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If you’ve been looking for a wireless outdoor camera that doesn’t need constant babysitting, the Arlo Essential Wireless Security Camera (2nd Gen) bundled with a solar panel is now at its lowest-ever price (according to price trackers)—$69.99, down from $99.99.

Arlo Essential Wireless Security Camera

$69.99
at Amazon

$99.99
Save $30.00

$69.99
at Amazon

$99.99
Save $30.00

Designed for DIY setup, it’s fully wireless, with a built-in rechargeable battery and a USB-C port in case you want to charge it manually. The camera connects over 2.4GHz wifi and records sharp 2K video with a 130-degree field of view and 12x digital zoom. It captures color video at night when the spotlight is turned on. Otherwise, it switches to black-and-white via infrared. There’s also a motion sensor, mic, speaker, and a built-in siren, which you can activate from the app or let it trigger automatically. It plays nice with Alexa and Google Assistant, and you can set up routines with IFTTT. Just note—it doesn’t support Apple HomeKit, so if you’re deep in the Apple ecosystem, this might not be for you.

That said, you’ll need an Arlo Secure subscription to access cloud recordings and smart alerts. Without it, the camera won’t store any footage, meaning you can’t view recordings—only live footage. For $7.99/month, you get 60 days of video history for one camera and smart alerts for people, packages, pets, and more. The $24.99/month Premium plan adds a 24/7 emergency response option. The mobile app is where you’ll do everything—view live feeds, set motion zones, trigger the siren, or speak through the two-way mic. It’s not the most affordable option long-term with that monthly cost, but for $70 upfront—plus a solar panel—it might be worth it if you want simple, high-quality monitoring without dealing with wires.

Drones have become an important tool in a creator’s bag of tricks, allowing them to capture aerial footage that elevates their videos. And nowadays, they’ve become more accessible as video quality and features have dramatically improved while prices have dropped.

Recent budget-friendly models include DJI’s Neo and Flip drones, along with the HoverAir X1 Pro lineup, all under $500. If you’ve got more to spend, the options are similarly plentiful with drones like the DJI Mini 4 Pro and HoverAir X1 Pro Max. And for the price of a good mirrorless camera, you can get DJI’s Mavic 3 Pro that offers awesome image quality, range and other features.

Price is obviously key, but you also need to consider features like video quality, obstacle avoidance and tracking. To help you decide which one is best for you and your budget, we’ve assembled this guide to the best drones you can buy right now, complete with models aimed at novices, professionals and filmmakers.

The best drones for 2025

What to look for in a drone

Camera features

For this guide, we’re looking only at drones that are basically flying cameras, so you want the best video and photo features possible. Bigger devices like DJI’s Mavic 3 Pro or Air 3S carry relatively large sensors, offering superior picture quality for nighttime cityscapes or other low-light scenes. Smaller models like the Mini 4 Pro and HoverAir X1 Max use smaller camera sensors, so they aren’t as good in dim light.

Field of view and minimum aperture are also important, with most drones typically having a wide-angle focal length, though a few others like the HoverAir X1 Max carry an ultrawide lens. Some models have multiple cameras including a wide and a zoom. As for aperture, lower numbers are better and allow for shooting in dim light. Most DJI models are solid in this regard, while the HoverAir models don’t perform as well.

Video resolution and slow-mo are also essential camera capabilities. Most drones these days can shoot at 4K with a frame rate of at least 30 fps, though some offer 6K or even 8K at up to 30 fps. Higher-end models can shoot 4K at up to 120 fps, allowing you to slow down the action dramatically to create a cinematic look.

Other noteworthy features include log or HDR video that supports higher dynamic range, particularly in bright and sunny conditions. Finally, the camera’s gimbal and stabilization are important factors to keep your footage looking as smooth as possible. Some drones have gimbals that can rotate the camera 90 degrees to give social media creators the maximum resolution for vertical formats.

