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DJI continues its streak of innovative (and highly leaked) drones with the launch of the Flip, a lightweight and people-safe model that folds in a new direction downward to accommodate the large, shrouded propellers. The new model should appeal to beginners and experienced users alike with features like a large sensor, 4K 100p video, safety features, a three-axis gimbal and an affordable price. The company says the Flip "combine[s] the simplicity of the DJI Neo with the stunning photo capabilities of the DJI Mini," but in many ways, it's better than both. It borrows a LiDAR system from the Air 3S for obstacle detection and the Flip's propellers are protected on all sides, making it all but impossible to hurt someone with them. DJI says the support structure for the guards is made of carbon fiber string that's 1/60th the weight of polycarbonate material and just as strong. That made it possible to keep the weight under 249 grams, so buyers will be able to fly it without a permit in most countries. DJI For beginners, the Flip is just like the Neo in that users can place it in their hand and select from one of six intelligent shooting modes like Dronie or Boomerang. Then, it'll take off automatically and perform that flight mode, capturing high-quality video at up to 4K 60p while avoiding obstacles using the LiDAR sensor. That'll help creators who are new to drones safely grab quick and interesting aerial shots. More advanced users can also fly it with a controller, either the RC 2 with a screen or the RC-N3 without one. That allows full manual control and also unlocks DJI's FocusTrack tech (with ActiveTrack 4.0, Spotlight 2.0, and Point of Interest 3.0), letting you track yourself or another subject automatically. At the same time, it'll avoid forward obstacles using the LiDAR and objects below with the 3D infrared system. However, the Flip can't track obstacles behind it, so users need to beware when flying backward. If you're hoping to use the Flip as an FPV drone, you can forget about that. Unlike the Neo, it doesn't support the Goggles N3 and Motion 3 controller combo, and there's no word if it'll do so in the future. Steve Dent for Engadget The Flip can fly forward at up to 26 MPH in sport mode (with object detection disabled) pretty fast for such a small drone. Given the light weight and large surface area when unfolded, though, it's not going to be the best drone in high winds. However, the large propellers also mean the Flip is far quieter than the Neo in flight, meaning it'll be more practical to use at events like weddings or concerts. The batteries are feather light at 83.5 grams, but pack in 3,110 mAh of power, allowing the Flip to remain aloft for about 34 minutes max (about 28 minutes in the real world). They can be charged either directly on the drone or much more quickly using the four-battery charger in the Fly More kit (70 minutes for two batteries with 65W of power). To keep the weight down, the Flip has no built-in internal storage, so you'll need a high-speed microSD card. DJI The Flip supports DJI's O4 transmission system with live video up to 1080p at 60fps. That allows for a maximum range of 8 miles in the US, or 5 miles in Europe darn good for such a small device. Like the Neo, the Flip can also be controlled by a smartphone via WiFi, but only out to 50m at most. With the same 1/1.3-inch sensor as the Mini 4 Pro, you can expect to get about the same (very good) video and photo quality. The flip supports 4K at up to 60fps or 4K at 100fps in slow-motion mode, in either regular, HDR or D-LogM quality. Unlike with the Mini 4 Pro, though, the camera doesn't, er, flip sideways to allow for full resolution vertical shooting, so that's limited to 2.7K a bit of a bummer for TikTok or Insta creators. DJI's latest drone appears to be a response, in part, to its rival HoverAir. HoverAir also makes lightweight drones with shrouded propellers that fold down, while offering palm takeoff and creator-friendly features. However, the Flip has larger propellers and double the flight time. DJI One small downside I noticed is that the Flip's propellers don't have a huge amount of ground clearance, so they tend to snag even in short grass on takeoff. As such, you'll generally need to take off from a flat, smooth surface or your hand. For more detailed information, stay tuned for my full Engadget review arriving shortly. Otherwise, the Flip looks like another solid drone from DJI, providing more benefits than the Neo (and far less noise) for just over $200 more. The Flip is now available at $439 with the RC-N3 controller, $639 with the RC 2 screen controller or $779 in the Fly More kit with the RC 2 screen controller, charging hub, carrying case and two extra batteries. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/djis-flip-combines-the-best-of-its-lightweight-drones-for-439-130054569.html?src=rss
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Welcome back to the newsletter. We are changing things up, so expect to see at least two editions each week, with the occasional special edition. The newsletter will continue to live on Engadget.com too, but if you havent subscribed, you should do that. Next week, Samsung will reveal its next family of Galaxy phones. Not the foldables, no, but the traditional S series devices. Going on track record, we can expect to see three S25 devices: standard, Plus and Ultra. Theres unlikely to be a huge change to aesthetics, but we expect some subtle differences rounded corners, flatter edges and (of course) thinner bezels. Inside, at least in the US, the S25 series will probably be powered by Qualcomms Snapdragon 8 Elite, designed for on-device generative AI. The chip promises 45 percent faster single- and multi-core performance while using 27 percent less power than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, so it could improve battery life too. Some rumors suggest a Galaxy S25 Slim with a you guessed it slimmer design. Its all very on trend. However, given the FCC certifications only appear to cover the usual trio of flagships, that device may not arrive until later in the year. (If at all.) Expect an awful lot of AI razzle-dazzle too. One rumor suggests the Galaxy S25 