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Engadget's back to school guide: Fun stuff!
Welcome to Engadget's Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we're here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. On the menu today are a handful of fun yet practical gadgets, but feel free to check out our Back to School hub for more recommendations in other categories. It's a tough road ahead for aspiring students like yourself (yes, you!), but that doesn't mean one should abstain from any form of entertainment throughout the course. If anything, you'll be needing a few fun gadgets from our Back to School guide to impress your schoolmates -- it's not like your Facebook page will be automagically adding friends any time soon. But as the old saying goes, "work hard, play hard," so we've also thrown in a few picks that'll aid your study. When you're ready, click along for our latest list of awesomeness.
Parrot AR.Drone now available for pre-order, shipping September 3rd
Been itching to get your hands on the Parrot AR.Drone ever since it first took flight at CES way back in January? Well, you can now finally get your $299 pre-order in to ensure it ships to you on the September 3rd launch date. What's more, Parrot has also announced that the Drone will be exclusively available at Brookstone stores in the U.S., where you'll be able to try it out first-hand through October 31st. Head on past the break for the complete press release, and be sure to check out our recent hands-on if you need a reminder of the iPhone-controlled shenanigans possible with the device.
Parrot's AR.Drone does a high-speed flyby of the FCC's control tower
While you're busy saving up for the totally awesome AR.Drone's $300 price tag as it makes its way toward a September launch, you can now bide your time sifting through its fifteen-odd documents posted to the FCC this week, including a bunch of internal and external photos that do a good job conveying the last thing you'll see just before you meet your four-rotor hovering doom. There's also a quick start user's manual, which interestingly suggests that users put their iPhones into airplane mode before firing up the AR.Drone app -- in other words, you should take the cellular modem offline and leave WiFi active for optimum performance. And honestly, who wants to be interrupted with calls and texts while you're trying to maneuver this beast for the kill shot?
Parrot AR.Drone quadricopter hits the US in September for $299
Earlier this year at Macword Expo in San Francisco, we were quite impressed with the Parrot AR.Drone. I mean, it's a big, quad-prop helicopter that you control with an iPhone. Impress your friends. Terrorize younger siblings. Deliver packages. What's not to love? The company's representatives were able to answer all but two of our questions: When can we buy one and what will it cost? Now, we finally have the answers. According to the manufacturer's website, this thing will swoop onto US retail shelves in September of 2010 with a MSRP of US$299. A pricey toy, for sure, but a fun one. The four props easily lift it off of the ground and the iPhone controls are a lot of fun once you've got things figured out. One of the standout features is the Drone's ability to monitor its position above the ground and hover there, thanks to on-board cameras. Click the link below to watch the video of us flying the Drone around. We only crashed it a couple of times.
Parrot AR.Drone hits the US this September for $299, we go hands-on with video!
Parrot promised to reveal the launch details for its AR.Drone at E3 this week, and it's now delivered -- the remote-controlled quadricopter will be available in the U.S. this September for $299. Of course, this is hardly your ordinary remote-controlled quadricopter, as it's not only controlled via WiFi, but via an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch -- something we got well acquainted with both at CES and on the Engadget Show back in January. Incidentally, an Android app for the device was also recently demoed by the company, but it's apparently still not quite official. Head on past the break for the complete press release, and hit up the gallery below for a closer look at the Drone itself in some of its various configurations. Update: We swung by the company's demo station outside the show floors here at E3, spoke with the company CEO, got a little more information about the post-release plans for this thing, and dive-bombed a few PR reps before running for the hills. All those details and a funky fresh new video are waiting for you after the break. %Gallery-95346%
Parrot AR.Drone to get price, release date at E3
The folks at Parrot recently sent around notice that they'll be attending the E3 conference here in LA in about a month or so; at that show, they finally expect to announce a price and release date for the iPhone-controlled quadricopter that some of our readers have been craving ever since it was announced back at CES. Back when we played with the device at Macworld, we were told that it would be around $500 and would come out sometime before the end of this year, but of course, both price and date are still up in the air. That will remain true until around June 15th, when E3 starts. I'll be there in person, and as soon as I hear a price and date, you will as well. If I get to give it another fly, I'll try not to crash it quite so quickly. My bad on that one. %Gallery-85172%
Parrot AR.Drone to get official launch, price, street date at E3 2010 (update: Android client video!)
