Autonomous Drones Have Arrived 😎

Four-year-old autonomous drone startup Skydio has finally revealed their top secret product (and $42M in funding from a16z!). 😱

The Skydio R1 is an AI-powered autonomous drone that flies all on its own. It locks on to a subject (like yourself, going on a run) and follows along through trees and obstacles, without losing track.

Casey Neistat compared the R1's autonomous features to market leader DJI (maker of the beloved DJI Spark and Mavic Air): "It would be a little bit like comparing a Ford Model T to a Lamborghini. This isn’t a small step up, it's a quantum leap in tracking and following technology."

Marc Andreessen tweeted: "I'm temporarily breaking my Twitter break to highlight one of the most amazing tech breakthroughs I've ever seen, from Skydio." Watch the demo video of the self-flying camera in action.

As hardware gets commoditized, it's the software that matters. The company went all-in with 13 cameras (instead of sensors) for tracking.

More low key about your #selfies? There's also now a mini selfie drone that fits into your iPhone case. You're welcome. 🤗

We welcome our new robot overlords. If you're worried, you can now calculate the probability of a robot becoming your boss anytime soon. 👀

future of drones 🚁

So we’re just… talking to software now?

ElevenLabs has been the go-to for voice for a while. Now they've turned that expertise into agents that actually get things done. You set one up, it talks like a real person, listens, responds, and helps handle the task — support calls, bookings, whatever the job is. Not a demo, not a "press 1 for sales" situation. It's ready to deploy. Feels like one of those shifts where the interface quietly changes. Less typing, less clicking, more just saying what needs to happen and letting it play out.