Drone features: Speed, range, safety, battery life and obstacle detection

By and large, there are two types of camera drones to consider. The first are standard drones (usually with open propellers but not always) designed to fly outside and take scenic shots. Often there’s nothing to stop the props from striking skin or objects, so they can’t really be used indoors or around people. Some models like the DJI Neo and Flip have prop guards that better protect bystanders and property, as well as the drone itself.

Then there’s first-person-view (FPV) camera drones, which often have propeller guards and are meant to be used both indoors or outside to capture exciting footage. Standard models don’t need to go particularly fast as they’re mainly used to shoot fun videos for social media, but FPV drones need to move at high speeds to create excitement. Because of that speed, they’re also better in breezy conditions as they can fight gusts and return home more quickly. Acrobatic abilities (often promoted by the manufacturer in ads or packaging) are also important for FPV drones, as it allows the user to perform tricks and zip around obstacles.

Battery life is another important factor. The best drones boast a battery endurance of up to 45 minutes, while FPV drones like the Avata 2 can only fly for about half that time as they tend to be heavier and carry smaller batteries to reduce weight. As a general rule, a single battery isn’t enough for any serious shooting so you’d do well to buy your drone in a kit with a few batteries and a charger.

As for range, DJI tends to dominate in this area, with its latest models able to maintain a video signal at a distance up to 20km (12.4 miles). HoverAir’s models are weaker with the top-end X1 Max model limited to just 1km (0.6 miles) when using the optional beacon system. DJI also offers multiple ways to control its drones including headsets, joystick-type controllers, motion detection controllers and smartphones.

The best drones have sensors to detect obstacles in all directions. Others are limited to only avoiding obstructions coming at them from the front and some only rely on the main camera to prevent crashes. Finally, if you want to have your drone follow you around automatically, you’ll need it to be able to track you around when you’re vlogging, riding a bike or skiing, while also avoiding obstacles.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/best-drone-120046775.html?src=rss

A group of organizations, including nonprofits like LatinoProsperity and labor groups like the California Teamsters, are petitioning California Attorney General Rob Bonta to stop OpenAI from becoming a for-profit entity, The Los Angeles Times reports. OpenAI announced plans to transition to a public-benefit corporation in 2024, and reportedly has two years to pull it off or risk a large portion of the money its raised become debt.

The group’s primary concerns are that OpenAI “failed to protect its charitable assets” and is actively “subverting its charitable mission to advance safe artificial intelligence.” OpenAI started as a nonprofit research organization studying AI, but transitioned to a for-profit company that’s overseen and run by a nonprofit in 2019. 

That structure is legally allowed in the state of California, but the group’s petition claims that OpenAI’s decision to pursue a new structure is driven by a desire not to further its mission, but to provide “AI’s benefits — the potential for untold profits and control over what may become powerful world-altering technologies — to a handful of corporate investors and high-level employees.”

Engadget has reached AG Bonta for comment on the petition and will update this article if we hear back.

“Our Board has been very clear⁠ that we intend to strengthen the non-profit so that it can deliver on its mission for the long term. We’re not selling it, we’re doubling down on its work,” OpenAI told Engadget. “We look forward to the input and advice from leaders who have experience in community-based organizations on how we can help them achieve their missions, as recently announced by the creation of our advisory Commission.”

OpenAI’s primary justification for going for-profit is to raise more money. Currently, there’s nothing stopping OpenAI from convincing more people to invest, but as Engadget reported in February, it is limited in the returns it can offer investors. It wouldn’t have those limitations as a for-profit company, nor would it have to heed the demands of a nonprofit board focused on the risks of the company’s breakthroughs, rather than their utility as consumer products.

OpenAI’s board has attempted to reign in the for-profit side over the years, like pushing out Sam Altman in 2023, before he was rehired and the board was filled with new members more friendly to OpenAI’s for-profit goals. The organizations behind the petition believe that moves like that are enough justification for the AG to step in to protect the public’s interest.

