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The last year has seen a global reckoning with the effects of social media on kids. Australia banned children younger than 16 from using social media platform. Jonathan Haidts The Anxious Generation became one of the most purchased books of 2024. And former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for these platforms to create warning labels akin to those on tobacco products.Despite wide acceptance that social media can contribute negatively to childrens social and emotional well-being, families, schools, and governments have no interest in pretending these platforms will eventually fade into obsoletion. Instead, many of these entities are interested in reevaluating and placing guardrails around how children engage with online platforms.At the Fast Company Grill at SXSW earlier this month, executives from Life360, Yondr, and Yotoall tech companies that emphasize finding balance between the online and offline worldaddressed the nuances of when and how children should engage with social media.Tom Ballhatchet, vice president of creative, UX, and innovation at Yoto, is adamant that his business is not anti-tech. The companys signature product, the Yoto Player, is an audio-forward device that users can insert physical cards into to listen to stories, podcasts, music, and more. Other than a tiny display which might show illustrations or cartoon figures, the gadget is completely analog, allowing children to engage with content without the distraction of a screen.Were trying to put kids in control of their listening and learning and education, Ballhatchet said. Parents often tell us that because their kids are in control, that actually gives them a bit of independence back.Lauren Antonoff, the chief operating officer of Life360, a platform that allows families to keep track of one anothers whereabouts, echoed the idea that technology can be used to facilitate independence.Life360 isnt designed to be used actively on your phone, Antonoff said. Its designed so that you can put your phone in your pocket and go out and play ball, or go to the store, and your parents can keep an eye on you.Jennifer Betka, the chief marketing officer of Yondr, a company that makes pouches used to store phones for schools and event venues, wants children to learn about the digital world and what it looks like to practice safe behavior, while preventing overexposure and addiction to these platforms at a young age.The next generation should really be able to live life untethered and strike a healthy balance between their screens and the world around them, she said. Watch the full panel below:

Backyard hobbyists, travel vloggers, indie filmmakers, and even search-and-rescue teamsthese days, everyone wants a drone. And for good reason. A decent quadcopter can shoot stabilized 4K video from 400 feet up, map a crop field with centimeter-level accuracy, or follow a mountain biker down a trail with eerie precision. But for all the innovation in this space, theres one name stamped on nearly every controller: DJI. The Chinese giant has become the default, dominating more than 70% of the consumer drone market globally. Its products are everywherefrom tech reviews to government agenciesthanks to a head start in R&D, aggressive pricing, and polished design that somehow never feels cheap. But that ubiquity is now coming at a cost.The U.S. Department of Justice has already slapped tariffs on Chinese imports and is now eyeing an outright ban on market-leaders like DJI, citing concerns over data security and links to the Chinese Communist Party. Sound familiar? Thats because it echoes the same playbook used against Huawei. Its a geopolitical knife fight dressed in legalese, but the ripple effects hit consumers first. With DJIs future allegedly in limbo stateside, the timing couldnt be better for rivals to step up. A few already haveoffering sleek airframes, competitive sensors, and AI-powered autonomy that could give even a Mavic a midair identity crisis. Here are 5 alternative drone companies if youre looking to take to the skies without worrying about which company the US government will crack down on next.Autel Robotics (EVO Lite/Pro & EVO II Series)Autel Robotics has quietly carved out its own lane in the drone world, often flying under the radar but steadily winning over professionals and hobbyists who value performance without compromise. Based in the U.S. with manufacturing in China, Autel walks a careful geopolitical tightrope, but its hardware speaks louder than any press release. The company made a splash with its EVO series, building a reputation for rugged designs, high-end specs, and fewer restrictions compared to DJIs more tightly controlled ecosystems. Autel drones often ship with fewer no-fly zone limitations, swappable batteries, and a more open-ended user experience, which has won them a loyal following among professionals and independent creators alike, as well as notable design awards like the Red Dot Award.The EVO Lite+ and EVO II series are the standout offerings for camera-focused users. The EVO Lite+ comes equipped with a 1-inch CMOS sensor that shoots 5K video at 30fps and 20MP stills, matching the Mavic Air 2S spec-for-spec while offering better low-light performance thanks to an adjustable aperture ranging from f/2.8 to f/11. It clocks in around $899 on Amazon, undercutting some DJI models while still offering 40 minutes of flight time per charge. For creators needing more horsepower, the EVO II Pro 6K and 8K variants are where things get serious. The 8K model boasts a 1/2-inch CMOS sensor for ultra-high-res video, while the EVO II Pro steps up to a 1-inch sensor with 10-bit color and HDR support. With up to 40 minutes of flight time, omnidirectional obstacle avoidance, and a top speed of 45mph, the EVO II Pro punches directly in the same weight class as the Mavic 3 seriesand it holds its own.HOVERAir (X1 PRO & PROMAX)HOVERAir isnt trying to play the same game as the legacy drone makers. Instead of chasing altitude or brute specs, the brand has doubled down on portability, automation, and being a hands-free hovering camera. Developed by Zero Zero Robotics, HOVERAirs