Photo: Damen Shipyard

If you are working on a ship and lose a piece of precious cargo or equipment at the bottom of the sea, it would appear that all is lost. But that is not always the case. A ship specifically built for this type of recovery actually exists, and it works in an ingenious way. In fact, one currently patrols Germany's Rhine River, helping recover important materials that would otherwise remain abandoned. Called a diving bell ship, it creates a safe chamber for workers to descend down and haul out anything needed without them ever having to get wet.

These ships work by having a shaft lower a chamber to the bottom of the sea. Once there, a compressor blows air inside the chamber, which empties out the water. At this point, the river bed is exposed, and the only thing left to do is send workers into the chamber to retrieve the items. However, due to the highly pressurized nature of the chamber, workers must first spend some time in a pressurized cabin to acclimate themselves. Then, once they are ready, they descend into the chamber through a stairwell in the shaft.

Afterward, it's just a matter of collecting the lost material or carrying out whatever work is required. Of course, if it's a heavy item like an anchor, that process is a bit more involved. Workers will strap heavier materials to a crank that will assist them in pulling the item to the surface.

Currently, there are just two diving bell ships working in Europe, and they both patrol the Rhine. Due to the nature of the river and its rapid currents, regular diving excursions are dangerous. That's why Damen Shipyards uses the Carl Straat, which has been in operation since 1963, and its 2021 replacement, Archimedes, when carrying out work on the river floor.

Both ships can work at depths of up to 10 meters (nearly 33 feet), though most work is done at four to seven meters (13 to 23 feet). They are kept busy carrying out a wide variety of activities, which include maintenance, lock and buoy inspection, cargo retrieval, bottom sampling, and even removing unexploded ordnance from World War II.

And while this concept seems futuristic, diving bells have been used for centuries. In fact, the first modern diving bell was used by Guglielmo de Lorena in 1535 to explore the remains of Caligula's barges in Italy's Lake Nemi. These diving bell ships just take the technology and use it on a larger scale. To learn more about how they work, check out the short documentary below.

Diving bell ships roam Germany's Rhine River and allow workers to go underwater without getting wet.

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Source: Google

Ever since it was created, Google has changed the way we learn and how we explore the world. As the company turns 25 years old, Google is looking back at the most searched topics, people, and events of the last two and a half decades. The tech company released a short film featuring everything from contemporary pop culture figures to world-changing historical events.

“25 years ago, the world started to search,” begins the video. Among the topics depicted in the video are “the most searched first step in history,” introducing the Apollo 11 landing on the Moon.  Some of the queries provide some insight into what some of the most popular things are, like the 1980s being the most searched decade, while Cristiano Ronaldo is the most searched athlete ever. Pop culture is heavily represented in the recap, with Google presenting the Harry Potter actors as the “most searched cast,” Taylor Swift as the “most searched songwriter,” and Spongebob Squarepants as the “most searched cartoon.”

In addition to the video, Google also shared Search Playground, a “Where's Waldo”-style game where users can find 25 of the most-searched people, food, places, and moments from the past 25 years by testing their knowledge and following the clues. “Trends were our compass,” writes the team. “We dove headfirst into the world's most searched queries, and from that treasure trove, we hand-picked 25 trends that capture the zeitgeist, spark global curiosity, and span every corner of the spectrum. There's something for everyone, zoom in enough and you’ll see.”

Also faithful to their annual traditions, Google present their Year in Search 2023. Globally, the top news story was the war in Israel and Gaza, while Damar Hamlin's health scare and recovery landed him atop of the most searched people list. Following the box office trend, Barbie was the most searched movie, while Hogwarts Legacy was the most searched game. Google also shared the top searches for Maps, where the most searched museum in the world was the Louvre and Barcelona's Park Güell was the most popular park.

You can browse Google's Year in Search 2023 report in its entirety here, as well as exploring what your local community is exploring by entering your city or zip code here.

Google is celebrating its 25th anniversary by looking back at the most searched terms with a poignant video and a game.

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READ: Google Celebrates 25th Anniversary With a Look Back at the Most Searched Terms With a Video and a Game

Thanks to the new film The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, the Hunger Games series is seeing a revival. This series of novels by Suzanne Collins about a dystopian future where rival districts send contestants to play a deadly game became a cultural phenomenon that helped launch Jennifer Lawrence's career after they were transformed into films. The new film, which is a prequel to the four movies released between 2012 and 2015, got BuzzFeed author Sarah Aspler curious about what would happen if the United States decided to start their own Hunger Games.