The petition joins other attempts to stop OpenAI’s conversion, like Meta’s letter to Bonta claiming that OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit would “flout the law,” and Elon Musk’s attempt to buy the company.

Update 8:24PM ET: Added comment from OpenAI. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/labor-and-nonprofit-coalition-calls-on-california-ag-to-stop-openai-from-going-for-profit-212548103.html?src=rss

BrianFagioli writes: In a move that is sure to make longtime PC users do a double take, the Library of Congress has added two very unexpected sounds to its National Recording Registry. No, it’s not another classic rock album or jazz staple. Believe it or not, it’s actually the “Reboot Chime” from Windows 95 (that played when the operating system started) and the soundtrack from Minecraft!

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Shortly after its inauguration, the Trump administration has made no secret that it isn’t especially interested in funding research. Before January’s end, major science agencies had instituted pauses on research funding, and grant funding has not been restored to previous levels since. Many individual grants have been targeted on ideological grounds, and agencies like the National Science Foundation are expected to see significant cuts. Since then, individual universities have been targeted, starting with an ongoing fight with Columbia University over $400 million in research funding.

This week, however, it appears that the targeting of university research has entered overdrive, with multiple announcements of funding freezes targeting several universities. Should these last for any considerable amount of time, they will likely cripple research at the targeted universities.

On Wednesday, Science learned that the National Institutes of Health has frozen all of its research funding to Columbia, despite the university agreeing to steps previously demanded by the administration and the resignation of its acting president. In 2024, Columbia had received nearly $700 million in grants from the NIH, with the money largely going to the university’s prestigious medical and public health schools.

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Horror entertainment specialist Blumhouse is running special screenings of its movie M3GAN where audiences will be encouraged to use their smartphones. Yes, flying in the face of all the warnings and announcements to not interrupt the experience for other viewers, Blumhouse is partnering with Meta to deliver special content during screenings of M3GAN. During these one-night engagements, viewers can use Meta’s Movie Mate service to access second screen content, such as a chatbot version of the M3GAN doll, film trivia and behind-the-scenes details. Blumhouse movies Annabelle and Ma are also getting one-night engagements this spring, but those seem to be standard showings where people will get annoyed if you bust out your phone.

To take advantage of this tie-in, theater-goers start by sending a DM to the movie’s Instagram account. It will also only work for people inside participating theaters, meaning Instagram will likely require access to viewers’ location data.

“The M3GAN in-theater Movie Mate is a first-to-market moviegoer experience,” said Omar Zayat, group lead entertainment, tech, travel, gaming and auto at Meta. “We are happy to introduce filmgoers to it by way of Instagram Direct and Click-to-Messenger Ads. We are thrilled to be working with Universal Pictures and Blumhouse to deliver rich experiences designed to get audiences back into theaters.”

Buried in all that corporate jargon is an acknowledgement that movie theaters were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Possibly in an effort to encourage more business, there has been a wave of cinemas allowing or encouraging activities that would normally get you booted from the theater. AMC started hosting special sing-along showings of Wicked because some audience members apparently couldn’t stop themselves from doing their best Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande impressions. A Minecraft Movie has also seen disruptive behavior, thanks to fan reactions and the filming of fan reactions hoping to go viral.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/meta-wants-you-to-be-on-your-phone-during-special-showings-of-m3gan-220411260.html?src=rss

In the last week, the US Space Force awarded SpaceX a $5.9 billion deal to make Elon Musk’s space company the Pentagon’s leading launch provider, and then it assigned the vast majority of this year’s most lucrative launch contracts to SpaceX.

On top of these actions, the Space Force reassigned the launch of a GPS navigation satellite from United Launch Alliance’s long-delayed Vulcan rocket to fly on SpaceX’s Falcon 9. ULA, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, is SpaceX’s chief US rival in the market for military satellite launches.

Given the close relationship between Musk and President Donald Trump, it’s not out of bounds to ask why SpaceX is racking up so many wins. Some plans floated by the Trump administration involving SpaceX in recent months have raised concerns over conflicts of interest.

