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YouTube Music rolls out 2021 Recap feature to rival Spotify Wrapped
YouTube Music rolls out 2021 Recap feature to rival Spotify Wrapped
Spotify Wrapped season is admittedly a lonely time of year for people like me who use other music streaming services like YouTube Music. While everyone else is sharing fun stats about their top artists and songs of the year, I can't help but feel a slight sense of envy. I like to console myself by saying, "Hey, you already know your number one artist is Taylor Swift and that the most listened to song is probably the 10-minute version of All Too Well." But it's still not the same as being able to share listening habits no one asked about on every social platform.
Our time has finally come, though. YouTube Music on Monday launched a feature called 2021 Recap, which shows users their top artists, songs, music videos and playlists from this year.
The Recap landing page appears on the YouTube Music app, where users can scroll to see personalized stats. You'll also see your recent music discoveries and have the option to listen to your favorite picks of the year in a personalized playlist. And yes, you'll be able to share that playlist and those stats by tapping the arrow at the bottom of the stats card.
In previous years, YouTube Music has rolled out a Year in Review playlist highlighting users' most-streamed songs and artists, but it wasn't available to everyone. This year, the company has also created playlists featuring the year's overall biggest hits and the top tracks from genres including rock, country, hip-hop and Latin.
Last week, YouTube shared its list of the top 10 music videos of the year, which includes The Weeknd's Save Your Tears and Olivia Rodrigo's Drivers License.
So, fellow YouTube Music fans, now's your chance to bombard other people's social media feeds for once. That is, if you dare to admit to using anything other than Spotify. (Being different is cool, right?)
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Make YouTube More Kid-Friendly: 5 Things Parents Can Control
Make YouTube More Kid-Friendly: 5 Things Parents Can Control
There's a ton of content on YouTube, and kids can easily spend hours wading through the ocean of videos online. From Cocomelon to gamer streams like PewDiePie and TikTok compilations, YouTube can be a video-filled playground for a kid, especially when they have access to a tablet.
So, what are parents to do? Rather than let your young kid run amok with uninhibited freedom on YouTube, you can practice restraint by activating restrictions. While there are ways to use safety settings on your Android or Apple phones or TV streaming devices, YouTube has an assortment of features that go beyond the basic set of parental controls. You can curb screen time, monitor content, block videos and more.
Read more:Best Kids' Tablets for 2022
The separate YouTube Kids app is designed to cater to younger children, but the main YouTube app offers myriad other ways to oversee what your child is watching as well, even if they're older. Here are the main tools available to parents, arranged roughly in order of easiest to most involved -- from a single toggle to setting up and using separate apps.
'Dismiss' what you don't want your kid to see
YouTube's algorithm notoriously tracks your life and what you like to watch. Then it uses that information to recommend more related -- or surprisingly random -- videos to grab your attention. Imagine how many videos kids are bombarded with after taking in the latest Marvel trailer, for example. There's a way to shut that down.
YouTube encourages parents to dismiss content they don't want their kids to see by clicking on the three dots on a video or channel and choosing "Not Interested." Such content will not pop up in their recommendation feed again. This function is available only to users of mobile phones, which may keep you on your toes when your child is checking out something that's way too mature for them.
Unlike some of the other safety options, this one isn't on autopilot and requires you to be an active viewer. It's ideal if you're watching with your kids at the doctor's office, the beach or in an Uber, where you'll learn to be quick with the dismissive clicks when autoplay is rolling.
Restricted Mode
An option that's separate from the "Not Interested" function, YouTube's Restricted Mode is a single setting that lets you hide inappropriate content. It's available on all devices, including smart TVs and tablets. From a phone or tablet, click your account profile, navigate to General and then hit the gear icon for Settings. Toggle Restricted Mode to "On." Unless you're viewing YouTube on a smart TV, you must sign in to your Google account to flip on this setting.
You can use this feature to manage videos for a child of any age, including teens. Restricted Mode is also accessible if you run a supervised account for your child.
Supervise your child's account
Introduced on YouTube in 2021, supervised accounts have been available for parents in beta mode. They operate exactly how they sound. Initially, these accounts were specifically for kids under 13, but now the feature includes older teens.
Content ratings are set by parents. Per YouTube, parents can choose from three content settings -- Explore, Explore More and Most of YouTube -- that correspond with ratings for tweens and teens. These settings apply to the main YouTube app and YouTube Music.
