The US House of Representatives passed H.R. 4660 yesterday, Rep,. Rush Holt (D-N.J) added a couple of amendments to this bill which prohibit local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies from purchasing or using unmanned aircraft based on privacy concerns....

So the next time a quad copter in the hands of a law enforcement agency could have potentially found a lost hiker, or monitored a wildfire etc.. I guess you're out of luck....

I could not agree more - this idea has so many flaws and will not and cannot scale. You know what would make sense - putting solar panels on rooftops. I'll bet there is way more surface area covered by building roofs than there is roads AND the power is generated where it is needed and oh guess what, infrastructure to get the power on to the grid is already there, oh wait, the problem with this idea is that since its not roads the GOVERNMENT likely would not pay for it. Oh well, I don't know if anybody already said it but I guess there IS a sucker born every minute. I hope the nice couple that supposedly invented this really believes in what they are doing so at least its not blatant fraud....

Actually air traffic control radars ARE radars, the transponder merely fills in the ID data (as a beacon as you said). Aircraft without transponders show up as unidentified targets with a heading, range, and speed. Transponders work are farther ranges because there is only a one way free space loss to the aircraft, when relying only on a radar "echo" the loss is both directions

you mean like I do with my cat ?

Anyone want to invest in a cataract treatment center in Cairo, they're going to need it in a few years...

97% of pornography contains pictures of naked humans

actually a valid point - not to mention Combat Search And Rescue (CSAR) missions, and convoy protection (stopping he convoy before getting to the roadside bomb) Global Hawk was used to provide surveillance of California wildfires to aid firefighters etc.. also likely saving lives. I think its awesome that the RCMP is using remotely piloted technology and it is cool it paid off in a tangible way of saving a life- but drones have save lots of lives in less visible ways

I can assure you hundreds and maybe thousands of people have been saved by drones of all sizes and shapes - but possibly the first time a drone used by the police has saved a life...

somebody should come up with a ROT13 Goatse link as retaliation

that was way better than my list - Astroglide - LOL

maybe they should publish a list of homes with poisonous household chemicals, prescription drugs, swimming pools, razor blades, exposed A/C outlets, 6 foot ladders, ornamental samurai swords and anything else that might harm children... Do you not see how absurd this is ? IMHO this is utterly insane, it is NOT the same as publishing a list of registered sex offenders, protecting children from people is not the same as protecting them from objects. If your child goes over to a neighbors house its OK to ask them if they have guns and they are safe, in fact its YOUR responsibility as a parent !!

oh and lets make sure criminals know where they can go to break in and steal guns - on the other hand maybe a lot of criminals will get shot and killed, I can only hope that such irresponsible journalism has visible consequences.

lets give everyone another reason to buy guns on the black/gray market and not register them - that is utter stupidity

slow news day at the NY Times I guess.....

or they would be in the airlock itself and not actually exposed to space all the time -