I try to always keep an open mind and my wits about me. Other than that, anything goes! Makes for some unpredictable adventures out there in the real world. I've worked in the publishing industry for 10+ years and have been a member of the FSWA for 5+ years. Go Steelers!
Website URL: http://www.drinkfive.com
Update: The Dolphins were clearly fed up with Wallace's antics even though the latest reports were saying that he was making good with Tannehill and the coaching staff in Miami. He was traded to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a 2015 5th round pick. The Dolphins may still try to pick up another receiver to pair with Stills and Landry like Cecil Shorts. Wallace will be used heavily on the Vikings, but his value does dip a little bit as Teddy Bridgewater is not yet playing to the level of Tannehill.
NFL Free Agency this year has been a fireworks show. I know, I know.. every year has its blockbuster trades and unforeseeable acquisitions along with players facing unexpected injuries and trouble with the law - but this off-season just seems a little more impactful already.
And it's only March 13th!
So.. is Friday the 13th of March, 2015 the day that Mike Wallace's dynasty outlook on the Dolphins hits a new low? Yes. With the signing of former Saint Kenny Stills, the Dolphins have just shown us where their future lies. And it's looking pretty good, folks.
Let's take a quick look at Kenny Stills: he's a 3rd year player (breakout, anyone?) who, along with a 78.8% catch rate, grabbed 63 balls for a combined 931 yards and 3 touchdowns. He had success in 2014 running multiple routes and was among the very best (4th, in fact) in the NFL at bringing in the football.
Granted, Stills' quarterback was Drew Brees, but Tannehill has been no slouch in his first few years as an NFL signal caller and is generally expected to continue to improve - especially with new offensive targets like Kenny Stills and a recent acquisition from the Browns, Tight End Jordan Cameron.
Back to Mike Wallace.
His numbers have been hovering around 1000 yards for his whole career and while his yardage total in 2014 (862) was disappointing compared to his previous seasons, he was able to match his career high in touchdowns (10) from back in Pittsburgh in 2010. Still, issues on the field and with coaches specifically have made the Dolphins' management rethink Wallace as their go-to receiver. Earlier in the year there were rumors swirling about Wallace being traded or facing a pay cut to stay on the team and although nothing of that sort has happened yet, he's definitely on the hot seat there.
Personally, I think the Dolphins will have Wallace and Stills both lined up on a lot of plays this year and although Stills is the future there, Wallace could keep a place on the team if he is able to take Stills under his wing and teach him how to be a play-maker. That said, Wallace will lose some down-field targets to Stills and some red-zone looks to Cameron. This is not to mention Jarvis Landry, who broke out in 2014 as a rookie with 84 receptions for 758 yards and 5 touchdowns.
What does all of this mean? Well, the Dolphins offensive outlook just shot up for the 2015 season but we'll likely see Wallace's stock plummet slightly as he becomes more a part of the team rather than a lone wolf making plays by himself out there.
So.. what are drones, anyway?
Let's start with a basic definition: a drone is a remotely controlled unmanned aircraft that can perform any number of tasks automatically or with remote prompting. As of now, the definition doesn't get a whole lot more specific than that, which means that even more generic RC airplanes and helicopters could be given the same label as more sophisticated drone technology that costs several thousand dollars.
We assume that as the technology matures and different tiers of these unmanned aircraft are naturally formed, we'll also adopt more terminology to better organize the mess of products available.
When someone mentions drones in a conversation, most people immediately think of models that are being used in the military (like the MQ-1 Predator or MQ-9 Reaper) or the recently emerged plans of Amazon to use drones for super-quick package delivery. Surely this is because when we see drones in the media that is just how they are currently represented. I think it's important to shine a spotlight on the other uses for drones though, such as monitoring crops and cattle or conducting search and rescue.
Tune into the Retrospectical Podcast (Drones - What are they, who uses them and what does the future hold?)
Download the mp3
Dividing up the drones..
When talking about all of the different types of drones out there and being used right now, public awareness about many of these is lower than it should be. Likely this is because (with the exception of the military) there simply aren't very many out there just yet. Here is a quick breakdown of industries that drones are being utilized in:
New FAA Regulations
In 2012, Congress told the FAA to create rules for the emerging drone marketplace and after some time with no news, they finally complied earlier this year (January 12, 2015). Two categories of drones were broken out in these new regulations: 55 pounds or less, and less than 4.4 pounds. These categories were labeled "Small unmanned aerial system (UAS)" and "micro-UAS" respectively.
