:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Why wouldn't they use a smart phone!!!!]]>Jul 29th 2010 4:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/I would say the lack of a screen would be the reason, now if you said a PSP or DS a nerf gun and a bit of duct tape. Ahh the possibilities...]]>Jul 29th 2010 4:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/
Personally, I'd have gone with a regular cheap spread-spectrum parkflyer controller for range and control precision, and then set it up so you could use any cellphone, netbook, laptop, or VR glasses to see the video. A screen is a screen.]]>Jul 29th 2010 4:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 4:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 4:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 4:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 4:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 4:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/
Its rated for six meters, which is why its a gimmick. Basically, it kinda flies where you want it to due to the limitations of the iPhone accelerometers (they were never designed to be precise, just figure out if you're horizontal or vertical), likely can't tolerate any breeze, and so the camera is a bit pointless.

You could fly around your living room and office, until the boss asks you not to bring that in again, and then you see how much it goes for on ebay.]]>Jul 29th 2010 4:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 4:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 5:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 5:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 5:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 5:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 5:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 5:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/29/parrot-ar-drone-now-available-for-pre-order-shipping-september/Jul 29th 2010 5:41PM