With David out snorkeling in the alps, we welcome WIRED editor Brian Barrett to the show. Brian recently wrote about Lady Gaga’s drone-backed performance at the Super Bowl, and all of the crazy tech that went into planning the spectacle. He tells us how the Intel engineers control hundreds of drones at once, plus how the company plans to deploy its automated platform in situations that aren’t all about entertainment and marketing. Also this week, Jack Stewart talks to UNICEF about its use of drones, and Paul Sarconi interviews Parrot founder and CEO Henri Seydoux, maker of the first real consumer drone.

Some links: Brian’s story about Lady Gaga at the Super Bowl. Brian also wrote about the Disney drone show. WIRED’s 2010 review of the Parrot AR drone. Recommendations this week: The North Water by Ian McGuire and the Stooges documentary Gimme Danger.

Send the hosts feedback on their personal Twitter feeds. Brian Barrett is @brbarrett and Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab.