Just got an email from United. (They use Newark as a hub so they are at a big risk of cancellations) They say anyone can get a refund from them -- even people with bottom of the line economy tickets. They also say they don't plan on cancelling international flights. The most at risk for cancellations are domestic flights to a non hub city. Travel insurance should pay too but I'd much rather get it directly from the airline.

Yeah it all sounded good until I looked at their chart, and then I thought wow, I could use a new screen!

Well I for one rarely miss an opportunity to resent the news.

No, that might be a reasonable inference if they were paying the ransom, but they actually are refusing to pay it.
So they probably do not fear losing the customers.
They're not selling a product people buy on a whim, and large customers have limited options. If another company is offering similar services, they'll have the exact same exposure; if they're allowed to connect apps to their service, then it is up to them not to let their own employees connect malicious apps. If they didn't need to connect apps to the service, they probably wouldn't be paying to do so.

Your link doesn't say anything about F15's being mistaken for drones. What it says is:

It also doesn't say the drones in New Jersey were "scheduled night flights of passenger jets and helicopters."
What it does say is,

The question isn't what the hell "they" are smoking, it's what the hell you are smoking. Though I suspect that's not the problem.

You're ready to accuse others of "hysteria" when actually you're just reciting a narrative that hasn't be established as fact, and since you're citing authorities that contradict your narrative thinking they would support it, the only reasonable conclusion is that you're an idiot who doesn't read anything and is functionally illiterate.

Numerous government sources have confirmed that the drones seen on the East Coast existed, were authorized by the government, and their mission was secret in nature.

In the UK military base incursions, the latest reporting is that the airports have increased security and many in government suspect foreign intelligence involvement.

Using web search to attempt to find stories to support your preferred narrative is pretty transparent to people who read the news every day their whole life.

"Available enforcement options may vary by jurisdiction."

So instead of a night in jail after the 10th time getting caught, the shoplifter turned terrorist gets 25 years, and you get 10 years? Sounds like a really good plan you've got!

What do teenage shoplifters get in the UK? A letter to their parents? (Spoiler: There's a big article about this in the BBC this week)

The police will love flying them around, but most of the stores that buy it will be disappointed and sales will drop over time.

So you're saying they'll be told sternly not to fly over 400', and the police will love them?

If you really want to explore the topic, why not The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson? Too many words for most slashdotters, I guess...

The problem with your AI drivel is that drones aren't people, they don't think, and there is absolutely no reason to program them to let a shoplifter go if they drop the (in this case, now destroyed) items. Nor would security personnel controlling a drone lose interest.

I thought this would be needless to say, but your comment reminds me how stupid the average person is.

There will be no point in buying this technology unless you're calling the police on the shoplifters, and you have local policing available.

The same company is installing mass-surveillance cameras, free (so far, pending lawsuits) of the restrictions placed on law enforcement, when the whole purpose of the cameras is that they give the data to police, who are paying them to do it.

That's the dystopian part people would be talking about in reference to Flock.

Do you live under a fucking rock or something?

I love it. I don't think it would scare the shoplifters, just entertain them. But it would be great PR in a world with a lot of drone anxiety.

In the past 20 years I've only been waved through I've never even had a receipt checked in that situation.

The purpose of the alarm at this point seems to actually be to get somebody in the security room to check the video. They should probably just turn the beepers off.