Explore is generally for viewers ages 9 and older. Some of the videos may contain low levels of violence, controlled substances or provocative language. YouTube also notes that educational videos about the human body or mental health are also in this grouping.
Videos under Explore More are geared toward the 13-and-over crowd. In addition to vlogs, music videos, gaming clips and other content, there may be mild profanity, violence, controlled substances and "non-explicit sexual references."
The app's Most of YouTube setting denotes videos that are for older teens, with the exception of those marked for users who are 18+ and a selection of filtered content.
Worried about ads? Supervised accounts prevent personalized ads from being shown, and certain other ads aren't allowed. Video creators are required to notify YouTube if their content spotlights product placements, so you may occasionally see these occurrences.
According to YouTube, updated features for supervised accounts now include the ability to block specific channels, and supervised experiences have expanded to eligible smart TVs and YouTube Music on Android, iOS, the web and Google Assistant on smart displays.
Head to YouTube Kids
Prefer to keep it simple for kiddos under age 13? Just set them up with a YouTube Kids account. The app is entirely separate from the main YouTube app and houses age-appropriate content that's either curated by YouTube or you, the parent. Videos are chosen and filtered by a group of parents, child experts and YouTube engineers before hitting the platform, and you still have the ability to flag or block channels and individual videos.
Additionally, parents and caregivers with Google accounts can sign in and send content directly to their kids using the YouTube Kids app. But it's the parental controls that may give you real peace of mind.
After creating kids' profiles, you're able to choose content based on age or set it up where you must approve each video. With the latter, you can select collections or specific channels for your child's viewing experience, and kids are prevented from searching for anything on the app. Parents can also set timers or track their child's viewing history. If you want to go the extra mile, you can opt to pay for a premium account to lock out any ads.
Manage YouTube with Google's Family Link app
Google isn't only YouTube's parent company, but it also owns Family Link, an app that allows users to filter content and manage screen time for kids. It's not a requirement in order to use parental controls, YouTube's supervised accounts or other safety features, but it may make your life easier.
Family Link lets you connect new or existing Google accounts for your child. For kids under age 13, you can register a new account, and Family Link allows you to use parental controls and supervision on existing accounts for children of any age. However, with the latter, your kid must consent to parental supervision in order for you to activate it. From there, you can install and activate Family Link on their individual devices and manage YouTube from your own account. Should your kids deactivate supervision on their devices, you'll receive a notification, and Android devices will lock.
Family Link is available on the YouTube website, Chromebook, iOS 11 devices and higher and certain Android devices running versions 5.0 or higher. Download the app and you'll be walked through the steps to add your child's new or existing Google account. Once the accounts are linked and sign-up is complete, your kids can log in to their devices using Family Link. From there, you can set up restrictions or lock devices for each child by simply tapping his or her name in Family Link.
With your kid's YouTube app access tethered to yours, you can then set boundaries for screen time, content or bedtime. You'll be able to monitor what videos they watch and how often, whether it's on the regular YouTube app, YouTube Kids or YouTube Music.
For more, check out Netflix's parental control features and how you can set up and use your Wi-Fi router's parental controls. Plus, here are the best apps to download to keep your kids safe online.
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Facebook Portal Plus review: A decent video-chat display marred by its maker
Facebook Portal Plus review: A decent video-chat display marred by its maker
In 2019 we reviewed Facebook's Portal, Portal Plus and Portal TV devices, video chatting displays and cameras that included fun AR, but left us scratching our head about their real practicality. We didn't feel comfortable recommending them due to Facebook's questionable data privacy issues in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica breach.
Fast-forward to today and things haven't improved for Facebook. Despite continued investigations into how Facebook uses and shares data, the company is pressing forward with new, camera-focused hardware. The $350 Portal Plus is Facebook's most expensive display. The 14-inch touchscreen comes with AR features, video chatting and a handful of streaming music and media services. Alexa is built in for smart home commands and general knowledge inquiries.
Molly Price/CNET
Even without the dark cloud of Facebook's branding hovering over the Portal Plus, it isn't a device worthy of anyone's $350. Apps are limited, controls aren't always intuitive and the dual-assistant setup of "Hey, Portal" and Alexa doesn't simplify anything. For the same (or likely less) money, you'd be better off with a tablet and folio stand or a smart display, depending on your wants and needs.
I've included two charts at the end of this review comparing tablets, displays and Portals. For now, let's dive into the details of the Portal Plus. One note: I reviewed the new, $200 Portal Go alongside this larger model and the two are extremely similar save for a few details of the physical design and of course the size and price. For that reason, several sections in this review are similar to my observations about the Portal Go.
