... is "emoji".

No, just ferrite, I think.

Actually, I think the Government comprises Citizens...

I hates me some Oracle, but if you want really fast synchronous multi-master relational database clusters and can't live without that, then it's probably the way to go. Assuming you have a couple million bucks lying around. Per year.

If you're starting out now, build your application around async replication like that in Postgres instead of relying on multi-master and use anything but Oracle.

"684.8 terabytes of data"

So wouldn't that be "650TB", not "650Tb"?

I'm assuming this is a steganographic tour de force, meant to illustrate a method to hide even the existence of a message from our unwelcome network-snooping overlords, using either missing words or grammatical errors to cue the clued-in reader to the real message.

However, either:

a) I just can't crack the code, or
b) I'm giving you too much credit. :)

Anyone else want to take a crack at this?

Interesting idea...

Drone pilots tend to (or should do) stay away from power lines because of the interference their magnetic field creates in the drone's internal compass. However, if that can be worked out you might be able to at least gain some flight time by getting a little boost from induction, even if you're not going to be able to recharge at the 10A-20A that drones burn staying aloft.

For this to happen frame design would need to be largely informed by the question of where you put the coils, and how much metal to put in them. My guess is there would be some serious challenges to make a drone light enough to fly and still get meaningful power from the magnetic field.

If a couple hundred drones are drawing enough energy to get a meaningful boost to flight time, does it start to become noticeable on the power grid?

Fascinating and funny. That may be old hat to anyone with a math background, but it's an interesting first look into Social Networke Analysis for me.

Are you saying you'd go into Politalics?

Exactly.

Never get involved in a land war in Asia.

I just like that a guy named Holder wants to let people go.

A 5-foot wingspan on a quad allows for huge props. That can lead to very long flight times with a well-engineered drone.

My 3DRobotics Y6 can do 90km/h, even if only for 8 minutes on one battery. That's a range of 6km, including return flight. Range would be higher at a lower speed, as it's more efficient, although I haven't had the balls to send the drone that far away from me in flight to test it. I'd guess I could do 10km out and 10km back on a $75 battery if I had the nerve to lose sight of my baby for that long.

See http://diydrones.com/profiles/... . These guys hope for a 1-hour flight time out of a quad with 27"-29" props on a 12kg (26lb.) drone. That's a range of 25km out and 25km back at a speed of 50km/h, which is not that fast. They've done some math that leads me to believe they are at least in the ballpark. And these guys are hobbyists.

Not such a stretch to think a company like Google could cover some good distance with a quadcopter of 9kg (19lbs.). 16km (10mi), as you say, is definitely achievable with current technology, and battery technology is due for a drastic improvement, with all the resources being put into it by different universities and companies.

That distinction reminded me of the Butlerian Jihad from Dune. The backlash against thinking machines caused humanity to destroy them and forbid their creation.

I always wondered how you draw the line between the two. Seems like the video is no advocating drawing a line at all, but instead just accepting that this will happen and planning for it, because "economics always wins".

Hard to argue with the prediction that most humans will be unemployable at some point in the future.