NFTs explained: Why people spend millions of dollars on JPEGs

NFTs explained: Why people spend millions of dollars on JPEGs

Take a quick look at the image to the right. What, if anything, could convince you that image is worth $9 million?

Richerd/OpenSea

What you're looking at is an NFT, one of the first ever created. It's part of the CryptoPunks collection, a set of 10,000 NFTs released in 2017, a time when much of the world was still finding out what bitcoin is.

Most likely you've already rolled your eyes, either at the $9 million figure or at the very idea of NFTs themselves. The response to nonfungible tokens hasn't changed much since March when they first started exploding. The public at large has reflexively dismissed them as environmentally harmful scams. The bigger the sale, the more brazen the injustice. 

Which brings us back to the above pixelated chap. Its owner is Richerd, an affable Canadian software developer. He started building cryptocurrency software around 2013, but eventually tired of it. After discovering NFTs earlier this year, Richerd bought CryptoPunk #6046 on March 31 for $86,000 in what he said was the biggest purchase he'd ever made in his life.

Richerd, who has over 80,000 followers on Twitter, last month claimed that his CryptoPunk was priceless to him and wasn't for sale no matter the price. The very next day his determination was tested when an offer came through for 2,500 ether, or $9.5 million. It was made not because Richerd's CryptoPunk is worth that amount -- similar NFTs now go for about $400,000 -- but rather because his bluff was very publicly being called. It was a challenge, but it was still a legitimate offer. If Richerd clicked "accept", 2,500 ether would have flowed into his wallet.

Richerd rejected the offer. 

"Well, obviously, the day before I said 'I'm not selling it for any price,' so if I sell it for that price, I'd be going against my integrity," Richerd told me over a Zoom call. "On top of that, I've used this CryptoPunk as my profile pic, as my brand. Everyone knows that's me."

Not too long ago, Richerd's explanation would have sounded insane to me. How divorced from reality would someone need to be to offer eight figures on a picture that looks like a Fiverr job? How scandalously misguided would a person need to be to rebuff that offer? After I spent a few months researching and following NFTs, however, it doesn't surprise me in the slightest. In fact, it makes a whole lot of sense.

There are 10,000 NFTs in the Bored Ape Yacht Club collection. Here are three examples. The middle one is owned by Jimmy Fallon.

Yuga Labs

Bitcoin millionaires

Here is one quick fact that explains why NFTs are bought for the equivalent of a CEO's salary: Bitcoin is estimated to have made over 100,000 millionaires. It's no surprise that NFTs became a phenomenon in March. That's when bitcoin hit $60,000, up over 500% from just six months prior. 

When you see a headline or a tweet about some preposterous sum being spent on an NFT, it's easy to become bewildered over how absurd that purchase would be for you. What's easy to forget is that very expensive things are almost exclusively bought by very rich people -- and very rich people spend a lot on status symbols. 

Take Bored Ape Yacht Club, for example. It's a collection of 10,000 ape NFTs, all with different traits that make some rarer than others. Rare ones have sold over for over a million bucks, but common variants go for around $200,000. (At the time of launch back in April, BAYC developers sold the NFTs for $190 each.) BAYC, owned by the likes of Steph Curry and Jimmy Fallon, is what you'd call a "profile pic collection." The main purpose of the images is to be used as your display photo on Discord, where most NFT business goes down, or on Twitter, Instagram or wherever else. 

To recap: $200,000 minimum for a profile picture. 

In isolation, that's insane. But place it on a spectrum of how wealthy people spend money, and it becomes less staggering. You can right click and save a JPEG, so why spend money on it? Well, you can buy a nice house in a safe neighborhood almost anywhere in the world for $1 million, yet celebrities regularly snap up $20 million mansions. You can find a fashionable dress for under $500, yet brands like Chanel build their business on selling ones for 20 times that amount.

Up to 100,000 people became millionaires when that green line shot skyward. 

coinmarketcap.com

We accept that rich folks buy extravagant items offline. Is it so inconceivable they would buy extravagant things online, too?

"In the real world, how do people flex their wealth?" said Alex Gedevani, an analyst at cryptocurrency research firm Delphi Digital. "It can be buying cars or watches. How scalable is that versus if I buy a CryptoPunk and use it as my profile picture?"

Obviously, status symbols aren't specific to the rich. All of us indulge in some way or another, be it buying a $20,000 new car when a $7,000 used vehicle will do, or buying a $30 T-shirt when Walmart sells basics for under $5. What most status symbols have in common is that they have a specific audience in mind. The banker sporting his Rolex and the chief executive stepping into her Bentley don't care that I think either of those purchases is excessive. They have a small but powerful group of people they're trying to influence. So, too, with NFTs. 

In the case of Richerd, he runs his own business, Manifold, where he helps show digital artists like Beeple how they can use blockchain technology to make art that could only exist as NFTs. Being a part of the most sought-after NFT collection helps in those circles. And when he says his brand is built on his Punk, he's not exaggerating -- a group of investors even named their organization after him.

"Anybody who owns a CryptoPunk believes certain things," Richerd explained. "Either you've been in the community for a long time so you believe in what these are, or you've paid a lot of money to get in, which shows conviction.

"I want to show my conviction. This is one of those projects that makes you put your money where your mouth is." 

A bit of trouble

NFTs are polarizing. There's a small group of people who believe in the underlying technology (tokens that prove ownership of a digital good), but there are many more who regard it as a hoax. Just as the second group struggles to see any value in NFTs, the first group can sometimes be defensive about the technology's imperfections.

And make no doubt about it, there are a lot of issues with NFTs. 

First is the confounding inaccessibility. There's a reason software developers tend to do well in crypto and NFT trading: Setting up blockchain wallets and other required digital apparatus is difficult. Even just buying and selling can be perilous. Send money to the wrong wallet address by accident, and it's gone forever.

