💣 War drones need specially trained operators: Well, they did. The U.S. Marine Corps is testing a new AI-powered strike drone. Select any target, and Bolt-M follows autonomously, even if it loses connection. To attack, choose the direction, angle and height, and it does the rest. Just … wow.
Introducing: Bolt & Bolt-M
Congress bans new DJI drones
Concerns over privacy and foreign spying have fueled a growing debate about the safety of these popular drones already buzzing around our neighborhoods.
🛸 UFOs over New Jersey? Mysterious drone-like crafts the size of cars have been hovering over the Garden State every night for a week. No one’s saying why, but the FAA banned drones from flying over Trump’s New Jersey golf course. Are these the newest Communist China spy tactics? The FBI says there’s “no known threat” to the public.
17 days
A dozen drones flew over secure U.S. military locations. They zoomed over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, moved over the home base of the Navy’s SEAL Team Six and, finally, surveyed the world’s largest naval port (paywall link). U.S. officials don’t know where they came from or how to stop them. Ahem, China? These yours?
Robo-dog built to defend against drones
The U.S. military is developing a gun-wielding robot dog to protect our forces from aerial drones. The doggo is equipped with an AR-15-type rifle, electro-optical targeting system, infrared/thermal vision and a laser aiming device.
🤖 Autonomous warfare: A U.S. Air Force general says the military is still years away from letting robots replace human pilots. Even though they’re testing AI software to fly fighter jets, there’s still a big gap between the digital world and the real deal. Apparently, robot pilots continue to make “unexpected” choices during test flights. Meanwhile, Trump’s advisors have other plans; Elon Musk says to forget pricey F-35 jets because we’re in the age of drones.
🏠 We have Fort Knox at home: Facial recognition and 3D surveillance are just the first steps for Silicon Valley tech elites turning their homes into military-grade fortresses. The startup Sauron (named after the villain in “The Lord of the Rings”) uses drones to create a “deterrence pod” that projects a searchlight to scare off trespassers. Boy, I could’ve used that when Chilean gangs targeted my home and the Phoenix SWAT team saved the day.
🌺 Keep this news to a-lo-ha: Botanists found a new plant species on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai. They flew a drone to the Waiahulu Valley, where the cliffs are too steep to climb. The drone’s robotic arm returned a sample that scientists have named Schiedea waiahuluensis. Only about 345 are hanging on for dear life in tiny pockets of soil.
Winging it: Forget those small prop planes carrying advertising banners over beaches. Drones are replacing planes in places like Miami Beach. They’re quieter and — get this — they track ad views in real time and fly about 400 feet lower than planes. There’s no avoiding ‘em.
Kyiv’s cheap drones: Ukraine’s suppliers are ramping up production of super-cheap computer-guided drones. Startup Vyriy’s under-$50 models hop between frequencies and use a digital video link (paywall link). Others let one person control a swarm of drones at once. I hope this war doesn’t drone on for much longer.
🐻 Wild bear chase: Drones (hit this link for the video) are chasing grizzly bears and other predators from ranches in Montana. They’re proving a safer and more humane option than firing rubber bullets, which require you to get too close for comfort. I know this firsthand. A huge bear was right behind me on the Snake River years ago. People were screaming, “Bear! Bear! Bear!” I grabbed my son, Ian, like a football and ran up the hill. Only when I reached the top did I turn around. It scared the crap out of me! Well, not really, but you get my drift.
📦 Coming in hot: Amazon just got the FAA greenlight to fly new, smaller delivery drones that cross into pilots’ line of sight. First stop: Tolleson, a city west of Phoenix (not near me … yet). Fingers crossed this MK30 model is quieter than the others. Locals, no skeet shooting for prizes!
💣 War drones need specially trained operators: Well, they did. The U.S. Marine Corps is testing a new AI-powered strike drone. Select any target, and Bolt-M follows autonomously, even if it loses connection. To attack, choose the direction, angle and height, and it does the rest. Just … wow.
$3,000 cellphones
White-collar criminals are shelling out to stay connected in prison. Some are smuggled in by guards and others via drone. A former securities broker who went to prison told Business Insider (paywall link) a box of 50 phones, camouflaged to look like grass, landed in the yard one day.
Drone on: U.S. officials have a bright idea to defend military bases from drone attacks — defensive drones. This comes after months of deadly drone strikes on U.S. bases in the Middle East by Iran-linked groups. For now, U.S. troops will need to rely on electronic jamming and anti-aircraft guns; defensive drones could take another two years to roll out.
💩 Speaking of drones: The “Poopcopter” is an AI drone system that cleans up your doggo’s mess in the backyard. Using real-time computer vision and machine learning, it scans the area to pinpoint the poop, and then it swoops down to scoop it up. It’s in the prototype phase, so you’re still on poop duty. Sorry.
🚫 Another China ban: The House of Representatives just voted to ban new DJI drones in the U.S. The Chinese spy balloon incident, along with China’s threats to invade Taiwan and drag America into a Pacific war, have led to real concerns about China collecting intricately detailed maps of the U.S. and its infrastructure through the millions of DJI drones flown by innocent Americans. You can still buy one, but if the bill passes, flying new models will be off-limits.
🧒🏼 Thank goodness for drones: A 3-year-old boy went missing in a 100-acre cornfield in Wisconsin. As night fell, deputies turned to a thermal imaging drone to spot the toddler’s body heat. The drone found him about half a mile from home. The reason for his adventure? He was chasing a cat.
💣 Sounds expensive: By 2050, a new generation of tanks could replace those made during the Cold War. The plan is to outfit existing models with AI integration and Tesla-inspired tech. Think hybrid electric engines, autoloaders, self-launching drones and jammers to stop incoming missiles. Hopefully, they don’t have the Tesla fart-sounding horn.
A round of a-paws: The U.S. military is developing a gun-wielding robot dog to protect our forces from aerial drones. The doggo is equipped with an AR-15-type rifle, an electro-optical targeting system, infrared/thermal vision and a laser aiming device. Wow, I hope these don’t get hacked.