Hitachi's worker tracking tags

If you're an employee of a large company, you probably worry that your higher-ups are watching your every move, keeping track of how long you take for lunch, and going through your personal emails. Well, Hitachi has taken it to the totally 1984-esque next level with an electronic "name tag" which employees wear around their neck, used to track their personal movements, as well as proximity to, and interaction with co-workers. The tags also include radiation sensors (?), sound sensors and a radio communication device -- just in case you felt you weren't being watched enough. The collected data shows strengths and weaknesses amongst groups of workers in an organization, forming a topographical map which Big Brother will use to decide who gets made into Soylent Green.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 26th 2007 10:12AM]

Hahaha, the '(?)' and Soylent Green reference were gold.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 26th 2007 11:22AM]

what's the different when u get in jail?

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 26th 2007 11:49AM]

They feed you and give you cable TV.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 26th 2007 11:08AM]

The radiation and sound sensors are very likely for safety purposes. This will tell the company how much sound and radiation exposure workers actually experience.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 26th 2007 11:13AM]

The proximity to, interaction with co-workers feature..... not sure if I would want that. What if you're banging the bosses secretary!

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 26th 2007 11:57AM]

In the late 80's early 90's Executone or Dictaphone had similar system employed in their corporate HQ. It had a follow me feature in the badge that allow the PBX to find you in the building and ring the nearest handset when you got a call. It was a bit disconcerting when the phone would ring and everyone would jump...

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 26th 2007 11:56AM]

lol, Im watching Soylent Green right freakin' now

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 26th 2007 1:23PM]

Already done by Olivetti in Europe during the late 80s. This formed one of the componeunts of the Ubiqitious Computing project. It did other clever things like rebalanced the HVAC for the number of people in the room, or make your directories available on the local workstation if they weren't there already.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 26th 2007 1:01PM]

Now they'll be able to tell who took the last cup of coffee without making a fresh pot.

Of course, this will simply prove what everyone knew already - it's the boss.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 26th 2007 1:19PM]

If you read the description carefully, isn't it a coincidence that description of the four "inflated radiation" sensors, which the report says can be used to detect other terminals from up to 4 meters away. Sounds curiously like a simple persistent misspelling of "infrared radiation" sensors, of which it later states the unit has also four.
Seems to make more sense that way.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 26th 2007 2:26PM]

The radiation sensor could simply be a light sensor.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 26th 2007 2:36PM]

That's true ... as long as Hitachi "accidentally" leaks some radiation in the workplace so as to light up the name tags.

I like you idea. How do I subscribe to your newsletter?

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 26th 2007 2:21PM]

The LCD panel is a little hard to read for names. It needs a backlight and a solar panel and pocket knife and a tire pressure gauge and ...

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 26th 2007 3:06PM]

Uhhh, guys? Radioactive radiation is ionizing. Where there are ions, there is electricity. Where there's electricity, there is power for the LCD and other functions. See? It all makes perfect cents! err...sense!