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posted by Fnord666 on Wednesday August 23 2017, @12:47PM   Printer-friendly
from the and-you-thought-you-owned-it dept.

DJI Spark drones will not fly after September 1 until users have applied a mandatory software update:

DJI Spark drones will not fly after 1 September unless owners apply a mandatory software update, the device's maker has warned. DJI said the update to the small drone's core software fixes some flight control issues suffered by the gadget.

The drone maker said it had warned owners about the deadline so they could avoid having their craft grounded. But the mandatory update has caused some owners to question the control DJI retains over their devices.

In a statement, DJI said the update would improve how the Spark manages power. It also helps it work with smart spectacles that give owners an immersive view of what the drone films. It added: "If the firmware of either the aircraft or the battery is not updated by September 1, Spark will not be able to take off."

Also at The Verge and Quartz.


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  • (Score: 1) by JustNiz on Thursday August 24 2017, @12:40AM (1 child)

    by JustNiz (1573) on Thursday August 24 2017, @12:40AM (#558250)

    Trouble is, you only find out which suppliers are doing it after you bought the damn thing.

  • (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Thursday August 24 2017, @01:36AM

    by Grishnakh (2831) on Thursday August 24 2017, @01:36AM (#558269)

    Two points:

    1) I haven't looked too closely into this particular product, but I'm fairly sure that it's quite apparent before you buy it that it's internet-connected, uses a phone app to control, etc.

    2) You can usually return things for a short time after buying them. That's certainly the case with any big-box retailer, plus Amazon. When you open the box and find out it's like this, put it all back and take it back to the store for a refund. You can even cost the manufacturer money by telling them it doesn't work, so they'll process it as defective and send it back to the mfgr. Now the mfgr doesn't get your money at all, plus they pay for return shipping, plus they have to test it out to find it's not really defective (per their definition, not ours), and then they have to sell it as "refurbished" for a lower price to try to not take a complete loss on it.