Those looking forward to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024’s November 19 release may get an early taste of what the flight simulator feels like. The developers have opened up sign-ups for the software’s technical alpha test. We still don’t know when the alpha will be online, but Microsoft is saying it will be on a weekend this October. Additionally, this test is confined to PC only.
The image below includes Microsoft’s minimum, recommended and ideal PC specs. Your PC should at least reach the minimum requirements for a chance of selection. Spots are also limited, so not everyone who signs up will be selected. Microsoft says that all who sign up must run a DxDiag test and provide their PC specs. Selected participants will be informed of the test dates via email, and access should be limited to two or three days.
Microsoft
If you weren’t selected, you’ll have to wait until the game launches on November 19. The full release, for Xbox Series X/S as well as PC, should be a much better experience.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/the-microsoft-flight-simulator-2024-technical-alpha-happens-this-month-144231252.html?src=rss
Anyone waiting for a new hardware announcement from Nintendo might be a little disappointed that the company's latest product isn't the successor to the Switch. However, that dismay may not last for long given how delightful the Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo looks.
Yes, Nintendo made a smart alarm clock that's designed to make your morning routine a little more joyful than waking up to interminable beep of a regular alarm clock or a favorite song you'll eventually get sick of. Alarmo has motion sensors that let you snooze it based on your movement. There is a physical snooze button you can hit too, but that's boring.
You can choose from dozens of scenes that are inspired by Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Splatoon3, Pikmin 4 and Ring Fit Adventure and set a wake-up time. Alarmo will try to rouse you with music and sounds from those games. Nintendo plans to add scenes from other games as free updates.
Nintendo
You'll be able to choose between two wake-up modes. The steady option will make the alarm more intense the longer you stay in bed (perhaps with an appearance from a certain arch-nemesis of Mario if you keep ignoring it). The gentle mode keeps the alarm at a consistent intensity level. When you do get up, you'll hear a victory fanfare, hopefully with Mario shouting "Wahoo!"
Sleep tracking proponents will be pleased to hear that you'll be able to check how much you move around while you sleep (if you want a Nintendo-flavored way to measure how long you snooze, Pokémon Sleep may do the trick). Alarmo can also lull you to sleep with soothing sounds and music at your set bedtime. I'll have to see how well that fares against my usual strategy of listening to an hour-long YouTube video of thunderstorms.
Nintendo published a fascinating deep dive into the Alarmo featuring interviews with the team behind it. The project started as part of the company's research into motion sensors. In fact, the developers didn't initially set out to make an alarm clock.
"We knew that the theme was to support people during their sleep, and we were looking for a way to achieve this," said Yosuke Tamori, a producer for Alarmo who previously worked on the original Splatoon and Nintendo Labo. "However, it was only after a lot of technical trial and error and building many prototypes that we decided to focus on alarm clocks."
The team even experimented with using hand gestures to control Alarmo, which was very different in earlier prototypes. One looked similar to Google's Nest Audio speaker:
Nintendo
If you're a Nintendo Switch Online member in the US and Canada, you'll get first dibs. You can order the $100 Alarmo now and of course I did so immediately. Nintendo says it will be available at retail early next year. You can also buy it from the Nintendo store in New York. While Nintendo includes a USB power cable, you'll need to use your own AC adapter, which is annoying.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/nintendos-latest-hardware-is-alarmo-a-99-motion-sensing-alarm-clock-not-the-switch-2-140142746.html?src=rss
Many social media platforms take ideas from each other, and Meta seems to be doing something similar recently. As first reported by TechCrunch, Threads is testing a community groups feature that’s similar to Subreddits and X Communities. Chris Messina, a Threads early adopter, discovered this after scanning the latest app update’s code.
Messina discovered references to “Loops” in the code on Monday. Besides that, the code also mentions how users can join or leave communities as well as name a Loop community. In TechCrunch’s report, an unidentified Instagram source confirmed that the feature is still in the earliest developmental phases and is not being tested yet.
Messina said in his thread that users can join communities and discuss relevant topics, similar to the competition. However, since Threads doesn’t use traditional hashtags, it’s likely Loops will need a different tagging system.
