Hands On With GoPro's Karma Drone

The GoPro Karma drone has been a long time in the making. The company first teased a new line of 'multi-rotor helicopters' outfitted with high-definition cameras two years ago, and hinted that sales would begin in early 2016.

Then the Photokina 2016 unveiling happened. Thus, the world now knows the GoPro Karma is a concrete product.

Of course, it won't go on sale until October 23, which had been last week. At a launch event near Lake Tahoe, California, Nick Woodman, CEO of GoPro, offered some vaguely apologetic explanations for the drone's lengthy development. Based on PCMag's quick hands on, this is a drone that needs no apology.

Besides the fact that it's easy to fly, the GoPro Karma works with the GoPro Hero4, a camera that many outdoor enthusiasts already have in their backpacks. That enables a relatively low US$799 price tag, though pricier bundles with the new GoPro Hero5 Black cameras are also available.

The drone itself won't surprise you. It's a fairly ordinary quad-copter, though it does fold to fit in a backpack and has very bright lights that make it easy to identify against the deep blue Sierra Nevada sky.

Notably, the first thing about the GoPro Karma that makes you raise your eyebrows is the controller. Unlike the DJI Phantom 3, it has a built-in, 720p touch screen display, making for a flying experience that feels a bit like a videogame.

KarmaDroneWeb5

To engage automatic take-off, you hold down the centre button until a countdown timer appears on the screen. After a few seconds, the rotors roar to life and the drone lifts off. The screen then switches to a livestream from the camera; you can adjust the gimbal using the left and right trigger buttons on the controller.

A nudge on the right joystick will free the GoPro Karma from hover mode and send it skyward at a deliberate pace. Even if you flick the joysticks to the stops, the drone responds slowly. This is good for the gusty mountain winds during the test flight, but might not be optimal for quick maneuvering in calm weather.

KarmaDroneWeb3

I flew the drone for approximately four minutes, or 20% of its battery life. I never felt like I had to battle the strong winds nor did I have the opportunity to push the drone to its limits or modify the flight controls' responsiveness. During the entire flight, the video feed appeared smooth, with the camera set to record in 1080p at 60fps.

When it is time to land, you can either activate the 'return to home' feature, or manually guide the GoPro Karma to the ground. I opted to do the latter with assistance from an ever-watchful GoPro pilot.

KarmaDroneWeb1

Incidentally, by the time the GoPro Karma ships, the GoPro Passenger app will be ready for download as well, allowing friends to connect to your GoPro Karma contoller, view the live video from the GoPro camera, and even control the camera's direction by adjusting the gimbal. The app makes a wireless connection directly to the controller, so video should appear as smooth as it is on the controller's screen.

Obviously, the app isn't ready for the test flight.

Interestingly, even as I handed over the controller, my GoPro Karma experience is not yet finished: the US$799 Karma base price includes the GoPro Karma grip, an accessory that I found to be essentially like a mini Steadicam. The fact that GoPro is including it with the drone is a bit puzzling, since it has nothing to do with flying. If you have a spare hand to film, though, it will make your on-the-ground action shots look so much better than if you rely solely on the camera's built-in image stabiliser.

KarmaDroneWeb6

It would be tempting to have left Lake Tahoe convinced that GoPro Karma will be a worthy DJI competitor—the four-minute flight is nothing short of being very good. However, too much uncertainty remains: GoPro engineers are still putting the finishing touches on the GoPro Passenger app and it's unclear how the drone controller will handle some of the most advanced drone features, like autoflight, landing at a set home location, 4K video, and adjusting flight controls.

Still, it's clear that GoPro means business and at least two features—a palatable price and a household name—will work in the company's favor even if the GoPro Karma can't deliver on its promises.

WhatsApp Rolls Out Video Calling to All

All 1 billion-plus WhatsApp users around the world can now make video calls.

The Facebook-owned messaging service on Monday began rolling out the new feature to folks on Android, iOS, and Windows Phone devices.

