I almost clicked the mouse button to order the 1st version of the Parrot AR.Drone last year. It was cool and affordable enough for me to use it for airsoft events, able to get a bird's eyeview of the action going on and that would make it cool for reporting airsoft events at Popular Airsoft. I didn't buy as there were two things that it didn't have: 1) No high definition video; and 2) No video recording feature. How can I upload it to YouTube when I can't record it and at the same time most of the videos online are in hi-def?

This time around, I am pretty much sure the Parrot will have my money. At the CES 2012 in Las Vegas, Parrot unwrapped the AR.Drone 2.0 which has both of these features. The HD video is at 720p with a 90-degree wide angle lens, which is alright with me even if I would have preferred it to be 1080p as helmet cams nowadays are operating on that resolution. It can also record video which is important for me to make notes for post-action viewing. The company went a little bit further than offering those two features: they added autonomous recording.

Externally, the indoor hull has been reinforced, allowing you to do some augmented reality dogfights indoors with your mates without punishing the quadcopter. You can remove the hull for outdoor flights, but I would rather have it in place, who knows what might hit it in outdoor flight.

The autonomous flight recording feature gives you the option to have the AR.Drone 2.0 take videos with a pre-determined flight path. It now also has a 3D magnenometer which means a capability for auto orient for the front camera. You can now also control it with an android device, whereas previously you can use it with an iPhone or an iPad. Absolute control allows you to point the drone in the direction on how you tilt the device and with you as the reference provided that you're holding the piloting device.

With the live video stream, you can capture the action from a safe distance, or when you don't have the time to run towards the action. Just point the drone to go to the action and you get to see it close.

The price is an affordable US$300 which is cheaper than existing quadcopters with video cameras (but have more flight endurance capabilities), it is expeted to be released in Spring and I'll be waiting with my money to get one of these. Full Specs and other information below.