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DJI ups the game with the DJI Mavic Air

Just when you thought it couldn’t get much better, DJI has upped the game with it’s new ultraportable Mavic Air consumer drone.

Building upon the success of its Mavic Pro, Mavic Pro Platinum, and Spark drones, DJI has proved that it has much more innovation up its sleeve.

The Mavic Air is sleek and small, yet packed with professional level features such as collision avoidance sensors (forward, backward, and downward), a 12MP camera capable of capturing 4K video, a 3 axis gimbal, excellent battery life, and 8GB of internal storage.

The Mavic Air also has SmartCapture (gesture control) and quick shot modes that enable you to make pre-programmed flight sequences that really lend that professional look to your videos. Multiple active object tracking makes filming your subject easier, more flexible, and safer.

With a flight time of 21 minutes and a range of 2.4 miles (4km), and a max speed of 42 mph (19 m/s), the Mavic Air is sure to impress.

Priced at $799, the Mavic Air offers a great value for the impressive features that are packed in this little drone.

The Mavic Air is available from DJI.

The 70MAI promises to be the world’s smartest dash cam featuring voice control

In today’s fast-paced world, technology has become an integral part of our everyday lives. Whether for entertainment or security, dash cams are now popular devices and manufacturers have responded to the needs and demands of their customers with innovative and convenient designs.

Enter the 70MAI, which is being touted as the world’s first and smartest English version of an AI powered voice controlled dash cam that promises to make driving safer and more enjoyable. It boasts the ability to capture photos and videos via voice commands, therefore not requiring the driver to remove their hands from the steering wheel. In the event of a collision, the 70MAI will automatically record the event and will safeguard the recording by placing the footage in a separate folder for future use. It also features full 1080P HD video, a 130 degree field of view and an app that allows you to view both previously recorded and real-time video.

The 70MAI is easy to install via the built-in mount and is powered by a cigarette lighter power adapter which is included in the package. Once the power adapter is plugged in, recording is triggered when the vehicle is started.

The 70MAI is priced very economically at $39USD plus shipping and can be purchased from Indiegogo.com.

Buyers can expect to receive the 70MAI starting in March, 2018.

When a Rubik’s Cube just isn’t frustrating enough, pick a Clover

Actually, the standard Clover Cube is apparently the more frustrating version of a Rubik’s Cube, and this Clover Icosahedron D1 IQ Brick takes the standard Clover Cube to a new level.  Brando says a core feature of Clover Cubes are the two locations on each edge that allow the puzzle be rotated freely.   This Icosahedron has 20 sides and 72 axes of rotation.  That’s more than enough variations to make me decide to use this Clover Brick as an attractive paperweight, but it would be a great challenge for the person who never met a puzzle they couldn’t solve.

Brando describes it as designed for both left and right brain training, creative thinking, and for improving both your IQ and your EQ.  The Clover Icosahedron D1 IQ Brick is $98.00 in Brando’s Lifestyle collection.

Photography: The old school way

Sometimes I miss the good old days of film photography.  Knowing how to set the f-stop and shutter speed along with picking the right ISO for the film was an art and not something you just did by pointing your phone and clicking.  I ran across a great project on Kickstarter for a 3D printed Box camera that uses 120 film spools.  The basic black box version will run you $79, but if you want it in a weathered red, blue or yellow it will run you $119.  It comes with a 1/200 of a second shutter and apertures from f5.6 to f32 and a 95mm lens.  It comes with spools where you will manually wind the film and manually advance each picture.  They plan to offer additional lenses in the future to allow for standard, wide angle and telephoto pictures.  Unfortunately, this project is already closed, but you can still follow along and find out when you can get one of your own.  You can check it out on Kickstarter.

Add a secure AirPod holder to the Apple Watch band

If you ever take out your Apple AirPods while you’re working out or while you’re at work and want someplace safer than a shirt pocket to store them, look at the AirPod holder from the SuperheroDIY shop at Etsy.  The holder is custom “3D printed in PLA plastic at high resolution to meet the designed tolerance“.  The shop owner describes the holder as “tight enough to hold them in, but easy enough to get the AirPods out!  It is also small enough as to not interfere with your movements and stays in place on your watch band!”

The holder is available now in your choice of black, red, or green plastic, but the owner says you can request a custom color.  The AirPods holder for Apple Watch band is $9.00 at the SuperheroDIY shop.