In case you can't read the deck to the cover article above, it says: "Small, cheap, flying robots that do your bidding. Why should the military have all the cool stuff?"
When I got my July issue of Wired in the mail yesterday, my first thought was, "Yes! ZOMG! Drones! They are the coolest!" No, that's not true. My first though was actually, "Gross." I don't consider weaponized assassination machines–the ones that the military has–that murder innocent people (and yes, a few terrorists) "cool."
Sure, the article advertised on the cover isn't actually all about those kinds of drones, but about the ones becoming increasingly popular with geek hobbyists. It even notes, "Drones in pop culture have gotten something of a bad reputation.” Maybe that's because of how the military uses them. To spy on, and then kill people. Though not with the best track record of accuracy.
I get that Wired is sold on the newstand, and therefore the covers really have to catch your interest. Usually I'm more likely to get offended by the presence of a sexualized woman or cleavage on the cover (normally, the only way for a woman to get on the cover of the tech magazine; a disservice to their "lady readers.").
But subject matter aside, the cover is actually really ugly and looks like something a first-year design student did.