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Health experts took to one of the country’s leading medical journals to pen searing rebukes of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s first weeks as the country’s top health official—and they called upon their colleagues to rise up to fight the misinformation and distrust they allege Kennedy, a long-time anti-vaccine advocate, is fomenting.

From gutting federal health agencies and knee-capping critical local public health programs, to delaying a significant vaccine advisory meeting, hiring a discredited anti-vaccine advocate to conduct a vaccine study, ousting the country’s top vaccine regulator, and undermining the response to the mushrooming measles outbreak in Texas that stands to threaten the country’s measles elimination status—the researchers had no shortage of complaints.

In one article, pediatric infectious disease expert Kathryn Edwards of Vanderbilt University recounted the timeline of the measles outbreak, noting the missteps, missed opportunities, and controversial comments Kennedy made along the way. The rundown included his trivialization of the outbreak, failure to strongly advocate for vaccination, promotion of unproven treatments, like cod liver oil, and delayed responses from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which Kennedy controls.

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If you’ve been holding off on buying an OLED TV, this Samsung S90D deal on Woot might catch your eye. It’s the 55-inch 2024 model, currently priced at $1,147.99 (for three days or until it sells out), which is about $650 off its list price and roughly $50 cheaper than Amazon right now—a solid discount, especially since you get the full one-year Samsung warranty, plus free shipping if you’re a Prime member. This is also its lowest price, according to price-trackers. Just keep in mind that Woot only ships to the lower 48 states, and if you’re not a Prime member, there’s a $6 shipping fee tacked on.

Samsung S90D 55-inch OLED TV

$1,147.99

$1,797.99
Save $650.00

$1,147.99

$1,797.99
Save $650.00

This S90D model uses a WOLED panel (basically Samsung’s slightly more affordable take on OLED), which means it doesn’t hit the same brightness levels as Samsung’s priciest OLED, the S95D. The main thing you’re missing here is the fancy glare-free coating, so reflections might be an issue in sunlit rooms. But for most setups—especially dimmer spaces or nighttime streaming—you’ll still get that rich contrast and color accuracy OLEDs are known for. Reviewers at CNET mentioned it handles darker scenes really well, and it’s Pantone-validated, which means skin tones and colors should look more natural. It runs on Samsung’s Tizen OS, which has a clean interface and works with all the major apps.

You also get 4K AI upscaling that can clean up older content (though the results usually depend on the source), and a 120Hz refresh rate with four HDMI ports, including at least one with HDMI 2.1, so next-gen console owners are covered—that’s good news if you’ve got a PS5 or Xbox Series X and want low input lag with smooth motion. That said, the built-in Gaming Hub is more of a niche feature—you can stream games without a console, but you’ll still need a good internet connection and a compatible controller. Audio gets a bit of a lift with Dolby Atmos and Samsung’s virtual audio tech that follows movement on screen, but it’s still a TV—if you care about sound, you’ll still need a separate soundbar or system to get the most out of it.

When I was a kid, I was fascinated by the Powers of 10 video, which came out in the 1970s. Perhaps you remember it, with the narrator taking us both outward toward the fathomless end of the Universe and then, reversing course, guiding us back to Earth and inside a proton. The film gave a younger me a good sense of just how large the Universe around us really is.

What I did not know until much later is that the short film was made by the Eames Office, which was founded by the noted designers Charles Eames and Ray Kaiser. It’s the same organization that produced the Eames Lounge Chair. It goes to show you the value of good design across genres (shoutout to Ars’ resident designer, Aurich Lawson).

Anyway, I say all that because the Power of 10 film continues to live in my head, rent-free, decades later. It was the first thing I thought of when looking at today’s image of the Milky Way Galaxy’s center. The main image showcases huge vertical filaments, with the supermassive black hole at the galaxy’s core clearly visible. This image, captured by a South African radio telescope named MeerKAT, also shows the ghostly, bubble-like remnants of supernovas that exploded over millennia.

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