Amazon Prime Air • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon Prime Air

#601

Post by mzs » Tue, Dec 03, 2013, 7:43 PM UTC

Plasmoid wrote: post #306

snogglethorpe wrote: post #60

It doesn't seem like the battery density exists for anything except fairly short distances with very small packages. For the vast majority of deliveries, this could only be a "last mile" mechanism, with the bulk of each delivery happening via more traditional transport. 30-minute delivery from the warehouse? Not going to be possible for 99% of purchases, even those that are under the weight limits. Moreover, you can'…

Actually, contention for air space wouldn't be that bad. Modern airplanes have a pressure transponder which announces your flight id and the air pressure at your location. From which you can determine a direction, id, and altitude. Create an automated ATC, some simple separation rules (100' vertical, 500' horizontal), and order that drones flying east are on odd multiples of 100', westbound flights on even multiples.…

What about N and S? What about manned experimental aircraft? What about unmanned RC aircraft?

Re: Amazon Prime Air

#602

Post by csmuk » Wed, Dec 04, 2013, 9:30 AM UTC

gnarbarian wrote: post #599

csmuk wrote: post #592

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If we had flying cars with chainsaws at each corner, I'd agree.

It's totally worth it. just force them to be computer controlled when flying low altitude in densely populated areas.

Computers are controlled by programs written by humans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eQpUgHkBcg

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1431911/airbus-cras...

The list goes on...

Re: Amazon Prime Air

#603

Post by code_duck » Thu, Dec 05, 2013, 3:09 AM UTC

Crito wrote: post #545

code_duck wrote: post #476

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reviewers and journalists are held responsible for their opinions to a greater degree than people operating purely as individuals. Cmdr Taco said it was lame, and some people were relying on him to have an informed opinion - and he felt this opinion was well founded enough to broadcast it to thousands of people.

> CmdrTaco > some people were relying on him to have an informed opinion hahahaha.... Seriously though, his job was to stoke pageviews, not be correct. Slashdot didn't get big because Rob was a prophetic genius or a talented reporter.

Unfortunately, for whatever reason the average individual does believe that it's worth paying attention to the opinions of celebrities, regardless of any logic pertaining to their judgment or abilities.

Re: Amazon Prime Air

#604

Post by code_duck » Thu, Dec 05, 2013, 3:11 AM UTC

icebraining wrote: post #508

code_duck wrote: post #476

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reviewers and journalists are held responsible for their opinions to a greater degree than people operating purely as individuals. Cmdr Taco said it was lame, and some people were relying on him to have an informed opinion - and he felt this opinion was well founded enough to broadcast it to thousands of people.

He was neither a reviewer (the product was not even available) nor a journalist. And his opinion was well founded. The iPad didn't have wireless, it did have less space than a Nomad, and "lame" is pure personal opinion. That post is always trotted out (particularly on HN) as an example of how normal "nerds" are so disconnected from the general public, but what it ignores is that not everyone cares about what the gene…

You've missed the entire point of that example, which is that the iPod turned out to be a 500 billion dollar smash hit that turned apple from a doomed company to one of the top 3 tech companies of the 00s and 10s.