roots go back to 2016, when the original Hover Camera Passport made waves with its book-sized footprint and fold-out carbon fiber cage. Fast forward to today, and HOVERAirs lineup feels like a deliberate counter to the controller-heavy, app-driven drone world. Designed to be foldable so the drones can flip shut like a book and fit in your pocket; theyre made for creators who want to toss a drone into the air and have it just workno setup, no sticks, no fiddling with ISO.The HOVERAir X1 PRO takes that philosophy and runs with it. Weighing just 191.5 grams, it dodges FAA registration entirely and still manages to shoot stabilized 8K@30fps video using a 2-axis gimbal system powered by software-based image stabilization. With pre-programmed flight modes like Orbit, Follow, and Birds Eye, it leans heavily into AI, using subject tracking and gesture controls to anticipate user intent. Battery life hovers around 16 minutes, but charging is fast, and spare batteries are lightweight enough to carry in multiples. The PROMAX variant adds improved subject tracking and an upgraded camera system with better low-light performance and faster frame rates. Pricing sits around $499 for the X1 PRO and edges closer to $699 for the PROMAX, making them ideal for travel content creators, social media filmmakers, or anyone who wants cinematic drone footage without learning to be a pilot.V-Copter (Falcon Mini)V-Coptr is a name that sounds like it was ripped from a forgotten Sega Genesis title, but the engineering behind it is far from retro. Developed by Zero Zero Roboticsthe same folks behind the HoverAir X1 PRO and PROMAXV-Coptr takes an unconventional approach to drone design. Instead of the familiar quadcopter layout, it opts for a bicopter V-wing configuration, which looks more like a mini stealth aircraft than a consumer drone. This zany design drastically reduces energy consumption during hover and forward flight, giving it one major advantage over traditional four-rotor setups: endurance.The Falcon Mini, V-Coptrs latest consumer offering, pushes this advantage further. Clocking in at just 249 grams, it skirts under most drone registration limits while still offering a stabilized 4K camera thanks to a 3-axis mechanical gimbal. The unique dual-rotor design contributes to a 34-minute maximum flight timemore than what most tiny quadcopters can manage in real-world conditions, while still being fairly quiet thanks to having half as many rotors. While exact pricing hasnt been announced, the Falcon Mini competes directly with DJIs Mini 3 lineup. But the V-tail silhouette isnt the only thing that makes it stand outits power efficiency and compact form give it real-world usability that goes beyond the spec sheet.Potensic (ATOM 2)Potensic isnt a name that usually headlines drone expos or gets front-page love in tech media, but thats part of its charm. Its the kind of brand you stumble onto while scrolling through mid-range drones and suddenly realizewait, this thing checks a lot of boxes. Based in China, Potensic has been building a reputation in the budget-to-mid-tier space by focusing on functional design, accessible pricing, and solid user experience. While many of its earlier offerings skewed toward beginner drones with lightweight specs, the companys more recent push into serious consumer hardware shows its ready to challenge the segment dominated by names with bigger marketing budgets.The ATOM 2 is Potensics sleeper hit, especially for budget-conscious creators who still care about camera quality and flight precision. At just 249 grams, it skims under the FAAs registration limit in the U.S. but still packs a 4K camera with a 3-axis gimbalfeatures that used to be reserved for drones costing twice as much. It offers 31 minutes of flight time per battery, a respectable 10 km transmission range, and advanced subject tracking powered by Potensics algorithm. Video maxes out at 4K/30fps (and photos at 8K) with surprisingly crisp color reproduction and decent low-light handling for its size. What makes the ATOM 2 even more impressive is its foldable design and sub-$400 price tag, which positions it as one of the most capable ultralight drones in its class. Its the kind of gear that punches above its weight, especially for solo travelers, new pilots, or anyone who wants stabilized aerial footage without clearing out their savings account.Skydio (Skydio 2+ Series)Skydio stands out by doing what almost no other drone company dares: betting the house on AI. Based in California and staffed by veterans from MIT and Google Project Wing, Skydio doesnt try to out-spec DJI in raw camera performance. Instead, it leans hard into autonomybuilding drones that think for themselves, navigate with uncanny awareness, and follow subjects with a level of confidence that feels borderline science fiction. While their marketing sometimes gestures toward consumer use, Skydios DNA is undeniably enterprise-grade. Whether its bridge inspections, military scouting, or police reconnaissance, these drones are engineered for mission-critical tasks where GPS isnt enough and pilot error isnt an option.The Skydio 2+ might look like a compact, GoPro-sized quadcopter, but its hiding a staggering amount of tech under its matte blue frame. It uses six 4K navigation cameras to build a real-time 3D map of its surroundings, letting it dodge trees, wires, and sudden obstacles at full speedautonomously. The main camera captures 4K60 HDR video with an f/2.8 lens and a Sony 1/2.3 CMOS sensor, which isnt mind-blowing on paper, but Skydios real magic lies in how effortlessly it can track a subject through a dense forest or urban maze. Flight time hovers around 27 minutes, and the max range extends to 6 km with the upgraded Beacon or controller. While the Skydio 2+ starts at $1,099, its best experienced with the accessories that push it into $1,500$2,000 territory. This series doesnt chase cinematic aestheticsit chases reliability, precision, and trust in AI. Its the Phantoms spiritual successor for pilots who dont want to micromanage every joystick twitch.The post Looking to Ditch DJI? These 5 Alternative Camera Drones Are Worth Exploring first appeared on Yanko Design.