If you've been chomping at the bit to get your hands on the AR.Drone iPhone controlled, augmented reality-sporting, WiFi quadricopter (and you know we have been) we've good news for you. According to a brief blip on Parrot's Facebook page, the thing will get its official US launch, complete with pricing and street date, at E3 come June 15. Sort of makes WowWee's Tinkerbell look silly in comparison, don't it? Update: As our main man Kefs has pointed out, the gang at Parrot demoed the AR.Drone Android client at Google I/O last month week. Now we're waiting on news of a BlackBerry client -- which we sure hope makes the scene at E3! See it in action after the break.
Hands-on: Parrot AR.Drone
We've never written about the Parrot AR.Drone on our humble news site because we've yet to see its applications in the gaming space. Don't get us wrong -- it's as inherently awesome as you'd expect a hovering, camera-equipped drone (that's controlled by your iPhone!) to be. However, "random things that are awesome" doesn't really align with our editorial purview. At GDC, Parrot went to great lengths to show off the gaming applications of the Drone. A representative presented two tech demos to us, both of which use the device's front-mounted camera to recognize "tags" in the environment, creating augmented reality overlays which allow the user to virtually interact with an object. In layman's terms: It recognizes predetermined patterns, and turns them into virtual targets, at which you can then shoot virtual bullets and missiles. %Gallery-88139%
GDC 2010: The Parrot AR.Drone's augmented reality
We actually got to play with the iPhone-controlled Parrot AR.Drone quadricopter back at Macworld a little while ago, but we didn't get a chance to see the "AR" part of it (augmented reality, of course) until GDC last week. Parrot pulled out the AR targets for us, and while the games they had running were very rudimentary, we did get a good feel for the action. The verdict? It works, but it's not that fun yet. Sure enough, when the Drone's cameras picked up the weird pattern of black and white dots and/or the striped tube that the company attached to the top of a second Drone, the iPhone displayed a lock-on target or the weird robot that you can see above (that's the iPhone's video running out to a television, something that's technically a no-no under the current SDK). And when the drone moved around it, the display faithfully showed the 3D model -- it didn't look actually real, but you could fly around and interact with it. And after you blasted it with enough missiles, it exploded.
Macworld 2010: TUAW attacks San Francisco with the Parrot AR.Drone
OK, let's face it. It is the coolest iPhone accessory since, uhhhhhh, the iPad? We're talking about the Parrot AR.Drone, the iPhone / iPad touch-controlled quadricopter that, when it finally ships later in 2010, will be one of the hottest geek toys on the market. TUAW bloggers Mike Schramm, Dave Caolo, Steve Sande, and David Winograd visited with the oh-so-lucky dudes from Parrot yesterday pre-Macworld, and had a chance to try our hands at flying this incredible little device. No, we don't know what this is going to cost, nor do we know when it will ship other than "in 2010," but if you have your geek on, you're going to want one of these. Watch the above video by our awesome videographer Chad Mumm for the scoop.
Macworld 2010: Hands-on with the Parrot AR.Drone
We first heard about the Parrot AR.Drone, an iPhone-controlled RC quadrocopter, back when it made such a big splash at CES, but unfortunately, since we weren't there, we didn't get to see it in person. Fortunately Parrot did come by Macworld, and the day before the show, we finally got to see their iPhone-controlled, dual camera-equipped, high tech toy in action. So what's the verdict? It's not super easy to fly (we crashed it into the walls, the ground, and even their marketing guy), but it's the real thing -- the extremely light (3/4 of a pound, as our own Steve Sande estimated with remarkable accuracy) quadricopter is packed with all kinds of fun gadgets, including variable speed rotors, the ability to lift off, hover, and land on its own, and super-sensitive touch controls along with two 640x480 VGA camera feeds running back to the iPhone via 802.11G Wi-Fi. We're not sure how ready it actually is for market (or what it'll cost yet), but the AR.Drone does what it says on the not-yet-designed box: Allows you to control a real quadricopter with and through your iPhone. Read our impressions of the hands-on below, and don't forget to stay tuned -- we'll have video of our demonstration later on. %Gallery-85172%
Make your iPhone hands-free for less than the price of a ticket
In most states it's illegal to drive while holding an iPhone to your ear, with the average price of a ticket coming in at at least $100. Personally, I'm lucky since my Lexus 400h, like many cars, allows me to make and take calls through my car stereo. My interaction is limited to receiving calls by pressing a green button, and then pressing with a red hang up button on the steering wheel to end the call. Now Parrot has provided that same functionality to any car for less than the price of a ticket, namely US$99.99. The Parrot Minikit Slim is an ingenious device that clips onto your sun visor. After Bluetooth pairing to your iPhone, installation is complete. It automatically downloads your iPhone contact list and then voice-enables that list. Push the green button and tell it who to call, and it dials the number for you. If there are two numbers associated to your contact, you'll be prompted for either 'home' or 'mobile', similar to the Voice Command function on the iPhone. The Minikit Slim is self-contained including a microphone and speaker. When your call is done, you simply push the red button and disconnect the call. The idea is simple, but the functionality is incredibly useful since you can move the Minikit Slim to any car. Outside of its obvious use as a hands-free kit, I can see it being quite valuable at the intersection of road warriors and rental cars. If your iPhone is synced with a Windows machine, it will download the address book, so it's fully cross-platform. The Minikit Slim won't weigh you down, either -- it weighs only about three ounces.
