The right of the American people to keep and fly drones

The right to keep and fly drones.

A Virginia House panel approved, last week,  a two-year moratorium on drone use within the state. In December, the City Council in Berkeley debated a similar proposal from its Peace and Justice Commission. The Peace and Justice Commission wanted to prohibit the city from purchasing, borrowing, testing or using drones, or allowing “drones in transit.” However, hobbyists would have been allowed to use drones which didn’t carry cameras or audio surveillance equipment. The legislation was shot down because, as Berkeley Councilman Gordon Wozniak argued, “Berkeley doesn’t have jurisdiction over its airspace and can’t enforce it unless we buy Patriot missiles to shoot things down.” Both of these bills were prompted by law enforcement officials wanting to use drones for surveillance and intelligence gathering.The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) calls this “spying.”

 

 

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Crazyflie – super tiny new quadrocopter

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WBUVYZkODI&hd=1[/youtube]

Crazyflie is a nippy new quadrocopter and has just been made available for pre-order by Sweden’s Bitcraze. Unlike other pint-sized fliers like the (yet to be released) NanoQ and MeCam, this impressive-looking critter won’t arrive in one piece and all ready to fly. Instead, Crazyflie is being made available as a self-build quadrocopter development and hacking kit.

 

 

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Top 7 best-case scenarios for the future

If things go really well, our civilization will continue to evolve and diversify.

A lot of science fiction and visions of the future from futurists lean towards the negative – and for good reason.  Our environment is a mess, we have a nasty tendency to misuse technologies, and we’re becoming increasingly capable of destroying ourselves. But the demise of the civilization is by no means guaranteed. Should we find a way to manage the risks and avoid dystopic outcomes, our far future looks astonishingly bright. Here are seven best-case scenarios for the future of humanity.

 

 

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38 predictions about the future of tech, science, and humanity

Predicting the future.

What does the future of humanity hold?  Looking ahead at our future is an integral part of human nature.  Information Is Beautiful Studio have compiled 38 predictions about the future of tech, science, and humanity in general — with an educated guess as to their odds of actually becoming reality. (infographic)

 

 

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The origins of ‘big data’

Digital technology is changing both how words and ideas are created and proliferate, and how they are studied.

The fundamental building blocks of language and culture are words and phrases, much as genes and cells are to the biology of life.  Words are how we express ideas.  Tracing their origin, development, and spread is not just an academic pursuit but a window into a society’s intellectual evolution.

 

 

 

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Researchers analyzing New York Times archives to predict the future

Researchers are creating software that analyzes 22 years of New York Times archives, Wikipedia and about 90 other web resources to predict the future.

Microsoft and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology researchers are creating software that analyzes 22 years of New York Times archives, Wikipedia and about 90 other web resources to predict future disease outbreaks, riots and deaths — and hopefully prevent them.

 

 

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European Space Agnecy wants a 3D printed building on the moon

Moonbase

The European Space Agency wants to 3-D print a moon base.  But one of the biggest challenges would be the expense (in terms of energy) to get supplies off of Earth.  One way is to send as little as possible to the Moon.  Couldn’t we just make a moon base out of rock?  After all, the moon is already made of rocks. (Pics)

 

 

 

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Netflix’s plan to kill the cable industry

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings

Netflix is guaranteed to make the cable industry nervous with its plan to disrupt the industry. “The traditional entertainment ecosystem is built on (managed dissatisfaction), and it’s a totally artificial concept,” Netflix CEO Reed Hastings tells GQ’s Nancy Hass. “The point of managed dissatisfaction is waiting.”

 

 

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China tests smart-grid technology

The State Grid Corporation of China is running the smart-grid project using passive optical networking technology.

Smart-grid technology testing has begun in China hat could eventually be deployed nationwide to make the delivery of electricity more reliable and efficient. It might also serve as a way to deliver high-speed Internet, TV, and telephony to the farthest reaches of the country.

 

 

 

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Las Vegas businessman bets $500 million on space hotel

Pictured with Bigelow is a BA 330 module, similar in function to what the new Bigelow Expandable Activity Module will be.

Robert Bigelow is a hotel ans aerospace entrepreneur,  He got rich off budget hotel suites that start at $189 a week. Now they are funding his dream of building inflatable space habitats with rates topping $400,000 a day.

 

 

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Discover the Hidden Patterns of Tomorrow with Futurist Thomas Frey
Unlock Your Potential, Ignite Your Success.

By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.

Learn More about this exciting program.