Then there are the fees. Imagine you're interested in dipping your toes into nonfungible waters and you have $1,000 you're willing to lose. If you're minting a new NFT during a public sale you'll usually spend between $120 and $400. Not too bad -- until you factor in the transaction fees. Most NFTs are built on the ethereum blockchain, which is notoriously inefficient. The more people using ethereum, be it through trading altcoins or buying NFTs, the higher the fees. At a good time you'll spend about $100 per transaction, though double or triple that amount is common. Suddenly that $1,000 doesn't go very far. 

This is especially troublesome for NFTs, which are infamous for causing "gas wars." It's possible for 100,000 people to buy shiba inu coins at once, since there are a quadrillion in circulation. But when 10,000 people try to buy an NFT, it results in a massive spike in transaction costs as some users outbid each other to speed up their purchase. It may only last a minute or two, but a lot of damage can be done in that time. People spending over $10,000 on a transaction fee isn't rare. People losing $1,000 on a failed transaction isn't, either.

This is what it looks like when someone spends $4,000 on a failed transaction. It's rare, but not rare enough. 

Etherscan screenshot by Daniel Van Boom

Ethereum's inefficiency also contributes to the other major criticism of NFTs, the massive amount of energy they consume. Note that this is something of a semantic issue: NFTs aren't bad for the environment as much as ethereum is. Other networks, like Solana, use a fraction of the power. Ethereum developers are expected to implement an upgrade next year that will make mining it consume 1% the energy it currently does. At this moment though, while no one can say precisely how much energy ethereum consumes, we know it's a lot. (Bitcoin, despite getting all the headlines, is even less efficient than ethereum, which is why almost nothing is built on its blockchain.)

And finally, there's the fact that most people trading NFTs are doing so to make a profit. Scams are everywhere, and prices are volatile. Most of the people who create, buy and sell NFTs are ignorant or uninterested in the technology. If there is a technological leap taking place, it's likely to be obscured by the dizzying price movements.

"I'd call it a bubble," Gedvani said, "because the amount of speculators that are entering the market is outpacing genuine creators." 

But a bubble can pop and leave something better in its wake. Think of Pets.com. It had a peak valuation of $290 million in February 2000 but by November of that year, as the infamous dot-com bubble began to burst, it had already closed shop. It's used as a cautionary tale for speculative trading in bubbles. But the impulse to invest in Pets.com evidently ended up being justifiable. That particular venture was misguided, but the e-commerce trend it was flicking at was legitimate. Seven-figure pixel art may not be forever, but proof of digital ownership, which is what NFTs are really about, may be. 

A big 2022

Where NFTs will end up is anyone's guess -- and anyone who claims to know is probably trying to sell you something. What we do know is that the amount of people buying NFTs is almost definitely about to grow.

It's estimated that around 250,000 people trade NFTs each month on OpenSea, the biggest NFT marketplace. In the short term, CoinBase will soon open its own NFT marketplace, for which 2 million users are on the waiting list. Robinhood has similar plans.

More importantly, giant companies that already make money outside of the crypto space want in. Niantic, the company behind Pokemon Go, has just announced a game in which players can earn bitcoin. Twitter and the company formerly known as Facebook plan to integrate NFTs into their platforms, and Epic Games says it's open to doing so too. Envision a world where instead of buying skins in Fortnite, you buy an NFT for those skins that you own -- meaning you can trade it for outfits and weapons in other games, or sell it once you're done with it. (Epic said it won't integrate such a mechanic into Fortnite, but that may not stop competitors.) 

Richerd reckons the flood of people soon to enter the NFT marketplace will create a broader diversity of digital products sold for different audiences. Your neighbor might not want to spend $200 -- much less $200,000 -- on a profile picture, but maybe they'll be willing to spend $10 on a one-of-a-kind skin, or on a product in Facebook's Metaverse. But though the space may change, he remains confident that CryptoPunk #6046 is safe for a while yet. 

"Even if every NFT falls," he said, "CryptoPunks will be the last one."

---

Source

Tags:

• Why Do People Like Nfts
• Why Do Nfts Exist
• How Are People Making Money With Nfts
• Why Do People Invest In Nfts
• Can You Make Millions From Nfts
• Why Are Nfts So Expensive
• Why Are People Buying Nfts
• Everything I Need To Know About Nfts
• All You Need To Know About Nfts
• Nfts Explained
• Nfts Explained Simply

Motorola Razr 2020 review: The iconic flip phone has done it again, this time with 5G

Motorola Razr 2020 review: The iconic flip phone has done it again, this time with 5G

The new Motorola Razr 2020 addresses most of the issues I had with the Razr (2019) that came out in February. Overall it's a better phone. The new Razr gets a slew of upgraded specs, but lacks the top of the line ones found in the Motorola Edge Plus and Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. But neither of those phones can fold into something incredibly small.

With the Razr you're paying $1,400 (£1,399, which is about AU$2,470) for a foldable screen. And that's important to remember because there isn't wireless charging or a high refresh rate display, or a gigantic battery or IP-rated water and dust resistance, or a headphone jack or headphones or the most powerful Snapdragon processor. If you want to fold a 6.2-inch phone into something the size of a small drink coaster in 2020, you're going to pay a lot of money. 

The Razr's refined foldable flip phone feels fantastic to use. With the new cameras, addition of support for 5G and all the useful enhancements to the external display, the Razr feels like a "normal" phone that can do "normal" everyday stuff with its "anything but normal" foldable build. If I were to compare the Razr to a car, it would be a fun two-seat convertible.

But not everything is rosy with this new Razr. The speaker in the chin is OK, but doesn't produce great-sounding audio at louder volumes. The glass on the back of my review unit has accumulated a few scuffs over 10 days. They're barely visible, but they're there. A case could have prevented these and Motorola will sell a nifty $50 case for the Razr.

Also, when I opened and closed my 2019 Razr review unit in February it made this weird loud squeak. For the most part, this new one didn't. I say for the most part because when I was filming the unboxing video for the Razr, I didn't hear a squeak. But when reviewing the footage, one of my video producers noticed that my mic picked up a small squeak.

