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3D Robotics is building the drones that just about anyone can fly
The FAA might not know what to do with drones, but UAV technology is moving so fast we're thinking more "when," not "if" the skies will be filled with quadrocopters. To help more people jump into the future, 3D Robotics SVP of Sales and Marketing Colin Guinn joined us at Expand to show off the company's drone tech that makes the learning curve easier. He brought along the Iris+ drone, which expands upon the original model released last year by adding more autonomous smarts. Not only can it can take off and land by itself, but it can also orient around you for a third-person chase cam/drone selfie, or follow a predetermined, GPS-guided path to take aerial photography. It packs a GoPro-ready mount, datalink that lets you fly it from your PC/Android/iOS/etc. and is available now for $750. It can fly for a little over 20 minutes on a charge and just needs its propellers screwed on to work out of the box. If you've wanted to get into drones, but were concerned your first flight could be your last, the Iris+ was made with you in mind. Check out the full demo and discussion after the break to find out just how easy handling one of these can be.
60 seconds with the tracker that proves how close you got to the edge
Sure an action camera can provide the video record of your extreme (or not so extreme) sports exploits, but what about the data? Any number of fitness and motion trackers exist, but the Push Supernova is a ruggedized device that not only captures the key metrics from your session -- GPS, depth underwater, G-forces, speed, etc. -- but can display them on its color screen in real-time, or feed them into an overlay to accompany video recorded by a GoPro or similar camera. The touch-controlled interface is glove-friendly and protected by Gorilla Glass, it can mount anywhere a GoPro goes, it's waterproof to 30m with sealed expansion and USB ports, plus it can log data for days and the internal battery lasts up to 24 / 8 hours at a time (screen off / screen on). Finally, you don't have to buy a brand new Corvette to get the videogame-style readouts of data to go along with with your highlight reel.
Five questions about VR beyond gaming with three people making it happen
Looking at Facebook, Sony and Samsung, you might think the future of virtual reality is all entertainment and social interaction. While video games and movie watching are both primary components of the recent virtual reality wave, there's much more to the field. Matterport, a company focused on 3D-mapping tech, and BeAnotherLab, the group behind interactive art installation "The Machine to be Another" -- are each pushing forward virtual reality, and neither are focused directly on game-like interactive immersion. The medium of virtual reality is young, but it is already varied. So, what does the future hold? We asked five questions surrounding that subject to three people who are shaping that future: the panelists for our "Back to Reality: VR Beyond Gaming" panel at Expand 2014 (which starts tomorrow!). Head below for their answers!
Five questions about the future of drones with 3D Robotics' Colin Guinn
Everyone, it seems, is talking about drones these days. Whether it's for industry, research or performance art, the skies have never been busier. Thanks, in no small part, to the ever-increasing number of consumer-friendly, ready-to-fly quadcopters. Colin Guinn left DJI to join one of the biggest names in commercial drones -- 3D Robotics -- as SVP of sales and marketing. If anyone knows about the future of our skies, it's him. I'll be speaking with Guinn at Expand on Saturday, November 8th, about the future of commercial, personal and hobby drones -- with maybe a little onstage flying going on, too. Before that though, read on to get a little primer on the buzzing topic from the man himself.
Five questions for the athletes making wearables you won't take off
MC10's most notable projects -- the Checklight head-impact tracker that protects athletes from the effects of dangerous collisions and a Biostamp "seamless sensing sticker" -- are already at the forefront of sports and medicine technology. Isaiah Kacyvenski and Angela Ruggiero are experienced athletes on the company's sports advisory board, tasked with figuring out ways to use technology to optimize athletic performance. That's certainly great news if you're an athlete in an impact sport trying to avoid the after effects of concussions, or a blogger getting punched in the face by your coworkers. But what about everyone else? Kacyvenski and Ruggiero will join me at Engadget Expand on November 8th for a discussion on how the new technology can help us stay healthy, and ensure that our workouts are refined to get the most impact. You can tune in or attend the event for free, but check after the break for a quick preview, and let us know if you have any questions that need answering.
Five questions about making music in the modern age with hip-hop producer RJD2
If you've ever watched Don Draper sling back an Old Fashioned, there's a good chance you're familiar with at least one RJD2 track. If you have a taste for instrument-infused breakbeat (and why wouldn't you?), then we assume you've been following his work since at least 2002's Deadringer. Whatever camp you fall into, you're in for a treat at this year's Expand. Not only are we going to chew the fat onstage with Mr. D2, but we're also getting his music into your ears, live. We're too kind. What's more, we've got a little taste of what you might expect from the stage interview. All you need to do is keep readin'.
Five questions for Becky Stern, director of wearables for Adafruit
We've all heard of Google Glass. And smartwatches, and fitness bands, and gadgets that form some sort of combination thereof. But have you considered a skirt with embedded sensors? How about a purse, or a pair of socks? While a few companies, like Ralph Lauren, are dabbling in high-tech clothes, Becky Stern has been tinkering in the space for nearly a decade. As the director of wearables for the DIY electronics site Adafruit, she hosts weekly instructional videos on how to build your own wearables, and also stars in a YouTube show on the subject. We'll be sitting down with her at our free Expand event on November 7th, where we'll talk about the do's and don'ts of wearable tech, with a nod toward some of the more unusual things you can do with sensors. (Fine, fine, we'll touch on Android Wear and the Apple Watch too, if it makes you happy.) To whet your appetite, here's a short Q&A with Stern, and sound off in the comments if you think there's anything else we should ask.