"We know that sometimes voice and text just aren't enough," a company blogpost said.
Last month, reports tipped a Beta Program testing the ability to make video-calls from within the app; screenshots showed that tapping the call button or contact card brings up a dialog with voice and video as options.

"There's no substitute for watching your grandchild take her first steps, or seeing your daughter's face while she's studying abroad," WhatsApp said this week. "And we want to make these features available to everyone, not just those who can afford the most expensive new phones or live in countries with the best cellular networks."

Based on WhatsApp's track record for major feature rollouts, it's surprising this function appeared so quickly after initial trials. Reports that the company had been adding voice calling surfaced in 2014, but it isn't until early this year that all Google Android users gained access to it; the Apple iOS rollout had been completed a month later.

Parent company, Facebook, has invested heavily in its flagship Facebook Messenger client, a platform that had video calling from 2015.
Video-chat challenger Skype, meanwhile, just expanded its program to allow anyone with an Internet connection to chat with friends and make voice- or video-calls without an account.

Old-fashioned texting, however, has not been forgotten: WhatsApp recently announced support for animated GIFs, shareable in one-on-one and group chats. Word has it the platform is also testing its own version of Snapchat Stories.

Ultrahaptics Lets You 'Feel' Virtual Objects

Virtual reality (VR) has been around for decades, but it's re-emerged as 'new technology' in recent years thanks to research work that is backed with the deep pockets of Facebook and Sony, among others.
However, while the visuals have improved significantly, there are still some big problems VR has to overcome. One of the biggest is being able to feel objects that only exist virtually.

One promising solution is haptic holograms, a concept that use sound waves to allow you to feel objects that don't exist in reality. Such ideas first came about in 2014, but the world is only now starting to see the technology come to market, with Ultrahaptics as a front-runner.

While not limited to use with VR, Ultrahaptics's mid-air touch-less haptic tech is sure to get a welcome boost through association and the promise of being able to feel the virtual objects at that users are looking. A Ultrahaptic Touch development kit is set for release in January next year and takes the form of a plug-and-play pad that can be set up in a matter of minutes.

The control system measures 29 x 18.6 x 22.1cm, has a focal point accuracy of 8.6mm and can interact with your hands at a minimum height of 50cm above the pad.



Users are also limited to a 60-degree cone of interaction from the center of the pad upwards. The development kit can be used with Windows 8 and 10 or Mac OSX 10.9 onwards. Ultrahaptics recommended an Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM, and a dedicated graphics card as the specs to use if its Ultrahaptic Touch is to reach its full potential.

Ultrahaptics TOUCH pad in action
Placing your hands above the pad allows for a range of touch sensations. This is achieved through a combination of hand tracking and a 14-by-14 grid of ultrasound transducers. Invisible buttons, dials, and switches, as well as a range of textures and sensations, like bubbles popping against fingers, can all be simulated. Think of it like a gesture-control system, but being able to literally grab objects in mid-air to carry out the gesture.

According to IEEE Spectrum, the Ultrahaptic Touch dev kit costs around US$2,000. While it may seem high, it is a huge drop from the US$20,000 evaluation kit that shipped previously. It also bodes well for an eventual consumer version shipping for significantly less if the same drop happens again. A price of under US$200 would make it a very tempting proposition.

Hands On With the Google Nexus Player

Google's Nexus Player is the company's best stab at the TV so far. I got a demo of it today at a Google event, and I'm hopeful. Hopefully, we'll see Android TV introduced into sets at CES.

The Nexus Player is a little disc, made by Asus and running an Intel Silvermont processor, which plugs into your TV. It comes with a small black remote (simple, not complex like some of the silly Google TV remotes were), and it has an optional gamepad. Its only ports are an HDMI-out, a power port, and a USB jack; I didn't see Ethernet, for instance.

Plug it into your TV, and you see a "smart TV" interface centered on content from Google Play, which takes top billing. What's really interesting is what's going on down below, though. According to Google, the Nexus Player is "just an Android device" and will run "any app downloaded from Google Play."