Turning to AI, Aspler created a set of tributes for each U.S. state and the results are fascinating. Hunger Games is known for the fantastical costumes they outfit their players in, each representing the characteristics of their respective district. And these looks are no different.

Some are hilariously based on food, such as Wisconsin's cheese-based look and Idaho's potato headpiece. Others play on nature, with Connecticut's contestants wearing costumes based on fall foliage and Washington's players outfitted in a lush green moss look inspired by the forest.

And, since this is AI, others play on obvious stereotypes. New Jersey's contestants look like they belong on Jersey Shore, while Colorado's pair is decked out as snow bunnies. But overall, there seems to be more variety than usual when it comes to the imagery that AI produces. There are different body types and more minority representation than one often sees.

And while some looks have quite obvious ties to the state they are based on, others have a more subtle approach. This makes this AI Hunger Games series even more enjoyable to look at, as you'll continue to see new details when examining the images. Scroll down to see all 50 looks and see if you agree with how the tributes from your state are dressed.

This is how AI imagined what people from each U.S. state would look like if they were tributes in the Hunger Games.

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

All images via Sarah Aspler.

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Artist Benjamin Von Wong is known for his innovative installations that spotlight important social and environmental issues. For his latest immersive installation, he focused on the serious issue of e-waste by transforming a space in Arcadia Earth’s Toronto Exhibit into an environment championing the Right to Repair movement.

This movement calls on big tech companies to make parts more affordable and stop shutting down independent repair shops in an effort to keep consumers purchasing new electronics. It's a critical issue, particularly when one realizes that 800 laptops’ worth of electronic waste are thrown away every second.

It took Von Wong and a dedicated team six months of planning, three weeks of fabrication, and 5,000 pounds of electronic waste to make their vision come to life. After breaking down keyboards, motherboards, computers, cables, and household appliances, the team crafted what appears to be a large electronics throne.

Visitors are invited to climb the stairs and take a seat, which not only gives them the perfect photo opp but also allows them to contemplate the destiny of our technology. But it's not all visual; the experience is enhanced by musical and spoken word soundtracks, as well as augmented reality QR codes that give further information about getting involved with the movement.

Von Wong's installation at Arcadia Earth will be on view for one year. We had the pleasure of speaking with the artist about this installation and why he focused on the Right to Repair movement on this occasion. Read on for My Modern Met's exclusive interview.

Why is it so important for you to use your creativity to help raise awareness about issues like Right to Repair?

I've dedicated my entire career to raising awareness for different environmental issues. Over the last decade, the goal has been to try and connect big global issues with small actions that point people towards tackling the root cause of different issues.

What I like about the right-to-repair movement is that it can help reduce the amount of electronic waste created by focusing on better design. Of course, that alone doesn't resolve the issue, but it's more motivating and inspiring than just telling each and every person to monitor their own consumption habits.

Obviously, creating an installation of this magnitude is a team effort. Can you share a bit about the team that works with you on these projects?

So far, most of my projects are built with unique teams that are assembled from scratch. It's a combination of friends, family, volunteers, and folks that I manage to hire who are willing and interested in contributing to the cause.

What was the most challenging part of putting this together?

The greatest challenge this time around was definitely building a team that could pull the project together with a limited budget. You can't really cut corners on build safety and security, especially since the installation had to be up for an entire year—so finding the right fabricators/builders, followed by the right lighting support was what was particularly challenging.

I always like to think that if I had more money, it would be easier—but I'm sure our creative ambitions would have grown proportionally!

Where did the electronics for the project come from, and what will happen to them at the end of the installation?

All the electronics were sponsored and delivered by a small non-profit called Uni-Recycle. They're a small social enterprise that really wanted to help support us in championing the right to repair. Our agreement is that when the installation gets taken down, we return the e-waste back to them. Prior to giving us all the material, they already went through and made sure none were repairable.

Can you explain a bit more about the “right to repair” movement and why it's so important?

70% of the world’s toxic waste in landfills comes from discarded electronics, and although some of that could be resolved by better recycling, we need more sustainable and repairable products. The Right to Repair movement demands that companies provide affordable parts, tools, and documentation to independent shops and product owners, allowing us to hold on to our products longer.

What can people do if they want to get involved?

It kinda depends on where people live, but if you’re in Canada, read more about Equiterre’s fantastic Right to Repair report and sign the petition calling for Right to Repair at the federal level. If you’re in the U.S., find your state on Repair.org and see how you can take action.