Aside from the squeak (more on that below) my experience overall has been good with the new Raz. I have to give Motorola a ton of credit for all the changes and implementations they made.

As far as the price, this isn't a phone for everyone, especially with the financial hardship so many people are enduring right now. If you were seriously considering the Motorola Razr (2019) and didn't get it and you have the cash, you should consider this version. It's a refinement in nearly every way over that phone. But know that you're paying a lot of money for a phone that folds in half.

The body of the new Razr is made of aluminum and Gorilla Glass 5.

Patrick Holland/CNET

The new Razr's aluminum and Gorilla Glass 5 body feels solid

During my time with the new Razr, I used it like a regular phone. I didn't feel the need to be careful with it. I wiped the foldable screen on my jeans. I keep the phone in my pocket or in my bag.

Some of that assurance comes from its build. When you close the phone, the sides sit flush, encompassing and protecting the display. But some of that is my perception. I want to be confident that if the Razr is in a pocket with my house keys, that it won't get destroyed. That confidence and trust is huge, and I didn't feel that all-the-time when I reviewed the 2019 Razr. 

The new Razr is built from aluminum and Gorilla Glass 5 and feels solid compared to the prototype feel of the February version. Also that plastic back is gone!

To reinforce the phone's robustness, Motorola invited me to visit one of their testing labs and see one of the 40 different testing machines it uses to test the Razr (wearing a mask and socially distanced, of course). I got to see a machine that folds the Razr in half to simulate years of use in just a matter of days. The idea is most people will never fold this phone enough to hit Motorola's 200,000-fold lifespan.

Read more: Motorola claims the Razr can fold 200,000 times. We get a peek at how the phone is tested

This is one of four new Motorola Razr phones on a machine that opens and closes it once every four seconds. Over the course of 10 days the phones will be folded 200,000 times.

Patrick Holland/CNET

My time with the Razr has largely been squeak-free… until Friday. I don't know if it's the humidity or what, but there's a little squeak anytime I open or close it. The only time I don't hear it is when I flick the Razr open one-handed. The squeak isn't as loud as the 2019 Razr. But when I hear it, I feel conflicted. I feel disappointed.

I asked a friend how they felt about the squeak and they said it didn't bother them. I guess when it comes to screen notches, foldable screen creases and now foldable phone squeaks, some of you will get used to these things while others will be wildly annoyed. 

I should add that the squeak comes from the hinge mechanism, but doesn't indicate any mechanical problems.

Quick View display separates the Razr from the Galaxy Z Flip 5G

Perhaps my favorite feature is the Quick View display which got a lot more useful with the new Razr. Fundamentally this is where the Razr and the Galaxy Z Flip couldn't be more different. There are basically three modes to the outside display: The first is a Peek Display mode that lets you see notifications just by pressing and holding on an icon. The next is like a Peek Display plus mode where you can press and hold an icon, then swipe up to reveal multiple notifications and respond to them. The keyboard basically takes up the entire screen, but after a few uses I got better at typing on it.

But it's the third mode -- let's call it mini-Android mode -- where the true power of the Quick View display gets unleashed. When the Razr is closed and unlocked, you can swipe down to get to the control panel, swipe up to see something similar to the notification shade, swipe to the left to go to the camera and swipe right to see a grid of apps and swipe to the right again, to see contact favorites.

The Quick View display on the Razr is officially the smallest screen I've ever played PUBG Mobile on.

Patrick Holland/CNET

The phone can curate a list of apps that work well on the smaller external screen. Apps like Gmail, YouTube and Messages can be used complete with a mini keyboard. Also, you can go back and forth between the Quick View display and the interior display and pick right up where you were at.

You can also do what I did and go into the Manage apps setting and turn on unlimited which allowed me to try pretty much any app I wanted on the Quick View display. So I decided to try PUBG Mobile. I could barely make out the controls, but it is possible to play PUBG on the Quick View display. I also played Alto's Odyssey and Super Mario Run. Not every app is optimized for that small of a display. But this iteration of the Quick View display marks an enormous step in the right direction for Motorola.

Razr has a new 48-megapixel main camera

Then there are the cameras both of which got a solid upgrade. The selfie camera atop the internal display is much better and works great for Zoom meetings and taking selfies. Though video recording on the selfie camera does top out at 1080p.

The exterior camera has 48-megapixels and uses pixel-binning to create good 12-megapixel photos. This camera is much better than the 2019 Razr. And thanks to the optical image stabilization and a time-of-flight sensor, I got an acceptable rate of in-focus and sharp photos.

The HDR mode works rather well without it being too heavy-handed. It kept the faded blue of the pickup just right.

Patrick Holland/CNET

This was taken with the digital zoom at 2x. It's remarkable the detail it was able to capture. It also shows off the lens' natural bokeh.

Patrick Holland/CNET

Here's another photo where the Razr went into HDR mode.

Patrick Holland/CNET

This is a selfie I took with the exterior 48-megapixel camera with the phone closed.

Patrick Holland/CNET

But the Razr's cameras are not on the same level as the iPhone 11 or Google Pixel 4A. Unless Motorola added a Note 20 Ultra-sized camera bump onto the Razr (please don't do that) there is only such room for a sensor and lens inside something this small.

Low-light and zoomed in photos are soft and look like a painting because of noise reduction. There is a Night Vision mode that can help, but I find it works best in medium-to-low lighting versus situations where it's dark.

Here is a 5x digital zoom of the John Hancock building off in the distance. The details are definitely soft.

Patrick Holland/CNET

This photo was taken in the regular photo mode.

Patrick Holland/CNET

This photo was taken with Night Vision. This is the best Night Vision photo I took with the Razr. That said, the sky looks painted on.

