When downloaded to a computer, these shots will probably reveal that, among other things, it’s very difficult to take pictures from 24 metres in the air with a kite. Still, it looks like a solid gift that can teach kids the value of extortion at a young age—if only you could capture exposed genitalia from the air without a proper zoom. [GadgetShop via GeekAlerts]

The GPS-equipped devices also allow for remote disabling by “cutting off the oil or electric supply,” effectively shutting down the engine and keeping it from being restarted. Yikes.

Beijing police tow the general “it’s for the driver’s safety” line:

Whether these microphones are used to spy on riders is unclear. Asked if police could listen in on conversations in taxis, a Beijing police official declined to comment, saying that such matters were “confidential” and that they were “not supposed to release such details to the public.”

As the State Department has warned, you can expect to be monitored in just about every other place, public or private. It’s doubtful that every cab is being recorded at all times, but the tech is there if necessary. Comforting.

Several Beijing taxi companies declined to comment on the security aspect but said that the GPS helps track taxis and that the microphones will be used for translating services. About a dozen taxi drivers said the microphones were installed about three years ago, when newer cabs were built without protective metal cages around the drivers. Cabbies can turn on the system and alert their dispatch centres by touching a discreet button near the steering wheel.

Activists say they are concerned about the ability to listen to conversations with the devices, which appear unique to China. “This seems to suggest an effort by the police or other security forces to eavesdrop on conversations of passengers, rather than for the immediate safety and security of the taxi driver,” said Phelim Kine of Human Rights Watch.

Read more pan-Gawker coverage of the 2008 Olympic Games.

[WSJ]

It works exactly the way it works for Tom Cruise: As you climb, work, drive or bike, both your hands remain busy with what they’re supposed to be doing. And yet you’re also in constant two-way conversation with whoever is wearing the other earpiece. It feels natural and creepy at the same time, as if you have one of those little angels (or devils) sitting on your shoulder feeding advice or wisecracks directly into your head. And it’s free forever. No air time, no minutes, no monthly bill.

Unfortunately for the SM100, its standard Bluetooth connection keeps those conversations limited to 10 metres or less. The Dragon, however, is Bluetooth Class 1, and as such got to about 75 metres before the static started to kick in on Pogue and his son.

As a bonus, the Dragon can also pair up with two sources at once (are we sensing the winner yet?). This means you can have your easy listening tracks playing on your PC, and when a call comes in the Dragon switches automatically, and vice versa.

Further boosting the Dragon’s spy cred is the accompanying Phoenix device, sold separately for US$300, which sits on a table top and expands your network to up to five earpieces at once. We thin it’s a small price to pay for keeping your team of spy guy super geeks connected, informed, and ready to respond to a flamebait blog post at a moment’s notice. [New York Times]

[DelFly via IEEE Spectrum Blog] Thanks, Erico!

The algorithms the team develops will allow hovering ‘bots like STARMAC to navigate, deal with collisions or avoidance and even to work as a team, sharing info on their environment and navigating around each other.

That has all sorts of cool implications for things like future automated search and rescue drones, able to search large areas efficiently and quickly. But it also means spy ‘bots. And when you’ve watched the video, you’ll have to agree that the way the things move reminds you of the flying cameras in (insert name of sci-fi movie of your choice). [Danger Room]

A spy camera hidden in a black back beside a notorious UK “fly-tipping” (or illegal waste dumping in the King’s English) hot spot was recently thrown out by local workers with the other garbage. Apparently, this operation was so top secret that the workers in question did not need to know the details before being sent off to pick up the trash. To make matters worse, the camera has been valued at somewhere between US$14 and US$20,000. Basically, its just a hilarious waste of taxpayer money illustrated using equally hilarious British terminology. [Telegraph via Digg]