Yes, it is political as everything about toys, terrorists, Internet buying, and NFL.com must be.
(over reactions expected ) ’m sending this to several Washington DC guys because I think it is important.
Gregg Easterbrook on NFL.com dug up this:
“TMQ's Christmas List No. 2: Wonder if your neighbor sunbathes starkers? Find out with your very own remote-control spy plane: "Modeled on an AWACS jet, this remote-control plane has a detachable digital camera that takes still photos from hundreds of feet above the ground. The camera records up to 26 high-quality VGA (640 x 480 resolution) photos which can be easily downloaded to any PC via USB for archiving, sharing, or printing." Selling for $239.95, "flight control is easy to learn for beginners ... two rechargeable batteries are included for repeated flights." So you buy the remote-controlled miniature spy plane and soar it above the neighbor's backyard or the local sorority-house swimming pool, then share the photos with friends! How long until affordable mini spy planes have eavesdropping features too? And couldn't this gadget be employed to see what's on the other side of a hill or inside a military facility? Developing-world insurgents and militias can't afford the complex drones the Pentagon uses, but might order this $239.95 wonder over the Internet. It will be very creepy if one of these mini spy planes ends up employed by some faction in Iraq or Afghanistan.
While I doubt sentries of military bases in Afghanistan or Iraq won’t notice model planes flying over, and if they do the itel would be old as it the camera must be retrieved and the images down loaded.
Where it would be nice is next to, say, a nuclear power plant in the US. Without going directly over they could get building layout, guard schedules, etc. If noticed, they were just flying the new model airplane over some public land, oh, it is next to a nuclear power plant?
Here is the direct link http://www.hammacher.com/publish/72434.asp?promo=QSearch&ls=BX
Bill Berry
A citizen from Massachusetts who reads NFL.com