I can't wait to see how that plays out. Games, for instance, are restricted by their interfaces. If you want to play games, you'll probably want a Bluetooth gamepad like Asus's $39 unit, and you'll want to play gamepad-compatible games. Fortunately, there are a lot of those nowadays. You can also use a paired Android phone as an input device.


View all Photos in Gallery
The hotter question is whether all the Google Play entertainment apps will let themselves be run on the Nexus Player. Our demo sample showed Netflix, Pandora, Hulu and, of course, YouTube. So far, so good. But what about HBO GO? And Amazon, which has structured its Prime streaming app so it plays on Android phones but not tablets? Whether you'll really be able to play any content that Android suppors, or whether content owners will block this device, is a critically unanswered question.

The Nexus Player also does everything a Chromecast does, showing content from other Android devices in the home.

Like with Amazon's Fire TV , Google has also invested in voice search being a major way to search the company's content library. A search for "Halloween movies," spoken into the remote, turned up the whole horror movie series on Google Play and a lot of more family-friendly content on YouTube.

The Nexus Player costs $99 and enters a crowded field full of Amazon Fire TVs, Chromecasts, Rokus and such. They all suffer from the "Input 1 problem," which is that most ordinary consumers don't want to have to switch inputs away from their cable box or console gaming system for their content.

But the Nexus Player's real value is as a harbinger of Android TV. Sony, Sharp, and Philips have all said they'll bring Android TVs to market soon, probably at CES. The smart TV market is still a mess of competing, complex, proprietary interfaces, which has slowed the development of TV-compatible apps in general. Google's going to make a bid here, once again, to standardize and simplify.

For more, see PCMag's hands on with the Nexus 6 smartphone and Nexus 9 tablet (video below).

Google Expands Neural Networks for Language Translation

More than 35% of the requests that Google Translate process will now be handled via advanced neural networks, boosting the 10-year-old tool's ability to offer translations that aren't embarrassingly wrong.

The technology, which translates whole sentences at a time, rather than reading phrase by phrase, first debuted for translations between Chinese and English in September 2016. It will roll-out to Spanish, French, German, and a handful of other languages starting today, according to what Google Product Lead, Barak Turovsky, announced at a press event in San Francisco.

Expanding the use of neural networks allows Google Translate to base translations on a sentence's context. For example, the tool currently translates an original German quote from Albert Einstein as: "No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that they have arisen." With neural machine translation, the final result will instead be: "Problems can never be solved with the same way of thinking that caused them."
Based on unannounced Beta Testing for Turkish translations earlier this week, Turovsky shared how users immediately recognised the improvement. "People just notice the difference," he said, noting an overwhelmingly positive response on Twitter.
When Google Translate launched a decade ago, its phrase-based algorithms simply looked up individual words, replaced them with the equivalent word in another language, and pieced them together. That often resulted in incoherent sentences. It later added the ability for users to suggest translation improvements, a feature Turovsky said won't be going away as Google transitions to neural networks.

The company will also expand neural machine translation to its cloud API, a paid service that third-party developers can use to integrate translation into their websites and apps.

MIT Demos Wireless Connection for VR Headsets

The same technology that powers full-body scanners in airport security checkpoints could one day untether virtual reality (VR) headsets. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has devised a way to wirelessly connect VR headsets to the PCs.

This is all achieved with the use of a newly developed millimeter wave transmissions. In addition to powering Nude-o-Scopes (the affectionate name frequent flyers have bestowed on the TSA's scanners) these high-frequency radio waves also show promise for detecting cancer and delivering fast Internet.

MIT says its VR prototype uses the millimeter waves to enable untethered communication at a rate of multiple Gbps, or billions of bits per second. They have been able to successfully run it on a HTC Vive, but the technique should work on any high-end VR headset, including the Oculus Rift.

"The ability to use a cordless headset really deepens the immersive experience of virtual reality and opens up a range of other applications," said MIT Professor, Dina Katabi. "While millimeter wave transmissions can replace the cord between the headset and computer, they still rely on a separate device that must be plugged into the headset.