The Portal Plus is large and looks good displaying my favorite photos.
Molly Price/CNET
Design
The Portal Plus' second generation has an entirely different look than the first. It's sleeker, with a slightly smaller 14-inch display with a 2,160x1,440-pixel resolution mounted on a rectangular speaker base. You can tilt the display up or down. A physical camera shutter and mute button offer manual privacy for the 12-megapixel front-facing camera that has a 131-degree field of view and will pan and zoom to keep you in frame.
Beneath the fabric base, a four-mic array listens for your "Hey, Portal," "Hey, Facebook" or, "Hey, Alexa" commands. Two 5-watt full range speakers and one 20-watt woofer put out plenty of sound for music, video streaming and chatting. The Portal Plus uses what Facebook calls "Smart Sound" AI to reduce background noise for the person speaking to Portal.
The first-gen Portal Plus was big and bulky, but its screen could rotate.
James Martin/CNET
The design is a sure improvement over the bulky, original Portal Plus. However, this screen can't rotate between landscape and portrait orientations.
Features
Nearly everything about the Portal Plus is identical to the Portal Go, only on a larger and corded scale. The limited amount of apps available on these two devices is a disappointment. These new Portals just doesn't do as much as any tablet or smart display and the Portal Plus costs more than many of those. There are so few apps (24 to be exact) that I can list them all right here. If I tried to do that with a tablet, Amazon Echo skills or Google Nest compatible apps and devices we would need a bigger internet. Here's the full list, in alphabetical order:
Alexa
BlueJeans
Browser
Calendar
CBS News
Deezer
Facebook Live
Food Network
GoToMeeting
iHeartRadio
Newsy
Pandora
Photo Booth
Plex
Red Bull TV
SideChef
Spotify
Story Time
Tidal Music
Watch
Webex Meetings
Workplace
Workplace Live
Zoom
The odd thing about this list is what's not on it. There aren't apps for Facebook, Instagram, Messenger or WhatsApp. Instead, features from those apps are built into various parts of the Portal experience. You can link your Instagram account to display your Instagram feed photos on the Portal Plus' ambient screen. Messenger chat rooms are used when you video-call your contacts. You can use WhatsApp to set up the Portal instead of Facebook (but doing so will disable the "Hey, Portal" voice integration).
I asked Facebook representatives why these in-house apps aren't available. Here's what they had to say:
The core use for Portal is video calling and to make it easier for people to connect with their family, friends and colleagues. You can use the web browser on Portal to access your favorite Facebook apps. People have other devices they typically use for browsing Facebook, Instagram, etc.
That makes sense. My first instinct wouldn't be to scroll Instagram on a display that isn't handheld like my phone or tablet. I probably also wouldn't choose to hunt and peck on a vertical touchscreen to reply to WhatsApp messages. All that to say, just be warned if you think this device primarily for your social media apps -- it isn't.
Facebook could add more apps to the Portal Plus with future updates. Smart displays from other brands have taken this approach. I expect this list to expand, but for now these are the only for apps available on the Portal Plus.
Video chatting
You can video chat with BlueJeans, GoToMeeting, Webex, Workplace and Zoom. Support for Microsoft Teams is in the works for later this year. Video-calling your contacts begins in the Contacts app, where you'll create a Messenger room in order to chat. The contacts available here are pulled from the WhatsApp or Facebook account you used to set up the Portal. However, if someone you want to call doesn't have a Facebook or Messenger account, you can send them a link to join the room.
The Portal Plus's AR camera and Story Time are the headlining features of this device. When you're in a video call, tapping the Experiences button brings up a menu to access Story Time, Photo Casting, Watch Together or Effects. This is where you'll find fun filters and special effect backgrounds.
Here's a collection of the weird and wacky filters you'll find in the Portal Plus Photo Booth app and in Messenger room effects.
Molly Price/CNET
Open Story Time during a call (or on your own without a call ongoing) and you'll find stories with filters and special effects that interact with the person in front of the camera. The story text appears in the top left corner of the screen and little instructions pop up here and there to show you how to initiate some special effects.
Stories include popular series like Dr. Seuss, Pete the Cat, Llama Llama, Todd Parr and Jon Burgerman. You can also select classics like Three Little Pigs, Itsy Bitsy Spider and Little Red Riding Hood. Story Time is the most fun you can have on Portal. I just wish it were available as an app on third-party devices like tablets or other displays.
