Amazon unveils futuristic mini-drone delivery plan

[bobjustbob]

Washington (AFP) - Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says his company is looking to the future with plans to use "octocopter" mini-drones to fly small packages to consumers in just 30 minutes.

The US retail giant's ambitious project still requires additional safety testing and federal approval, but Bezos estimated that Amazon "Prime Air" would be up and running within four to five years.

A demo video posted on the company's website showed the tiny robotic devices picking up packages in small yellow buckets from Amazon's fulfillment centers and then whizzing through the air to deliver the items to customers just 30 minutes after they made their purchase on Amazon.com.

"I know this looks like science fiction. It's not," Bezos told CBS television's "60 Minutes" program.

"We can do half-hour delivery... and we can carry objects, we think, up to five pounds (2.3 kilograms), which covers 86 percent of the items that we deliver."


http://news.yahoo.com/amazon-unveils-futuristic-mini-drone-delivery-plan-021532540.html

 

[Ace Boobtoucher]

I, for one, look forward to the day that we begin serving our mechanical overlords.

 

[squallumz]

 

[bobjustbob]

Amazon Fresh offers free delivery of groceries $35 minimum in Seattle and LA. They carry anything found in a supermarket at normal everyday prices. 21,000 items. Order by 10 am, delivered by dinner time. Order by 10 pm, delivered by breakfast time. These guys are ready to take over the world.

 

[Lacey Black]

I can't wait! I luv prime as is but 30 minute delivery would be amazing.

 

[Maggie Green]

Yay! They can fly me a bottle of wine!

 

[Johan]

How could local bookshops face this kind of competition ?
Local bokshops buy a little amount of some books so they cannont offer as many things as Amazon and since they buy only a few books they are not eligible to wholesale prices. So they are forced to sell the books a little more than Amazon.
'till today, they used to keep a little advantage : going to your bookshop to get a book only takes you a few minutes, maybe a couple of hours, maximum. while ordering on Amazon meant that you had to wait something like 48 hours tobefore yo ucan have the book you want But now, Amazon can delivery half hour, so local bookshops don't even stand a chance.

This is a sad, sad day : thousands of bookshops will soon be facing foreclosure, thousands of people who used to be enjoyed their work as book sellers, wh oenjoyed taliong with customers, discussing books, giving them advices, etc... sharing their passion about books, these people are gonna loose their jobs. Really sad...
:suicide:

Same goes about music, local records sellers are just fucked


Now, tell me : who do you wana buy your books to ?

Amazon ?

Or your local bookshop ?

You wanna do your part to help your community ? Boycott Amazon, buy your goods to your local shops, help your local shopkeepers to face Amazon.

 

[DOA82]

No refunds!

(Am I to late to make a crack about Amazon Optimus Prime?)

 

[sean miguel]

going to your bookshop to get a book only takes you a few minutes, maybe a couple of hours, maximum. while ordering on Amazon meant that you had to wait something like 48 hours tobefore yo ucan have the book you want But now, Amazon can delivery half hour

Try 5 seconds. It's called the Kindle app on my phone.

This is a sad, sad day : thousands of bookshops will soon be facing foreclosure, thousands of people who used to be enjoyed their work as book sellers, wh oenjoyed taliong with customers, discussing books, giving them advices, etc... sharing their passion about books, these people are gonna loose their jobs. Really sad...
:suicide:

It is sad. You're right, you're not going to get that personal attention you get with mom and pop stores, but that's progress. The makers of horse buggies must've been pretty bummed when Henry Ford and his new-fangled assembly line came along. And those who liked to shoot the shit at the local post office while picking up their mail probably missed that sense of community when the mail was delivered to their doorstep, and worse still, email.

I for one embrace this. It's 2014. Bring on the drones. And the self-tying shoes.

 

[essexy]

I don't think this is an idea that'll take off it's just not practical.

 

[Spleen]

I don't think this is an idea that'll take off it's just not practical.

Well played.

 

[CtexsinsChelle]

As my hubby put it, free target practice and a gift with every direct hit!!

 

[tartanterrier]

I've only used Amazon for getting books that I needed for college.But other than that I get my other books from WHSmith's or The Works.Although for music cd's,I would probably use Amazon (although I haven't done so yet) as stores like HMV are not as good for stocking older albums than they used to.

 

[Maggie Green]

I've never even bought books from Amazon, they sell everything! Even dildos. Wine. Groceries. So I don't see it affecting bookstores more than it already does. Besides, e books are really what's going to put them out of business.

 

[D-rock]

Ummm...yeah, I'm not going to be holding my breath on this coming out any time soon. There are so many way's it's unfeasible, and too many problems with it.

 

[CtexsinsChelle]

I've never even bought books from Amazon, they sell everything! Even dildos. Wine. Groceries. So I don't see it affecting bookstores more than it already does. Besides, e books are really what's going to put them out of business.

Sex toys falling from the sky oh my!! I just hope there GPS is spot on would suck if the blow up doll lands on my neighbors porch!!

 

[feller469]

Wonder how long before there is a drone strike on a trailer park stronghold after some Billy Bob blasts a drone from the sky.

 

[bobjustbob]

I'm picturing dogs out in the yard and getting chopped up by Amazon drone propellers.

 

[squallumz]

people are going to nick them. and possibly shoot them down.

 

[Philbert]

This is either tounge-in-cheek or head-up-ass; at least it's not a Jesus thread.
Here's a news story in the same genre...