That device, which MIT calls MoVR, contains an array of two directional antennas about half the size of a credit card. They focus the millimeter waves so that there's always a line of sight between the headset and a separate receiver connected to the PC. If it's ever put into production, the researchers say the MoVR equipment could be smaller, perhaps smartphone-sized.

As is, Intel, Qualcomm, Oculus, and many others are already working on standalone VR headsets that offer the same power as today's generation without requiring a PC at all. Thus, even if the MIT research is innovative, it might be obsolete before it is ever produced.

NES Classic Can Use Original NES Controllers

On Friday, we finally get to purchase the Nintendo NES Classic Edition console that comes bundled with 30 games and a controller for US$60. PCMag's review concluded it 'exudes old-school style' and has 'fantastically nostalgic design', yet still remaining inexpensive.

However, there are two grumbles that highlight how short the controller cable is and the fact you can't update or expand the system in any way.

Hyperkin NES Controller AdapterAs IGN reported, the complaint about the controller cable length can be fixed in a couple of ways, one of which adds even more nostalgia to the experience.

While Hyperkin is best known for the RetroN 5 console, it's also an experienced gaming accessories company. It has foreseen the short cable problem and is set to release an adapter for the NES Classic that allows you to plug in an original NES controller. The NES To NES Classic Adapter will be available on November 28 2016 for US$9.99 and will work with both ports on the NES Classic.
If you don't own an old NES controller, then Hyperkin will instead sell you a 6ft extension cable for US$7.99.

Nintendo includes a controller with the NES Classic that is very close in look and feel to the original, but the cable is only just over 2ft long. The original controller cable is more than twice as long, as this image posted on NeoGAF comparing the old and new confirms:

NES Controller Cable Lengths
So buying this adapter and using an old pad ultimately comes down to whether the cable is too short for you as a player. If you consider the most common TV sizes are in the 32- to 55in range, then chances are a 2ft cable really is too short to be comfortable.

It's also important to keep in mind that the Hyperkin adapter and extension cable are probably going to be the first of many solutions to the short cable problem. Who knows, a wireless controller hitting the market eventually might be in the pipeline.

Which Sony PlayStation VR Games Should I Buy?

After months of keeping the gaming community in anticipation, Sony has at last released its Sony PlayStation VR (PSVR) peripheral. Unlike the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift, PSVR is very reasonably priced.

Not only does the base unit only cost US$400, it one only needs a Sony PlayStation 4 system in order to play games. With the Sony branding behind it, PSVR should easily surpass the other VR headsets in sales and popularity. In some ways, this could be the device that saves virtual (VR) reality gaming.

PSVR launched with 14 titles last week. Considering how most systems are released with less than a quarter of that number, this an accomplishment in and of itself. Those who take the VR plunge will find a range of games meant to cater to every need. Though each of these games are each unique experiences, they all provide a glimpse as to what virtual reality gaming could hold in store for the future. Before you buy, check out your options in the list below.

100ft Robot Golf (US$19.99)
This is a game that has 100 foot-tall robots playing golf. Even though the title doesn't offer much more beyond this silly premise, that is all you really need—especially if you are a fan of giant robots. Beyond the robots, what distinguishes this game from other golf titles is that it is more about speed than keeping your stroke count low. It is better to hit the golf ball in the general direction you want it to go and then fly after it instead of going for a precise strike. 100ft Robot Golf may not live up to its potential but at least it isn't trying to mislead anyone.

Batman: Arkham VR (US$19.99)
Probably the most popular of the launch-day PSVR titles, Batman Arkham VR lets players become The Dark Knight like no other game ever has. Instead of focusing on action, Arkham VR is a mystery game where players have to search for clues in order to solve a murder. Despite its pedigree, this title could be considered disappointing since it is only about an hour long. However, it does make one feel like Batman and that alone could be a selling point for most.