Otherwise, I think the best course of action is to search “right to repair” followed by “where you live.”

What do you hope that people take away from the work?

I see the role of my art as an attempt to ignite conversations. It helps those within the movement engage the public in a unique and different way, and it helps draw those who wouldn't normally be interested to potentially learn more.

As long as people see it, share it, and maybe start getting curious, I think my job here is done.

What's next?

I'm actually in Thailand right now, preparing a giant installation out of Bamboo Biochar. Biochar is responsible for 89% of verified carbon removal credits… and yet barely anyone knows about it. I can't wait to share it with you when it's ready.

Benjamin Von Wong: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Benjamin Von Wong.

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READ: 5,000 Pounds of E-Waste Used To Create Immersive Installation Championing the Right To Repair

Photo: zhuzhu/Depositphotos (Not actual plant)

In the fight against climate change, every new tool and development are welcome additions. The latest breakthrough technology doesn't prevent carbon emissions, but instead, pulls them straight from the air. A start-up named Heirloom Carbon Technologies has just opened the first commercial plant in the United States to use direct air capture, which absorbs greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

To capture the carbon dioxide, the company uses limestone, one of the most abundant rocks on the planet. Since limestone forms when calcium oxide binds with carbon dioxide, Heirloom has found a way to use it like a sponge they can wring over and over. The plant heats up the limestone, pulling the carbon dioxide from it. Following this process, what's left is a fine white powder—which is the calcium oxide. The team then places the powder in metal trays and exposes it to the open air, adds water, and waits for three days for it to turn back to limestone, restarting the cycle. The entire process is powered by renewable energy.

As for the carbon dioxide that has been pulled from the air, Heirloom has the gas permanently sealed by mixing it into concrete, where it can’t escape anymore. The company is also looking into burying the capture carbon dioxide into underground storage wells.

The plant, located in California's Central Valley, is relatively small. Currently, it has the capacity to absorb a maximum of 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year, which is roughly equal to the exhaust from about 200 cars. The team is also still tweaking up the variables that could speed up the process and lower the costs. Yet the company expects to grow exponentially by replicating their simple model. “We want to get to millions of tons per year,” said Shashank Samala, the company’s chief executive. “That means copying and pasting this basic design over and over.”

“The science is clear: Cutting back carbon emissions through renewable energy alone won’t stop the damage from climate change,” said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. “Direct air capture technology is a game-changing tool that gives us a shot at removing the carbon pollution that has been building in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution.”

Luckily, Heirloom and companies with similar approaches have been getting backing from multi-million dollar companies such as Microsoft, which has pledged to remove 315,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. After all, large companies see a more tangible way to fight climate change in direct air capture than in regular carbon offsets, which are sometimes hard to track. On the other hand, it's an expensive technology, and some fear it could be used by gas and oil companies to prolong the use of fossil fuels. Heirloom has vouched not to accept backing from these industries.

While Heirloom and its technology have been seeing results, there is still a long way to go. Even so, their endeavor and the support they've been getting are steps in the right direction. Heirloom's work seems particularly urgent in a landscape where traditional approaches, like planting trees and switching to clean energy, may no longer be enough to curb the damage done to our planet.

A start-up named Heirloom Carbon Technologies has just opened the first commercial plant in the United States to use direct air capture, which absorbs greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

Photo: kodda/Depositphotos (Not actual plant)

To capture the carbon dioxide, the company uses limestone, as Heirloom has found a way to use it like a sponge they can wring over and over.

The United States officially has its first commercial Direct Air Capture facility!

Today we welcomed U.S. Secretary of @ENERGY, Jennifer M Granholm, and California Lieutenant Governor, Eleni Kounalakis, to unveil a facility in our home state of California where we'll capture and… pic.twitter.com/3DRRfB9S9k

— Heirloom (@heirloomcarbon) November 10, 2023

Heirloom: Website | Twitter
h/t: [The New York Times]

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We’re pretty sure Grace never stopped smiling through her Hero Arm delivery! She and her dad Ken traveled from the east coast to our Denver clinic, and Grace returned home with her Hero Arm after mastering control of it almost instantly! #heroarm #openbionics pic.twitter.com/TKcIEX2iWY

— Open Bionics (@openbionics) November 13, 2023

A young amputee patient experienced the excitement of a lifetime after receiving her first bionic arm. A recent video posted by Open Bionics, the makers of the 3D-printed Hero Arm, showed 15-year-old Grace's elated reaction to the technology. She was even able to pick items up with the robotic hand.

