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Chinese facial recognition system confuses bus ad with a jaywalker
There are many criticisms you can level at China's growing reliance on facial recognition, including its absolute faith in technology: what happens if there's a false positive? Unfortunately, we just saw an example of that in action. Police in the city of Ningbo have taken corrective action after the facial recognition system at a crosswalk mistakenly accused famous businesswoman Dong Mingzhu of jaywalking because she appeared in an ad on a passing bus. As with any other detected offender in the area, it posted both Dong's name (incorrectly displaying her surname as "Ju") and government ID.
Electronic mini-city comments on the dangers of surveillance
Nervous about the rise of a surveillance culture, where both companies and governments seem hell-bent on knowing everything they possibly can about you? So is British artist Stanza, who found a clever way of expressing that anxiety about always-watching electronics. His Nemesis Machine project connects a legion of climate and motion sensors in London to a miniature electronic city in Bruges. If the temperature climbs in Britain, for instance, a corresponding mini-building lights up in Belgium. There are even cameras that turn footage of viewers into tiny, Blade Runner-style video walls. The artwork both recreates the frenzied activity of a city and throws modern society's constant monitoring back in your face -- you know what those beeps, buzzes and flashes really mean.
What's on your HDTV this week: World Cup, 'Big Brother' and 'The Leftovers'
This week the World Cup moves on from Group play to the Round of 16, and the USMNT can book a trip there with a win or draw against Germany on Thursday (or a loss, if other things happen -- futbol is complicated). In other sportsball news, the NBA Draft is on Thursday night, and with a list full of highly touted prospects plus intriguing free agents like Lebron and Carmelo, it could get very interesting. We're also getting a taste of the rest of summer programming from various networks, but the option we're most excitedly waiting for is HBO's The Leftovers. Also, you may be wondering why we mentioned Big Brother so prominently this week. That's because only now, despite its long run and the wide adoption of HDTV over the last decade, is the voyeuristic reality TV series going to be produced and broadcast in high definition. Check after the break for a list of what's new this week plus a few trailers, and drop a note in the comments if you see any highlights we've missed.
US judge rules warrantless gadget searches at the border aren't unconstitutional
A United States district judge has ruled that gadget searches upon crossing into the US aren't a breach of the First and Fourth Amendments. In 2010, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, National Press Photographers and grad student Pascal Abidor challenged the 2008 ruling that authorizes unwarranted device search-and-seizures, saying that they exist to counteract protected speech and certain confidentiality privileges. However, district judge Edward Korman remarks that because the chance of the searches is so low (he estimates odds of less than five in a million, although the government's count has been disputed) there aren't any grounds for dismissing the rulings. He further states that this is no different than having your baggage or person examined before crossing into the US, and that the government simply doesn't have enough resources to inspect the devices of everyone who enters the country. Most worrying however is when Korman says that it's "foolish, if not irresponsible" that the plaintiffs would store sensitive data on their gadgets in the first place. The ACLU is considering appealing the decision but attorney Catherine Crump tells the New York Times that for now the status quo remains, and in many areas of the country, "the government is free...to conduct all types of electronic device searches without reasonable suspicion." [Image credit: Flickr/Crashworks]
France reportedly has its own PRISM-like data surveillance system
The US isn't the only western country with an all-seeing digital eye... at least, according to Le Monde. The news outlet claims that France's General Directorate for External Security has a PRISM-like system that captures and processes the metadata for "billions and billions" of communications, including internet messaging, phone calls, SMS and even faxes. The goal is ostensibly to track the behavior of terrorist cells, but the Directorate allegedly shares the anonymized information with other intelligence services, including the police. Whether or not residents can do much about the snooping, if real, is another matter. One source believes that it exists in a gray area, as French law reportedly doesn't account for the possibility of storing personal data this way. We're skeptical of claims that the Directorate can spy on "anyone, anytime," especially without official commentary, but we'd suggest that locals be careful with their secrets all the same. Dan Cooper contributed to this report.
Indian government launches Central Monitoring System, watches citizens' calls, emails and internet activity
A new system for monitoring almost everything that's going on inside India's telecoms network has been quietly launched. The Central Monitoring System will offer tax collectors, law enforcement and and other agencies the ability to scrutinize phone calls, text messages, emails, social networking and general web activity. In one of the fastest-growing internet markets in the world, the Indian government has been increasing its role in watching communication channels following the Mumbai bombings in 2008, with laws amended both in that year and in 2011, increasing the access of government workers for "reasonable security practices and procedures." In recent times, India has interfered with both Nokia and BlackBerry to ensure they had their own monitoring systems in place. The new country-wide system has been under construction for two years and offers investigative agencies a single point of access to all citizens' digital exchanges as well as location data. Pavan Duggal, a specialist in cyberlaw told the Times of India that the system is "capable of tremendous abuse." He noted that there wasn't much clarity from the government yet on exactly what it intends to monitor, or what it's looking for.
Chinese state media accuses Cisco of helping US spies, sees turnabout as fair play
We get the impression China isn't very happy that the names of Huawei and ZTE are being dragged through the mud in the US. Almost directly mirroring some American stances, state-backed Chinese media outlets such as China Economy & Informatization and People's Daily are raising alarm bells over Cisco's presence in a large amount of local network infrastructure, alleging that it's a potential backdoor for espionage; CE&I goes so far as to cite purported experts insisting that the US government could take over Chinese communications in a crisis. China Unicom is acting on the threat by phasing out Cisco gear, the magazine says. Other allegations point to 72 members of Congress possibly being influenced by their Cisco shares and the ever-controversial Patriot Act aiding any nefarious plans. Given the publications' ultimate benefactors, the chances of politics skewing the agenda are high -- although the collective stance underscores just how much tension has surfaced ever since Chinese tech giants got the evil eye.