Battlezone (US$59.99)
This is an updated version of the classic arcade game and it does a nice job of capturing everything that made the original great while still feeling modern. Unlike a lot of games for Sony's peripheral, Battlezone is exceptionally challenging. Though the game does feature a good number of weapons to use, it can become somewhat repetitive since there isn't much to do besides blowing up everything that moves.

Harmonix Music VR (US$14.99)
Harmonix Music VR is essentially a playable version of those music visualisations that PC monitors used to have back in the early '90s. The game has some modes that let you interact with the music via puppets or paint brushes. There are also modes where you can sit back and relax to the in-game music or tracks that you upload. This game is something to play/experience when you're just hanging out alone at home.

Headmaster (US$19.99)
Headmaster is one of the strangest games among PSVR's line-up since it doesn't require players to use a DualShock 4 or Move controller. Instead, one has to use their head... literally. Though hitting soccer balls with one's noggin' may sound mundane, and not to mention uncomfortable, this is a pretty fun title that manages to have a good deal of variety despite its simplistic gameplay.

Here They Lie (US$19.99)
Those who want to indulge in something less sunnier may enjoy Here They Lie. This isn't exactly a horror title, but it does have a decidedly darker atmosphere when compared to other PSVR launch games. Players will navigate through a twisted world in search of a loved one while trying to escape enemies and solve puzzles. This one has been known to cause motion sickness, so it may not be for everyone.


PlayStation VR Worlds (US$39.99)
PlayStation VR Worlds features five different games that focus on one specific aspect of VR. These games are meant to be short, but this also means they are on the shallow side. The London Heist, Scavenger's Odyssey, VR Luge, Danger Ball, and Ocean Descent are good for what they offer but individually they aren't exactly deep experiences. Still, this package is good for demonstrating what VR can do.


Rez Infinite (US$29.99)
Rez is one of the better Sega Dreamcast games back in the day. It offered a solid experience before, but it seems to have truly reached its potential in VR. One of the trippier experiences on PSVR, Rez does a fantastic job of immersing players in a sea of colour visuals and intense music. You won't need to go out clubbing if you have this game.


RIGS Mechanized Combat League (US$49.99)
If you ever wanted to pilot a mech robot, RIGS is about the closest you'll get to living out that fantasy. This was made to be played at eSports events and it shows. This is a fast paced, aggressive shooter/sports game that is unlike anything out there. RIGS is not for the faint of heart and only those with strong constitutions need apply as the game demands a lot from players, both physically and mentally.

Thumper (US$19.99)
Thumper blends a lot of disparate gameplay styles and ends up being a very unique title. This can be considered a racing game, but it is also equally a rhythm game and an endless runner. Thumper's fast speed may seem overwhelming at first, but after some time, it all becomes second nature. This is also an extremely gorgeous looking game, which is always nice.

Tumble VR (US$9.99)
Like Battlezone, Tumble is getting a new lease on life in VR. Here, the player builds or destroys towers of blocks that come in various shapes, sizes, and even densities. The challenge comes from figuring out which blocks to use in order to create specific towers. Things get even harder later in the game when you have to stack blocks on moving platforms or with fluctuating gravity. The controls for this game may not be all that precise but the overall package is still enjoyable.

Until Dawn: Rush of Blood (US$19.99)
Unlike Here They Lie, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is a full-on horror title meant to scare the living daylights out of players. Unfortunately, everything that made the original Until Dawn great on PS4 is missing in its VR incarnation. Instead of being a cool action-horror title, Rush of Blood is an on-rails shooter. Yes, it does have moments that are meant to scare you, but they feel forced and somewhat cheap. This is probably the most disappointing PSVR game only because it could have been so much more.

SuperHyperCube (US$29.99)
The goal of this odd puzzler is to fit a three dimensional stack of cubes through a two dimensional hole in an encroaching wall. The challenge is to orientate the cubes to match the opening before it is too late. If not, you'll lose points. This is the type of game you can play for a few minutes or many hours.