With clinics across the U.S., UK, and Europe, Open Bionics “develops medical devices that enhance the human body.” The Hero Arm is designed for amputees with a below-elbow limb difference. It possesses two EMG sensors inside the forearm portion of the prosthesis which lay against the skin of the wearer and detect muscle movement. So, when the user flexes or moves a certain muscle group, the hand of the Hero Arm opens, while a different muscle group will make the hand close. “The easiest comparison: ball your hand into a fist and move your wrist inward,” explains Open Bionics. “Those muscles in your forearm close the bionic hand. Move it outward, and those muscles open the bionic hand!”

In Open Bionics’ video, a professional helps affix the Hero Arm to Grace's forearm. The teenager seems to get the hang of the prosthesis very quickly, and is seen opening and closing the hand, gripping a fork and knife, and lifting up a suitcase. “We’re pretty sure Grace never stopped smiling through her Hero Arm delivery!” Open Bionics writes. “She and her dad Ken traveled from the east coast to our Denver clinic, and Grace returned home with her Hero Arm after mastering control of it almost instantly!”

In addition to helping Grace perform a variety of tasks with the multi-grip functions, the Hero Arm features a 180° wrist rotation, and can lock in a desired position so there's no worry of misusing muscle control. The bionic arm can even change appearance with 50 different magnetic covers. We're sure Grace will continue to have fun with her new prosthesis.

15-year-old Grace received her first bionic arm and mastered its abilities very quickly.

Grace was non-stop smiling as she picked up her new Hero Arm! We’re so happy for her #bionic #heroarm pic.twitter.com/tYUsrHZEKI

— Open Bionics (@openbionics) November 15, 2023

Open Bionics: Website | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter
h/t: [Reddit]

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When walking through a gallery, you usually see artworks on the walls…not the floor. Well, studio Cre.a.i.tive explores what it would look like when a textile work extends across the ground. Using artificial intelligence, they produced an entire gallery of artworks that take up multiple surfaces.

The series, titled The Reflections of Lost Thoughts Art Gallery is inspired by the textile art of Faig Ahmed, who is known for creating surreal carpets that “melt” into puddles. While Ahmed's pieces have a traditional aesthetic, the AI versions from Cre.a.i.tive appear to possess an abstract quality. All of the works within the collection have a figurative quality, depicting a range of faces.

“While creating The Reflection of Lost Thoughts Art Gallery, I was inspired by the fluidity of nature, the mystery of dreams, and the inner worlds of people,” Cre.a.i.tive tells My Modern Met. “The dance of colors and patterns was inspired by the waves of the sea and other wonders of nature. I also followed the traces of people’s inner journeys while exploring their emotional and intellectual experiences.”

Scroll down to see more images from the collection, and be sure to follow Cre.a.i.tive on Instagram to keep up to date with their latest creations.

Art studio Cre.a.i.tive uses artificial intelligence to produce surreal designs.

The series The Reflection of Lost Thoughts Art Gallery is inspired by the works of Faig Ahmed.

Abstract carpets extend past the wall and melt across the floor.

Cre.a.i.tive: Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Cre.a.i.tive.

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Photo: Olivier26/Depositphotos

In history, the nightshade plant was used to poison kings and emperors. So it's only fitting that a new tool used to poison AI art generators is named Nightshade. Created by Ben Zhao, a computer science professor at the University of Chicago, the tool is designed to help artists combat copyright infringement by AI art generators that are trained using their artwork.

Nightshade allows artists to inject an invisible pixel into their artwork before they upload it online. If that artwork is then placed into an AI training set, it will infect the AI model and cause it to break. The ingenious tool, which is currently under peer review but was previewed by the MIT Technology Review, could be the saving grace of artists who are rightly concerned about AI infringing on their copyright.

So what happens when an image is injected with Nightshade? Based on tests by the developers, the poison data manipulates the AI models. It can fool the system into thinking an image of a cat is an image of a balloon or that cakes are a toaster. This results in unusable output; and, once the uploaded image is infected, it's very difficult to remove. This means that tech companies will need to invest quite heavily in finding the infected samples in order to remove them.

Photo: stockasso/Depositphotos

Currently, AI image generators like Midjourney, DALL-E, and Stable Diffusion do not compensate artists for their work, and most do not offer an opt-out option. Recently, OpenAI began allowing artists to opt out of training sets for DALL-E, but some artists have found the process quite difficult. The website ihavebeentrained.com, which is run by Spawning, also allows artists to see if their work is in training sets and works to eliminate them. According to a recent tweet, their efforts have gotten 78 million artworks opted out.