Patrick Holland/CNET

The main camera also shoots 4K video and the quality is decent. Video definitely doesn't have the same dynamic range as photos and suffers from image noise and artifacts. But I'm happy with the clips I was able to record. Check some out video clips I shot below:

OK battery life, sub-6 5G and Snapdragon 765G

Motorola claims a benefit of using the Quick View display more is it doesn't tax battery life as bad as using the main display. And that's good news. In my use, the new Razr gets me barely through a day. I typically find myself topping off at dinner time. And that's while I'm connected to 5G. I'm getting about 7 hours, 30 minutes of screen-on time and in a test with continuous video playback on Airplane mode the Razr lasted 15 hours, 53 minutes, that's 1 hour, 50 minutes more than the 2019 Razr lasted in the same test. And that's 53 minutes more than the Galaxy Z Flip.

The new Razr has a larger battery than the 2019 Razr and some of that is to compensate for use on 5G, which can eat up battery life. The Razr can work on sub-6 flavors of 5G like on AT&T and T-Mobile. I've been testing this Razr on T-Mobile's 5G here in Chicago. Sometimes I get speeds over 100Mbps for downloads (that's outdoors) and other times I get speeds that are 4.55Mbps (that's also outdoors). Both of those results were well within the 5G coverage on T-Mobile's map and speaks more to T-Mobile's 5G network than it does the phone.

Powering all this is 8GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 765G processor. There will be some who will write the new Razr off because it doesn't have a Snapdragon 865 processor. But as we've seen in other Android phones this year, the 765G is a solid processor. In the Razr, it handled gaming, videos, photo edits, multitasking really well. And in benchmark tests, the Razr scored right on par with the LG Velvet.

3DMark Slingshot Unlimited

Motorola Razr (2020)

Motorola Razr (2019)

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Geekbench v.5.0 single-core

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Geekbench v.5.0 multicore

Motorola Razr (2020)

Motorola Razr (2019)

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Even with all these improvements, it's hard to recommend a $1,400 especially one that is still very much a concept waiting to live up to its hype in the real world. The same can be said about the Galaxy Z Flip 5G. That said, I'm excited for Motorola and hope they make as big a step forward with the next Razr as the company did with this one.

Motorola Razr (2020) specs verus Motorola Razr (2019), Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2

	Motorola Razr (2020)	Motorola Razr (2019)	Samsung Galaxy Z Flip	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2
Display size, resolution	Internal: 6.2-inch, foldable pOLED; 2,142x876p pixels (21:9) / External: 2.7-inch glass OLED, 800x600-pixels (4:3)	Internal: 6.2-inch, foldable pOLED; 2,142x876p pixels (21:9) / External: 2.7-inch glass OLED, 800x600-pixels (4:3)	Internal: 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED; 2,636x1,080-pixels / External: 1.1-inch Super AMOLED; 300x112-pixels	External 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED; Internal: 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED; External: 2260 x 816 pixels Internal: 2208 x 1768
Pixel density	373ppi (internal screen)	373ppi (internal screen)	425ppi (internal) / 303ppi (external)	386ppi + 373ppi
Dimensions (Inches)	Folded: 2.86x3.61x0.63 in, Unfolded: 2.86x6.66x0.31 in	Unfolded: 6.8x2.8x0.28 in / Folded: 3.7x2.8x0.55 in	Folded: 2.99x3.44x0.62 ~ 0.68 in / Unfolded: 2.99x6.59x0.27 ~0.28 in	Folded: 2.67x6.26x0.6 in (Hinge) ~ 0.54 in(Sagging), Unfolded: 5.04x6.26x0.27 in(Frame) ~ 0.23 in(Screen)
Dimensions (Millimeters)	Folded: 72.6x91.7x16mm, Unfolded: 72.6 x 169.2 x 7.9mm	Unfolded: 172x7 2x6.9mm / Folded: 94x72x14mm	Folded: 73.6x87.4x15.4 ~17.3 mm / Unfolded: 73.6x167.3x6.9 ~ 7.2 mm	Folded: 68.0x159.2x16.8mm (Hinge) ~ 13.8mm(Sagging), Unfolded: 128.2x159.2x6.9mm(Frame) ~ 6.0mm(Screen)
Weight (Ounces, Grams)	6.77 oz; 192g	7.2 oz; 205g	6.46 oz; 183g	9.95 oz; 282 grams
Mobile software	Android 10	Android 9 Pie	Android 10	Android 10
Camera	48-megapixel (exterior)	16-megapixel external (f/1.7, dual pixel AF), 5-megapixel internal	12-megapixel (wide-angle), 12-megapixel (ultra wide-angle)	12-megapixel (main) + 12-megapixel (wide angle) + 12 megapixel (telephoto)
Front-facing camera	20-megapixel (interior)	Same as main 16-megapixel external	10-megapixel	10-megapixel, 10-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K	4K	4K
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G	Qualcomm Snapdragon 710	Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus	Snapdragon 865 Plus
Storage	256GB	128GB	256GB	256GB
RAM	8GB	6GB	8GB	12GBRAM
Expandable storage	No	None	None	No
Battery	2,800 mAh	2,510 mAh	3,300 mAh	4,500 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	Back	Below screen	Power button	Side
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	No	No	No	No
Special features	5G enabled, Foldable display, Dual SIM, Time of flight sensor, OIS exterior camera, splashproof	Foldable display, eSIM, Motorola gestures, splashproof	Foldable display; wireless PowerShare; wireless charging; fast charging	5G enabled, Foldable display, 120Hz refresh rate, wireless charging support,
Price off-contract (USD)	$1,400	$1,499	$1,380	$2,000
Price (GBP)	£1,399	£1,000	£1,300	£1,799
Price (AUD)	Converts to AU$2,470	AU$1,799	AU$1,999	AU$2,999

Originally published Sept. 14

---

Source

Tags:

• Motorola Razr 2020 Review The Iconic Flip Phone Has Done A Great
• Motorola Razr 2020 Review The Iconic Flip Phone Has Done Versus
• Motorola Razr 2020 Review The Iconic Flip Phone Has Doner
• Motorola Razr 2020 Review The Iconic Flip Phone Has No Se rvice
• Motorola Razr 2020 Review The Iconic Flip Phone
• Motorola Razr 2020 Review The Iconics
• Motorola Razr 2020 Review The Iconic Chair
• Motorola Razr 2020 Belt Holster
• Motorola Razr 2020 Case
• Motorola Razr 2020 User Manual Download
• Motorola Razr 5g
• Motorola Razr 2

Make way for Matter, the smart home's would-be skeleton key

Make way for Matter, the smart home's would-be skeleton key

At Wednesday's Alexa Live 2021 event, Amazon confirmed that its Echo lineup of speakers and smart displays will soon support Matter, a new, universal smart home standard. The product of a multiyear joint effort with other industry titans, including Apple, Google and Samsung, Matter aims to help your smart home devices play a little nicer together -- and soon, the majority of Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Plus, Echo Studio and Echo Show devices already in people's homes will sync up with the standard via a software update.