Super Stardust Ultra VR (US$19.99)
The Stardust games have always been among PlayStation fans' favorites so it's not surprising to see one get brought over to PlayStation VR. The basic premise of flying around a planet and shooting asteroids into little chunks of colorful debris hasn't changed, but the game takes on a whole new dimension in VR where it is decidedly more immersive. The luminant colors, numerous power ups, and enjoyable shooting mechanics make this one a winner.

4 ways The O will remind you of things you need, before you need them

You’ve heard of the Internet Of Things, right? It’s an ugly name for how all your tech gadgets work together. Well, the O is building an Internet Of Reminders. More than just a Bluetooth tracker that allows you to find your wallet once you have already left it at a bar, the O will remind you that you’ve left them behind before get beyond a set range. What’s more, the O will remind you to take things, such as your gym bag, on the day it knows you’ll need them and depending on what the weather will be that day.
If that sounds like an awful lot of nagging, these reminders only take the form of notifications on your iPhone or Android. Better still, you have complete control over them, deciding how often you should be reminded. This does require a certain amount of initial set-up, but registering an item with the O app on your phone only takes a matter of minutes. Of course, for every item in your Internet Of Reminders, you need to have an O tracker attached to it, but these are sold in packs of four for £65/$80 to help keep the cost down. Here’s the four best ways we would use our multi-pack.

1. Find your keys

Using low-energy Bluetooth the O’s app will notify you if you have moved away and left key items behind. Setting the O as essential means that no matter where you are, if you leave the item, you will be notified. When you are alerted you can swipe the alert and press ‘Safe For Now’ and it won’t alert you for a little while. Each pack of Os comes with a rubber keyring or more fashion- forward metal ones are sold separately.

2. Don’t run out of phone battery

You can enable reminders for certain items. If you have an O set to track your charger, for example, and leave the home without it, you will receive an immediate alert to grab your charger if your battery
is below 50 per cent. Alternatively, you could set the O as an ‘essential’ and receive reminders whenever you leave without it.

3. Remember it’s leg day!

You can select which days items need to be tracked, for example if you plan on only going to the gym at weekends you can select on the app to only be reminded on Saturdays. Looking at the app you can see what Os are with you, at home or in a safe place. The case of the O is rounded and lightweight meaning it can fit into most bags without damaging the interior and be unnoticeable.

4. Get reminders before it rains

The app monitors weather forecast each day and if you leave without taking your umbrella, you will be alerted to say that you may need it. If you choose to set the tracker to non-essential then as long as it is somewhere you have selected as ‘safe’ you won’t be alerted when you leave. You can set safe places by connecting to a Wi-Fi network or if there isn’t Wi-Fi available, you can set a specific area on a map.
For more information on The O, visit owithme.com This article first appeared in Gadget issue 14. For the latest tech news and reviews, buy the latest issue of Gadget here or download the digital edition.

Dell Revamps XPS 13 and Alienware Laptops

It's time for CES and that means one thing: Product announcements. Dell has some new systems on the way, ranging from a redesigned Dell XPS 13 to two new Alienware gaming laptops, and several updated models featuring new Intel processors, Intel's RealSense camera technology, and other hardware options.


Dell XPS 13

Dell's flagship 13-inch ultrabook, the Dell XPS 13 is getting a complete makeover this year, with a ground-up redesign that shrinks down the overall size without diminishing the 13-inch display. The new design proves that a thin chassis isn't everything, with vanishingly narrow bezels around the display allowing the 13-inch screen to fit into an 11-inch laptop chassis. But portability is still a major focus, and the new design features carbon fiber and machined aluminum for a stronger, lighter chassis. The reduction in volume and weight make the Dell XPS 13 extremely portable, weighing just 2.6 pounds and measuring just 0.6 inches thick.

The basic model of the new XPS 13 comes with an full HD (1080p) display, without touch capability, but both higher resolutions (up to Quad HD+) and touch options will be available. Regardless of display type, the XPS 13 features 400-nit brightness for better visibility, as well as an all new selection of Intel's fifth-generation Broadwell processors, with up to Core i7 CPUs and up to 512GB of solid-state drive (SSD) storage.