Still, while some large companies like Shutterstock have said that they'll abide by opt-out requests, it's unclear if everyone will jump on board. This is what makes Zhao's efforts so intriguing. In addition to Nightshade, Zhao's team has also developed Glaze, which is designed to prevent AI from stealing an artist's style. It also works by injecting an invisible pixel into artwork. Eventually, the team wants to fold Nightshade into Glaze and allow artists to decide which tool they wish to use.

Together, Zhao hopes that these tools will help tip the balance back in favor of the artist in the race to keep up with AI. Of course, Nightshade won't help artists who have already had their work used to change existing models; however, it can help artists feel more comfortable going forward.

Nightshade is a new tool with the ability to poison AI art generators.

What is Nightshade? It's a tool that performs a data poisoning attack against generative AI image models. Poisoning is not new. Poisoning genAI models at scale is new. You can read the MIT TR article for the high level story. For details, here's the paper: https://t.co/0mIZgOl1Fp

— Glaze at UChicago (@TheGlazeProject) October 24, 2023

More importantly, only large model trainers have any incentive to consider opt-outs or respect robots.txt. Smaller companies, individuals, anyone without a reputation or legal liability, can scrape your data without regard.

— Glaze at UChicago (@TheGlazeProject) October 24, 2023

The Nightshade paper is public. Any one is free to read it, understand it, and do followup research. It is a technique, and can be used for applications in different domains. We hope it will be used ethically to disincentivize unauthorized data scraping, not for malicious attacks

— Glaze at UChicago (@TheGlazeProject) October 24, 2023

ok, 1 more tweet.
Super important to note this is a big (and growing) team effort at @UChicagoCS, with absolutely amazing and critical help from so many amazing artists. You know who you are. Those of you who took that first Glaze survey might remember the last few questions 😉

— Glaze at UChicago (@TheGlazeProject) October 24, 2023

ok ok, 1 last tweet I promise.
I realized the most surprising result was not included in the MIT TR article. You can read the details in the paper (fig17), and I will just leave the figure here. FIN/ pic.twitter.com/zeDDlHbVEO

— Glaze at UChicago (@TheGlazeProject) October 24, 2023

This tool is looking to corrupt AI scraping and give power back to artists over their own work, and many creatives are thrilled by this prospect.

Artists, best tool we could have asked for to fight this unprecedented exploitation of our labor is here!

Coming from the creators of @TheGlazeProject, Nightshade lets us poison datasets, damage models and teach AI companies to ask for permission first.https://t.co/WurjNDpvsl pic.twitter.com/iEP3TJBhVh

— Katria (@katriaraden) October 23, 2023

AI bros seem to be misunderstanding the point of Nightshade.

No, we aren’t trying to somehow stuff poison in your AI model datasets ourselves. We poison our own work. And if YOU choose to scrape our work, YOU poison your own dataset.

It’s a retaliation to you offending first.

— Paloma McClain (@palomamcclain) October 26, 2023

Others mentioned a great analogy so I deleted mine in favor of this one.

You can’t be mad if you’ve been stealing your coworker’s lunch every day, find that it’s now been labeled “WARNING: VERY SPICY” only for your mouth to burn when you continue to eat it.

— Paloma McClain (@palomamcclain) October 27, 2023

h/t: [Gizmodo]

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Insane guess by both players in Geoguessr Worldcup Final.
byu/daggerwound innextfuckinglevel

E-sports are all the rage now. While many of the most thrilling tournaments feature world-famous franchises such as League of Legends or Call of Duty, a different kind of game has recently enthralled audiences. GeoGuessr just celebrated its first-ever world cup, bringing together loving fans and strong competitors. But GeoGuessr isn't based on a regular video game. Instead of entering a fictionalized digital world, players are “dropped” on a random place on Google Maps, and they have to figure out exactly where they are using only Google Street View imagery.

To play GeoGuesser, participants must exploit their geographic knowledge and make sense of the visual information available in their digital surroundings. Once they've determined the location, they must point to it on Google Maps. There are five rounds in a game, and players get more points the closer their guess is to the original location. Of course, being dropped in the middle of a big city full of landmarks is very different from being placed on a rural road with little signage, but the best players can find clues everywhere. Anything from the surrounding landscape to lines on the road can be a clue.

This became clear in some of the most intense rounds of the GeoGuessr World Cup. In a round captured on video, we see two players presented with a desert road somewhere in Australia. It's all flat and gray, and there is not much information other than one road sign. But the competitors quickly determine its location down to the actual road, off the exact location only by a few miles.