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An alleged project to produce a plastic version of the Apple Watch SE, primarily aimed at kids, is now thought to be stalled over design and cost issues.A plastic version of the Apple Watch SE has been rumored for years.A new report from Bloomberg backtracks on its own earlier report that Apple was planning on a next-generation Apple Watch SE that would use hard plastic rather than aluminum for the body. This was hoped to allow for a less-expensive version of the wearable to be produced.The Apple Watch SE currently retails for $249, some $50 higher than Samsung's similar low-cost smartwatch. The back case of the device was redesigned in 2022, utilizing a color-matching "nylon composite" material. Rumor Score: Possible Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Konamis Silent Hill franchise isnt for the squeamish, but Silent Hill f, the next mainline title, takes it up several notches. The reveal trailer highlighted extensive gore and disturbing elements, and according to the ESRB, thats only an appetizer for whats to come.Perhaps for that reason, the survival horror title has been refused classification in Australia by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, and the Arts. The authority didnt state as such, simply listing For further information regarding the reason for this decision, please contact us as the reason.This isnt necessarily new, as numerous titles are refused classification in the region for various reasons. Outside of the intense violence and gore, Silent Hill f features some heavy subject matter like depictions of torture, bullying, child abuse, gender discrimination, and drug-induced hallucinations.Stay tuned for more details and updates on its status in the coming months. Silent Hill f is coming to Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC (with PS5 Pro support confirmed), though a release date is pending. Check out our feature for all the relevant details.

The Apple Watch Series 10.Apple is working on adding cameras to the Apple Watch in order to enable AI features like Visual Intelligence within the next two years, according to Bloombergs Mark Gurman in todays Power On Newsletter.The cameras will be inside the display for the standard Series Watch, while the Apple Watch Ultra would feature it on the side, next to the digital crown and button, according to Gurman. With them, the Apple Watch would be able to see the outside world and use AI to deliver relevant information, which he says is also the plan for camera-equipped AirPods Apple is rumored to be working on. The Visual Intelligence features that these devices would use debuted on the iPhone 16, where it works with the phones camera to do things like add details from an event flyer to your calendar, or look up information about a restaurant. Its underpinned by AI models from other companies, but Gurman writes that Apple hopes to power the feature with its own in-house models by 2027, when he says the company plans to release these new Apple Watches and AirPods. Visual Intelligence and other AI features coming to Apples wearables would depend a lot the leadership of Mike Rockwell, who Gurman reported last week is now in charge getting the delayed Siri LLM upgrade on track. Rockwell was previously in charge of the Vision Pro and reportedly will continue to work on visionOS. That software is expected to power another Apple wearable thats likely to have a big AI component, but thats likely still several years away: AR glasses in the vein of the Orion concept that Meta showed off last year.