Download the FAA's proposed drone regulations here.
It's important to keep in mind that at this stage these are only proposed regulations rather than laws that have been passed, but most people in the industry agree that these rules were much needed. Some of the proposed regulations include: daylight-only operations, maximum speed of 100 MPH and maximum altitude of 500 feet, operators must be 17-years-old and pass a series of tests and certifications - some of which are to be readmitted after a set amount of time.
Those rules may seem understandable - even necessary - but one that a lot of drone operators are already up-in-arms about is that you may not be allowed to operate a drone out of line-of-sight. This means that the aforementioned Amazon business plan of sending out drones to deliver packages would not be allowed under these rules. Also those wanting to use drones for the agriculture industry over large amounts of land would not be able to. A debate and controversy looms here, and we'll certainly be seeing and hearing more about this in the next few years.
Where do I start as a hobbyist?
Quad-copters and other multi-rotor drones may be the best start for someone looking to get one for themselves and explore the industry as a hobbyist. They are more stable and powerful than traditional airplanes or helicopters and are generally also easier and more simplistic to repair, based on their designs.
You can buy quad-copters relatively cheaply now (the Syma X1 is only $40, for example) but those with more features like built-in cameras or video cameras, GPS, larger batteries, the ability to carry items in flight and other advanced options will cost significantly more, even up to $10,000 for the top-of-the-line models for enthusiasts.
The DJI Phantom is one of the more popular starter drones - it comes with a high-definition camera, a high altitude range and GPS functions. It's around $500 so there is definitely an initial investment but not one as insurmountable as it used to be.
Looking to the sky..
We all want taco-copters and pizza-copters (don't we? C'mon guys, get with the program!), but in order for there not to be complete chaos in the skies, the FAA regulations we talked about earlier may prevent this from happening - at least in the short term. I'm not giving up hope just yet, though, and as with any other industry there will be new developments and regulation changes in the coming years which may open up new business models for companies that are currently exploring the use of drones.
When Amazon initially brought out its now famous video introducing the possibility of drones delivering packages with only a very small (30-minute) wait after the initial order, people were skeptical (and rightly so!). But now they've already gotten to advanced drone prototypes and have applies to the FAA to begin real-world testing.
Google has numerous projects in the works.. some for delivering items (small and large) bought from the internet, but others for self-powering drones that could hover almost indefinitely in the stratosphere (Project Titan) and deliver internet access to places that either don't have it currently, or have been affected by a disaster that may have disabled it.
Increasingly, there has been a focus on the development of drones that can fly autonomously. Interesting that this development coincides with all of the projects that are currently going on with automobiles - looks like the Jetsons may actually be a reality at some point in the next 20 or 30 years. Regardless of how you feel about this industry, it will grow and mature in the coming years and bring with it innovations and ideas that were previously thought impossible. I'm just happy that I get to experience all of this as it happens.
Welcome to the TV Soup podcast, the home of drinkfive.com’s television review series. This episode continues our discussion on the Breaking Bad spin-off prequel series Better Call Saul starring Bob Odenkirk. The third episode of the season is a doozy, bringing us just a little bit closer to Saul Goodman. Be sure to check out the companion article to the third episode of the season, "Nacho."
Our plan is to review every episode of whatever series we are currently watching (unless they end up being too horrible for either of us to handle, in which case we have no problem panning the show and changing it up!) both on the podcast and also in more traditional, long-form articles. Please follow along with us as we begin our journey into Better Call Saul and thus into the mind of Jimmy McGill / Saul Goodman.
Sometimes it's nice to sit down and chat about a common interest. Jason and I hope to continue to bring you these sorts of topics that we are both passionate about and we think this episode is a good example of just that. It's truly amazing what you can learn about a person by digging a little beneath the surface, and Douglas Adams has so much more to him than just being the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (which is not to belittle that particular accomplishment, certainly).
From his involvement in Monty Python's Flying Circus, to penning episodes of Doctor Who, to going on a crusade to help save several endangered species all across the world Douglas Adams has left a deep and lasting impression in the hearts and minds of many. His footprints across literature, television, radio and science & technology in general will last for years to come.