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Haye Kesteloo

Haye Kesteloo

Haye Kesteloo is the Editor in Chief and Founder of DroneXL.co, where he covers all drone-related news, DJI rumors and writes drone reviews, and of EVXL.co, for all electric vehicle news. Haye can be reached at haye @ dronexl.co or @hayekesteloo.

6,334
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2020
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DJI Faces December Ban Deadline as Political Pressure Spawns Proxy Company Network
DJI

FCC Vote Could Kill DJI’s Shell Company Strategy Before December Ban Deadline

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced this week that the agency will vote October 28 on regulations closing two critical loopholes that currently allow Covered List companies to continue operating in the U.S. market. The timing couldn’t be worse for DJI’s rapidly expanding network of shell companies. These aren’t theoretical changes. The proposed rules would prohibit…

New DJI Mini 3 is the mini camera drone for everybody, everywhere!
Amazon

DJI Mini 3 Hits Lowest Price in 30 Days: Amazon Slashes 20% Off All Three Models

Amazon has dropped the price on the DJI Mini 3 drone to its lowest point in a month, with all three bundle options now 20% off. The beginner-friendly drone that stays under the critical 249-gram FAA registration threshold is now available starting at just $335 with Prime delivery by tomorrow. This timing couldn’t be better…

Chinese Drone Makers Secretly Collaborate with Sanctioned Russian Arms Manufacturer
Ukraine

Russia Lured African Women to Assemble Attack Drones with False Job Promises, Investigation Finds

Russia has been accused of deceiving young African women into assembling Shahed-136 kamikaze drones through false promises of hospitality work, according to investigative reports. The women, aged 18 to 22, were recruited to work at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan—a facility repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian air strikes—where they discovered they would be building…

Skydio X10 Drone Gets Major Upgrades: Enhanced Sensors, Safety Features, and Connectivity
DJI

AI-Powered Police Drones Reach 1,500 US Departments As Landmark Privacy Lawsuit Tests Legal Limits

Police and sheriff’s departments across America have rapidly embraced AI-powered drones for everything from pursuits and investigations to emergency response, with approximately 1,500 agencies now operating drone programs by late 2024—a 150% increase since 2018. But as departments deploy increasingly sophisticated surveillance technology capable of monitoring biometric data from hundreds of meters

DJI Mavic 4 Pro Firmware Update: Real-World Test Shows How Camera Switching Actually Works
DJI

DJI Mavic 4 Pro Firmware Update: Real-World Test Shows How Camera Switching Actually Works

Margate, New Jersey-based drone pilot Ron Brown put the DJI Mavic 4 Pro’s latest firmware update through its paces, revealing exactly how the new camera-switching feature performs in real-world conditions. His hands-on test at Lucy the Elephant demonstrates that while the October 2025 update delivers on its promise, the implementation works differently than many pilots…

Antigravity A1 Lands on TIME’s Best Inventions List Before Even Shipping
Skydio

Antigravity A1 Lands on TIME’s Best Inventions List Before Even Shipping

Antigravity’s A1 drone has earned a coveted spot on TIME magazine’s Best Inventions of 2025 list, marking a significant milestone for the Insta360-incubated drone brand before its first unit even ships to customers. The recognition comes just two months after the 8K 360-degree drone was announced in August, validating the company’s bold entry into DJI-dominated…

Yemen Seizes 2,500 Tons of Drone Factory Equipment Bound for Houthis in Massive Port Interdiction
Ukraine

Yemen Seizes 2,500 Tons of Drone Factory Equipment Bound for Houthis in Massive Port Interdiction

Yemeni authorities intercepted a massive shipment containing over 3,000 drone-related components and complete manufacturing equipment at the Port of Aden on October 2, 2025, marking one of the largest drone-related seizures in the ongoing Yemen conflict. The 58 containers, weighing approximately 2,500 tons (5.5 million pounds), were discovered during routine customs inspection of a commercial…

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