How Thread’s Loops will work remains to be seen, as we haven’t seen much of it. Alessandro Paluzzi, a developer and leaker, did manage to find out what Loops may look like, including a menu to create new Loops. Much more about this feature is still unknown, and we’ll have to wait for official announcements to find out more.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/threads-code-shows-that-a-community-groups-feature-may-be-in-development-133729430.html?src=rss
Last week Ring announced a feature that will you to capture video 24/7 so you don't miss anything if a motion alert wasn't triggered. The challenge is that if you'll then need to wade through hours of footage to find an event. Now, the Amazon-owned company has introduced Smart Video Search, an AI feature for subscribers of the upcoming $20 Ring Home serivce that makes it faster and easier to find specific moments in your video history.
The system is powered by Ring IQ, a combination of Ring AI technology and in-house expertise. It uses Visual Language Modeling (VLM) to match text to images and show results. That way, you can type specific queries into the Ring app to figure out why your garbage cans were knocked over, rather than scrolling through hours of video footage.
For instance, you could search for "raccoon in the backyard last night" to see if it was one of those critters that upended your trash. Ring cites other examples, like typing "red bicycle in the driveway" and seeing footage that shows one of your kids teaching the other how to ride a bike. You could also use the feature to find out who took the last of the ice cream, according to Ring.
It might seem a bit icky to spy on your own family that way, but Ring does say that it's a "leader in developing privacy features" and is committed to developing responsible AI. The system also uses a "sophisticated input moderation technique to prevent searching for offensive, inappropriate or harmful content."
If you believe Ring's privacy claims (the company has a checkered history in that regard) and trust having more Amazon AI tech in your house, Smart Video Search is rolling out to select customers in public beta starting today. The feature will work on all ring video doorbells and cameras, and will roll out widely with the new $20 Ring Home subscription service on November 5th.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/ring-adds-ai-enabled-smart-video-search-as-part-of-its-upcoming-20-subscription-service-130049585.html?src=rss
Google may have to break off parts of its business, such as Chrome and Android, and share users' search data with its competitors, based on the proposed remedies the US Justice Department has submitted in a court filing. The DOJ said it's "considering behavioral and structural remedies that would prevent Google from using products such as Chrome, Play, and Android to advantage Google search and Google search-related products and features" after Judge Amit Mehta ruled in August that it illegally abused its monopoly over the search industry. That ruling was the result of a 2020 antitrust lawsuit filed by the DOJ and several states, accusing Google of "unlawfully maintaining monopolies" over search and search-related products.
The department is also considering limiting or prohibiting Google from signing contracts with other companies to make its search engine the default option for their browsers and phones. In his ruling, Judge Mehta said that paying Mozilla, Apple, Samsung and other device makers to make Google as their default search engine was an illegal act meant to maintain its dominant position in the market. A Google executive previously revealed during a trial for the lawsuit that the the company paid Apple $26 billion. One of the department's other proposals is to restrict Google from being able to use search results to train its generative artificial intelligence models.
In a blog post, Google's VP of Regulatory Affairs, Lee-Anne Mulholland, called the DOJ's proposals "radical and sweeping." She said the government "seems to be pursuing a sweeping agenda that will impact numerous industries and products" and proceeded to enumerate how the proposals would affect consumers. Mulholland argued that forcing Google to share users' search queries and results with competitors could create major privacy and security risks, since the company protects them with its "strict security standards." She also said that splitting off Chrome or Android would break them, jeopardize their security and make patching bugs harder. It will "change their business models, raise the cost of devices, and undermine Android and Google Play in their robust competition with Apple’s iPhone and App Store," she explained.
Mulholland also argued that "hampering Google’s AI tools risks holding back American innovation at a critical moment." Finally, she said that the government's "unreasonable restrictions" on Google's distribution contracts that make its search engine "easily available" would "create friction for people who just want to easily search for information." It could reduce revenue for companies like Mozilla and other Android smartphone makers, as well, leading to the lack of funds for further development and pricier smartphones overall.
The DOJ has until November 20 to file a more refined set of remedies, while Google has until December 20 to propose its own fixes to the court.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-justice-department-could-force-google-to-break-itself-up-123041161.html?src=rss
The sixth and final episode of Slow Horses’ fourth season lands on Apple TV+ today, giving me a flimsy excuse to urge you all to watch. It’s a pulpy, fun and gripping British spy thriller that has finally started to garner some deserved attention. At six episodes a run, it’s respectful of your time in a way plenty of other streaming series aren’t. And while it’s unafraid of showing you the brutal side of espionage, you can revel in its gloriously deathly sense of humor.