The news follows similar curtain-lifts from Google and Apple, each of which announced respective support for Matter in Android and in iOS earlier this year. Together with buy-in from Amazon, it all seems to set the stage for Matter to make a splashy debut in the coming months. It likely won't be long before you start seeing the Matter logo featured prominently on the product packaging for a wide variety of the gadgets that want a place in your home. 

The Matter logo signifies smart-home devices that are certified to get along well with each other and with the Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri and Google Assistant voice control systems.

Connectivity Standards Alliance; illustration by Stephen Shankland/CNET

Matter's potential popularity stems from the appeal of its pitch: a single, IP-based, open-source standard that works over Wi-Fi, supports all major control platforms, and acts like a universal language that smart home devices can use to connect with and understand each other. Think USB, but wireless. After all, the Internet of Things ought to be like the internet -- platform-agnostic and 99% the same, regardless of which device or operating system you're using to access it.

That's the ideal, anyway. At the same WWDC presentation where Apple announced that Matter would make its way to iOS 15, the company also showcased newly opened third-party Siri access that lets you trigger and talk to Apple's AI assistant from devices like the voice-activated Ecobee thermostat. The catch is that you'll still need an Apple HomePod Mini (or the discontinued, full-size HomePod) on your Wi-Fi network to do localized speech processing and security authentication. Let that be a reminder as Matter draws near: The big tech companies might be willing to share the cockpit in your connected home, but they're each going to want a hand on the steering wheel, and that can make for a jerky ride.

Still, smoothing out bumps like those -- while keeping big tech in firm control of the category -- might be Matter's mass effect on the smart home. The three inward-pointing arrows that make up the perhaps soon-to-be ubiquitous Matter logo might as well represent Amazon, Apple and Google, each one focused in on a common center -- and each fixed in place at the center of the action. With Matter, you could move into a home or apartment with preinstalled smart gadgets and have a much easier time controlling them however you like: Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, take your pick. And, if you're an Android user who lives with roommates or family members who prefer iOS, Matter might help your smart home harmonize a little better, too.

"It's not just another light bulb standard," said Amazon's Chris DeCenzo, a principal engineer for the smart home, as he outlined the company's goal of making Matter relevant by finding new and practical ways of putting it to use. One of the first areas of focus: smarter smart TVs.

"The industry is really a mess of different protocols," DeCenzo explained, before going on to describe how Matter might be able to help standardize TV voice controls or improve casting performance. There are a number of TV manufacturers already on board with Matter via the Connectivity Standards Alliance, DeCenzo notes.

That's not to say that you should expect the smart home experience to be vastly different than before. These companies are still fierce competitors seeking to outdo each other with new products and features. Their incentive is to differentiate, not to share. Matter won't let you access Apple TV's HomeKit camera controls and multiview interface on a Fire TV Stick or a Chromecast, for instance. And devices like Philips Hue bulbs that communicate using Zigbee, Z-Wave or some other low-powered alternative to Wi-Fi will still need a bridge connected to your network in order to put Matter to work, so don't expect that ugly mess of pucks and hubs on your router shelf to disappear, either.

Where Matter should make the biggest impact is with developers, no doubt exhausted after a decade spent jumping through hoops to keep their devices up to date with the ever-shifting demands of each of the platforms their customers care about. (Imagine a busy restaurant with cooks who all speak different languages, while the waitstaff has to work to understand everyone and get food to the right customers.) With Matter, those device-makers will be able to develop around a single standard that brings all of the big names into play. That's a much lighter lift, and one that could free up time and resources that could be better spent developing better devices in the first place.

So, does Matter matter? The answer is undoubtedly "yes" -- even setting the smart home aside, it's a noteworthy thing when big tech circles the wagons and agrees to baseline standards involving security and data privacy. And while the smart home will never be truly seamless, Matter would seem to be a much better framework for the current landscape, one that's dotted with devices from whatever manufacturer had the best Black Friday sale, and controlled by whichever big tech company you're most comfortable (or least uncomfortable) sharing your home with. Matter won't change that smart home status quo, but it could reinforce it in ways that help the category accelerate. You might say it's just a matter of time.

§

Apple has axed its original HomePod and will turn its attention to the smaller version of its smart home assistant, the HomePod Mini, the company said Friday. 

"We are discontinuing the original HomePod, it will continue to be available while supplies last through the Apple Online Store, Apple Retail Stores and Apple Authorized Resellers," Apple said in a statement. "We are focusing our efforts on HomePod mini."

Read more: Apple HomePod Mini features you should know about: Every tip and trick we've found

Apple will continue providing existing HomePods with software updates and support through Apple Care, the company said.

The HomePod Mini was launched in November last year, costing $99 in comparison with the $300 HomePod original. When it was released in 2018, CNET reviewer Megan Wollerton praised its "stellar" sound but said it didn't offer as many features as competing speakers powered by Amazon's Alexa and Google's Assistant. "If you and everyone else you live with has an Apple device and you're sold on having an Apple smart home, the HomePod is worth a close look," she wrote at the time. 

