Build Your Own Camera, Launch It Like a Grenade

angry tapir writes "Meet the Firefly. Israeli defense contractor Rafael Armament Development Authority calls it a 'revolutionary concept in tactical intelligence,' but really it's a wireless camera that's shot 500 feet in the air by a grenade launcher. And if a couple of hackers at the Defcon hacking convention get their way, soon anyone will be able to buy this type of military grade technology for only US$500."

Re:What good is this for?

[davester666]

This is a great business model. Sell a product where your clients will just launch it away and immediately have to buy another one.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Re:What good is this for?

[shmlco]

"This is a great business model. Sell a product where your clients will just launch it away and immediately have to buy another one. "

Yawn. Arms merchants have been doing it for years. "Notice you just fired your last RPG. Want to buy another one?"

Re:You should just buy one of these

[Zibodiz]

One simple reason why this new camera is so awesome: speed. Try shooting something out of the sky when it's moving at 2 - 4 mph. Not that hard (heck, a skeet it moving a lot faster than that). Besides, try getting it 500 feet into enemy territory in 8 seconds. Something shooting at the speed of a grenade launcher has such obvious superiorities. Granted, the whole 'one time use' thing kinda sucks, but they're the military; they're used to using it once and replacing it.

Although I do have to say... you're totally right when it comes to civilian uses. I really can't think of a time when civilians would benefit more from the firefly than from the UAV you linked to.