Slow Horses focuses on Slough House, a department inside Britain’s security service where agents are dumped. MI5 officers who can’t be trusted with real work, or angered their superiors, are dumped in the administrative purgatory. Since you can’t hand a spy a pink slip and send them on their way, they’re parked at Slough House until they retire, or quit.
The show stars Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb, the antithesis of anyone’s imagined vision of a real spy. Lamb is perpetually drunk, obsessed with his own bodily emissions and is unpleasant to be around. (As I said when the show started, Slow Horses delights in watching the once and hopefully-future George Smiley playing someone so grubby.)
He’s joined by Jack Lowden as River Cartwright, a would-be superspy and the scion of a great family of spymasters parked at Slough House for spoilery reasons. Of course, much as River may chafe at his exile, he’s not quite able to live up to his own expectations. Much like the rest of the team, that Lamb delights in tormenting, River lacks some top-tier spy talents.
Naturally, despite being a team of “losers, misfits and boozers,” Lamb and his crew are regularly drawn into MI5’s grander intrigues. This time around, a central London shopping center is blown up, which precipitates a rabid hunt for the culprit. Except this time, the answers aren’t in MI5’s hands, but the slow horses themselves, but that’s about as much as I can say.
Much as I love the world the series depicts, drawn from Mick Herron’s series of books, I adore its dialog. Creator Will Smith (not that one), who recently won the series’ first Emmy, worked on The Thick of It. The British sitcom is the progenitor for Veep, and also laid the groundwork for Succession; two series that also share a love for the almost operatic use of profanity.
A show like Slow Horses should be dominating the news cycle every single episode, but I think we all know why it remains in a smaller niche. That it’s on Apple TV+ certainly limits the number of people who are able to watch it and, by extension, fall in love with it. After all, despite having the world’s most well-heeled backer and access to every iPhone in the world, it still has a quarter of Netflix’s user figures.
But don’t let its platform hold you back, especially when you can pay for a month’s worth and watch all four seasons in a week, depending on your patience. It’s certainly worth it.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/im-so-glad-slow-horses-is-a-hit-120003767.html?src=rss
Elon Musk’s Boring Company pitched that its Vegas Loop, underground tunnels built below Las Vegas, would reduce gridlock in some of the busiest parts of the city, offering a new transport solution that isn’t a monorail. People are transported by ordinary Tesla vehicles in tunnels and terminals that are often difficult to get to. (At least, that was my experience earlier this year.)
It hasn’t been the transport game changer the company promised, though. A report from Fortune elaborated on what’s actually happening in those tunnels, saying there have been at least 67 trespassing reports since 2022 and 22 instances of other vehicles following Teslas into the tunnels and stations.
Boring’s monthly reports to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority also showed several instances of “property damage, theft, technical issues or injuries, near-misses and trespassing or intrusions.” Some curated highlights include a skateboarder who snuck into the tunnels through a passenger pickup station and two people spotted sleeping in one of the tunnel stations.
And yet (and yet!) county commissioners approved a plan last May to expand the tunnels to 65 miles and add 69 passenger stations.
If you were intrigued by Meta’s continued VR experiments but put off by the price of the Quest 3, then the Quest 3S may be for you. It’s a slightly bulkier, slightly less sharp version of Meta’s last standalone VR headset, but starting at $300, it’s much less than the Quest 3’s $500 launch price. There are compromises with display resolution and lenses, but it packs the same powerful processor as the Quest 3, so it should run games and apps just as quickly. Expect our full review soon, but so far we’re impressed.
The DJI Neo may be an inexpensive, beginner-friendly drone, but it still has powerful features, like subject tracking and quick shots. Surprisingly, this is a cheap $200 drone arguably worth considering. Just be prepared for the noise it makes.
Two scientists have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics “for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.” John Hopfield, an emeritus professor of Princeton University, devised an associative kind of memory that can store and reconstruct images and other patterns in data. Geoffrey Hinton, dubbed the Godfather of AI, pioneered a way to autonomously find properties in data, leading to the ability to identify picture elements.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-boring-companys-vegas-loop-plagued-by-lost-drivers-trespassers-and-skateboarders-111742611.html?src=rss
The Federal Communications Commission has given Starlink and T-Mobile permission to enable their satellite texting service for Florida residents ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall. In an announcement on X, SpaceX said that Starlink's Direct to Cell satellites will provide emergency alerts for all phones and carriers, not just T-Mobile's, for those in affected areas. The companies have also enabled basic texting for T-Mobile subscribers, so that they can send and receive texts, as well as text 911 for emergencies, even if they get cut off from the carrier's network in the midst of the storm.