The winner of the GeoGuesser World Cup was Patrick “Consus” Noordijk, from the Netherlands. The finals, which took place in Stockholm, attracted over 70,000 viewers across various platforms.”I could never imagine being here,” the champion admits. “It feels crazy, amazing. I hope everybody just enjoyed the show.”

If you're curious about the game or want to increase your geographic knowledge, you can play GeoGuesser for free on the official website. Who knows? You may soon be a world champion yourself.

GeoGuessr just celebrated its first-ever world cup, bringing together loving fans and strong competitors.

But GeoGuessr isn't based on a regular video game. This competition “drops” players on a random place on Google Maps, and they have to figure out exactly where they are using only Google Street View imagery.

GeoGuessr: Website | Twitch
h/t: [Reddit]

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My Modern Met received this product for free in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, My Modern Met may earn an affiliate commission. Please read our disclosure for more info.

As a drone that can fit in the palm of your hand and slip easily into a purse, the HoverAir X1 is enticing. But, as someone who has never used a drone, I wasn't sure what to expect. Fortunately, after some testing, it became clear that its size and ease of use make it an exciting gadget for anyone who wants to capture more memories and adventures.

The HoverAir X1 came with a charging station and an extra battery, as well as a drawstring bag to store the camera. With its wings closed, it really is quite compact and could even fit into a small handbag. And since it's just 125 grams (about 4.4 ounces), it won't weigh you down. Charging was quite fast—just 35 minutes using the charging station—and the interface is simple enough for novice users.

The camera has just two buttons, power and a button to switch between usage modes. To really unlock the power of the flying camera, you'll need to download the HoverAir X1 app, which is available for Android and iOS. Through the app, you can explore videos by other users and, even more importantly, connect your drone to unlock its full features.

As a beginner, the app's “Academy” videos were helpful and easily explained the drone's functionality. After connecting the HoverAir X1 to the app, there are some easy on-screen instructions to calibrate the drone, and then it's ready to fly. The drone features seven automatic modes, as well as a manual mode.

At a local park, I first tested the automatic modes and was shocked by how easy it was. Hover, Zoom Out, Follow, Orbit, and Bird's Eye are all basic modes that allow anyone to get great video footage or a still photo from an interesting perspective. After playing around with the programs, I quickly discovered the settings, where it's possible to toggle between different resolutions and set the camera to vertical mode. This makes it easy to create footage ready to upload on TikTok or as an Instagram reel.

Getting the drone moving is really as simple as pressing a button and holding out your hand. The camera effortlessly takes off and while there is some noise, it's nothing too distracting. While I was skeptical that it would really come back to land when I held my palm underneath, it really did every single time.

In the app, it's also possible to see a live preview in order to understand what the HoverAir X1 is viewing; and post-flight, a short preview clip is instantly available. With the click of a button, any piece of film can be downloaded to your phone. As for the battery time, after about 10 pre-programmed flights, I hit about 50%. This seemed fairly reasonable, and since there was a second battery, I never worried about running out of juice.

For a test of the manual mode, I traveled to see a mural recently completed by the artist Alice Pasquini. HoverAir X1 proved itself again by allowing me to take photos and videos of the entire mural, which wouldn't have been impossible from the ground due to the tight space. While I'd initially been nervous to test manual mode, it couldn't have been easier. Using the app, I was able to view everything as I was flying, and the controls were smooth. I was then able to download the footage quickly and get it to the artist, who incorporated it into a video about the making of the mural.

Overall, the HoverAir X1 hit the mark and makes a great gift for anyone interested in using a drone. Since it's so light and discrete, I wasn't worried about disturbing other people, and it even passed the toddler test when my son decided it would be fun to grab out of the air. Since the propellers are enclosed, he couldn't hurt himself, and even though the camera had a bit of a crash landing, it came away unscathed.

The HoverAir X1 retails for $399, which includes the charging station and extra battery in addition to the camera. With the holidays on the horizon, there's no better gift for anyone who loves new tech gadgets and enjoys creating content.

The HoverAir X1 is a foldable flying camera that can fit in your handbag.

By connecting the lightweight drone to its app, you open up a range of pre-programmed flight modes.

From Bird's Eye to Orbit, these automatic flights make it easy for even a novice to take professional-looking video.

In manual mode, you have full creative freedom to take HD video and stills.

Hover: Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

All images via Jessica Stewart / My Modern Met.

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