Dell claims up to 15 hours of continuous use battery life, and also offers the Dell Power Companion, an external battery that adds up to 7 hours of juice. For the business minded, the XPS 13 can be had with an integrated TPM chip and Dell's Corporate Manageability software.

The basic model of the Dell XPS 13 comes with a fifth-generation Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB solid-state drive (SSD). The new Dell XPS 13 starts at $799.

Alienware Laptops

Alienware 17Alienware, Dell's gaming brand, is also announcing new systems at CES, with the new Alienware 15 and Alienware 17 laptops. Designed for gaming on the go, the new gaming laptops are thinner and lighter than present models, with premium materials like carbon-fiber composites, aluminum, and copper for lighter weight and sturdier construction.

Both the 15- and 17-inch notebooks feature Haswell Intel Core i7 quad-core processors, AMD and Nvidia GPUs (with up to Nvidia GTX 980m graphics), and are compatible with Alienware's Graphics Amplifier external GPU. Both models come standard with full HD displays, but the Alienware 15 can also be purchased with a 4K display.

The Alienware 15 will start at $1,199, with the larger Alienware 17 starting at $1,499.

Dell Inspiron 23 7000

Inspiron Updates
In addition to the new XPS 13 and Alienware systems, Dell is also updating several of its existing Inspiron laptops and desktops with new hardware and features. The Dell Inspiron 13 7000 Series 2-in-1 Special Edition gets updated from the current model Dell Inspiron 13 7000 Series 2-in-1 with Intel's new fifth-generation processors, which should improve battery life, graphics capability and overall performance. It's also becoming more affordable, with a new base price of $599.

Intel's RealSense camera technology, the same depth-sensing technology seen on the HP Sprout, is also coming to some systems, namely the Inspiron 15 5000 series laptops and the Inspiron 23 AIO, an all-in-one desktop PC. The Inspiron 15 500 series is also being updated with Intel's fifth-generation processors, while the similar Inspiron 15 7000 Series will now be offered with a 4K UltraHD display option

Wrist-Based Drone Can Take Off, Snap Selfies

What happens when you combine the latest in technological advancements with the most popular tech-based fad? You get a wearable drone.

One of the 10 finalists in Intel's Make It Wearable (MIW) Challenge, the Nixie is a flyable wrist-worn camera, perfect for the selfie-taking adventurer.

From the minds of Christoph Kohstall, Jelena Jovanovic, and Michael Niedermayr, the device was envisioned as a flying pair of glasses, but has since developed into a wristband that unfolds into a remote-controlled quadcopter.

"With traditional cameras, shooters have to interrupt the moment to take pictures, and the controls require manual manipulations," the Intel Creators Project blog said. "Nixie puts you front and center in your photos and videos—without requiring your hands, or your attention."

Still just a prototype, the Nixie will include preset modes to fit all on-the-go situations, from the classic selfie to a panorama image, or even a continuous movie.

"You should be able, with a gesture, to tell the quadcopter to unfold, and then it's going to take off from your wrist. It knows where you are, it turns around, it takes a picture of you, it comes back, you can catch it from the air, and put it back on your wrist," founder Kohstall explained in a video (below).

Within its capacity as an Intel MIW Challenge entry, the Nixie, of course, utilizes Intel's Edison—a functioning, Quark-powered computer with wireless capabilities packed into a chip as slim and small as an SD card.

"Nixie takes the picture that you wish you had always had, but couldn't, because you didn't want to stop the action," project manager Jovanoic said.

And it doesn't look like this.

The selfie-taking wearable drone is in the running alongside nine other futuristic inventions that cover sports, healthcare, robotics, and existing wearable technology. The winning team will be announced at the Make It Wearable Finale Event on Nov. 3.

Learn more about the Intel Make It Wearable Challenge in the video below.