quadcopter/drones for backpacking (the future is coming)

Why do I feel like that Hitler quote sounds a lot like the justification used for half the violations of privacy provided for by the Patriot Act?

I am surprised at how many people I talk to about these trends have no issues with any of them on the grounds that "they're not doing anything wrong", so it doesn't matter if someone's tracking them.

Combined with a healthy dose of fear and xenophobia instilled by the media, it seems to me that this is the exact mentality that lets police states happen.

"Combined with a healthy dose of fear and xenophobia instilled by the media, it seems to me that this is the exact mentality that lets police states happen."

We're already in a police state. Have been for awhile now. Sadly, it has been done with the acquiescence of the general population. Hopefully trends will begin to reverse, but I'm doubting it.

Oh Doug, weirdo.
Can't find that video on Youtube.

"Combined with a healthy dose of fear and xenophobia instilled by the media, it seems to me that this is the exact mentality that lets police states happen."

We're already in a police state. Have been for awhile now. Sadly, it has been done with the acquiescence of the general population. Hopefully trends will begin to reverse, but I'm doubting it.

Yup. My feelings exactly.

""Apple Inc.'s iPhone is collecting and storing location information even when location services are turned off, according to a test conducted by The Wall Street Journal."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704123204576283580249161342.html?mod=e2tw

One more reason I don't own a cell phone.

______________________________________________________________

"If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place. If you really need that kind of privacy, the reality is that search engines – including Google – do retain this information for some time and it's important, for example, that we are all subject in the United States to the Patriot Act and it is possible that all that information could be made available to the authorities."

"-Eric Schmidt, executive chairman, Google""

Interesting that, as we post, Chairman Eric is hobnobbing with some of his fans over in North Korea. What a great test bed for some of his new software.

Time to get out the "V" masks and march on Washington, demanding MUCH more internet and "smart phone" privacy.

But back to the "Quadcopter" intrusion into our wilderness experience. I think this gadget is just the first crude step toward what will be smaller aerial vehicles with greater range, much more compact controls and better cameras streaming video back to the controller.

So get ready to NOT tan in the nude in your fenced and walled back yard. The pervert next door will be watching from 500 ft.

I will LMAO when the first civilian Quadcopter crashes into a police surveilance drone.

BRAVE NEW WORLD with "Newspeak" is coming. Jus' sayin'…

*** NOTE: By the way… I wuz gonna sell my rifle since "assault rifle" prices have skyrocketed but now I'm thinking of keeping it to shoot down non-military drones. A new sport is born – hunting with no season and no bag limits!

>> I am surprised at how many people I talk to about these trends have no issues with any of them

I feel like having issues with it makes me the paranoid one.

Don't forget all this is being stored somewhere, forever…

creepy.

Guys do me a favor.
When you post either wear some clothing or switch your web cams off.

Every time I complain about Google, or the NSC monitoring all email and cell phone calls, or the drone war killing children in Pakistan, I'm accused of being a right-wing nut job. Probably am. Guess I'll go clean a gun, and hide behind religion.

"Every time I complain about Google, or the NSC monitoring all email and cell phone calls, or the drone war killing children in Pakistan, I'm accused of being a right-wing nut job…"

Funny. Every time I do it I'm accused of being a left-wing nut job.

I feel like having issues with it makes me the paranoid one.

No no, the truly paranoid ones are very careful to appear quiescent in public. Should drones start dropping themselves in nearby pools and ponds, guess how the suspect list gets drawn up….

That Mammut quad copter vid is excellent for demonstration of the shots, and I am blown away at the altitude and temperature ranges it operates in…the big wall and snow-covered peak shots are amazing.

Drone On

"Drone On"

I sure wish I had more faith in my fellow man than I do. Again, that queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach….

"I sure wish I had more faith in my fellow man than I do. Again, that queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach…."

+1

"DRONE ON" was very enlightening – and a bit scary.

As I mentioned in my 1st post, hunting drones can be a great new sport for all of us with rifles (or shotguns for those pesky low fliers).

Good video

Pretty soon we'll have Improvised Explosive Drones?

They included some video of a hobby drone buzzing the Brooklyn bridge, Empire State Building, and Statue of Liberty. For $1000 someone could add explosive?

If you are going to shoot them down you better get a clean shot or they may return fire:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Jplh7uatr-E#!

(Skip to about 2:30)

Also, despite all the hating on drones, I could see these things being moderately useful for white water boating to scout runs in canyons etc where line of sight isn't otherwise possible. Future models could also potentially fly off and get help for you (with messages/ images etc). It is agreed that having them generally whizz past on the trail would be infuriating.

Also some non-quadrocopters:

http://www.gizmag.com/lehmann-aviation-la100-uav/25142/
http://www.gizmag.com/swinglet-cam-aerial-photography-drone/16892/

"I could see these things being moderately useful for white water boating to scout runs in canyons etc where line of sight isn't otherwise possible."

Hmm… Wouldn't be better to develop the skills needed to read a river; the skills needed to read a topo map; the skills needed to read snow fields; etc?

Not to mention the adventure and personal satisfaction of solving and successfully developing a solution to an obstacle.

Here's an interesting article from Friday's USA Today.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/10/domestic-drones-backlash/1566212/

"Hmm… Wouldn't be better to develop the skills needed to read a river; the skills needed to read a topo map; the skills needed to read snow fields; etc?"

Indeed the skills to read rivers/ maps etc is super important and having a drone won't help you do that, but in some situations it is simply impossible to get yourself into a situation where you can scout a river. Examples of this include gorges where there are overhanging rocks on each side (see a couple of examples below). In these cases you are essentially running a rapid blind and unaware whether some new submerged log is going to kill you.

In these situations, some kind of tough drone would simply be an excellent option.

http://www.oregonkayaking.net/rivers/elwha/elwha.html
http://oregonkayaking.net/rivers/box/box.html
http://caliproduct.blogspot.com.au/2007_01_01_archive.html
http://www.awetstate.com/Print%5CNTrinity.html
http://riversofchile.com/rio-llizan/

Legal experts expressed grave reservations Tuesday about an Obama administration memo concluding that the United States can order the killing of American citizens believed to be affiliated with al-Qaida — with one saying the White House was acting as “judge, jury and executioner.”

Link to story

Hi Nick

Seems to me those 'legal experts' are just seeking glory and publicity for themselves.

Imagine you are leading a US Army patrol in, say, Afganistan, patrol an area known to be threatened by Al-Quaeda. You come under fire. Are these 'legal experts' demanding that the patrol leader trot up to the enemy combatants to ask them 'Any of you chaps American?'

Come on!

Cheers

Not so roger.

It is about precedent. It's continuation of the erosision of our rights. It lets the US kill its own citizens without due process. This and the unprecedented use of executive orders are disgusting.

"It is about precedent. It's continuation of the erosision of our rights. It lets the US kill its own citizens without due process. This and the unprecedented use of executive orders are disgusting."

Well, I'll be darned! Never thought I'd see the day. +100