This is a guest column from Nintendo Life, the worlds most-visited independent Nintendo website. It covers the world of Nintendo from all angles: the games, hardware, and history with in-depth reviews and features, and also the fan community, culture, and conversation thats formed around gamings most beloved company and characters.For Nintendo fans the world over, time seems to be passing slower than ever. Since the January reveal of Switch 2 (the official Nintendo one, not the leaks weeks before) we've all been crossing days off the calendar counting down to the April Nintendo Direct, when we'll finally get a proper deep dive at the hardware, a look at new games, and perhaps even a release date. Well, hopefully.Ravenous as we are for solid Switch 2 details ones that don't come from coverage-hungry case manufacturers or a 17-second peek of a new Mario Kart there's one Im confident of: from day one, Switch 2 will be the ultimate Nintendo console.I can already sense some '?' Blocks popping off but hear me out even at this early stage it's hard to argue that Switch 2 won't be the ultimate portal for Nintendo games past, present, and future.PlayIt's largely thanks to Nintendo Switch Online and the huge, historic catalogue steadily assembled since September 2018. You get access to 182 games with a regular sub, or a whopping 290 with the 'Expansion Pack'. Its not just Nintendo games either, the 47-strong selection of SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis games covers some of that system's absolute best too. Plus the rubbish Virtua Fighter 2 port.Hey, they can't all be winners, but from classics to cult curios (seriously, check out the late-cycle Sutte Hakkun for Super Famicom if you haven't already), NSO is a vast buffet of historical video game nuggets served on a single handy device, a perfect introduction for younger gamers unfamiliar with the olden days. Grizzled vets can baulk at the idea of whippersnappers not having played Yoshi's Island or Ocarina of Time or GoldenEye>Bunker>Power Weapons - no Oddjob, but time marches on and it's only natural. NSO's boon is offering so many iconic, formative games on a platter. We can debate the quality of the emulation (and we have), but the library is impressive, despite gaps, and it's still growing.That's all before we get to backwards compatibility with the current console; its lineup of series-bests should almost all be playable on the new Switch. Calls of recency bias will ring out for a generation or two yet, but the towering quality of Breath of the Wild and its direct sequel Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario Odyssey and Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Splatoon 3, Pikmin 4, the Metroids, the Xenoblades, and more is undeniable. If they're not the pinnacle of their respective series, they're in the conversation, and they'll all almost definitely be playable on Switch 2.We're entering an era of unprecedented cross-platform support and that's another win for anybody with a Switch 2But what about third parties? What about indies? The specifics are hazy at this stage, but we're assuming that everything's coming over, so historians can still access Hamster's enormous Arcade Archives series and Digital Eclipse's masterful work on various collections, not to mention its excellent Gold Master line.The vast ocean of incredible indie games should speak for itself at this stage; one of Nintendo's greatest strengths this gen has been fully embracing the community of smaller devs. More surprisingly, Switch has also held its own with larger third-party devs, too, and signs point to that support expanding on Switch 2, and that includes games from other platform holders.Switch isn't far off becoming a brilliant PlayStation history lesson, and even first-party Sony is starting to turn up with MLB and LEGO Horizon. Throw in potential support from Microsoft with Call of Duty and rumours of other ports, plus the wider world of modern games and other firms eager to mitigate rising production costs across multiple platforms, and we're entering an era of unprecedented cross-platform support. Another win for anybody with a Switch 2.PlayThere's also the small matter of whatever Nintendo's got bubbling on the stove in its Kyoto kitchens. Internal devs have been beavering away while partner studios have handled most first-party output since Mario Wonder. I'm expecting the biggest hitters on Nintendo's bench to come out swinging in April. A 3D Mario, naturally (it's the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., remember), but anything except a full-blown 3D Zelda is possible. And there are a couple of potential Wii U ports that could tide us over nicely in the Hylian department, too.Switch sales have slowed dramatically in the last year - not unexpectedly considering the system's age (it's going into its ninth year in March). As any Captain F. Obvious can tell you, Nintendo needs the energy, excitement, and profit that new hardware generates, but day-one demand is likely to be colossal. Stockpiling inventory makes eminent sense, even if analysts, investors, and fans alike are gagging for it ASAP.Could the next mainline Mario be total toilet? Of course. Past evidence suggests it'll probably be quite good, though, and Switch 2 will likely have other quite good games. Nintendo's software batting average is quite good.Even considering that history, though, Switch is the only console I remember buying on launch day. I got a Wii in its first month, but I'd never walked out of a store carrying the new hotness on the very first day before. It worked out rather well but a day-one purchase felt like a real gamble given the fate of Wii U, even for a card-carrying Nintendophile desperate to play BOTW on the bus.Conversely, this Nintendo console feels like the surest possible bet for fans of the medium, even knowing practically nothing about its launch lineup. The historical library that took years to build up on previous systems is all just going to be there!Well, almost all. As Nintendo has mentioned (though not yet detailed), there will be "exceptions". A background graphic on its website shows various games presumably playable; the likelihood is that only outliers employing peripherals and modes involving the IR sensor will be technically incompatible. Pour one out for Labo.Beyond that, all signs point to Switch 2 being a brilliantly comprehensive overview of Nintendo history from launch day. Despite many unanswered questions, and not forgetting my professional obligation to get involved from the beginning (a golden excuse, granted), the possibility of buyer's remorse has never been lower for a Nintendo console. I've never been more eager to get stuck in on day one.Whenever that is.Gavin Lane is the Editor at Nintendo Life. Hes been flying the Nintendo flag since the 8-bit days. You can find him in the usual places as @dartmonkey.