The Engadget Show - 005: Google's Erick Tseng, CES wrap-up, WiDi, AR.Drone, and more!
Well it's been a wild couple of weeks here at Engadget. Between CES 2010 (our biggest show ever), the Nexus One launch, forthcoming Apple announcements (and loads of Apple rumors), it's unlikely we'll forget the start of our new decade anytime soon. Still, amidst all the craziness we had time to sit down for another Engadget Show -- and what a show it was. Grab a loved one and a tasty beverage of your choosing and settle in to watch our in-depth interview with Erick Tseng, a wrap-up of all things CES, plus fascinating demos of Intel's new Wireless Display, Parrot's crazy AR.Drone, the Plastic Logic QUE, Alienware's M11X, and so much more. Tune in now -- you'll kick yourself if you miss this. Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay Patel Special guest: Erick Tseng Produced and Directed by: Chad Mumm Executive Producer: Joshua Fruhlinger Edited by: Michael Slavens Music by: Glomag Visuals by: Dan Winckler Opening titles by: Julien Nantiec Download the Show: The Engadget Show - 005 (HD) / The Engadget Show - 005 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted) Subscribe to the Show: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V). [Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V). [RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.
CES Watch: Apple accessories from the show floor
CES 2010 is in full swing in Las Vegas, and while we aren't there, we have been able to scour the webs and bring you the latest, the greatest, and the weirdest new Apple-related peripherals and accessories from the show floor. Griffin has announced a few new devices, including a Display Converter ($40) to send your display out to HDMI or DVI video, a car charger ($30) that opens up another charging spot, and something called the TuneFlex Aux ($60), a cradle that sends iPhone audio out to an AUX port in your car. They've also got new versions of the RoadTrip and iTrip FM transmitters/cradles coming out later this year for the iPhone . IvySkin sent word of their Zappack unit, a battery backup for the iPhone available for $50, the SmartCase, a case with an integrated battery pack for $80, and the CardClip, a case for the iPhone with a money/wallet clip attachment for $20. Engadget posted a hands-on with Parrot's AR.Drone, which we mentioned yesterday. Short take: it's awesome. Geneva Labs has the most beautiful set of iPhone/iPod speaker docks we've seen yet. They're still useless, but they do look good. On the other hand there's the Trik / Triq iPod dock (above), a speaker dock so wild that Sony named it twice. Yeah, that is... wow. Pioneer announced a car nav unit that will stream Pandora via the cell connection on your iPhone. I'm sure there are induction power charging pads aplenty on the show floor, but this is the only one we're bothering to link to. Macally has announced another round of accessories, from earbuds to chargers. The most interesting is probably the PowerGo charger, which will use an AC adapter, a car lighter, or a USB plug, so no matter where you are, you can recharge your iPod. iPod accessories, everywhere! CES continues through the weekend -- we'll keep an eye on anything else Mac or iPod-related that shows up in Vegas.
