http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/ Engadget Comments for Billboards with facial-recognition software trickling out http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2010 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 2:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/
Or, we could resort to throwing marketing executives from their top floor windows...]]>Jun 4th 2008 2:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/i mena generally on websites and where you sign up for things you accept privacy policy saying they can take your information and do yadda yadda, but there is no warning for this.]]>Jun 4th 2008 3:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 4:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/
But I'm thinking, just because your billboard turns heads, doesn't necessarily mean that's a good thing, nor that people will remember your product. For example, there's plenty of commercials on TV that grab my attention but I'll be damned if I got any product info from it... if I even noticed what they were trying to sell in the first place. But also some billboards grab attention for the wrong reasons.]]>Jun 4th 2008 7:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 2:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 2:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 2:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 4:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 2:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/

"this just in...new billboards with facial detection technology have produced reports indicating that while Whites were more likely to glance at billboards where illegal immigration was the theme, Hispanics were more likely to glance at billboards where the theme was expensve designer sunglasses"


]]>Jun 4th 2008 2:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 3:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 4:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/
I'm going to guess that you're from a minority group?

on another note........
....it's only a matter of time until SkyNet™ will be ready.]]>Jun 4th 2008 3:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 4:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 7:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 2:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/]]>Jun 4th 2008 2:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/
So if you a black male you see billboards for NIKE and ECHO,G-unit clothes.

Yeah ill be pissed if i see a white male walk by a billboard and he gets a lexus ad while i get a KFC ad.

I see a class action lawsuit in the works.

]]>Jun 4th 2008 2:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 2:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 3:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 3:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/
....maybe I'm just delusional.]]>Jun 4th 2008 3:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 4:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/
I'd actually be pissed if I missed out on a special on a family bucket just because I don't belong to the 'demographic'. ]]>Jun 4th 2008 5:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 5:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/

]]>Jun 11th 2008 8:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/
I'm here all week.]]>Jun 4th 2008 3:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 7:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 3:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/2) apply a thick layer of spray paint/epoxy/abrasion
3) relax... until they come up with something else.]]>Jun 4th 2008 3:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/
/sarcasm]]>Jun 4th 2008 4:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/
Not even going to mention GENDER assumptions it would make.]]>Jun 4th 2008 3:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/
Or if you'd prefer, get outraged and complain on the internet.]]>Jun 4th 2008 3:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 3:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 5:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/

Its one thing to have ads geared to you on the grounds of what your personal shopping habits are. thats fine if i shop at GAP 24/7 then companies can safely assume that im into fashion and gear ads to that.

But imagine walking down a street in the future and seeing a wall of billboards all showing coke,NIKE,G-UNIT ads based only on the assumption's that all black people buy these products. ( its almost comical imagining a person running down the street away from these ads)

Its bad enough when you walk into these areas and you see these ads all over the place.being pushed onto everyone. but to be personally picked out is worse.

Or maybe i am just over reacting. lol

]]>Jun 4th 2008 3:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/
This is already done all around the country in non-digital form. For instance, if a company is aiming for an African American demographic, they'll pay a few hundred african americans to come in and talk to them about what they like to buy and watch on TV. Then the advertising company forms their ads around that. They're called focus groups and they are extremely common.

The only thing these billboards will do is speed up the process. If an advertising company puts out an ad for a television show and sees that 3 white people and 200 black people looked at it over the course of a day, they will know what kind demographic they're dealing with.]]>Jun 4th 2008 3:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/
If ads advance to the point of being able to just quick scan your face and instantly know your gender, race and age, and then display ads accordingly, is it racist if anytime a black man walks past them they display an ad for KFC? Or a woman walks past and gets an ad for 'Sex in the City.'

Or just wait for the day when they quick scan you and can pick up medical conditions too. I can already picture the middle aged man trying to explain that he just 'took Viagra as a joke.'
]]>Jun 4th 2008 3:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 3:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/
Watch commercials from Oxygen, A&E, BET, and ESPN. You will see a huge diversity of advertisements based off the perceived viewing audience. Advertisers study closely the demographics of certain shows/channels and then pay to be inserted into their target audience. This is all basic marketing.

If you watch Oxygen you will get a lot of woman products. If you watch ESPN you will be bombarded with Gatorade and shoe ads.

Whether it's a billboard with recognition software or Nielsen ratings on TV you are already classified by your age, race, income level, sexual orientation and lifestyle. Are their mistakes made by stereotyping - sure. But that doesn't violate your rights or anything remotely similar to that.

If you are black and you get KFC commercials it's because KFC has told the billboard that you are their target audience. It has nothing to do with whether you actually enjoy KFC or not. It's only their research that has suggested you might be a good advertisement target. Same goes for someone who is Asian getting Lexus ads. Lexus has decided that Asians (in this example) are their target audience.]]>Jun 4th 2008 3:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 3:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 4:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 3:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/
It's interesting that billboards are beginning to blur the difference - also recognizes certain characteristics about the face - but we're still a little way from having commercially available mass facial recognition software (and hardware for that matter). Only the CIA can do that stuff. For now, at least. ]]>Jun 4th 2008 3:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/
racial, age, and gender profiling is done constantly by advertising companies, whether in focus groups or observational. This is a way of automating the observation by recording those that look at certain billboards, how long they look, etc. Seems everyone gets their panties bunched when the word "race" is involved, even though that's one of the major factors in advertising now.

Advertising companies depend on demographic data to function - so they can push products at the right groups when companies employ them. Not so they can figure out who you are and display your personal data for all to see.

And I'm sure someone will let me know how naive I am and that evil corporations will record all my long, lingering looks at the Carl's Jr. and Victoria's Secret billboards. Oh well.

I welcome targeted advertisement, I'm tired of tampon commercials and Hannah Montana gear.

But I'm just a white 30-40 year old tech spender with a wife that likes ridiculously expensive face cream and shoes, so what do I know.

//please please please send me cool tech commercials]]>Jun 4th 2008 3:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 3:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 3:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/Jun 4th 2008 3:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/04/billboards-with-facial-recognition-software-trickling-out/
I wonder how many Nixons it will take to get to the center of a "New" Watergate... targeted add?]]>Jun 4th 2008 3:57PM