But its flagship drone, the Solo, never really became a big hit, and soon after the company exited the consumer business and raised a last-ditch funding round to try to pivot to an enterprise offering. Well it worked, and now 3DR has found its sweet spot as a provider of software for mapping and surveying construction sites. But until now the software only ran on a dedicated drone made by 3DR, which was a big barrier to entry for some firms. This changes today – 3DR has just announced that its Site Scan capture software will now work on DJI drones, starting with the Phantom 4 and eventually expanding from there to support other drones in DJI's product line. This is a big deal for two reasons.

NEW YORK – The U.S. Army has ordered its members to stop using drones made by the Chinese manufacturer SZ DJI Technology Co. Ltd. because of "cyber vulnerabilities" in the products. An Aug. 2 army memo posted online and verified by Reuters applies to all DJI drones and systems that use DJI components or software. It requires service members to "cease all use, uninstall all DJI applications, remove all batteries/storage media and secure equipment for follow-on direction." The memo says DJI drones are the most widely used by the army among off-the-shelf equipment of that type. DJI said in a statement that it was "surprised and disappointed" at the army's "unprompted restriction on DJI drones as we were not consulted during their decision."

The U.S. Army has ordered units to cease the use of DJI drones, according to a memo obtained by sUAS News. The letter, dated this week, said the U.S. Army Research Lab and U.S. Navy found there were operational risks linked to DJI equipments. Officials cited a classified report called "DJI UAS Technology Threat and User Vulnerabilities," as well as a U.S. Navy memorandum called "Operational Risks with Regards to DJI Family of Products." The report and the memo were both dated May 2017, which suggests officials have been looking into this for a while. In the letter, the U.S. Army's Lieutenant General Joseph Anderson said: "DJI Unmanned Aircraft Systems [UAS] products are the most widely used non-program of record commercial off-the-shelf UAS employed by the Army. The Army Aviation Engineering Directorate has issued over 300 separate Airworthiness Releases for DJI products in support of multiple organisations with a variety of mission sets. Due to increased awareness of cyber vulnerabilities associated with DJI products, it is directed that the US Army halt use of all DJI products."

According to a memo obtained by sUAS News, the US Army will stop using DJI drones, effective immediately. "Due to increased awareness of cyber vulnerabilities associated with DJI products, it is directed that the US Army halt use of all DJI products," said the memo, which listed flight computers, cameras, radios, batteries, speed controllers, GPS units, handheld control stations and any device with DJI software applications installed on it as products that must cease being used. According to the document, the Army Aviation Engineering Directorate has issued over 300 Airworthiness Releases for DJI products. "Cease all use, uninstall all DJI applications, remove all batteries/storage media from devices, and secure equipment for follow on direction," the memo continued. The memo cites a report from the Army Research Laboratory and a memo from the US Navy, both compiled in May, that reference operational risks and vulnerabilities with DJI products.

A drone flies May 11, 2017, in the showroom of the DJI headquarters in Shenzhen, China. A Chinese company that is the world's largest drone manufacturer said Friday it is "surprised and disappointed" by reports the U.S. Army has halted use of its remote-controlled aircraft because of cyber vulnerabilities. An Army memo Wednesday, obtained by sUASnews.com The memo from Lt. Gen. Joseph Anderson, the deputy chief of staff, cited possible threats from any DJI electrical components, software, cameras, radios, GPS units or handheld controllers, the publications reported. It ordered U.S. Army personnel to uninstall all DJI applications and remove all batteries and media storage devices.

A tiny unmanned aircraft is hovering quietly above a green field in Buckinghamshire, offering its owner, Joby Stephens, an "eye in the sky". The drone is kitted out with a tiny high-definition camera that sends crisp images via wi-fi to a phone clipped to the drone's remote control unit. "The ability to film with a drone adds another string to my bow," the professional cameraman and producer says as he pilots the aircraft towards some nearby trees. "Being able to legally and safely deliver drone footage should be a great addition to many projects." Mr Stephens runs production company Jam96, which specialises in making behind-the-scenes videos on movie sets - places where there will invariably be lots of people.

In a bid to overtake its rivals, including Facebook and Instagram, Snap looks like it could soon be developing a drone. Reports suggest that Snap, the firm that owns Snapchat, is in talks to buy Zero Zero Robotics, a Chinese drone maker. The rumours suggest that the deal is in the range of $150 million-$200 million (£113 million-£150 million), although neither Snap nor Zero Zero Robotics has commented on the news. In a bid to overtake its rivals, including Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat looks like it could soon be developing a drone. It tracks a user's face and body and electronic image stabilisation means the end of shaky and blurry footage.

Young Instagram users are now spending over half an hour on the photo sharing app every day. The Facebook owned app revealed users under 25 are on the app for 32 minutes on average daily, while older users spend 25 minutes each day using it. The firm released the latest stats a year after it launched Instagram Stories in its ongoing battle with Snapchat. The Facebook owned app revealed users under 25 are on the app for 32 minutes on average daily, while older users spend 25 minutes each day using it. They show that the younger users now spend three percent of their waking hours using the app.

The US Secret Service is going to use drones with infrared cameras to boost security at Donald Trump's Bedminster golf club. President Trump is to enjoy what is being described as an'extended stay' at the property in New Jersey after a chaotic couple of weeks at the White House which has seen some of his head honchos ousted from government. While the agency refused to answer questions on the specifics of the unmanned aircraft, but hinted it could pave the way for them to be used on a more regular basis in security operations involving the President. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump leave the US Women's Open Championship at Trump National Golf Club on July 16, 2017 in Bedminster, New Jersey As well as the cameras to look out for potential threats, the Secret Service said it was working to incorporate several of the airborne vehicles. Officials will have to warn residents in houses surrounding the Trump National Golf Course that drones will be monitoring the area.

As part of its celebration of the People's Liberation Army, the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution in Beijing is showing off a range of exciting exhibitions, offering a peek into the PLA's new self-propelled artillery, cruise missiles, ballistic missile launchers, and--perhaps most notably--tactical unmanned aerial systems. First up, there's official confirmation that the CH-901 "kamikaze" loitering attack munitions (a short-ranged mini-drone) is in use by the PLA. First publicly displayed at the DSA 2016 arms fair, CH-901 is a 20-pound, fixed-wing drone with a flight speed range of 9 to 90 miles per hour. It's got a 1.2-mile-range electro optical camera for reconnaissance (it can be recovered this way) and/or it can crash into enemy targets, detonating its warhead. It is comparable to the American Aerovironment "Switchblade" used by Special Operations. At the Military Museum, a 4X4 armored fighting vehicle (AFV) is armed with a pop-up hatch that carries eight CH-901 pneumatically launch tubes.