Scott Simmie is a career multi-platform journalist now specializing in drones and other technology content creation.
He’s worked at senior levels for CBC National News and the Toronto Star, reporting from such locations as China, Russia, Thailand, Ethiopia and more. While at The Star, he covered the X Prize in Mojave – the competition that led to Virgin Galactic and sparked space tourism. He has reported from multiple conflict zones, as an EMMY Nominee, and is the co-author of three best-selling, non-fiction books.
Scott has been working in the world of drones since late 2014. His clients have included DJI.
Follow Scott on Twitter @scottsimmie
A recent report from the US Chamber of Commerce contains a section that appears to criticize the Department of Interior’s banning of Chinese-made drones, or drones containing Chinese-made parts. It’s very much worth noting, as this has become a huge issue in the drone world lately.
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Listen up: Hear that sound? “Drip…drip…drip…” Why, it’s more information about the impending release of DJI’s replacement for the incredibly successful Mavic Mini: The DJI Mini 2!
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Well, it had to happen. If one person can walk into a Best Buy in the US and purchase a DJI Mini 2 prior to the official release date…someone else can do the same. And if one person can shoot and post an unboxing video, so can that second person. I think you see where we’re headed here…
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Remember that video that was making the rounds? You know, the one with the chimpanzees flying the drone? Well, we debunked that one. Now, there’s a new video making the rounds. It shows a dog flying a drone. What???
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A new sub-250 gram CineWhoop drone designed by US startup Beagle Drones has been delayed for its Kickstarter launch. The “Nova” was supposed to be launch on October 27, but scheduling at Kickstarter has pushed it back until November 3.
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Someone dropped us a note today here at DroneDJ. They wanted to point us toward an aerial video they had shot. It reveals an environmental catastrophe — a toxic lake — in a beautiful location. It’s well worth a look.
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Five weeks ago, we introduced you to a Belgian drone pilot/photographer named Johan Vandenhecke. We were impressed by Johan’s skills, which he is sharing in a new Drone Adventurer “Masterclass” course. Now, there’s more news from Johan.
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DJI is trying to reset the narrative. The company has issued a news release and a new blog post to address what it says are false allegations that its products may have data security issues.
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The DJI Mavic Mini 2 is here sooner than planned. A YouTuber managed to get his hands on a brand new unit, complete with manual and specifications.
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Yeah, we know you’ve seen arrest videos before. Maybe a suspect, running away while police close in. But, trust us on this, you have never seen a video like this one. Until now.
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Why do we call these guys “Awesome?” Because we’re big fans of the Beagle Drones business model, which we’ll explore later in the story. We’re also huge fans of what this startup is about to do: Launch a very well-thought-out CineWhoop on Kickstarter later this month. And we have some deets… right now.
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On our latest edition of The Buzz podcast, we’re delighted to spend some time with Skydio CEO Adam Bry. Despite the pandemic, it’s been a great year for Skydio. Listen as DroneDJ senior editor and chief writer Scott Simmie takes a deep dive with Adam about his US-based drone company. It’s a great discussion and includes a look at the recently announced Blue sUAS list that recommends Skydio’s X2 drone for government and military purchasers.
Deets for subscribing after the break — you know you want to…
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DJI is at it again. The company is teasing a new product launch, barely two days after releasing its new Ronin gimbals. We have some theories.
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An Israeli startup hopes to one day be flying missions in Africa, delivering on-demand medical supplies to remote areas. And it has a unique drone to carry out that work.
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You’ve heard the rumors. You’ve seen the leaked images. And now? The wait is over. We’ve got everything you ever wanted to know about the new Ronins – right here, and right now.
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There’s a new Cine-Whoop style drone around. And this one, which utilizes the expertise of drone manufacturer BetaFPV and 360° superstars Insta360, is going to grab some fans. Check out our sneak preview.
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Canada had a big announcement today. It unveiled what it’s calling “Area X.O” — a “futureplex” of innovation located at what had been known as the L5 track for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV). Ottawa is committing $7 million to the venture, which hopes to create 200 jobs and ultimately lead to the Canadian manufacturing of zero-emission, electric vehicles. And yes, all of this has something to do with drones.
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You already know it: The iPhone 12 would come with cool new features. But did it ever cross your mind that Apple might suggest it could be mounted on a drone? It didn’t cross our minds either. But today, at its iPhone launch event, Apple did precisely that: It showed an iPhone 12… on a drone.
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If you’ve been waiting for the best deal yet on a brand new DJI Mavic Mini, wait no longer. The time to buy is now, with a stellar deal on Amazon Prime Day!
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The world’s most famous drone lawyer™, Brendan Schulman, hosted an online AUVSI XPONENTIAL session today. In it, he made the case that drone regulations in the US have taken a step backward since the introduction of Part 107. He also touched on this week’s Blue sUAS controversy, which DJI believes has far more to do with trade protectionism than with data security.
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A leading CanadianUAV service provider is choosing MicroPilot autopilot as the brains for a new UAV aimed at Beyond Visual Line of Sight flights. The gas-powered “Whiskyjack” will be involved with Beyond Visual Line of Sight flights and UTM testing.
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We are still digesting this week’s news — and its implications. On October 6, US secretary of the interior David Bernhardt released a memo urging that government departments purchase drones from a specific list of US-made products. Who made that list? And what does all this mean?
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Earlier today, we reported on a memo from the DOI secretary, David Bernhardt. The memo was blunt: It suggested the anyone wanting to purchase drones for US government purposes should choose from a Blue sUAS list of approved drones. All of those drones are made in the United States.
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The secretary of the US Department of the Interior (DOI) has issued a memo encouraging the purchase of specific US-made drones, including a link to those specific models. It’s the latest in a growing movement toward American-manufactured drones — and away from those made in China.
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