Privacy
We can't really review Facebook hardware without pointing out the ongoing saga of Facebook's data and privacy issues. Dig deeper into the Portal privacy features here if you like, but these are the big takeaways.
The Portal Plus is listening for the "Hey, Portal" or "Hey, Facebook" wake word. If it detects the phrase, Portal sends a transcript and recording of that voice interaction to Facebook. Those "Hey, Portal" and "Hey, Facebook" transactions are kept on Facebook's servers for up to three years, while "false wakes" are deleted within 90 days of detection. That's if you don't take any action. If you choose to, you can review and delete your voice interactions in the Portal Plus's settings.
You could choose to disable voice interaction recording entirely in the device's settings, but it is turned on by default. If you only connect your Portal to WhatsApp on initial setup, "Hey, Portal" won't work at all, thanks to WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption.
A physical camera shutter and mute button add some peace of mind. A red light indicates the microphone is muted. The Portal Plus's camera uses AI technology that is processed locally, not on Facebook servers. The camera doesn't have any facial recognition abilities.
A physical shutter, red light and on-screen notification let you know the camera and microphones are turned off.
Molly Price/CNET
Better options
There are two ways you could approach Portal Plus alternatives, but you need to know what exactly you're after. If you're looking for a device that's great for streaming video, has thousands of apps, including social media, get a tablet.
There are plenty of 10- to 15-inch tablets available that provide a big enough screen and a good camera. Nearly any model from Samsung, Amazon or Apple will give you more features, processing power, apps for streaming and social media platforms. Treat yourself to an Apple Pencil or S Pen for Apple or Samsung models, and you've got even more options.
If you're looking for an Alexa-focused smart home screen, the Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 10 are both far better (and often more affordable) options with broader apps for streaming and video chatting. Both are often available for less than the Portal Plus' $350 list price.
The following charts compare popular tablets and smart displays with Portal Plus and Portal Go.
Portals vs. tablets
Portal Go
Portal Plus
Galaxy Tab A7
Amazon Fire HD 10
iPad (2021)
Price
$200
$350
$650
$150
from $329
Screen size
10.1 inches
14 inches
11 inches
10.1 inches
10.2 inches
Resolution
1,280x800
2,160x1,440
2,560x1,600
1,920x1,200
2,160x1,620
Camera
12 megapixels
12 megapixels
8 megapixels front, 13 and 5 megapixels rear
2 megapixels front, 5 megapixels rear
12 megapixels front, 8 megapixels rear
Physical shutter
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Field of view
125 degrees
131 degrees
80 degrees
Not listed
122 degrees
Portable
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Kid mode
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Limited (Guided Access)
Video apps
Zoom, Webex, BlueJeans, GoToMeeting, Workplace
Zoom, Webex, BlueJeans, GoToMeeting, Workplace
All available from the Google Play Store
All available from the Amazon app store
All available from the App Store
Music apps
Deezer, Pandora, Spotify, Tidal, iHeartRadio
Deezer, Pandora, Spotify, Tidal, iHeartRadio
All available from the Google Play Store
All available from the Amazon Appstore
All available from the App Store
Streaming apps
Facebook Watch, Red Bull TV, Food Network, Facebook Live, CBS News, Plex
Facebook Watch, Red Bull TV, Food Network, Facebook Live, CBS News, Plex
All available from the Google Play Store
All available from the Amazon Appstore
All available from the App Store
Smart home compatibility
Alexa
Alexa
Alexa app, Google Assistant app
Alexa
Siri, Alexa app, Google Assistant app
Internet browser
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Portals vs. smart displays
Portal Go
Portal Plus
Nest Hub Max
Echo Show 8
Echo Show 10
Price
$200
$350
$229
$100
$250
Screen size
10.1 inches
14 inches
10 inches
8 inches
10.1 inches
Resolution
1,280x800
2,160x1,440
1,280x800
1,280x800
1,280x800
Camera
12 megapixels
12 megapixels
6.5 megapixels
13 megapixels
13 megapixels
Physical shutter
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Field of view
125 degrees
131 degrees
127 degrees
110 degrees
110 degrees
Portable
Yes
No
No
No
No
Kid mode
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Video apps
Zoom, Webex, BlueJeans, GoToMeeting, Workplace
Zoom, Webex, BlueJeans, GoToMeeting, Workplace
Zoom, Google Duo
Zoom, Skype, Chime
Zoom, Skype, Chime
Music apps
Deezer, Pandora, Spotify, Tidal, iHeartRadio
Deezer, Pandora, Spotify, Tidal, iHeartRadio
Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Deezer
Apple music, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, Audible, SiriusXM, Headspace, NPR and more
Apple music, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, Audible, SiriusXM, Headspace, NPR and more
Streaming apps
Facebook Watch, Red Bull TV, Food Network, Facebook Live, CBS News, Plex
Facebook Watch, Red Bull TV, Food Network, Facebook Live, CBS News, Plex
Netflix, Youtube, CW, HBONow, Starz, Red Bull TV, Crackle
Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Food Network, Red Bull TV, Tubi
Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Food Network, Red Bull TV, Tubi
Ukraine Is Fighting Russia With Drones and Rewriting the Rules of War
Ukraine Is Fighting Russia With Drones and Rewriting the Rules of War
This story is part of War in Ukraine, CNET's coverage of events there and of the wider effects on the world.
