With few events this week, it should have been quieter in the tech world. Then the US government had to start moving towards a ban on DJI drones, which could have major consequences for both amateur and professional photographers.
In addition to this, we saw the launch of CoPilot+ PCs with dedicated NPUs for AI tasks, a The legend of Zelda game that finally has Zelda as the protagonist, and professional comedians tested AI's joke-writing skills. Spoiler: they weren't good.
So let's get into this week's top stories and be sure to come back next Saturday for another ICYMI news roundup.
7. DJI drone ban in the US is one step closer
The US government's penchant for banning technology and innovation from hostile countries is spreading beyond TikTok and to steering wheels, or more precisely, to DJI drones.
If you fly a drone in the US, you use a DJI drone or know them. The China-based company essentially built the drone market in the United States and owns about 75% of it. Now, however, there is a bill in the halls of Congress that could ban the sale and use of DJI drones in the United States.
The reasoning is simple. Companies that operate in China or are deeply affiliated with the communist country are often forced to share their data and technology with the Communist Party government. For the United States, that's a huge red flag, and now officials are getting serious about, as you might say, protecting Americans from spying eyes.
When it comes to drones, you can almost understand the US government's concern. Flyers communicate not only with pilots on the ground but also with the cloud, sometimes transmitting data about location and other details. DJI, by the way, recently disabled this last feature.
As for what's next, pay attention to the case of TikTok. The social media company just filed a huge brief calling its possible ban “unconstitutional.” If TikTok wins, that could bode well for DJI's chances of avoiding similar actions.
6. The Copilot+ PC era began when the first laptops hit stores.
AI has been literally everywhere in technology recently, and this week we saw the launch of the first CoPilot+ PCs: computers with a dedicated Qualcomm Neural Processing Unit (NPU) that can perform a variety of AI tasks locally.
Lenovo, Samsung, HP, Dell, and Microsoft have all released CoPilot+ models, and while the AI couldn't do everything for us when we tested them, it at least helped us, appropriately, as a co-pilot.
If you want to try them out, demo stations should be available at your local big box tech store (we've seen them at stores like Best Buy) and it's worth visiting one to see what this AI hype is all about.
5. Nintendo finally gave us a Zelda-led game
A common gaming meme is that people unfamiliar with the series often assume that Zelda is the name of the main protagonist of The Legend of Zelda games. Finally, they will be correct as Echoes of wisdom was announced for September 26 at this week's Nintendo Direct with the eponymous princess finally starring.
During the presentation, we were also able to see a new trailer for Metroid Prime 4 beyond and Mario and Luigi: brotherhoodas well as the announcement that Nintendo Switch Online would receive four new games, all of which were released on the day of the show.
This includes Metroid Mission Zero, perfect darkness, Turokand The legend of Zelda: a link to the past – which includes an online multiplayer version of the original four swords game – starring our usual hero Link (and in four swords, four of him).
If you're sweating about losing your job one day to an AI chatbot, it might be time to try stand-up comedy. This week, a new study revealed just how bad ChatGPT and Google Gemini are when it comes to pranks; in fact, they make C-3PO look like a comedic genius.
The Google DeepMind study followed the experiences of 20 comedians, who attempted to use their preferred AI assistant to create stage-worthy material. The results were largely bland tropes similar to “1950s cruise ship comedy material, but a little less racist.” So humor is still largely a beta feature for AI assistants, which is a relief.
3. Pentax launched a new film camera.
We had the Pentax 17 in our hands, the first film camera from one of the biggest names in analog photography in over twenty years. It is a new compact half-frame point-and-shoot developed by Pentax engineers past and present. It comes almost two years after the Pentax Film Project was announced, with one goal: to develop film cameras for the current generation of TikTok.
Half frame gives you twice as many shots as a normal roll of 35mm film, in portrait format with an old-school style, ideal for social events. And the retro camera itself gave us the feels: touch controls, audible feedback from the film crank, and a great little viewfinder showing zone focus mode and image area – a clever design.
It took us a little while to get used to the Pentax 17, and at $500 £500 it's quite expensive, but after prolonged use, it has won us over. It makes a lot of sense for today's market, where film photography is all the rage. We expect the Pentax 17 to be a very popular camera.
2. Fujifilm introduced the Instax Wide 400 camera
Fujifilm announced a replacement for its decade-old Instax Wide 300 with the new Instax Wide 400, the largest in its instant camera range ahead of the Square and Mini.
If you're looking to photograph events with many guests, such as a wedding, the 99 x 62 mm (3.9 x 2.44 in) prints are ideal for including everyone in the frame. And while we think instant printers might be better for most people (since you can print the photos you choose from your smartphone instead of risking an instant camera click), there's something delightful about these types of cameras. .
So if you're looking to buy one, you should know that it'll set you back $149.99/£129.99 (Australian prices TBA). Meanwhile, Instax Wide film packs start at $18.99/£16.99 for a double pack of 10 regular colored sheets.
1. Xreal created a smartphone for its AR glasses
This week Xreal announced the Beam Pro. While it looks like a smartphone, complete with a 6.5-inch 2K LCD touchscreen and dual 50MP cameras on the back, it's not.
Instead, it's designed as a companion to Xreal's AR smart glasses, so you have a guaranteed way to stream games and shows to the immersive portable HD theaters that Xreal has created, like the Xreal Air 2.
Best of all, the Beam Pro costs just $199 / £189 for the 6GB RAM / 128GB storage model, while the 8GB RAM / 256GB storage model will set you back $249 / £239. Pre-orders are now available on XREAL.com for the US and UK; Availability and pricing for Australia is TBC.