SpaceX said the companies have activated Direct to Cell for Florida while it's also in the middle of delivering over 10,000 Starlink kits in response to Hurricane Helene. A few days ago, the FCC allowed T-Mobile and Starlink to activate their Direct to Cell service for North Carolina, where more than half of cell towers temporarily went out of commission due to the hurricane.
Starlink's and T-Mobile's Direct to Cell service hasn't been fully deployed yet. They'd only sent and received the first text messages using the technology back in January. And while they're aiming to start offering their messaging service this year, T-Mobile said they'd deployed an "early test version" of it in the hurricane-hit areas.
Users will know if their phone connects to a Starlink satellite if they only have one-to-two bars of signal and their network name says "T-Mobile SpaceX." The private space company said they'd have to manually try re-sending messages if they didn't go through the first time and that the service works best outdoors. If users can't get to open spaces safely, they can also try sending messages indoors near a window.
In addition to the thousands (>10k) of Starlink kits we are delivering in response to Hurricane Helene, the @Starlink team and @TMobile activated our Direct to Cell satellites to provide emergency alerts for all phones and carriers of those in affected areas.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/t-mobile-and-starlink-enable-their-satellite-texting-service-in-florida-100013275.html?src=rss
When DJI revealed its tiny $200 Neo drone, I immediately saw how it could fit into my vlogger’s toolkit to supplement my Mini 4 Pro and Mavic 3 Pro. Flying those sophisticated drones is a whole thing that requires planning. But the Neo can be launched spontaneously to grab quick and fun shots, thanks to features like palm takeoff and voice control. That ease of use also makes it ideal for the social media influencers.
Though beginner-friendly, it’s quite powerful. You get features from DJI’s bigger drones like ActiveTrack, FPV capabilities and even support for DJI’s Mic 2. And forget about the fuzzy video you may have seen on other cheap drones. The Neo can record in sharp 4K, making it suitable for content creators who need affordable aerial video.
It’s not perfect though, as the Neo is noisy and lacks vertical video, something influencers will likely want. Still, it looked like the kind of product that could appeal to all types of people, even creators like myself who already have multiple drones. To see how it performed, we put it through a variety of scenarios from events to weddings — and even flying just for fun.
Design and features
With a softly sculpted design and protective propeller guards, the Neo gives off safe, friendly vibes. It’s DJI’s lightest drone by far at 135 grams, less than half the Mini 4’s heft, and is small enough to fit into a large jacket pocket. The device’s diminutive size also means it’s exempt from any drone license requirements.
The Neo has a rich feature set, but all you need to start flying is your hand. Simply place the Neo in your palm, press the new mode button at front and it’ll take off and perform one of six preprogrammed “smart shots.” Those are Follow (the drone tracks and follows you around), Dronie (it starts tight on your face then flies up and away from you), Circle (flies around you), Rocket (starts at face level and flies straight up), Spotlight (keeps you centered in the frame but doesn’t move) and Direction Track (for vlogging). After you complete the shot, stick out your hand under the Neo to land it.
Another great option for newbies is voice control, which lets you fly and record video by speaking into the Fly More app. I wasn’t able to try this feature in my initial hands-on tests, but it has now been enabled via a firmware update. You can either tap on the voice button to say a command or enable the wake word settings. Then, you can just say, “Hey Fly” to activate it.
Steve Dent for Engadget
For instance, saying the word “dronie” will activate the dronie flight pattern and start recording. You can then change parameters using commands like “closer,” “farther” and “higher.” It also includes the safety commands “land,” “stop” and “brake.”
The setting is a great way to give users some control over the social media-oriented quick shots without the need to touch a controller. It was straightforward to set up, and I found that it responded quickly and reliably to my commands. However, you’ll need to keep the phone’s mic close to your mouth when the Neo is nearby, or the propeller wailing will drown out your voice.
Steve Dent for Engadget
The Neo is also DJI’s first drone that can be piloted using a smartphone alone. Switching the app into manual mode brings up a touch screen with full maneuvering controls. It also offers a camera/video mode and return-to-home toggle. There’s a serious caveat to using it, though, as I’ll detail shortly. For more serious piloting, the Neo supports multiple DJI controllers (sold separately), including the RC N3 model that requires a smartphone. You can even use it as an FPV drone with DJI’s RC Motion 3 and DJI Goggles 3. Those controllers offer most of the features available on other DJI camera drones, like cinema, normal and sport modes, along with auto and manual video settings.
What you won’t see are any obstacle detection sensors, which is one reason the Neo is so cheap. The only crash protection measures are the camera’s subject detection AI, a downward facing IR landing sensor and a rugged design that resists minor accidents.
As for storage, there’s no microSD card slot, so the Neo relies on the 22GB of internal memory that holds 40 minutes of 4K footage or 55 minutes of 1080p video. You can transfer the files to a PC or other device via the rear USB-C charging port. Again, this is less than ideal, but it keeps the price down.
Performance
Steve Dent for Engadget
If you have low performance expectations for a 5-ounce, $200 drone, get ready to be pleasantly surprised — the Neo is maneuverable, fast and fun. It can hit speeds up to 18 mph in sport mode, which is half that of the Mini 4 Pro, but still at the upper end of this category. You can even fly it in fairly blustery winds up to 18 mph, though it could get blown into another county if you let it get too far away.
The Neo can also fly twice that speed in manual mode, another feature that arrived in a post-launch firmware update, but requires DJI’s FPV Controller 3. With that controller and the firmware update, I pushed it to its top speed. 36 mph is faster than any drone this size by far, but it never felt out of control. However, at that speed the noise level resembles a swarm of particularly irate hornets.
The FPV Controller 3 also opens up the possibility of acrobatic (acro) flying, letting you perform flips, spins and other maneuvers. That’s a lot of fun, especially knowing that the drone is not only crash resistant but costs just $200 — a pittance by drone standards. I'm not an acro pilot, but in the hands of an expert like quadmovr, the Neo can rip through some unbelievable moves.
Steve Dent for Engadget
For novices who want to try first-person video flying (FPV) but aren’t ready for the tricky-to-use Controller 3, DJI’s Goggles 3 and RC Motion 3 are better for FPV newbs. It’s certainly not as nimble and quick as the Avata 2, but it’s still a lot of fun. In fact, it’s a great learning tool for wannabe FPV pilots with either of those controllers, thanks to the durability and low price.
The Neo is ideal for event videography too, as you can maneuver it almost anywhere to get some cool or dramatic shots. At the same time, the propeller guards make it safe to use around people. Again, it’s very noisy, so it’s obviously not suitable to fly through something like a wedding or a best man’s speech.
The modes ActiveTrack, Spotlight and Point of Interest (POI) work just as they do on other DJI drones to track or follow you. A key mode for content creators is Direction Track, which lets you do walk-and-talk vlogging while keeping your face in view. With that setting, the Neo is usually flying backwards with no rear obstacle sensor, so you’ll need a clear path. When I tested this, the drone veered into some tree branches and was thrown off course, but it kept on flying.
I never try to crash drones on purpose, but did have a few mishaps. The Neo hit some trees before falling to the ground a couple of times, and bonked a hard interior floor on one occasion. It not only continued to function perfectly, but had nary a visible scratch, so DJI has done a good job with durability. That said, you can purchase a one-year insurance plan for the Neo at just $22, which covers accidents and loss of the drone.
Steve Dent for Engadget
With a controller and DJI’s O4 transmission, the Neo has a 6.2 mile line-of-sight range in the US, or 3.7 miles in Europe where transmission power is limited. That’s exactly half that of the Mini Pro 4, but pretty extraordinary given the size — though I’m not sure who’d ever want to fly such a lightweight drone that far away. I flew it about half a mile away with no loss of signal, and that was plenty far for my comfort level. Maximum altitude, meanwhile, is unlimited and set by the user.
When using smartphone Wi-Fi control, maximum range is just 165 feet, so it’s really just for indoor or nearby outdoor use. This is based on Wi-Fi limits, but it also effectively serves as a geofence for novices (the drone just stops and hovers if it gets out of Wi-Fi range). In addition, if you’re using the palm or voice control, altitude is limited to around 100 feet.
While small and light, the Neo’s 1,435mAh lithium-ion Intelligent Flight Batteries support up to 17 minutes of flying time, or around 13 to 14 minutes in the real world — not bad in this category. With the Neo alone, it takes an hour to charge a single battery directly within the drone. However, if you spring for the $289 combo kit (including the drone, two extra batteries and a three-battery charger), you can juice three batteries in that same 60 minutes.
