Critique : Parrot AR.Drone Wi-Fi Quadricoptère pour iPhone, iPod touch + iPad
Just released in Europe and coming shortly to the United States, Parrot’s AR.Drone ($300) is billed as a “Wi-Fi Quadricopter” and “the Flying Video Game” — two pitches that don’t do justice to what Parrot has accomplished in this first-generation product. Debuted at CES earlier this year, AR.Drone is a hovercraft-like flying device that you control using an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad using a free application called Free Flight over Wi-Fi, enabling you to look through the battery-powered copter’s two on-board cameras as it flies, with additional game apps expanding the truly novel entertainment experience. Though AR.Drone has a couple of major weak spots, particularly in the battery department, it’s impressive enough that gadget fans and early adopter types may want to take it for a spin anyway.