Five questions for the woman who's 3D printing edible fruit
In the last few years 3D printing has gone from a niche within a niche, to one of the most headline-grabbing fields in tech. Consumers haven't exactly embraced the technology, but it is beginning to trickle down into the homes of more hobbyists and entrepreneurs. The DIY community has fallen in love with its versatility and even NASA has embraced it as a way to do ad hoc repairs on the International Space Station. But really, that's just scratching the surface of what 3D printers are capable of. Vaiva Kalnikaitė and her company Dovetailed used fruit juice to print edible fruits, and surgeons have used 3D-printed parts to repair injuries. There are even people out there printing human organs and homes. We're going to be sitting down with Kalnikaitė and Anna Kaziunas France, digital fabrication editor at Maker Media, at Engadget Expand on November 8th. But in case you need a little tease to get you in the mood, we've got a short Q&A with Kalnikaitė after the break.
Meet the 10 Insert Coin 2014 semi-finalists
Thanks to your votes, we now have the 10 semi-finalists for this year's Insert Coin competition. Each of them will get $1,000 in travel stipend and a spot on our Expand NYC showfloor at the Javits Center this November. But, their fight's nowhere near over: they're now vying for the $10,000 Judges' Choice, as well as the $15,000 Reader's Choice award. So go ahead and get acquainted with the top 10 contenders below, because we'll ask for your help again in the near future.
Last chance to vote for our Insert Coin semi-finalists!
Time is almost up to help us choose who the lucky 10 semi-finalists will be in our Insert Coin competition at this year's Expand. As a reminder, each one of the semi-finalists will receive a $1,000 travel stipend and a spot on our showfloor at the Javits Center. Then they'll have a chance to compete for up to $25,000 to help bring their vision to market. You can read about all of our contenders in the gallery below, then head right here to cast your vote for who should make it to the next round. But make it quick -- all votes must be in by 11:59 p.m. PDT on October 15th, 2014.
Calling all makers: the deadline for Insert Coin submissions is in 17 days
Before you party with us and RJD2 at Expand NYC in November (which is free, by the way!), you may first want to finalize those hardware designs. The deadline for Insert Coin entries is fast approaching, and you wouldn't want to miss the chance to win up to $25,000 to fund the project of your dreams. We'll only be accepting submissions until September 26th, after which we'll choose 20 contenders and whittle it down to 10 semi-finalists by your vote. These lucky 10 will receive $1,000 in travel stipend, so they can showcase their creations at the Expand show floor. We'll then let our panel of judges and you, our readers, decide which masterpiece (or two, if your tastes differ greatly) deserves a financial boost and time in the spotlight.
Expand NY happens in November, but you can buy tickets for it RIGHT NOW
If you didn't make it to Expand SF or Expand NY 2013, we won't hold it against you, but the truth is, you missed out. Don't make the same mistake again. The third edition of Expand is happening in New York City this fall, and you can buy your tickets to attend immediately. Twenty bucks gets you a two-day pass to all the festivities, and students get in the door for half that -- of course, we have individual day passes available, too, and you can get the full rundown of your ticketing options right here. What do your dollars buy you? Only access to some of the coolest people and technologies on the planet. We're talking giant robots, virtual reality demos and even workshops to teach you how to hack together your very own gadgets! Plus, you'll get to hang out with fellow tech-heads and your favorite Engadget editors, too. So, check out the Expands of the past, then go grab your tickets to the future. You'll be glad you did.
Engadget Live in 2014: bringing gadgets and geeks together in a city near you! (maybe)
2013 was a banner year for our fledgling series of gadget get-togethers, Engadget Live. Now that 2014 is here, we're running it back with a slate of events across the country that'll be better than ever. For the uninitiated, Engadget Live is all about bringing folks together to geek out on the latest gadgets -- and for us to connect with you, our readers, face-to-face (as opposed to face-to-screen). Naturally, it also gives you a chance to play with the latest gear from companies you know and love, and maybe from some companies you don't know, but should love. If that's not enough to entice you, perhaps the promise of free stuff will do the trick. We'll be giving away a bunch of that very same gear and tons of swag to attendees at every event. The tour kicks off on Friday, June 20th in Austin, Texas -- with stops in Seattle on July 18th, Boston on August 22nd and Los Angeles on October 3rd. Just hit the linked locations above, and you can buy your tickets to any Engadget Live right now for FREE. Oh, and keep in mind our nationwide tour culminates in the third Engadget Expand conference in New York City on November 7-8. We'll have more info to share about each Engadget Live (and Expand, too) as we get closer to each event, so keep your eye on Engadget.com to get all the latest updates. Still, you should mark your calendars now, and we'd recommend arriving early to every Live event -- the lines can be city blocks long. And, if you're a company interested in sponsoring or participating in any Engadget Live, drop us a line at sponsors@engadget.com. See y'all there!
