25
The next big thing in
narcissism: drones
technology
If you’veever
lamented that
your selfie-stick isn't quite long
enough to captureyouand the
peakyou’ve scaled, your
prayershavebeenanswered.
Thismonth sees the launchof
theLilyRobotics cameradrone,
billedas “theworld’s first true
flying camera.” TheFrisbee-size
gadget can fly25milesper
hour up to50 feet overhead.
Simply throw it into theair and
itwill zipabout recordingvideo,
audio, and stills.
Not onlywill theLily stay
focusedonyouasyoumove, it
candetect dramaticmoments,
suchas akiller snowboarding
wipeout, automaticallykicking
the camera into slow-mo. All
this coolness comes at aprice,
though—$999, tobeexact.
ColinSnow, CEOof research
firmDroneAnalyst, says flying
camerasareset tobeamulti-
billion-dollarbusiness. “The
pictures arealreadyas goodas
thoseon smartphones,” he says.
“[Cameradrones] aregoing to
get even smaller and smarter.”
WhileLily,whichwas co-
foundedbyacoupleofUC
Berkeleygrads, aims toproduce
the iPhoneof thisnascent
industry, Snow reckons that it
will takeprices falling toaround
the$500mark for sales to soar.
Until then, there’s theFotokite,
aquadcopter that enablesusers
to tetheraGoProcamera to their
wrists—likeapetbumblebeeon
a leash—and shoot from26 feet
up. Available forpre-orderat
$349, the firstbatch is set tobe
shipped inMarch.
Nixie, a company startedbya
Googleengineer andaStanford
physics researcher, isdevelop-
inga tinydrone camera that is
worn likeawatch. Flickyour
wrist likeSpider-Manand it flies
off, snaps apicture, and then
returns, likeaboomerang.
“Obviously, these thingshave
massiveappeal,” says Snow.
“They combine flying robots
with the favoritepastimeof
theyoung: takingphotosof
themselves. And, crucially, they
are small enoughnot to fall into
any categoryof drones that are
banned.”
—BOYDFARROW
QuickQuestion: TracyMorgan
Q:
You’ve saidbeforeyouwishpeoplewould talk
to eachothermore.
A:
Yeah.Wehave somuch technologynow. Youdon’t
even talk. You send an email. I’mnotwith all that.
I’m computer illiterate. I don’t even knowhow to
turn a computer off. I just pull theplugout thewall.
(FormoreTracyMorgan, seepage52.)
interior design
Vincent vanGoghwasn’t themost laid-backpersonwho
ever lived.Youcan seeevidenceofhis inner turmoil inhis
work—the spinning stars, thechurningwheatfields (withcrows).Theartist,
though, found raremomentsof solace inhisbedroom, the subjectof threeofhis
most famousworks.Thismonth, theArt InstituteofChicagoopens
VanGogh’s
Bedrooms
, anexhibit thatwill bring together all threeversionsof
Vincent’sBedroom
inArles
, alongwithpaintings, drawings, and letters that explorehisyearning for
peaceand stability.Describing
Bedroom
, vanGoghwrote tohisbrotherTheo that
“lookingat thepictureought to rest thebrain, or rather the imagination.”This
remindedusof adictum from Ikeawecameacrossacoupleofmonthsback: “A
comfortablebedanda soothingcolor schememeans theendof restlessnights.”
This, in turn, gotus thinking:Coulda fewSwedish furnishingshavemade
Vincent’sbedroomevenmore relaxing?
—CHRISWRIGHT
(FEB.14)
VanGogh’sBedroom, Furnishedby Ikea
JAMES DEVANEY/WIREIMAGE (MORGAN); COURTESYOF IKEA (VAN GOGH FURNISHINGS); ILLUSTRATION JANKALLWEJT
TheEvolution
of the Selfie