Parrot AR.Drone hands-on: a quadricopter for the rest of us
The Parrot AR.Drone was definitely one of the highlights of our day; how can you top a quadricopter that can fight with another using augmented reality, is easy to fly, and only needs an iPhone to control it? You simply can't -- this is just pure joy and is exactly what a gadget should be: it's an electronic aircraft, has multiple cameras (two to be exact), uses WiFi for control (via an ad-hoc connection), and likely has more intelligence on board than a lunar lander. This early version can only be controlled via iPhone, or iPod touch, but Parrot's Henri Seydoux mentioned that it could be (and we're really hoping will be) controllable by BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and so on. The AR.Drone uses a pile of pretty sophisticated magic to enable it to fly -- those aforementioned cameras are just the start (one forward facing, one facing down running at 60 fps that allows stability in light wind) because you've also got two ultrasonic transmitters for vertical stability, a three-axis accelerometer, and a two-axis gyroscope paired with a single-axis yaw precision gyroscope for good measure. Needless to say, casual gamers and folks looking for a nice $30 gift need not apply. Read on for more impressions and video! %Gallery-81915%
Parrot unveils the AR.Drone, an iPhone-controlled microcopter, at CES
Probably the coolest iPhone-related product to come out of the festivities at CES so far this week is the AR.Drone, created by a company called Parrot. It's a little working microcopter that's remote-controlled by an iPhone app, and it's decked out with all sorts of interesting gadgetry, including an accelerometer, gyroscope, and two cameras. A key feature is Wi-Fi integration, so the AR.Drone can actually be controlled by any Wi-Fi device, not just an iPhone. Release is rumored to happen as early as March of this year, although the product itself is still somewhat surrounded in mystery -- we don't know a price, and even some of the features sound a little fantastical. Apparently the drone has an "autofly" setting, in which it'll follow certain visual stimuli in the environment, and it apparently also watches the floor for flight stabilization. The features go even further than that, with the cameras on the real-life drone providing an augmented reality game feed (like shooting robots around your house as you explore with the drone) back to the iPhone. Like I said, the features are fantastical. Parrot hasn't actually been able to show off controlling the copter with the iPhone in anything but the video above -- apparently there's too much Wi-Fi permeating the air around CES. But this is the most-hyped item coming out of the first few days of CES for sure. It'll be interesting to see how the actual product looks and works as we get closer to the expected release. Boy, a price would be nice to hear, though it'll probably be high!
Parrot's AR.Drone seeks us out, destroys us as we go hands-on
Wondering what it's like to fly the Parrot AR.Drone we covered earlier this evening? So were we, so we headed straight toward the thing at tonight's Unveiled event. Speaking with representatives with Parrot they were unfortunately tight-lipped when it came to the details, but did at least confirm that the only connection to the device is WiFi. In theory, any device that supports 802.11 can connect to the drone to send controls to it and, interestingly, download video from the camera on the nose. The first such device is the iPhone and while the reps indicated they aren't working on apps for any other platforms, they did promise to release all the control libraries to the world, meaning apps can be more easily written for a number of platforms -- in theory. But what was it like to fly? Click through to read our impressions. %Gallery-81578%
Parrot's AR.Drone helicopter brings military-style amusement to the iPhone
Sure, the iPhone does a commendable job with heavy-duty 3D acceleration for intense virtual reality gaming, but funk that noise -- these guys want to bring you the real thing. Parrot -- better known for its Bluetooth accessories -- has introduced the AR.Drone, a WiFi-enabled remote control helicopter that takes its commands from the iPhone or iPod touch of your choice. The wacky toy has a pair of on-board cameras, one to help steady itself and the other to beam a live bird's-eye view (almost literally, if you pretend for a moment that this is in fact a bird) from the captain's seat onto your phone's screen. Parrot's mainly pushing the hardware here -- it's offering up a host of open source goodies to help developers learn about the product and figure out how to turn it into a must-have toy with replay value, and they'll have plenty of time to do so since it won't be available to consumers until "sometime in 2010." Follow the break for a video of the AR.Drone mercilessly hunting down and destroying all who dare oppose it. %Gallery-81517%
Parrot debuts Android-based Grande Specchio photo frame
We've heard promises of an Android-based photo frame as far back as May of this year, but it looks like the folks at Parrot are now finally set to deliver with their new Grande Specchio designer frame. As you might be able to surmise from words like "grande" and "designer," however, this one doesn't come cheap (a hefty $650), but you do of course get quite a bit for all that extra cash. That includes a large 10.4-inch touchscreen that doubles as a mirror (on purpose), WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, a USB port and SD card slot for expansion and, of course, Android hiding under Parrot's custom interface. Unfortunately, it's not clear if you can actually use the frame as full-blown Android device, but you do at least have easy access to a web browser, and Parrot is even promising to develop some apps specifically for the frame -- though it curiously says they'll likely be limited since there is "no easy way to get them installed on the hardware." Look for more details when Parrot officially launches this one on November 17th.
Breakfast Topic: Are you using Blizzard's addon replacers?
One thing Blizzard likes to slip in every few patches is a new UI function that "replaces" a popular add-on or set off addons. They've done it with Scrolling Combat Text, Threat Meters, and most recently, with Equipment Managers. The New Equipment Manager is nice, but it's also pretty basic. You choose to save a set, choose a name and icon for the set, and there you go. You can drag the new icon onto your toolbar for quick changes, at least, but there's not much else. You can't synchronize it with a talent change. You can't set events to automatically change sets. Because of this, or even because of straight up familiarity and the issue of remaking all your sets in the new system, I'm sure a lot of people will stick to addons like ClosetGnome and Itemrack (if it ever updates).