series will include an AI Agent that provides personalized clothing suggestions and transport information, even though Google and myriad third-party apps already fully service the latter. Id put money on a laborious bragging segment from Samsung and its AI tricks many of which will fall by the wayside. A request: Please steal the Pixels Add Me photo feature. Well be reporting live from Samsungs first Unpacked event of 2025. Mark your calendar for January 22! Mat Smith Get this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here! The biggest tech stories you missed Amazon Prime will no longer let clothes shoppers try before you buy after this month CES 2025 was more shoppable than conceptual Celebs and tech luminaries want to create a fully open social media ecosystem iPhone Air rumors and an entry-level iPad According to Bloomberg, the iPhone 17 Air will be 2mm thinner. The rumored ultra-thin iPhone weve heard about for the last few months will get Apples Air branding. In his Power On newsletter, Bloombergs Mark Gurman said the iPhone 17 Air will be roughly 2 millimeters thinner than any other phone model. It will have a base-level A19 chip and a single-lens camera system, Gurman notes, and will serve as a testing ground for future technologies. A single-lens camera could be an intriguing decision now three sensors is the standard for Apples most premium phones. Now, how about a MacBook mini? Continue reading. Sonos CEO steps down after disastrous app launch After eight years on the job. Sonos Sonos CEO Patrick Spence is leaving the company after last years disastrous app launch, in which its redesign was missing core features. Back in May 2024, the company rolled out a mobile app rife with bugs and missing features like alarms and sleep timers. Some customers even complained that entire speaker systems would no longer work after updating to the new app. Sonos stock price has fallen by around 13 percent since the app launched. Sonos laid off over 100 people in August as it tried to fix the software and revenue fell 16 percent in the fiscal fourth quarter, which ended on September 28. Spences payout package includes $7,500 per month until June, a cash severance of $1.9 million and shares in Sonos. I aspire to screw up an app update. Continue reading. Meta deleted links to Instagram competitor Pixelfed Sharing the Instagram alternative was briefly considered spam. Meta appeared to block links to Pixelfed, a decentralized photo-sharing platform, on Facebook, according to users on both Bluesky and 404 Media. A small group of posts that linked to pixelfed.social was deleted, with Facebooks Community Standards on spam used as a justification. Theres a bigger impetus for users to jettison Instagram: Meta just announced dramatic changes to how it plans to moderate speech on its platforms. The company is ending both its third-party fact-checking program and made changes to its Hateful Conduct policy last week. A Meta spokesperson said removing the posts to Pixelfed was a mistake, and theyd be reinstated. Continue reading. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121522357.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
With TikTok likely just days away from being banned in the US, the apps users are pushing some previously little-known apps to the top of Apple and Googles stores. The app that has so far seemed to benefit the most is a Chinese social media app called RedNote or Xiaohongshu, which translates to "little red book." The TikTok-like app for shortform video is currently the number one app in Apples App Store and is in the 34th spot in Googles Play Store. RedNote has been gaining popularity as many TikTok creators have begun posting about their experiences trying out the Chinese app. Meanwhile, over on RedNote, a number of creators have shared videos about welcoming TikTok refugees to the service. The app is set up very much like TikTok, with the ability to vertically scroll through feeds of shortform videos based on your interests. Much of the apps interface is in Chinese, so it can be a bit confusing to navigate, though there are some helpful videos on TikTok that explain how to change the apps language to English. While RedNote seems to have come out of nowhere, the app has been popular in China for years. CNBC reports that the more than decade-old app is seen as a challenger to ByteDances Douyin and e-commerce giant Alibaba, with about 300 million users. RedNote isnt the only app thats been boosted by anxious TikTok users. Another ByteDance app, Lemon8, is also trending in both Apple and Googles stores, where its in the second and first spot, respectively. But while TikTok itself has at times boosted the app, Lemon8 will likely face the same fate as TikTok should the Supreme Court side with the Biden Administration, which seems likely. Another video app called Flip, which describes itself as where social meets shopping, is also trending in both app stores. The app, from Los Angeles-based Humans, Inc., features shortform videos and an in-app storefront. Its currently ranked number 14 in Googles store and number four in Apples. The company was valued at more than $1 billion last year, according to Crunchbase. Another app that has seemingly benefited from the impending TikTok ban is something called ReelShort. While the apps name sounds like a play on Instagrams reels and YouTube Shorts both of which are well established TikTok clones the app seems to be less of a TikTok clone and more of a wannabe streaming platform. The app features bite-sized clips of longer movies with bizarre titles like The Heiress Blacklisted her Husband and In Love with the Alpha. ReelShort is number seven in the App Store number two in Google Play. While its unlikely any of these apps will remain popular for long, the fact that so many relatively unknown apps have risen to the top of the app stores so quickly is yet another sign of how influential TikToks users and creators can be. It also highlights how banning TikTok alone wont curb the influence of Chinese tech companies in the US.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/chinese-social-media-app-rednote-is-the-number-one-app-as-tiktok-ban-looms-235929802.html?src=rss
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