The HomePod Mini earned similarly strong praise from CNET reviewer Molly Price for its sound when it was released in 2020, with a note that the lower price made it much more attractive. "The HomePod Mini is as on-par as Apple wants to make it with Google and Amazon's offerings, and I'd recommend it to anyone invested in the Apple universe," she wrote.

The news about the original HomePod's demise was reported earlier Friday by TechCrunch.

---

Source

Tags:

• Make Way For Matter The Smart Home S Would Be Skeleton Key
• Make Way For Matter The Smart Home S Would Be Skeleton Drawing
• Make Way For Matter Thesaurus
• Make Way For Matter The Car
• Make Way For Books
• Make Way For Prince Ali
• Make Way For Me Legendary Song
• Make Way For Ducklings
• Make Way For Tomorrow
• Make Way Aloe Blacc
• Make Way For Books

Best Drones For 2022

Best Drones for 2022

If you've never flown a drone before, you've got lots of fun in store. Learning how to fly a drone is an exhilarating experience. But it's even more fun when you can use a drone camera to take beautiful videos and photos from the sky. The best drone cameras can bring you views that you'd never be able to shoot from the ground, which will wow your family, friends and TikTok fans. And these days, you can get a great drone with a camera for less than $500.

There are plenty of affordable options for drone owners that offer various combinations of features, video quality and prices to suit every drone enthusiast. So, whether you're looking to get into drone photography or just want to enjoy the thrill of the flight, we've got some recommendations. Here are the best drones for both beginner and intermediate drones.

We've outlined our top picks for the best drones for beginners, intermediate users and "prosumer" enthusiasts, as well as an introductory drone for folks interested in racing, which is a whole scene unto itself. We'll update this list periodically. We've also included a more in-depth buying guide and FAQ on the best drones below, with more information about the key things to consider before you buy. 

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

With its large 1-inch image sensor, the DJI Air 2S is able to take great-looking photos and videos from the sky. It'll shoot video at up to 5.4k resolution, while still images can be taken in DNG raw format at up to 20 megapixels. The drone has a variety of intelligent flight modes too that makes it particularly easy to capture cinematic footage even when you're out hiking by yourself, including a mode that follows you as you walk through the hills and a mode that automatically circles a point of interest. 

One thing it doesn't do is flip the camera over to let you shoot in portrait orientation. That's a shame, as it means that capturing vertical video for TikTok or Instagram Reels is more difficult as you'll need to crop your video down the middle, losing a lot of resolution in the process. If that's a priority for you, look towards DJI's Mini 3 Pro.

It's as easy to fly as others in the DJI range and it has a range of obstacle sensors to help keep it in the air and avoid it plouwing headlong into a tree or a wall. Its maximum flight time of up to 31 minutes is solid for a drone of this size but it can be bought with a bundle of extra batteries for those of you that want to capture more footage from the sky. 

Its folding design makes it quite easy to fit into a photography backpack, but it's physically larger and heavier than DJI's 'Mini' range, so keep that in mind if you're after the lightest model to take on your travels. But its combination of flight time, automated flying modes and excellent image quality make it a superb all-rounder that's well worth considering.

Read our DJI Air 2S review.

Joshua Goldman/CNET

The DJI Mini may have launched back in 2020, but it's still available to buy today and it's still a superb option for those of you looking to take your first steps into the world of aerial photography. Its compact, folding size means it's super easy to chuck in a bag and carry anywhere while its 249g weight means you don't need to register it with the FAA (in the US). 

It uses the same control scheme as other DJI drones, which we've found to be easy for beginners learning the ropes while allowing more advanced flyers the flexibility to test their skills. It can fly for up to 31 minutes on a single charge and has a flying range of up to 6.2 miles (10 kilometers). 

Its small camera unit is stabilized for smoother footage and it can shoot video at 4K at up to 30 frames per second. Still images are captured at 12 megapixels. 

One of the reasons that the foldable drone is so light is that it has no sensors for obstacle avoidance. That means there will be a learning curve and potentially some crashing. So while it is an affordable beginner options, those of you with no existing flying skills should start out practicing in wide-open spaces until you get the hang of things. Once you do get more confident, the Mini 2 is stable, nimble, safe to fly and quieter than other DJI models.

Read our DJI Mini 2 review.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

While DJI's Air 2s and Mavic 3 offer superb image quality from the air, they lack the ability to flip the camera over and shoot video and photos in portrait orientation. As a result, those of you wanting to use your footage for your TikTok page or Instagram Reels will need to crop the video right down the middle, losing a lot of resolution in the process and making it harder to compose your shots when you're out on location. 

The Mini 3 Pro has no such problem, as with a simple tap of an on-screen button its camera flips over into portrait orientation, allowing you to capture social content using the full view and maximum 4K resolution of the sensor. Videos can be shot at up to 60 frames per second, while still images can be captured in DNG at an impressive 48 megapixels.

Its folding design allows it to shrink down to something little bigger than a standard can of coke but it still packs a variety of sensors that help stop you crashing it into trees. Keep in mind though that its tiny size and 249g weight does mean that it's susceptible to strong winds and in blustery conditions will have to fight harder to remain airborne -- reducing your flight times. 

Read our DJI Mini 3 Pro review.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

If you've been on Instagram or TikTok recently then you'll almost certainly have seen exhilarating videos of similar FPV drones flying through bowling alleys, factories or doing other incredible aerial maneuvers. To achieve that, FPV pilots wear headsets that let them see through the eyes of the drone, navigating those twisting turns and zooming through tight gaps as if they're behind the controls and up in the air. 

And that's exactly how you'll fly the Avata; with a set of DJI FPV goggles that give you a view directly from the drone's perspective. It's an exhilarating way of flying as it really feels like you're up in the air controlling the drone from behind a steering wheel. It's a more extreme way of flying than you'll get from more typical drones like the Air 2S, with more instant controls and faster speeds. 

The upside is that you get fast and exciting footage of your drone speeding through forests or through impossibly-small obstacles which you simply can't achieve with other drones on this list. The downside is that the first-person perspective can make you quite nauseous, particularly if you suffer at all from motion sickness. I found I could manage 5-10 minutes of flying at a time before needing an extended break. 

