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Hardware

Snap Announces a Mini Drone Called Pixy (techcrunch.com) 31

Posted by msmash from the gadget-and-gizmos dept.
Meet Pixy, Snap's little flying companion. Pixy is a mini drone that can act as a camera sidekick when you can't ask someone to take a video of you. It'll be available in the U.S. and in France for $229.99. From a report: "Today, we're taking the power and magic of the Snap Camera -- the spontaneity, the joy, and the freedom -- to new heights. A new camera to match the limitless potential of your imagination. Meet Pixy, the world's friendliest flying camera. It's a pocket-sized, free-flying sidekick for adventures big and small," Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said during the Snap Partner Summit keynote. Pixy isn't your average drone as there is no controller and no SD card. It feels like the company has optimized the device so that it's easy to pick up and get started. There's a button to activate the device and a camera dial to select the flying mode. Pixy captures 2.7k videos and 12MP photos. It's very lightweight as it only weighs 101g with the replaceable battery. On a single charge, you can capture five to eight flights.
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Snap Announces a Mini Drone Called Pixy More

Snap Announces a Mini Drone Called Pixy

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  • Yeah, but how many is that in tacos? errr, minutes?

    • Probably 25 to 40 tacominutes.

    • I love how Snap's marketing team described the lack of a controller and SD slot as positive features.

    • amazing.
      a peeping toms best device.
      combined with deep fakes.
      youtube will explode with amazing content

      • The Pixy will be difficult to use for peeping. It is designed with pre-programmed flight paths that concentrate on getting images of the operator. You can't really point it in any other direction. It has no flight controller to send it away to take images of others.

        If you want to do any covert peeping there are plenty more suitable drones on the market for a lot less money. Pixy has very limited capability but is right on target for the narcissistic SnapChat crowd.

  • Sort life. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by bobm ( 53783 ) on Thursday April 28, 2022 @01:38PM (#62487324)

    from the article: . Snap is implying that Pixy isnâ(TM)t going to be available forever.

    So if you buy it (at $250) you should assume that if you have issues you are going to be out of luck getting support.

    It's interesting that there is no local storage and I didn't see anything on how fast it will follow.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by bobm ( 53783 )

      Arrgh -- Sort => Short

    • There are plenty of other mini-drones available for similar prices or less. Just go to Amazon and search for "mini drone".

      I don't see anything new or special about Snap's drone.

      • Comment removed based on user account deletion

        • Re:Sort life. (Score:4, Informative)

          by Kotukunui ( 410332 ) on Thursday April 28, 2022 @05:16PM (#62487912)
          The Pixy only has a few options for pre-computed flight plans. It will Hover and return. Orbit and return. Reveal (back up) and return. Follow and return, Each one has a different effect on battery usage but you'll get between 5 and 8 of these pre-determined missions before it needs recharging.

          It is not a general purpose drone. It is just for pairing with Snap apps on your phone and flying pre-determined patterns around you to take photos and video of you.

          I predict they will sell as many as they can make.

          The capability limitations scoffed at by more advanced drone operators are of no concern to the target market.
          • Comment removed based on user account deletion
            • Think of it as a "hands-free selfie stick".

              Honestly, the best illustration of how it is to be used is to go to the Pixy website and watch the demo video. I doubt that I'd buy one, but for the people who live by their SnapChat feed, it is a perfect accessory.

      • There are plenty of other mini-drones available for similar prices or less. Just go to Amazon and search for "mini drone".

        I don't see anything new or special about Snap's drone.

        It's a Snapchat-quality camera until it becomes inaccessible to you.

      • The biggest thing is that it is natively paired directly to SnapChat.

        The simplicity of the controls is the next thing. Just select one of the pre-computed flight plans with a dial on the device and hit "go". You don't need to know anything about controlling a drone to make it work.

        The target market for these devices will go nuts for the Pixy, at that price point, purely because of .the SnapChat connection.
    • It has 16GB of local storage, but that is only intended as a temporary holding pattern until you transfer images/video to your phone's SnapChat app via Bluetooth.

      At the size it is and the speed it flies in the demo video, I would say anything much more than brisk walking pace will leave it floundering.

  • Narcissism (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Iamthecheese ( 1264298 ) on Thursday April 28, 2022 @02:01PM (#62487394)
    I can't believe so many devices are being sold for the sole purpose of taking pictures of oneself.

  • So I can't send it into a bank to pick up a $100 bill?
    No thanks.

  • Sn-aptly named. (Score:5, Funny)

    by fahrbot-bot ( 874524 ) on Thursday April 28, 2022 @02:21PM (#62487468)

    Snap. The sound many consumer drones make on their first landing. :-)

  • When will Flatpak respond with a comparable product?

  • I hate to be the crochety old man about this, but I can just see a bevvy of Insta Idiots running around with these things and adding to the stigma against drones that those of us who invested a lot of time, money, training, and licensing into have been fighting for many years. I really wish "drone" wasn't just another buzzword catchy toy for them to try and keep their terrible app relevant and in use. In before some teenager decides to fly one of these on an airliner and suddenly you can't transport drones

  • Just what the world needs... another crappy little drone with a cheap camera that creates footage filled with jello.

    Thanks... but no thanks.

  • The name "Pixy" is already taken. It's actually a pretty clever device, albeit somewhat niche: https://pixycam.com/ [pixycam.com]

  • I can see these things flying round in subway cars, inside restaurants or stores, even in schools :-(

    I'll swat one like a fly if it comes anywhere near me!

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