Parrot, one of the world’s leading drone manufacturers, announced this week it’s readying the release of the highly anticipated follow up to its original Bebop drone. With the Bebop 2, Parrot ups the quadcopter ante by not only improving on the prior model’s stability and mobility, but by also doubling the available flight time from 12 minutes to roughly 25. Additionally, the craft’s built-in camera makes it incredibly easy to take stunning HD videos, and for just $550, the Bebop 2 figures to be one of the most affordable top-tier drones on the market.
When it comes to flying the Bebop 2, Parrot calls the operation a very easy process which requires “no learning.” Essentially, the craft’s wide array of sensors make piloting the Bebop 2 a foolproof experience — even for beginners. With built-in gyroscopes, pressure sensors, stabilizers, and GPS; the drone’s onboard computer constantly analyzes its own position to ensure stability. Moreover, an included landing button automatically brings the Bebop 2 safely back to ground regardless of its altitude.
Outside of the typical features included in the Bebop 2, Parrot also announced the return of its drone-enhancing remote control called the Parrot SkyController Black Edition. Use of the optional remote allows pilots to fully control the drone with a two-handed controller (essentially two joysticks) with video streaming through a compatible smartphone or tablet attached to the remote. Downloadable on either iOS or Android-capable devices, the required FreeFlight 3 application lets operators see exactly what the drone sees.
In an effort to make the drone even more immersive, Parrot outfitted the controller with an HDMI port which allows users to plug in FPV (First Personal View) glasses, which simulate what it would be like to actually sit inside the Bebop 2. Live telemetry information feeds directly into the FPV goggles, while an included “Radar” feature allows FPV wearers (or those controlling the drone) to see exactly where the craft is in relation to the controller.
Parrot has announced that the Bebop 2 will be available for purchase as two different versions starting December 14. The first version — a standard Bebop 2 drone and all necessary accessories — will run for just $550 upon launch, while the advanced version — a standard Bebop 2 drone and the Parrot Skycontroller — will be on sale for $800.
AI companies spend enormous amounts of time convincing us their technology is safe and secure. But what happens when those same companies become targets of increasingly sophisticated AI-powered attacks? Anthropic, the company behind Claude, is now facing that question. According to a Washington Post report, cybersecurity startup Cathedral discovered vulnerabilities that let its researchers access sensitive information in Anthropic's internal systems.
The researchers used AI agents to identify potential entry points in less than 12 hours. Interestingly, they didn't need to crack Claude itself. Instead, they exploited weaknesses in third-party business applications that Anthropic uses for everyday operations. Anthropic's security testing program disclosed the findings, which allows outside researchers to identify and report vulnerabilities.
Military working dogs charge into places the rest of us would flee. So, I understand why anyone would want to breed tougher, healthier dogs for the job.
Warhound, a new startup from Colossal Biosciences co-founder Ben Lamm and Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey, has stepped out of stealth with $200 million to clone and gene-edit working dogs for American troops, police departments, and emergency services (via TechCrunch).
AI can describe a picture, identify objects, and answer questions about what a camera sees. But when a blind user needs a quick answer, getting an entire spoken essay about the scene isn't exactly helpful. Researchers at the University of Maryland (UMD) have found that AI-powered visual assistance can leave blind users doing too much work to get the information they actually need.
The study, titled Say It My Way: Exploring Control in Conversational Visual Question Answering with Blind Users, examined how people interact with Be My AI, an AI-powered feature of the Be My Eyes app. The researchers found that users often received lengthy descriptions that didn't adequately address their immediate goals, forcing them to ask follow-up questions or find ways to steer the AI towards a more useful answer.