The nature of wearing the goggles also means you're unable to see around you -- which makes it more difficult to spot any incoming dangers, such as rescue helicopters. As such, you're legally obliged in many areas (including the UK) to have a spotter next to you keeping an eye out on your behalf as you race your drone around the sky. 

The Avata is smaller and lighter than DJI's first FPV drone and has built-in guards around its propellers which allow it to bump into walls, trees or other obstacles without necessarily being taken out of the air. 

Its 4K, 60 frames-per-second video looks great and it's easy to fly using the DJI Motion Controller, which lets you simply maneuver the drone based on your hand movements. You'll see a crosshair in your view that moves around when you move the controller -- wherever you point the crosshair, the drone will follow. It's a simple 'point-and-click' way of flying that I really enjoyed.

Read our DJI Avata review.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The DJI Mavic 3's relatively high starting price of $2,000 makes it significantly more expensive than others on this list, but if you're a professional or enthusiastic photographer wanting superb photos and videos from the sky then it's an investment that might be worth making.

The Mavic 3 packs a 4/3rd-size image sensor which is physically larger than any other image sensor you'll get from other drones on this page. That bigger sensor allows it to capture more light and offer better dynamic range. As a result, its 5.1k video looks superb, with tons of detail for cropping into and excellent exposures, even in high-contrast scenarios. 

It's got sensors all-round too, keeping it safe from smashing into obstacles, while its huge 46-minute maximum flight time is better than almost any other drone around. It folds down to the size of a large camera lens, so it's relatively easy to get into a photography backpack, but those of you wanting a tiny drone for travelling should still look to the DJI Mini 3 Pro. 

Read our DJI Mavic 3 review.

Drew Evans/CNET

The DJI FPV was the company's original first-person drone, offering a beginner-friendly entrance into the exhilarating world of FPV drone flying. We loved its lighting-fast 97mph top speed and its solid 4K video quality. And while the DJI FPV has been somewhat usurped by the new DJI Avata which is smaller, lighter and safer (thanks to built-in propeller guards), the original DJI FPV is still worth considering. 

That's largely down to its price, which is now around $1,000 for a full kit with everything you need to fly, from the drone itself, to the controller and the original FPV headset. The DJI Avata comes in at $1,170 for the similar 'Fly Smart' combo which I personally think is worth paying (as it includes the motion controller which makes FPV flying much easier) but if you want an FPV experience at the lowest cost then the cheaper DJI FPV might be the better option.

Emax

Though mainstream drones like the DJI Mini can fly fast, racing drones fly even faster, capable of hitting speeds above 100 mph. They're also much more agile, built for acrobatic maneuvers with you at a set of manual controls. That means there's a learning curve that usually involves some crashes. 

Getting started will be neither quick nor easy, but for a racing drone, the Emax Tinyhawk 2 keeps things relatively simple. You'll still need to learn how to pilot the thing, but the process will be less expensive and less frustrating than other entry-level systems. For one thing, you don't need to worry about getting all of the individual pieces to work together -- or soldering anything, which is required for many DIY models. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do drones cost?

The prices for drones varies depending on what kind of features you want or the quality you need from the camera. As with most areas of tech, price lines up with performance, with the more expensive models offering higher-resolution video with bigger image sensors and longer flight times. 

DJI's range currently starts at only $450 for the Mini 2, which offers decent 4K video and strong flight times but lacks obstacle sensors or any kind of intelligent flight modes. At the higher end, the DJI Mavic 3 shoots 5.1k video with a large image sensor for pristine quality, its 40-minute flight times are class-leading and its range of obstacle sensors means it can fly autonomously to capture cinematic footage of you with minimal effort. At $2,000 though, you pay a lot for these kinds of features.

How far can drones fly?

Many drones in DJI's range can fly in huge areas, with the Mavic 3 being able to fly up to 9.3 miles (15km) away from you. That's in ideal conditions however, and sometimes you may find you get interference from other sources and the drone will advise a closer proximity. 

Keep in mind too that while the drone may technically be able to fly a long way away, your local laws may not be so forgiving. In the UK, for example, your drone always has to remain in eyesight of the pilot, and the small size of these drones means they're likely going to be impossible to see once they get too far away. 

How fast can drones fly?

The top speed of drones varies depending on their use for the most part. More typical camera-focused drones like the Mini 3 Pro can achieve up to 37 mph in its fastest "sport" mode, while the DJI FPV can hit a whopping 97 mph. FPV drones are designed for faster, more extreme flights so you'll typically find these drones have much higher top speeds. Some drones designed for racing can even achieve speeds of 170 mph.

What's the best DJI drone?

"Best" is of course a subjective word and what might suit your needs most may not suit someone else. If you're looking for the best image quality for beautiful landscape images, the big sensor of the DJI Mavic 3 is the one for you. Looking for the best small drone for travelling? The Mini 3 Pro's tiny design will suit you well. 

If you want a generally solid all-round drone then look towards the DJI Air 2S. Its combination of travel-friendly size, excellent image quality and decent flight times means it ticks most boxes and could be the best drone for most people. 

Which drones shoot vertical video for TikTok and Instagram?

While you may have seen lots of vertical videos from drones on your TikTok or Instagram feeds, the reality is that very few drones can actually shoot this video natively. Even camera-focused drones like the DJI Mavic 3 can't shoot video in portrait orientation, so drone users will have to crop their footage down the middle before uploading it to their social accounts.

The recent DJI Mini 3 Pro is one of the few drones currently able to flip its camera over and shoot vertically. It means you can take advantage of the full 4K resolution of the sensor, and have a much easier time in composing your shots as you don't need to imagine what it would like after the crop -- what you see as you fly is what you'll post to TikTok later. 

How do you connect a drone camera to a phone?

