Flying iPhone Drone Wows

One of the most buzzed-about time wasters from the upcoming CES tech convention so far is a flying drone that you control—and play games with—just by tilting your iPhone. Dubbed the “AR Drone,” this snazzy 18-inch quadricopter weighs just 11 ounces, and it’s equipped with two miniature cameras that beam video back to your iPhone. The phone then turns that footage into the environment for a video game.

It’s the most promising attempt yet at what’s called augmented reality gaming—hence the “AR” in the name. “On the screen they see the tree or bush that is in the garden,” explains one executive from Parrot, the French company producing the drone, “and then suddenly a monster can jump out at them and they have to shoot it.” Early reviews are promising. “It is just awesome,” a Gizmodo editor tells the Telegraph. “This is surely every kid’s dream game.” The Consumer Electronics Show officially begins in Vegas tomorrow.
(More augmented reality stories.)