Ukrainian nonprofit Come Back Alive has collected ammunition, rifle stands and radios to help the country's soldiers fight Russia's invasion. Last week week, it also delivered items more commonly used to pep up YouTube videos than fight a war: 24 DJI Mavic 3 drones.
"Our drones are our eyes," said one Ukrainian military officer who's worked with drones since 2015 and spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons. The Ukrainian military has no official drone unit, the officer said, but soldiers and civilians use them to see what's in the next village or along the next kilometer of road. "If Russian artillery is preparing to strike, we can shift civilians. ... It's a possibility to make a preventive strike and to save Ukrainian people."
From commercial quadcopters to fixed-wing military models, drones have proved important to Ukraine, giving its outgunned defense better chances against the huge Russian military. Early in the war, a civilian drone team called Aerorozvidka worked with military units to help Ukraine stall a convoy of armored vehicles headed toward Kyiv, the country's capital. During a nighttime ambush, the unmanned aircraft dropped small explosives on the lead vehicles, which along with mines caused a pileup. The team also helped Ukraine repel Russia's initial attempt to seize the airport near Kyiv.
Unmanned aircraft have been used in warfare as far back as 1849. Japan sent balloon bombs over the Pacific Ocean to the US during World War II. The term "drone" became mainstream when General Atomics' hulking MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper drones caught on in US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. By 2011, the US military had 11,000 of the big, expensive systems.
Rarely, however, have drones played the role they're taking on in the asymmetric war between Ukraine's low-budget forces and Russia's gargantuan military. Miniaturization has improved the cost, flight time and range of commercial drones, while Ukrainians have used military drones successfully against Russian armored vehicles that can cost millions of dollars.
Drones are rewriting the rules of war.
"The tank was key at one point," said John Parachini, a Rand Corp. military researcher. "Now drones may be the more decisive weapons system."
In 2021, the Ukrainian military conducted an exercise involving the Baykar Tech Bayraktar TB2 drone that's now being used to fight Russia's invading force.
Getty Images
Though commercial drones are useful mostly for reconnaissance, Ukraine's fleet of military drones has proved important to delivering the actual attack. The large Turkish builtBayraktar TB2 has been used to destroy Russian resupply vehicles and surface-to-air missile launchers. One Ukrainian company, UA Dynamics, makes the low-profile surveillance drone called Punisher that can carry a 4-pound bomb.
The US Defense Department has given Ukraine's military more than 700 AeroVironment Switchblade drones, a "loitering munition" model that can circle a battlefield then become a missile aimed at a target. And on Tuesday, AeroVironment said it has donated to Ukraine more than 100 Quantix drones, reconnaissance models that take off vertically like a quadcopter but then level off and fly faster with a fixed-wing design to survey for up to 45 minutes per battery charge.
Ukrainians are using about 1,000 drones in the war effort, the military officer estimated. Many are mere "toys," he said, "but we have what we have."
Sales of military drones are expected to increase about 7% per year, to $18 billion in 2026 up from $13 billion in 2021, according to Business Research Company.
US drone makers get involved with Ukraine
Other US drone makers are delivering drones to Ukraine for humanitarian or noncombat uses:
Draganfly has sold 10 drones and donated three more for delivering blood, vaccines, antibiotics, insulin and other medical products that must be refrigerated. Partners for that work include Coldchain Delivery Systems and Revived Soldiers Ukraine. Some are being fitted with lidar and magnetometer sensors to detect landmines, too. Draganfly plans to send 200 drones by August, said CEO Cameron Chell.
