DJI isn’t the first name you think of when it comes to big-ass batteries — quite the opposite since the batteries that fit inside the company’s drones have to be as small and light as possible. But all that time spent finding the right balance between weight, size, flight time, and charging speeds has prepared the company to enter the power station market with the $599 Power 1000 and smaller $379 Power 500.
Technology
A drone powerhouse.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25534501/IMG_5179.jpeg?ssl=1 "A drone powerhouse.")
DJI’s approach to portable power stations is unique, I’ve learned while testing its flagship Power 1000. It features a powerful 2200W AC inverter that’s unheard of in such a small package that also hosts a modest 1024Wh battery made from safe and long-lasting LFP cells. It’s also one of the first power stations to ship with a pair of USB-C PD 3.1 outputs capable of 140W.
And to keep things as small and portable as possible, it eschews other inputs and outputs you’ll find standard on most power stations. Instead, DJI developed a versatile “Smart DC,” or SDC, port that allows you to add more I/O via proprietary adapters. But those SDC ports can also charge a selection of DJI’s own drones faster than anything else currently on the market.
The big question I have, then, is who is this for? Just owners of compatible DJI drones or anyone looking to buy a general-purpose power station?
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If you want to turn the Power 1000 into a full-featured solar generator, then you’ll need to buy lots of proprietary DJI cables. You’ll need a $59 cable attached to a chunky MPPT solar controller if you want to charge the Power 1000 from the sun or a $49 cable to charge it from your car’s 12V cigarette output when driving. You’ll also need to buy $22 cables if you want to add 12V DC outputs to the power station. These include a car charger port to power things like a portable fridge, an XT60 connector to power an RV’s lights, or a charger for RC aircraft.
You’ll then need to buy a $19 cable to fast-charge the Intelligent Flight Batteries from DJI’s compatible Matrice 30 series, Air 3, Mavic 3 series, or Inspire 3 drones. I tested my Power 1000 review unit with a DJI Air 3 because the batteries used on the other drone DJI sent me to test — a Mini 3 Pro — aren’t compatible with DJI’s SDC ports.
Charging the Air 3’s battery with the Power 1000 has one main advantage over other DJI charging solutions: speed. Unfortunately, charging with the SDC cable is limited to just one battery at a time since DJI doesn’t yet offer a multi-battery charging hub compatible with DJI’s own SDC port. You can, of course, buy a second $19 SDC cable.
In my testing, both SDC ports charge the Air 3’s battery at up to 124W, according to the display on the Power 1000, just shy of the 125W DJI quotes. However, it only hits this max charge rate briefly, which is to be expected. Charging from 0 to 90 percent took 34 minutes, but the next 10 percent took another 19 minutes, or 53 minutes to charge from 0 to full — nine minutes longer than the 44 minutes DJI promotes. That’s still better than the 70 minutes it’ll take using DJI’s 100W USB-C charger.
I do like that the Power 1000 shows the real-time charging percentage of the drone battery with a precision of two decimal points!
DJI says its other compatible drones can take better advantage of Power 1000’s SDC ports. The Mavic 3 can pull up to 150W, for example, while the Inspire 3 can draw up to 200W and the Matrice 30 series up to 230W to easily trounce the DJI’s own USB-C fast chargers. The SDC ports can handle up to 400W of input and 240W of output.
Speaking of USB-C, DJI’s Power 1000 is one of the first power stations to ship with dual USB-C PD 3.1 ports supporting a max output of 140W per port when using compatible PD 3.1 devices and cables that meet the Extended Power Range (EPR) specification. I was able to confirm with a random white-label power bank purchased from Amazon, as you can see in the image above. Unfortunately, those USB-C ports are outputs only, so they can’t be used to charge the power station.
The AC inverter is impressive and specced to power most household appliances, including microwaves, space heaters, and window air conditioners — albeit briefly. It’s rated at 2200W of “stable output” or 2,600W for “thirty seconds.” In my testing, I managed to pull a steady 2400W (using two hair dryers) for about one to two minutes before the unit shut off gracefully with a warning message on the display. I was able to then power the hair dryers at 2000W uninterrupted for a full five minutes before I switched them off.
Charging the Power 1000 from an AC wall jack has its own quirks. A switch on the front lets you set the charging speed at either 1200W or 600W. The fan is whisper quiet even at that max charge rate — I was measuring just 26dB from a meter away, slightly more than the 23dB quoted on marketing materials. DJI says it’ll charge to 80 percent in about 50 minutes, or 70 minutes to reach 100 percent — and that’s almost exactly what I saw, plus or minus two minutes.
I should note, however, that the Power 1000 seems to have a narrow temperature band for that 1200W max charge rate. I saw it regularly throttle charging to 900W after a heavy test session, which makes sense, but also after it had been just sitting idle for several hours in a room measuring just 63 degrees Fahrenheit (17 degrees Celsius).
