Sky drone to help police in Florida, increases privacy concerns

According to Reuters, the paradigm of military UAVs is soon to be replicated by Miami police in Miami, Florida. Military UAVs are being continuously improved in the Iraq and Afghanistan battlefields, to a degree that they are now regarded as indispensable tools for a modern army.

This success has apparently not gone unnoticed among law enforcement agencies and if Honeywell’s drone wins approval by the Federal Aviation Administration of the US, it will soon help the Miami police force in its missions. The drone itself weighs only 6.3 kg, can be carried in a backpack, and is equipped by cameras to do the necessary surveillance work.

The fact that the whole business has to do with integration of existing and not-so-exotic components means that drones are developed by a host of small companies. They are all looking for future business to satisfy tremendous demand in the US and -why not- worldwide from camera-happy UK to any police force that is cash-strapped and short on personnel.

Large Californian rooftops to become solar powerhouses

In its quest to achieve 20% energy production from clean sources by 2010, Southern California Edison wants to turn large flat Californian rooftops into useful solar producing spaces. This new project is a followup to a massive wind project. It will eventually produce 250 MW, and installation will be on large commercial buildings at a rate of 1 MW per week starting this august.