Most drones -- including most of the DJI models featured here -- require you to connect your phone at some stage to act as the viewfinder and control screen for the drone. Usually that'll involve you connecting the phone physically to the controller using either a Lightning cable (for iPhones) or a USB-C cable (for Android phones) and using apps like DJI FLY. The controller then connects to the drone, showing the feed from your drone's camera right on your phone screen. 

Which drones are waterproof?

In short, almost none of them. Complete waterproofing is tricky for drones as the propellers need to be able to generate downforce (so can't be fully enclosed) and short of fitting wiper blades from a car, the camera will always be susceptible to raindrops. None of the drones on this list are sold with any kind of "waterproof" promise and while you can certainly get away with flying in a few spots of rain -- or even through clouds -- if it really starts to pour then you should land immediately. 

How we test drones

Like all products on CNET, any items that feature on our best lists are tested by us to make sure that they perform as well as the manufacturers claim. Nothing is taken at face value and nothing is recommended to buy based on marketing promises or specs alone.  If they don't perform, they simply don't make the list.

For drones, we take them out of the city to a safe flying spot. We set them up and connect them to the controllers and our phones, just as you would. We then send them into the sky, checking out how easy they are to fly, how responsive they are and whether there are any issues with signal transmissions or physical problems such as obstacle avoidance not working properly. 

We test the flight times and battery capacity in different conditions. Most manufacturer's claims of battery life are done under perfect, wind-free conditions which isn't realistic for most of us. As such, we fly them in real-world scenarios and give an indication of what actual battery life you can expect.

And we of course shoot plenty of videos and photos, looking at the image quality, at the colors and the contrast. We pay attention to the dynamic range as this will determine how well a drone can balance a bright blue sky against the darker ground. If a drone offers DNG raw photos, we use this too, and we see how well the images can be artistically edited in software like Adobe Lightroom.

Things to consider before you buy a drone

New to the world of modern drones? Don't worry, we've got you covered. Here's a quick overview of what any beginner needs to know to find the best drones for their money.

The price of the drone is only the beginning

Depending on the aircraft, extra batteries can run you from $5 for toys to more than $100 each for camera drones.

Joshua Goldman/CNET

You're going to want a couple extra batteries, some spare propellers, maybe some prop guards and perhaps a quick charger, so you're not waiting hours to fly again. You're more than likely going to crash, which could lead to repair costs -- either for replacement parts or shipping it back to the manufacturer for repairs. (This is exactly why DJI offers crash insurance for new drones.)

Before you buy a drone, it's worth spending a little time researching the price and availability of replacement parts, batteries and other accessories. And be cautious of third-party parts -- especially batteries and chargers -- which may be inferior to those made by the drone manufacturer.

Everyone will assume you're invading their privacy

When you're out flying in a public space, or even in your own backyard, anyone who sees you doing it will think you're spying on them or someone else. You could be standing in the middle of a 20-acre field with no one in sight and your drone no more than 50 feet directly overhead and you might end up answering questions about being a peeping Tom. It's happened to us. Repeatedly.

And along those same lines....

Everyone but you thinks they're dangerous

It doesn't matter if you're the safest drone pilot around or that you could do more damage hitting someone with a baseball than a drone -- onlookers may feel threatened. After all, nothing about plastic blades spinning at high speeds screams "safety." 

Parrot's Bebop 2 has some nice safety features including propellers that stop instantly if they hit anything.

Joshua Goldman/CNET

As such, US-based pilots may benefit from an Academy of Model Aeronautics membership. Along with a whole host of benefits including access to AMA-member flying sites, the $75 annual membership protects you with $2,500,000 of comprehensive general liability insurance as well as $25,000 in accident or medical coverage, $10,000 maximum accidental death coverage and $1,000 fire, theft and vandalism coverage. 

Finding places to fly can be a challenge

In population-dense places like cities and metropolitan areas, it can be difficult to find places to safely and legally fly. US national parks are off-limits. Regulations differ among state, county and municipal parks. And then there are the no-fly zones, which puts many metropolitan areas out of bounds as well as just dangerous, because of buildings, people and cars.

Before you buy a drone -- even a toy one, if you plan to fly outside -- you'll want to visit AirMap or download the FAA's B4UFly app to check for no-fly zones. These don't cover state or local ordinances, though, so you'll need to do additional research on your chosen environs before you fly.

The EU and UK's drone rules are based mostly on how heavy a drone weighs and no longer differentiate between people flying for fun, or people flying for professional purposes. Europeans among you with new drones should make sure to fully familiarize yourself with the 2022 drone regulations and ensure both you and your drones are registered before taking flight.

Any remote control aircraft except 'toys' need an FAA registration in the US

Screenshot by Sean Hollister/CNET

The US Federal Aviation Administration is requiring anyone who wants to fly an unmanned aerial vehicle that weighs between 0.55-pound (250 grams) and 55 pounds (approximately 25 kilograms) for recreation or hobby to register with the agency. Civil penalties for not registering such an unmanned aircraft may include fines up to $27,500. Criminal penalties may include fines up to $250,000, imprisonment for up to three years or both.

Most sub-$100 UAS drones fall under this weight. A kitchen or postal scale can be used to weigh your drone or you can check with the manufacturer. Also, this applies to both store-bought and homemade aircraft.

The registration cost is $5 and it can all be done online in a matter of minutes. You don't have to register each aircraft you own -- just yourself; you'll be given a number to attach to what you're flying. That's it. Essentially, it's the FAA's way of getting you to agree that you've read its safety guidelines including staying more than five miles away from airports and below 400 feet.

The UK has its own registration requirements. Essentially, owners of drones that weigh more than 250 grams must register as a drone operator, which costs £9 annually. And pilots of drones that weigh more than 250 grams must pass a free online education course every three years. Australia has promised that new rules are "on their way," but for now there are no official requirements.

---

Source

Tags:

• Best Drones For Beginners 2022
• Best Drones For The Money 2022
• Best Drones For Beginners
• Best Drones For Photography
• Best Drones For Beginners
• Best Drones For Photography
• Best Drones For The Money
• Best Drones Under 1000