drones

New and Improved Rules for Drone Warfare

Hamilton Nolan · 04/26/12 02:45PM

Good news for people who love freedom, hate terrorism, and people who do not live in Yemen and will never visit Yemen and do not appear to be from Yemen or its surrounding areas: the U.S. government is relaxing its rules for drone strikes in Yemen. When it comes to incinerating more or less inscrutable targets with unseen missile attacks like Zeus himself, why be encumbered by a bunch of bureaucratic rules?

Privacy Death Stars Approved By Congress

Ryan Tate · 02/07/12 05:48PM

Today, it is tricky for governments and corporations to constantly spy on people using drones. By 2015, it wil be much much easier, thanks to a Monday Congressional vote authorizing drones above 400 feet, in the same airspace as commercial airliners.

How Your Privacy Will Be Invaded in 2012

Ryan Tate · 12/29/11 05:30PM

In 2011, we watched as tech villains found creative new ways to violate our privacy. They misappropriated our social networking profiles, stalked us through our phones, and plucked secrets from our wifi networks. To help you better prepare for 2012's inevitable privacy attacks, we enumerate below the most worrisome threats you should monitor in the coming year.

Newsweek Sucks

Hamilton Nolan · 11/18/11 02:45PM

In your finally Friday media column: Newsweek sucks, Chelsea Clinton's NBC infiltration works, a bodybuilder becomes a magazine editor, drone journalism arrives, and your angry layoff rant of the day.

Terrifying Robot Bird Drones May Join U.S. Air Force

Wired.com · 11/02/11 03:18PM

If Air Force researchers have their way, the military's next flying robots of doom will be tiny, and indistinguishable from the naked eye from small birds, bats or even insects. And they'll take their first flight in a freaky "Micro-Aviary" in Ohio, where engineers make mini-machines modeled on those creatures of the sky.

Battlestar Is Back, Baby

Richard Lawson · 10/20/11 05:30PM

It is, it really is! Also today: Matt Damon makes more plans to head behind the camera, a recent literary hit goes to TV, and something about Dallas.

Computer Virus Hits U.S. Drone Fleet

Remy Stern · 10/07/11 01:34PM

A computer virus has infected the cockpits of America's Predator and Reaper drones, logging pilots' every keystroke as they remotely fly missions over Afghanistan and other warzones.

What Impact Will Anwar Al-Awlaki's Death Have In The West?

TPM · 10/01/11 09:30AM

The death of Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born cleric linked to al Qaeda's operations in Yemen, is likely to impact American Arabs and Muslims in positive fashion, according to Dr. Hussein Ibish, former communications director for the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Commitee.

The Pentagon Is Great at Blowing Your Money

Jeff Neumann · 08/12/11 05:30AM

While the rest of America watches the economy go down the shitter all over again, the Pentagon is busy blowing hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on toys that don't work. Perhaps you've heard about the Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 and its alleged Prompt Global Strike™ capabilities? It failed for a second time during a test flight yesterday off the coast of California.

Drones Scare Pakistani Cricket Fans

Jeff Neumann · 03/31/11 05:31AM

India beat its longtime rival Pakistan yesterday in the Cricket World Cup semifinals as all of South Asia tuned in via satellite television. Fans in Pakistan's North Waziristan were no exception, although many stayed indoors to avoid Hellfire missiles. From the AFP:

Aerial Drones: Coming to a Police Department Near You

Adrian Chen · 01/23/11 01:17PM

Some advice: Get all your crime done before 2013, which is when the FAA plans to implement laws that will allow police departments to routinely fly unmanned drones around U.S. cities. It's gonna be a lot harder to get away.

'Virtual Fence' Scrapped After Wasting $1 Billion

Jeff Neumann · 01/15/11 09:26AM

After blowing $1 billion on an electronic "virtual fence" along the border with Mexico, the Department of Homeland Security yesterday finally ditched the $7 billion project in favor of surveillance drones and human patrols. Bravo, DHS. Money well spent. [NYT]

Mexican Spy Plane Crashes in Texas

Max Read · 12/17/10 02:11AM

A remote-controlled drone owned and operated by the government of Mexico crashed "in someone's backyard" near El Paso last week. What was it doing there?