[NewsPoster]

AT&T is offering its subscribers a way to increase their data allowance, in exchange for their opinions and other actions. The carrier's Data Perks app allows users to earn data by filling out surveys or taking up certain shopping offers, with provided data added to a bank that can be transferred to the main allowance of a data plan whenever the user wishes.

According to the terms of the app, available for iOS and Android, up to 1,000MB of data can be transferred each billing period, though unused transferred data will expire at the same time as the rest of the allowance, while banked data will begin to expire if not used for 12 consecutive months.

Drone flight triggers 4.5-hour power outage in Hollywood

A drone caused a power cut affecting approximately 700 of residents in Hollywood earlier this week, officials have confirmed. The 4.5-hour outage, which Ars Technica reports took place on Monday afternoon, occurred after a small drone hit power lines, though currently police do not have any suspects for the incident.

The outage comes at a time when government bodies are attempting to impose control over drone flying activities. The Los Angeles City Council recently passed a law that allowed drone pilots to be fined up to $1,000 and spend up to six months in jail for reckless flying. Last week, the US Department of Transport announced its intention to set up a drone registration scheme, which an FAA administrator suggests will help pilots "remain accountable to the public for flying their unmanned aircraft responsibly."

[Inkling]

Much could be learned from looking at the regulation of those whose use of the air means the radio spectrum. They're regulated by the FCC, but in a way that stressed individual responsibility and self-regulation not bureaucratic oversight. For drones, that means the FAA registration of drone operators, as above. Along with the registration would be the requirement to learn responsible use accompanied by the loss of that license for abusers. Much of the nitty-gritty of where flying was permitted could be done by drone operators themselves acting as a group, much as radio amateurs regulate their own use of spectrum for different purposes. Do that, and drone use could continue to be fun. Don't do it, and excessive regulation is likely to follow.

[climacs]

I think more regulation is inevitable. Including the requirement to carry insurance. Drones were once called radio-controlled aircraft, and when their use was limited to a handful of hobbyists who conformed to a code of conduct and generally flew their craft at dedicated fields with good line-of-sight and free of people/structures, there weren't problems. Now that any idiot with no training can buy and fly an R/C aircraft (drone), there will be a lot of problems. And a lot of dumb mofos whining about their "rights" to fly a drone with no regulation nor oversight whatsoever.

[jdonahoe]

These drones are mostly made of plastic and to take down a power line, it must have been massive. My $50 drone could be taken down by a kite string, how the heck do you take down a power line?