So farewell then, privacy...

[ffutures]

Noticed in Maplin's current advertising flyer - three radio-controlled aircraft with built-in cameras, two helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft.

The cheapo helicopter is £49.99 and basically a toy - 40M control range and the camera is only 0.3MP recording to an SD card. The other helicopter (£149.99) has 100M control range and a 5MP camera, and transmits video to its operator. And the plane (£199.99) appears to have remote control and autopilot capability, transmits video up to 400M, and again has a 5MP camera.

I'm willing to bet that the paperazzi are already finding uses for this kit. Fly the copter up the outside of a hotel where your favourite Hollywood star is staying, send the plane over that really private nudist beach used by the royals, etc. etc.

What's the next stage? Weaponisation? Probably not easy, these things don't have much payload capability, but certainly a possibility. Wouldn't surprise me to see them with toy weapons, e.g. laser tag guns and receivers. And of course you could use something like that to paint a target for something more lethal...

I think the only writer who foresaw this really early was Charlie Stross, some of the possibilities are discussed in Accelerando (I think). Be very interesting to see where the technology goes.

Comments

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

OK, wasn't aware of that one. Any other uses for this stuff suggested?

[johnreiher.livejournal.com]

They copters are being used to track deforestation in Sumatra:

http://www.treehugger.com/gadgets/conservationists-launch-cheap-drone-monitor-deforestation-and-endangered-species.html

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

That sounds more of a custom-built job (and probably has better range and cargo capacity than the toys I mention); it's the fact that these things are available ready-made and so cheap that interests me, now you don't need electronics expertise etc. to own your own personal spy plane.

[robertprior.livejournal.com]

I suspect Brin would approve of these, as long as private citizens can use them. What worries him (at least in TS) is that governments will restrict private access to information. His point (and I'm oversimplifying) is that the rich and powerful can already get access to information about us, so the only thing that will preserve our freedom is if we can look back at them. ("Sousveillance", I think he calls it.)

I'd suggest reading the book. I think you'd enjoy it, even if you don't agree with him on everything.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Thanks - if it comes my way I'll take a look.

[robertprior.livejournal.com]

More casual and rambling than the book (it's a blog post, after all) but riffing on the same themes:

http://davidbrin.blogspot.ca/2012/11/is-law-enforcement-going-dark-dilberts.html