“Rafe!” I asked, “can I look at the flying French Quadricopter for Friday?” A subdued nod over Skype was forthcoming, and I headed to the Ovi Store to grab the free Qt download for the AR.Drone. This is Parrot’s Wi-fi enabled, live webcam streaming, computer stabilised, helicopter-esque, flying peripheral – and it’s time for a brief video review. Did I forget to mention that the actual AR.Drone isn’t a free download...

While the Qt application is a free download, you will need to pick up the AR.Drone, either online or through a local stockist. As a first iteration of the application, the Symbian controller is missing a few items that are present in the iOS version, including the ability to update the firmware of the Drone itself and to alter some of the acceleration and tilt-rate characteristics, but frankly if you can manage to pick up one of these you're going to be the sort of person who's got more than one smartphone.

Still, for me it means I can stop carrying the iPhone just to fly my Drone around the Edinburgh skies, and that makes me happy.

-- Ewan Spence, April 2011.