If development platforms were people, Google would be one of the most prolific serial killers in history. Android Things, Google’s attempt at an OS for IoT devices, will officially start shutting down on January 5, 2021, and the plug will be pulled for good a year later. Android Things, which was basically a stripped-down version of the popular phone operating system, had promise, especially considering that Google was pitching it as a secure alternative in the IoT space, where security is often an afterthought. We haven’t exactly seen a lot of projects using Android Things, so the loss is probably not huge, but the list of projects snuffed by Google and the number of developers and users left high and dry by these changes continues to grow.
By now you’ve probably heard about the drone operator who was fined a cool $182,000 by the FAA for violations of the rules regarding safe drone operation. It may seem exorbitant, but when you dig a little deeper, it seems like the drone pilot, who goes by the handle “Mikey” on YouTube, pretty much had it coming. He has been operating drones in the Center City area of Philadelphia for a while now, in flagrant disregard for FAA rules like not operating in beyond line of sight, not operating at night, and not flying in restricted areas. Mikey, who by the way doesn’t have a remote pilot’s certificate, did all this and more, and posted everything on YouTube. We normally give the benefit of the doubt and take pity on people who get hassled for just enjoying their hobbies, but after listening to about three minutes of hackaday links december
