DailyDirt: The Drones Are Coming

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Thu, Apr 23rd 2015 5:00pm — Michael Ho

We've talked about all kinds of drones before and about the FAA restrictions on using the more toy-like versions outdoors. Sometimes people do stupid stuff with drones -- and it really doesn't help to create an environment where people can enjoy drones responsibly. However, people will always do stupid things, and we can't let the jerks ruin it for the rest of us.

A drone with a very small amount of radioactive material was found on the roof of the Japanese prime minister’s office. Japan has no restrictions for flying unmanned equipment below altitudes of 250 meters (except near airplane flight routes), but presumably this incident will spur lawmakers to put more restrictions in place. [url]
Drug traffickers crash landed an overloaded drone carrying methamphetamine near the Mexico border. The drone was a DJI Spreading Wings S900 -- and ruined any chances of an authentic tacocopter for delivering Mexican food. [url]
A DJI Phantom drone crashed on the White House lawn earlier this year, and the pilot turned himself in, saying it was just an accident. This is why we can't have nice things. Thanks a lot. [url]
Doug Hughes, a 61-year-old mailman from Florida, flew his gyrocopter and landed it on the West Capitol lawn to make a statement about campaign finance reform. Okay, this wasn't a drone, but delivering letters by hand is always more personal, isn't it? [url]

After you've finished checking out those links, take a look at our Daily Deals for cool gadgets and other awesome stuff.

Filed Under: campaign finance reform, doug hughes, drone, faa, gyrocopter, methamphetamine, tacocopter
Companies: dji

4 Comments

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CharlieBrown, 23 Apr 2015 @ 6:40pm

The Daily Show
That story about the gyrocopter, see if you can find "The Daily Show" coverage of it from a few days ago. Especially if you'd like to see how crappy the secret services are becoming.
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DMNTD, 23 Apr 2015 @ 6:43pm

Soo drones are real?
Seriously, no victim no crime. Sounds like a bunch of fear mongering.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Apr 2015 @ 7:22pm

Just wait
Everything needed to create Pico-drones already exists. Dust mote size drones will someday be everywhere and just a part of life.
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Thrudd, 24 Apr 2015 @ 6:27am

Not waiting
If you know that there is the capability then it is already out there and in active use by our insecurity services.

Remember that drones came out of re - purposing off the shelf hobby equipment
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