Camera
Steve Dent for Engadget
The gimbal is tucked into a protective housing and can tilt up 60 degrees and down 90. The camera has a 1/2-inch 12-megapixel sensor with an ultra-wide 13mm equivalent focal length and f/2.8 aperture — about what you’d expect on a decent smartphone.
The Neo’s video specs are weaker than other DJI drones, but I was pretty happy with my footage considering the price of the Neo. It can shoot 4K 30p video and 1080p at up to 60fps, certainly good enough for most social media users. It also supports 4K in a 4:3 aspect ratio at 30fps, or 1080p in the same aspect ratio but up to 60fps.
The camera doesn’t tilt sideways like it does on the Mini 4 Pro, which means it can’t do vertical video. That’s unfortunate considering the target market, but adding that capability would also increase complexity and, no doubt, the price. The best bet for social media users is to shoot in 4K and then crop to a 1080x1920 9:16 resolution.
There’s also no D-LogM capability to boost dynamic range as seen on most other DJI drones, and with such a small sensor, low-light capability is poor. However, video is sharp and color accurate, which is well above what you’d expect in this price range. The 12-megapixel photos are also good enough for hobbyists and social media users. I expect the average buyer taking aerial shots of their home, family and vacations will be more than pleased.
Steve Dent for Engadget
The Neo also incorporates DJI’s software-based RockSteady stabilization along with gimbal tilt stabilization. That should provide smooth enough video for most users, or you can disable the stabilization altogether and use DJI’s GyroFlow app in post for better results. The Neo also supports HorizonBalancing, providing level video even if the drone banks up to 45 degrees. Note that for the 4:3 video modes, there’s no electronic image stabilization, so you need to stabilize the footage later using GyroFlow or another app.
The Neo can even capture audio with your phone just by tapping the Fly More app’s audio record button. You’ll get better quality by connecting an external microphone or using DJI’s Mic 2. Since the Neo is extremely noisy, the Mic 2 will cancel out much of that prop screeching, leaving your voice clear and legible, albeit with some distortion.
Wrap-up
Steve Dent for Engadget
DJI’s Neo might be small in stature, but it can shoot good quality video and photos safely around people, and does so at a very reasonable price. It has clearly captured the public’s imagination, as it’s already been sold out on DJI’s site despite only being on sale for a couple of weeks.
Potential buyers range from novices up to experienced hands who want a small, people-friendly drone for Instagram stories and more. It’s ideal for TikTok and other creators because it can act as a robot videographer, helping you record content by yourself. The main issues you’ll have to live with are the noise, lack of vertical video and limited battery life.
For $200, or $289 if you opt for the combo kit with three batteries and a charger, the Neo is a no-brainer for many creators. The only real competition is the $350 HoverAir X1, which costs more and offers lower-resolution video. But by providing higher quality video for less money, the Neo is a better value.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/dji-neo-review-the-best-200-drone-ever-made-010032884.html?src=rss
When DJI revealed its tiny $200 Neo drone, I immediately saw how it could fit into my vlogger’s toolkit to supplement my Mini 4 Pro and Mavic 3 Pro. Flying those sophisticated drones is a whole thing that requires planning. But the Neo can be launched spontaneously to grab quick and fun shots, thanks to features like palm takeoff and voice control. That ease of use also makes it ideal for the social media influencers.
Though beginner-friendly, it’s quite powerful. You get features from DJI’s bigger drones like ActiveTrack, FPV capabilities and even support for DJI’s Mic 2. And forget about the fuzzy video you may have seen on other cheap drones. The Neo can record in sharp 4K, making it suitable for content creators who need affordable aerial video.
It’s not perfect though, as the Neo is noisy and lacks vertical video, something influencers will likely want. Still, it looked like the kind of product that could appeal to all types of people, even creators like myself who already have multiple drones. To see how it performed, we put it through a variety of scenarios from events to weddings — and even flying just for fun.
Design and features
With a softly sculpted design and protective propeller guards, the Neo gives off safe, friendly vibes. It’s DJI’s lightest drone by far at 135 grams, less than half the Mini 4’s heft, and is small enough to fit into a large jacket pocket. The device’s diminutive size also means it’s exempt from any drone license requirements.