Aquiline Drones has donated 40 of its $3,000 Spartacus Hurricane drones to Ukraine for inspections, search and rescue, and sending relief items like medication and water, said CEO Barry Alexander. With a boost from donations, it hopes to send 1,000 of the drones to Ukraine.
Skydio, whose drones dodge trees and houses using autonomous navigation , has donated dozens of drones and training worth about $300,000 in total to support humanitarian and relief efforts in Ukraine, said CEO Adam Bry.
Though Skydio focuses on commercial uses, it also sells drones to the US Army for surveillance.
"If you're taking fire, the first thing you do is take cover and understand where the fire is coming from," said Chuck McGraw, who leads Skydio's federal sales and deployed drones as a Navy SEAL in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world. "You can pop up a drone in 60 seconds or less and put eyes on the threat."
Drones meet counter drones
The Russians have their own drones and air defense systems for counteracting Ukrainian drones. Ukrainian photos show that Russians have the same DJI Mavic 3 drones Ukraine is using. But when it comes to Russian military drones, careful accounting in the open-source intelligence movement has shown significant losses, with 26 downed or captured Russian drones so far.
"The Russians are a little behind in this game, and the Ukrainians have proved extremely inventive," Rand's Parachini said.
The drone advantage in Ukraine isn't permanent, as militaries add new abilities to destroy drones or jam the radio transmissions they rely on. And though Russian air defense systems apparently didn't work as well as expected in Ukraine, militaries are investing in counter-drone technology, Parachini said.
Drones are dangerous to use in war, the Ukrainian officer added. Enemy forces can fire on operators when they see a drone take off and can use DJI's AeroScope technology to locate drones.
"In Ukrainian we have a joke: Every time we have a new mouse, someone will construct a new mouse catcher," the officer said.
DJI didn't respond to a request for comment but tweeted in response to Ukrainian criticism that military use of its drones is "inappropriate."
Expect the technological escalation to continue. One likely development is developing swarms of many interlinked drones that collectively will be harder to track and completely foil.
"You swarm 5,000 drones at $2,000 each into an area," said Draganfly's Chell. "How do you stop it?"
AeroVironment military drones head to Ukraine
Drones can occupy a middle ground between human piloted aircraft and missiles. AeroVironment's Switchblade 300 and 600 models are "loitering missiles" that unfold their wings like a pocket knife with a lot of blades and can stay airborne until a targeting system tells them where to go.
The 300 weighs 5.5 pounds, fits into a backpack and is launched from a compact tube. It can fly for 15 minutes – covering more than 6 miles – before colliding into its target. The 50-pound Switchblade 600 is designed for more serious targets like armored vehicles. It can fly up to 25 miles and loiter for 40 minutes.
AeroVironment also sells the Puma line of reconnaissance drones that can stay aloft for as long as six and a half hours. After being launched with a throw, catapult or truck, they can be used to spot targets and transfer coordinates wirelessly to Switchblades for an attack.
"A two-person team with a Switchblade drone can be miles away and take out a $50 million piece of equipment with five people in it," said Michael Robbins, head of government affairs for a US industry group called the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.
The US military began by sending 100 Switchblades to Ukraine in late March as part of an $800 million military aid package, then announced a further $300 million package on April 1 that includes both Pumas and Switchblades.
The Pentagon declined to comment on which models, but the latter package includes Switchblade 600s, according to Bloomberg. AeroVironment declined to comment for this story.
AeroVironment's fixed-wing Quantix Recon drones fly faster than conventional quadcopters and can survey more than a half square mile of area in a 45-minute flight. AeroVironment is helping with training to use the drones, too, and the US military is delivering them.
"This donation will provide operators with a tool that can fly undetected by enemy forces and unaffected by radio frequency jammers to deliver accurate and rapid reconnaissance of remote, inaccessible areas," AeroVironment CEO Wahid Nawabi said in a statement.
One advantage of fixed-wing drones is they fly faster and are therefore much harder to shoot down than quadcopters, the Ukrainian officer said.
The Turkish Bayraktar TB2, with a 40-foot wingspan, can navigate without GPS and carry laser-guided munitions. They cost about $1 million each, Robbins said.
"The Bayraktar TB2 has been used to fairly devastating effect against ground forces," Robbins said. "It's become a rallying cry in Ukraine."
The huge drone has become so successful in frustrating the Russians that a Ukrainian company is selling stuffed toy versions. And it's inspired a music video to sing its praises.
"Russian bandits are made into ghosts by Bayraktar," says a translation of the lyrics.