- DJI’s SDC-to-MPPT solar adapter has a theoretical input of 400W. However, the controller’s input range is just 12–30V, too low to attach a single portable 400W panel that typically produces at least 40V and could damage the power station. DJI’s own Power 1000 solar bundles ship with 100W panels to reduce the “overvolting” risk.
- Leaving the AC inverter turned on will drain the fully charged battery in about two days, based on my testing. By default, it turns off in 30 minutes when no load is detected.
- You can combine SDC charging inputs for faster charging. For example, it can be charged over solar and your car’s cigarette lighter socket simultaneously.
- You cannot, however, charge from both AC inputs and SDC inputs simultaneously.
- The Power 1000 can function as a UPS for places susceptible to blackouts.
- There’s no iOS or Android app to remotely control or monitor the ports on the Power 1000, but there is a Mac or Windows app to manage firmware updates — a procedure I found to be laborious when performed the first time on my MacBook.
- While being generally very quiet, its fans will produce a loud 46dB when under heavy load, but they quickly spin down once the load is removed.
- The display is informative and generally readable both indoors and out.
1/18
If you’re a professional content creator who already owns one of the DJI drones that can take advantage of the Power 1000’s (or Power 500) fast charging, then there’s little reason to look elsewhere for a new power station, especially if you’re only looking to keep a simple mobile studio charged.
But if you’re looking for an all-purpose power station with gobs of solar input that’s ready for anything, then you should probably look elsewhere. While the Power 1000 can certainly expand its selection of inputs and outputs thanks to those versatile SDC ports, nobody wants to manage all those dongles and risk getting caught out in the outback after losing a cable that’s only sold by a single company.
The Power 1000 costs $599 before adding any SDC adapters. That’s more expensive than the $499 EcoFlow Delta 2 and a little cheaper than the $650 Bluetti AC180, both of which include all the inputs and outputs you’ll need from similarly sized batteries but fall short of DJI’s freakish ability to provide 2200W of sustained AC output.
All photography by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
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Sony’s full suite of PlayStation 5 consoles jumped in price in August due to increased US tariffs, but now through Christmas, you can save $100 on several models. This discount is especially great if you planned to go big with Sony’s PS5 Pro, the company’s priciest, most powerful console yet. Normally $749.99, you can currently grab one at Amazon, Walmart, and Target for around $689.99. Sony’s PlayStation Direct storefront indicates that the PS5 Pro sale ends on December 25th at 3AM ET, although discounts may remain on cheaper models.
The PS5 Pro plays many games at their best resolution, while making far fewer concessions than the standard PS5 when it comes to visual effects (particularly ray tracing and shadow quality). Some games simply look better or run faster on the Pro than the base-model PS5, while others look better and run faster. That said, it’s worth noting that PS5 Pro lacks a disc drive and is thus limited to digital titles, though you can buy an optional drive for $80 if you want to attach one later.
The PlayStation 5 Pro has a bigger GPU than any other PS5 model, with twice as much internal storage as the current slim models (2TB versus 1TB). Another notable feature exclusive to the Pro is PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution), which uses AI to upscale graphics in supported games to produce a better-looking image. The difference in performance between the Pro and the base PS5 is easy to notice in several games, although it’s safe to say that there hasn’t yet been a title that makes upgrading to one a no-brainer. But if a lower price is all the encouragement you needed to upgrade, now is a good time to get one.
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A quiet town in western Denmark is quickly becoming a testing ground for the future of housing.
Skovsporet, described as Europe’s largest 3D-printed housing project, is now taking shape in Holstebro. When finished, the development will deliver 36 student apartments built faster than many single-family homes.
The project sits near VIA University College and serves students in the area. NordVestBo, an affordable housing organization focused on student living, commissioned the development. SAGA Space Architects designed the project in collaboration with 3DCP Group and COBOD. From the beginning, the goal stayed simple and ambitious. Build high-quality homes faster, more efficiently and at a scale traditional construction often struggles to reach. So far, the progress speaks for itself.
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AUSTRALIA DEBUTS FIRST MULTI-STORY 3D PRINTED HOME – BUILT IN JUST 5 MONTHS
The six buildings are arranged around shared outdoor areas, creating a village-style layout designed for student life. (SAGA Space Architects)
How 36 student apartments were printed at record speed
Skovsporet includes six buildings, and each one holds six ground-level student apartments. Crews printed the structures on site using the COBOD BOD3 3D construction printer. The machine extrudes a cement-like material layer by layer, following a digital blueprint with millimeter accuracy.
At first, printing a single building took several weeks. However, productivity improved quickly as the team gained experience. By the final building, printing wrapped up in just five days. That pace equals more than one student apartment printed per day.