The Neo has a rich feature set, but all you need to start flying is your hand. Simply place the Neo in your palm, press the new mode button at front and it’ll take off and perform one of six preprogrammed “smart shots.” Those are Follow (the drone tracks and follows you around), Dronie (it starts tight on your face then flies up and away from you), Circle (flies around you), Rocket (starts at face level and flies straight up), Spotlight (keeps you centered in the frame but doesn’t move) and Direction Track (for vlogging). After you complete the shot, stick out your hand under the Neo to land it.
Another great option for newbies is voice control, which lets you fly and record video by speaking into the Fly More app. I wasn’t able to try this feature in my initial hands-on tests, but it has now been enabled via a firmware update. You can either tap on the voice button to say a command or enable the wake word settings. Then, you can just say, “Hey Fly” to activate it.
Steve Dent for Engadget
For instance, saying the word “dronie” will activate the dronie flight pattern and start recording. You can then change parameters using commands like “closer,” “farther” and “higher.” It also includes the safety commands “land,” “stop” and “brake.”
The setting is a great way to give users some control over the social media-oriented quick shots without the need to touch a controller. It was straightforward to set up, and I found that it responded quickly and reliably to my commands. However, you’ll need to keep the phone’s mic close to your mouth when the Neo is nearby, or the propeller wailing will drown out your voice.
Steve Dent for Engadget
The Neo is also DJI’s first drone that can be piloted using a smartphone alone. Switching the app into manual mode brings up a touch screen with full maneuvering controls. It also offers a camera/video mode and return-to-home toggle. There’s a serious caveat to using it, though, as I’ll detail shortly. For more serious piloting, the Neo supports multiple DJI controllers (sold separately), including the RC N3 model that requires a smartphone. You can even use it as an FPV drone with DJI’s RC Motion 3 and DJI Goggles 3. Those controllers offer most of the features available on other DJI camera drones, like cinema, normal and sport modes, along with auto and manual video settings.
What you won’t see are any obstacle detection sensors, which is one reason the Neo is so cheap. The only crash protection measures are the camera’s subject detection AI, a downward facing IR landing sensor and a rugged design that resists minor accidents.
As for storage, there’s no microSD card slot, so the Neo relies on the 22GB of internal memory that holds 40 minutes of 4K footage or 55 minutes of 1080p video. You can transfer the files to a PC or other device via the rear USB-C charging port. Again, this is less than ideal, but it keeps the price down.
Performance
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If you have low performance expectations for a 5-ounce, $200 drone, get ready to be pleasantly surprised — the Neo is maneuverable, fast and fun. It can hit speeds up to 18 mph in sport mode, which is half that of the Mini 4 Pro, but still at the upper end of this category. You can even fly it in fairly blustery winds up to 18 mph, though it could get blown into another county if you let it get too far away.
The Neo can also fly twice that speed in manual mode, another feature that arrived in a post-launch firmware update, but requires DJI’s FPV Controller 3. With that controller and the firmware update, I pushed it to its top speed. 36 mph is faster than any drone this size by far, but it never felt out of control. However, at that speed the noise level resembles a swarm of particularly irate hornets.
The FPV Controller 3 also opens up the possibility of acrobatic (acro) flying, letting you perform flips, spins and other maneuvers. That’s a lot of fun, especially knowing that the drone is not only crash resistant but costs just $200 — a pittance by drone standards. I'm not an acro pilot, but in the hands of an expert like quadmovr, the Neo can rip through some unbelievable moves.
Steve Dent for Engadget
For novices who want to try first-person video flying (FPV) but aren’t ready for the tricky-to-use Controller 3, DJI’s Goggles 3 and RC Motion 3 are better for FPV newbs. It’s certainly not as nimble and quick as the Avata 2, but it’s still a lot of fun. In fact, it’s a great learning tool for wannabe FPV pilots with either of those controllers, thanks to the durability and low price.
The Neo is ideal for event videography too, as you can maneuver it almost anywhere to get some cool or dramatic shots. At the same time, the propeller guards make it safe to use around people. Again, it’s very noisy, so it’s obviously not suitable to fly through something like a wedding or a best man’s speech.
The modes ActiveTrack, Spotlight and Point of Interest (POI) work just as they do on other DJI drones to track or follow you. A key mode for content creators is Direction Track, which lets you do walk-and-talk vlogging while keeping your face in view. With that setting, the Neo is usually flying backwards with no rear obstacle sensor, so you’ll need a clear path. When I tested this, the drone veered into some tree branches and was thrown off course, but it kept on flying.
