DAVE ROSS

It’s become the biggest news since the T-shirt cannon

Dec 3, 2013, 6:32 AM | Updated: 11:25 am

This undated image provided by Amazon.com shows the so-called Prime Air unmanned aircraft project that Amazon is working on in its research and development labs. Amazon says it will take years to advance the technology and for the Federal Aviation Administration to create the necessary rules and regulations, but CEO Jeff Bezos said Sunday Dec. 1, 2013, there's no reason drones can't help get goods to customers in 30 minutes or less. (AP Photo/Amazon)

(AP Photo/Amazon)

On Sunday, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos unveiled his octocopter delivery drones on CBS’s 60 Minutes.

“I know this looks science fiction – but it’s not,” said Bezos.

Within hours, the online parodies were up, including a British bookseller offering deliveries by trained owls.

“Putting owls into commercial use will take a number of years as it takes ages to train owls to do anything, and we only just thought of it this morning,” said the bookseller.

But there have been crazier ideas than package delivery by octocopters.

Remember this news report? “Meet the ‘Burrito Bomber,’ the brainchild of two engineers at the popular reviews and recommendations website Yelp.”

And what makes Amazon different is that Bezos is serious and so is the FAA. The agency expects to license about 7,500 private drones starting September 30, 2015 and Bezos plans to be ready.

“The hardest challenge is going to be demonstrating that this is a safe thing to do,” said Bezos.

I predict the technical challenges will be the easy part. The real challenge: getting along with the Amazon addict next door.

(ZOOM)

I guess it’s Cyber Monday at the Petersons! (ZOOM) And at the Snyders!

(ZOOM)

The month before Christmas and all through the land
Flew delivery drones by consumer demand
Dropping gifts for the gals and gifts for the fellas
From small yellow drones with eight spinning propellers
Which in the event of a minor snafu
Would bring not just gifts – but a free haircut too.

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It’s become the biggest news since the T-shirt cannon