Drones

Sony discontinues its $9,000 Airpeak drone project

Accessories and maintenance will continue for a while

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Do you remember the Sony Airpeak? Revealed back in 2021, the company’s first drone promised a revolutionary accessory to pair with its Alpha lineup of cameras. It was supposed to be a lifesaver for professional photographers and creators. Now, Sony is discontinuing the Airpeak, effectively shuttering its drone project.

From its humble beginnings as a fad, drones have evolved into valuable tools for creators. The segment is now thriving with multiple options, both affordable and premium. With a US$ 9,000 price tag, the Sony Airpeak firmly placed itself in the premium category.

For that price, Sony’s first drone boasted speeds of up to 90km/h. Plus, with a camera attached, it can fly for up to 12 minutes. Unfortunately, the drone’s features are not enough to justify a heavy purchase. All across the board, the drone earned mixed to negative reviews.

In an announcement today, Sony has said that it will stop selling the Airpeak starting March 31, 2025. For those who still have their drones, the company will continue selling batteries and propellers for one more year, ending on March 31, 2026. Finally, Sony will continue repairs and maintenance until 2030.

With a lot of more affordable options out in the market (such as from industry leader DJI), it’s an uphill climb for Sony to get back into the segment, if it chooses to create another drone.

SEE ALSO: Sony’s Airpeak drone is meant for creators

Drones

DJI Avata 2 drone now available: Pricing, availability

Improved features, battery life

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DJI Avata 2

The DJI Avata 2 is now available in the Philippines. It is priced at PhP 47,900 for the single battery variant and PhP 55,900 for the three battery configuration. Customers may purchase at DJI Experience Stores, as well as online via DJI’s official Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok Shop stores.

Your ticket to breathtaking aerial adventures

Designed for content creators and even production professionals, the DJI Avata 2 provides an adrenaline-pumping FPV drone experience with improvements in imaging, safety, and battery life.

The Avata 2 has a 1/1.3-inch sensor that covers a 155-degree field of view and can film up to 4K @ 60fps. Its imaging produces results that have brilliant clarity and vibrant colors. The drone also has dual RockSteady and HorizonSteady stabilization technologies for smooth footage.

For quick sharing, the Avata 2 also supports Wi-Fi for media transfer and livestreaming. The DJI Fly app also lets users take advantage of more features and help them with device management.

Battery life has also been upgraded for a total flight time of 23 minutes. When needing a recharge, PD fast charging can fuel the battery back up to 80% in just 18 minutes.

Immersive flight

The Avata 2 is equipped with the new DJI Goggles 3 and RC Motion 3, allowing users to experience the “flight” real-time in an immersive way. The Goggles 3 features micro-OLED HD displays and low-latency transmission, allowing users to observe surroundings without removing the wearable.

Creativity, control, safety

The Avata 2 also includes an Easy ACRO mode, which is ideal for beginners. This mode lets users perform maneuvers with ease for them to capture stunning footage. Moreover, the drone has an improved propeller guard and new sensors for advanced positioning.

Users may also utilize the Return to Home function. And with Turtle Mode, the Avata 2 can also flip back itself automatically into its original position should it turn upside down at times.

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Drones

Airpeak will be Sony’s foray into camera drone market

Slated to launch in Spring 2021

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Airpeak

The ever-competitive drone market will soon have another brand to welcome. Sony just announced its entry into the consumer drone market with the Airpeak brand, which will likely go toe-to-toe (propeller to propeller?) with established brands like DJI.

Specific details about the brand, however, remain scarce at the moment. Sony’s official website only teases a short cryptic video.

The website also mentions that Airpeak will be the culmination of “imaging and sensing technological expertise and AI Robotics” — something which Sony has with its consumer camera and robotic products.

A separate press release also confirms Sony’s plan to target video creators with the Airpeak brand. Further, the brand will bring 3R technology (Reality, Real-time and Remote) to the drone market.

The first wave of products under the Airpeak is slated to launch in the spring of 2021. In the meantime, Sony will continue to obtain feedback from users who participated in co-creating drones under the brand.

It is worth noting that this isn’t Sony’s first foray into the drone market. Last year, the company entered a partnership with ZMP to form the Aerosense company. However, that company caters specifically to the business sector. So, the Airpeak brand will actually be the company’s first for the consumer drone sector.

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Drones

How the tech world helped in the Notre Dame fire incident

Modern technology isn’t our foe at all

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In light of the recent news about the fire incident that happened in the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, several companies, including those from the tech sector, have shown how much they care for the ruined 856-year-old historic landmark.

DJI

When the flames broke out, firefighters used Mavic Pro and Matrice M210 drones. The cathedral was severely damaged but thankfully, the drones helped in distinguishing where the fire had spread out. Several tweets show how helpful drones are, even during unexpected disasters like this one.

People from DJI talked about how their drones helped Paris’ Emergency Response Team in determining the fire inside the cathedral.

Apple

After the incident, many people, including popular icons all around the globe, have shown their distress about the destruction of the cathedral. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, is one among those people. He even promised Apple would help in the progress of rebuilding Notre Dame’s ruined architectural landscape.

Ubisoft

Most gamers can tell that the Notre Dame Cathedral is found in the gameplay of Assassin’s Creed: Unity. Ubisoft, which is also a French company, said that the infrastructure was scanned using their state-of-the-art 3D mapping technology. Using data preserved for the game may help architects and builders in restoring the cathedral. As an addition, the game is for free at the Ubisoft store to honor the fallen landmark.

Image credit: Ubisoft

It may be insignificant for most people but these all prove that companies and their existing technologies can still help in times of global incidents like this.

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