I never try to crash drones on purpose, but did have a few mishaps. The Neo hit some trees before falling to the ground a couple of times, and bonked a hard interior floor on one occasion. It not only continued to function perfectly, but had nary a visible scratch, so DJI has done a good job with durability. That said, you can purchase a one-year insurance plan for the Neo at just $22, which covers accidents and loss of the drone.
Steve Dent for Engadget
With a controller and DJI’s O4 transmission, the Neo has a 6.2 mile line-of-sight range in the US, or 3.7 miles in Europe where transmission power is limited. That’s exactly half that of the Mini Pro 4, but pretty extraordinary given the size — though I’m not sure who’d ever want to fly such a lightweight drone that far away. I flew it about half a mile away with no loss of signal, and that was plenty far for my comfort level. Maximum altitude, meanwhile, is unlimited and set by the user.
When using smartphone Wi-Fi control, maximum range is just 165 feet, so it’s really just for indoor or nearby outdoor use. This is based on Wi-Fi limits, but it also effectively serves as a geofence for novices (the drone just stops and hovers if it gets out of Wi-Fi range). In addition, if you’re using the palm or voice control, altitude is limited to around 100 feet.
While small and light, the Neo’s 1,435mAh lithium-ion Intelligent Flight Batteries support up to 17 minutes of flying time, or around 13 to 14 minutes in the real world — not bad in this category. With the Neo alone, it takes an hour to charge a single battery directly within the drone. However, if you spring for the $289 combo kit (including the drone, two extra batteries and a three-battery charger), you can juice three batteries in that same 60 minutes.
Camera
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The gimbal is tucked into a protective housing and can tilt up 60 degrees and down 90. The camera has a 1/2-inch 12-megapixel sensor with an ultra-wide 13mm equivalent focal length and f/2.8 aperture — about what you’d expect on a decent smartphone.
The Neo’s video specs are weaker than other DJI drones, but I was pretty happy with my footage considering the price of the Neo. It can shoot 4K 30p video and 1080p at up to 60fps, certainly good enough for most social media users. It also supports 4K in a 4:3 aspect ratio at 30fps, or 1080p in the same aspect ratio but up to 60fps.
The camera doesn’t tilt sideways like it does on the Mini 4 Pro, which means it can’t do vertical video. That’s unfortunate considering the target market, but adding that capability would also increase complexity and, no doubt, the price. The best bet for social media users is to shoot in 4K and then crop to a 1080x1920 9:16 resolution.
There’s also no D-LogM capability to boost dynamic range as seen on most other DJI drones, and with such a small sensor, low-light capability is poor. However, video is sharp and color accurate, which is well above what you’d expect in this price range. The 12-megapixel photos are also good enough for hobbyists and social media users. I expect the average buyer taking aerial shots of their home, family and vacations will be more than pleased.
Steve Dent for Engadget
The Neo also incorporates DJI’s software-based RockSteady stabilization along with gimbal tilt stabilization. That should provide smooth enough video for most users, or you can disable the stabilization altogether and use DJI’s GyroFlow app in post for better results. The Neo also supports HorizonBalancing, providing level video even if the drone banks up to 45 degrees. Note that for the 4:3 video modes, there’s no electronic image stabilization, so you need to stabilize the footage later using GyroFlow or another app.
The Neo can even capture audio with your phone just by tapping the Fly More app’s audio record button. You’ll get better quality by connecting an external microphone or using DJI’s Mic 2. Since the Neo is extremely noisy, the Mic 2 will cancel out much of that prop screeching, leaving your voice clear and legible, albeit with some distortion.
Wrap-up
Steve Dent for Engadget
DJI’s Neo might be small in stature, but it can shoot good quality video and photos safely around people, and does so at a very reasonable price. It has clearly captured the public’s imagination, as it’s already been sold out on DJI’s site despite only being on sale for a couple of weeks.
Potential buyers range from novices up to experienced hands who want a small, people-friendly drone for Instagram stories and more. It’s ideal for TikTok and other creators because it can act as a robot videographer, helping you record content by yourself. The main issues you’ll have to live with are the noise, lack of vertical video and limited battery life.
For $200, or $289 if you opt for the combo kit with three batteries and a charger, the Neo is a no-brainer for many creators. The only real competition is the $350 HoverAir X1, which costs more and offers lower-resolution video. But by providing higher quality video for less money, the Neo is a better value.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/dji-neo-review-the-best-200-drone-ever-made-010032884.html?src=rss