DSS surveillance tech from Japan makes George Orwell upset

We take a break from reporting on the impending doom of the human race to bring you news of the latest innovation designed specifically for making our pre-apocalypse lives miserable. Japanese firm DSS is now offering to snap video cameras and ankle sensors -- yes, the same kind that convicts under home arrest have to wear -- onto your employees for the ultimate in workplace surveillance. Sure, you might find out Bob in accounting takes a really long lunch, but do you really need to spend $20,000 and piss off your entire workforce to prove that? Just stalk his Tweets and Facebook status updates like a good old-fashioned employer would do.

[Napsterking @ Jul 5th 2009 1:45AM]

You gotta stop with "impeding doom because of electronics"

That wont happen until 2012 :P

[Quantumphysics @ Jul 5th 2009 2:04AM]

A list of 4 People who'd benefit from GPS implants.

#5 Natalee Holloway
#4 Jimmy Hoffa
#3 Chandra Levy
#2 Laci Peterson
#1 Elvis Presley

As far as I'm concerned, implants take all the fun out of missing persons reports.

Someday I'll be able to type a person's name into my iPhone 3GSP15 and be able to see the missing person's blue dot on Google Maps and then plot a course to meet up with them.

[username @ Jul 5th 2009 2:12AM]

@quantumphysics
i'd count again

[lordmorgul @ Jul 5th 2009 2:39AM]

@username: Jimmy Hoffa and Elvis are clearly the same person, didn't you know that?

[Wwhat @ Jul 5th 2009 7:37AM]

Are there actually transmitting implants that work over a range longer than and inch from the skin? (I mean outside scifi shows.) And if there were, would murderers not simply burn/grind or bury the body 6 feet deep to solve such issues? Or put the body in a metal box, say a car trunk.

[Barney @ Jul 5th 2009 1:56PM]

DSS surveillance tech from Japan is cool

[LaPlace @ Jul 5th 2009 3:13PM]

At first, I was completely mesmerized by the tie and didn't even notice the camera in the pocket.

[perrins @ Jul 6th 2009 6:33PM]

no.....2012 is not the electronic apocalypse, it is the one where we get struck by a planet... the electronic apocylapse is in 2015

[lawyer bird @ Jul 5th 2009 1:49AM]

This creeps me out..

[chuuchdizzle @ Jul 5th 2009 1:53AM]

it's like sure we've all seen 1984, but no one really ever does anything to stop it. can't wait for mandatory gps enabled collars for everyone!

[AMiSH PiRATE @ Jul 5th 2009 2:01AM]

It's collaborators like you that make Agent Smith smile.

[chuuchdizzle @ Jul 5th 2009 2:32AM]

me and smith are pals y'all

http://ecoharp.com/custom/evil-agent-smith.jpg

[James @ Jul 5th 2009 4:12AM]

Actually I've never seen 1984 but i read the book sometime in high school, too bad most of our politicians have yet to give it a read.

[Phoenix @ Jul 5th 2009 12:03PM]

Collaboration is not the same as fatalism. It's gonna happen whether we fight it or not. And the problem isn't that the politicians HAVEN'T read the book... it's that they HAVE read the book. >_>

[Link2877 @ Jul 5th 2009 2:04AM]

I believe they have stuff like this at Canon too. There's hallways that if you don't walk (more like sprint) down fast enough an alarm starts going off; along with no chairs at your desk and meetings. I think there's some other stuff too but I can't remember it.

[Quantumphysics @ Jul 5th 2009 2:05AM]

List of 5 people AFRAID that technology will lead to GPS/RFID implants

#5 child kidnappers
#4 adult kidnappers
#3 the maffia
#2 foreign governments
#1 terrorists.

[chuuchdizzle @ Jul 5th 2009 2:20AM]

I like to go and watch old french films with a friend, and would not be able to live down anyone else knowing(family, friends, coworkers, FEDS) so add me to that list. infact add just about anyone else to that list.

[username @ Jul 5th 2009 2:36AM]

@chuuchdizzle
if you don't want anyone to know, i suggest not mentioning it on the internet. oops, too late.

[Agent .25i @ Jul 5th 2009 10:20AM]

At least you got the math RIGHT this time. -1

[XIYL @ Jul 5th 2009 9:14PM]

@username

That's alright, the internet is anonymous right? (fetching chuuchdizzle's ip)

[Spookz @ Jul 6th 2009 3:43AM]

Can't they already do this with RFID chips that are embedded in the employee ID's that they make everyone wear?

[Uncontrol @ Jul 5th 2009 4:03AM]

George is gettin'' upset!

[deanb @ Jul 5th 2009 4:14AM]

Article I read somewhere(possibly here) that Apple are really tight on leaking stuff(prototypes concepts etc) and tend to make sure that various folk don't see what they shouldn't. So having these could make sure that frank from accounting doesn't wander into the R&D dept.

[jjigen @ Jul 5th 2009 5:56AM]

japan is turning into a prison island.

[A.C.E.R. @ Jul 5th 2009 7:25AM]

It'll fit right in with the prison planet we're building.

[Col. Readily Apparent Upon Cursory Inspection @ Jul 5th 2009 6:28PM]

Escape From Japan

[Postal Dude @ Jul 5th 2009 7:19AM]

Not really on-topic, but is Vladislav new? :D

[Wwhat @ Jul 5th 2009 7:39AM]

I bet americans are shocked and outraged, that is until someone comes up with the lamest and thinnest of excuses and then suddenly they are outraged at people refusing it.
I reference history to come to that conclusion.

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Jul 5th 2009 9:17AM]

This seems like a good idea from a Japanese standpoint, considering the whole country is pretty much corrupt. I understand why they would need this. DO YOU?

[ccollins00 @ Jul 5th 2009 11:17AM]

i kinda like the idea of an rfid chip for certain crimminals, but as far as gps implants.... dont you have a cell phone, they can already find you

[Wwhat @ Jul 5th 2009 12:02PM]

Or find the one that stole it, or you gave it to, or the coyote you tied it to :)

P.S. GPS is passive, I think we should come up with a new term to describe GEO-location using GPS devices tied to a transmitter.
How about GPSO, GPS-Orwellian?

[Asha @ Jul 5th 2009 2:21PM]

You know, maybe the companies that are considering such measures should look at why they have issues with employees not behaving responsibly instead of coming down on them with stupid forms of monitoring. At my work, they do a yearly employee survey and actually spend some time talking with different departments about the results to see what they can do to improve the situation.