Even more notable is the small crew required to run the system. Only three people operated the printer on site. As a result, automation handled the heavy work while the team focused on oversight, quality and precision.
Inside the 3D-printed student apartments
Each apartment measures roughly 431 to 538 square feet. Despite their compact footprint, the layouts feel open and intentional. Every unit includes a full kitchen, a study area, a lounge, a bathroom with a shower and a bedroom with a double bed. Large roof windows and slanted ceilings pull daylight deep into the space, helping soften the concrete structure. Inside, coated plywood panels and glass elements add warmth and contrast. The result feels modern and livable rather than industrial. These homes are designed for daily student life, not just architectural headlines.
AFFORDABLE 3D-PRINTED BIONIC ARM USES MUSCLE SIGNALS TO MOVE
Why 3D printed construction is changing how housing gets built
The real story at Skovsporet is not just speed. It is repeatability. As the team moved from one building to the next, efficiency improved without sacrificing quality. The BOD3 printer runs on a ground-based track system that allows uninterrupted printing of long wall sections. That consistency makes it easier to scale multi-unit housing projects.
According to COBOD, this kind of automation reduces labor needs, shortens timelines and improves accuracy. For cities facing housing shortages, those benefits matter.
How sustainability is built into this 3D printed housing project
Skovsporet also shows how 3D printing supports more sustainable construction. The walls were printed using D.fab concrete with FUTURECEM, a low-carbon cement developed by Aalborg Portland. Because the printer deposits material only where it is structurally needed, waste drops significantly compared to traditional methods. The site layout also preserved 95% of the existing trees by carefully positioning print beds between them. In other words, faster construction did not come at the cost of environmental care.
A COBOD BOD3 printer extrudes concrete layer-by-layer on site, forming the structural walls of Skovsporet’s student apartments with millimeter precision. (SAGA Space Architects)
What happens next for Denmark’s 3D-printed student housing
The 3D printing phase is now complete. Human crews have taken over to install roofs, windows, interiors, furniture and utilities. Landscaped gardens, walking paths and bicycle parking are also underway to create a shared village atmosphere. The project remains on schedule, with residents expected to move in by August 2026.
WORLD’S BIGGEST 3D-PRINTED SCHOOLS ARE UNDERWAY IN QATAR
What this means for you
If you care about housing affordability, this project is worth watching. Skovsporet proves that automation can deliver student housing faster while keeping quality high. It also hints at what could come next. Multiunit housing built with fewer workers, less waste and shorter timelines could ease pressure in crowded cities. While 3D-printed homes will not replace traditional construction overnight, they are clearly moving into the mainstream. For students, renters and communities, that shift could open the door to more accessible housing options.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Skovsporet is more than a construction milestone. It is a real-world example of how digital design, automation and sustainability can come together at scale. As Europe, the United States and Australia explore similar projects, this student village in Denmark may become a blueprint for future neighborhoods.
Printed concrete walls rise quickly across six buildings, showing how automation helped crews complete more than one apartment per day. (SAGA Space Architects)
If homes can be printed faster, cheaper and with less waste, what other parts of daily life are ready for the same kind of rethink? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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Technology
Trump administration bars former EU official and anti-disinformation and hate researchers from US
On Tuesday, the Trump Administration followed through on a threat of retaliation targeting foreigners who are involved in content moderation. The State Department announced sanctions barring US access for former EU commissioner Thierry Breton, as well as four researchers, while issuing an intentionally chilling threat to others, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio claiming, “The State Department stands ready and willing to expand today’s list if other foreign actors do not reverse course.”
One of the researchers the State Department says is banned and now deportable, is Imran Ahmed, who runs the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), an organization aimed at identifying and pushing back against hate speech online that Elon Musk tried and failed to censor with a lawsuit that was dismissed in early 2024. In his decision, Judge Charles Breyer wrote that X’s motivation for suing was to “punish CCDH for CCDH publications that criticized X Corp. — and perhaps in order to dissuade others.”
The other researchers include Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon, leaders of HateAid, a nonprofit that tried to sue X in 2023 for “failing to remove criminal antisemitic content,” as well as Clare Melford, leader of the Global Disinformation Index, which works on “fixing the systems that enable disinformation.”
The press release announcing the sanctions is titled “Announcement of Actions to Combat the Global Censorship-Industrial Complex,” the claimed target of Republicans like House Judiciary Committee leader Jim Jordan, as they’ve worked against attempts to apply fact-checking and misinformation research to social networks. Earlier this month, Reuters reported the State Department ordered US consulates to consider rejecting H-1B visa applicants involved in content moderation, and a few days ago, the Office of the US Trade Representative threatened retaliation against European tech giants like Spotify and SAP over supposedly “discriminatory” activity in regulating US tech platforms.
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