Sprint Nextel is excluding Chinese telecommunications-equipment makers Huawei Technologies and ZTE from a contract worth billions of dollars largely because of national security concerns in Washington. The Defense Department and some U.S. lawmakers have been increasingly concerned about the two companies’ ties to the Chinese government and military, and the security implications of letting their equipment into critical U.S. infrastructure. Some officials argue China’s military could use Huawei or ZTE equipment to disrupt or intercept American communications. (
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Here at Kevin’s Security Scrapbook I have been watching the development of drones for years. These are my two personal favorites: Do It Yourself Sky Spies – The Draganflyer and
“MAV” The Scariest SiFi Movie You’ll See this Year.
If you followed the Scrapbook, you already knew where this is going.
Time for an official FutureWatch prediction… Private Investigators will start selling off all the old TSCM gadgets they bought which never turned a profit to invest in a drone. Although the applications will be limited (by practicality and law), drones will offer solutions to previously unsolvable problems.
Early adopters will easily recoup their investments and turn a profit via rental of the drone for special assignments, and/or selling the photos/video at a premium price. In fact, having a drone should bring in previously unattainable assignments.
P.S.
This is a window of opportunity. It may take up to ten years for new laws (and FAA regulations) protecting public safety and privacy to catch up.
…via The Wall Street Journal…
Personal drones aren’t yet plying U.S. flyways. But an arms race is building among people looking to track celebrities, unfaithful lovers or even wildlife. Some organizations would like them for emergency operations in areas hit by natural disasters. Several efforts to develop personal drones are scheduled for completion in the next year.
“If the Israelis can use them to find terrorists, certainly a husband is going to be able to track a wife who goes out at 11 o’clock at night and follow her,” said New York divorce lawyer Raoul Felder. (more)
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| The AR.Drone, an iPhone-controlled helicopter powered by four separate blades |
Can’t wait?
Check out what’s available now!
A.R. Drone (specs) (video)
AERYON Labs (specs) (video)
And many more.
“Even Mr. Bond has to have an off day when all his fancy duds are at the $1.50 Dry Cleaners and he’s down to his last pair of underpants. But just because his suit jackets are gone doesn’t mean he can’t hide fancy spy gadgets on his person. Before he drags out the t-shirts he wore while canvassing for decade-old political campaigns or his favorite band that broke up when he was in college, he goes for his old standby, the From Tokyo With Love Electronic Spy Camera Shirt.
It’s so deliciously obvious. Centered in the artwork on the shirt is the man himself, holding a camera to his face. But not just a picture of a camera. Hidden behind the soft cotton exterior is a fully-functioning spy camera. That’s right. Whatever your chest can see, the camera can see. A cable connects the camera to a small black box that fits discreetly in your pocket. Just reach in, press the button, and your shirt will capture the evidence before you.” (more)
Silicon Valley is bracing itself for fireworks as a long-running intellectual property and industrial espionage dispute between two of the most powerful names in technology finally reaches court.
Oracle is suing its arch-rival SAP for exploiting what it says were illegal downloads of Oracle software code three years ago, and
the case has now dragged in another technology titan, Hewlett-Packard, which hired the former SAP boss Leo Apotheker to be its chief executive a month ago. (
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“A few weeks ago I accused HP’s new CEO, Leo Apotheker, of overseeing an industrial espionage scheme centring on the repeated theft of massive amounts of Oracle’s software,” Mr Ellison said in a statement released this week. (more)