UAV Lifeguards to patrol Australian beaches, Hasselhoff given notice
Look, up in the sky. It's a bird, it's a plane -- it's... a lifeguard? Aiming to keep a robotic eye out for distressed swimmers and dangerous marine life, Surf Life Saving Australia will soon deploy flying safety drones across beaches in Queensland, Australia. Starting off on a trial basis, the unmanned bots have a wingspan of one meter (about three feet) and will feature detachable safety buoys and alert sirens. While it could be the next thing in oceanside safety, we'd image that some folks won't be too fond of being watched sans any say in the matter. That said, we'd be remiss not to mention to that SLS head Brett Williamson frankly stated to ABC that "at the end of the day this is about public safety." Big brother conspiracy aside, we're sure some folks could be swayed if these bad boys play Flight of the Valkyries while in formation. [Image credit: Kim Powell]
Indian official claims BlackBerry eavesdropping standoff is 'heading towards a resolution'
Oh, bureaucracies, the fun in dealing with them is that you're told exactly what they want you to know -- or at least, believe. That's the name of the game in India, where -- as you're surely aware -- the government has been at odds with RIM for years over its insistence that the Waterloo firm provide the means to monitor encrypted emails and BBM messages. In a revelation that may relate to those BlackBerry servers in Mumbai, R. Chandrasekhar of India's Department of Information Technology has asserted, "The issue is heading towards a resolution." While it's difficult to know whether monitoring is already in place, Chandrasekhar added that, "Law enforcement agencies will get what they need." Another unknown is whether RIM played a role in these developments. For its part, the company claims, "RIM maintains a consistent global standard for lawful access requirements that does not include special deals for specific countries." So, if everything is now clear as mud for you, just remember: that's how those in charge like it.
Oxford makes big push into Bigfoot research, enlists Swiss zoologists for DNA study
The search for Bigfoot continues and, no, that's not a nod to a very special episode of Unsolved Mysteries. Though Harry and the Hendersons did its best to humanize that monster of myth, a group of well-heeled European scientists are seeking to go beyond the Hollyweird fantasy to actually prove the creature's existence using advanced genetic techniques on Yeti remains. Part of a collaborative effort between Oxford University and the Lausanne Museum of Zoology, the Collateral Hominid project aims to gather material from public and private cryptozoological collections for analysis to determine whether that elusive species branched off from bears or our neanderthal forebears. Project head Prof. Bryan Sykes hopes the research, the results of which will eventually make the rounds of peer-reviewed journals, will dispel skepticism that has surrounded this controversial creature by providing " a mechanism for... identification that is unbiased, unambiguous and impervious to falsification." Basically, these real-life Mulder & Scullys want incontrovertible DNA proof that these fantastic ape-like beings are simply the stuff of evolution. Whatever the case, the truth is most certainly out there, folks -- it's just likely encased in fossilized dung. [Image courtesy Worch.com]
IBM wins diet monitoring and reward patent, celebrates with sip of Spirulina
Does your employer offer a "wellness rebate program?" No? Then you can't be working for IBM, which has been bribing its staff to eat healthier since 2004. It's a Watson-worthy idea, because what the company pays out in incentives it recoups in lower healthcare costs. Now, after a decade of toing and froing with the USPTO, IBM has finally patented a web-based system that makes the whole process automatic. For it to work, a person must use a micro-payment network to buy food, which allows their purchases to be monitored and compared against their health records. If they've made the right choices, the system then communicates with their employer's payroll server to issue a reward. Completing the Orwellian circle, the proposed system also interacts with servers in the FDA and health insurance companies to gain information about specific food products or policy changes. You can duck the radar, of course, and buy a Double Whopper with cash, but it'll bring you no reward except swollen ankles. This is IBM we're talking about; they've thought of everything. [Photo via Shutterstock]
Which companies are on the Carrier IQ bandwagon?
<div style="text-align:center;"> <a href="http://www.engadget.com/update/carrier-iq-which-companies-have-the-smarts/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/12/watchingtheskyrockiet93743878438.jpg" style="border-width:0px;border-style:solid;margin:4px;"/></a></div> If you have the feeling somebody's watching you, it's not a bad idea to keep a close eye on your phone -- after all, it may be keeping one on <em>you</em>. The <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/01/carrier-iq-what-it-is-what-it-isnt-and-what-you-need-to/">more we find out</a> about Carrier IQ, the mysterious Mountain View company recently brought into the spotlight for its smartphone tracking software, the more curious we become about which carriers and manufacturers are playing along. Below the break you'll find a continuously updated list of the major players as they come clean about their involvement in the matter -- or lack thereof. We're working on collecting official statements from as many companies as we can, so stay tuned if you don't see the one you're looking for.
Microsoft patent aims to curb your enthusiasm in the office
You might think working for tech royalty out west is all beanbags and 20 percent time. And it might well be. But if your paychecks say Microsoft, you might want to be careful how you spend that extra down-time. A patent with the snappy title Organizational Behavior Monitoring Analysis and Influence describes a system devised by the company to monitor employee interactions. Everything from cutting people off in conversation, to the verbal phrases and mannerisms used over "multi-modal communications" (e-mail, phone and so on) is covered. The aim of the Orwellian system is "defining desired and undesired behaviors for enhancing organizational trust levels" and it's not the first time Microsoft has made such sinister sounding patent applications. OK, so there is nothing saying exactly what this might be for, or if this would ever be used to monitor its own employees. That said, if your parking space isn't there on Monday, you might want to backtrack through the previous week's water-cooler diatribes.
Beijing's rolling out city wide 'free' public WiFi, just hand over your phone number
Heads-up, locals: China's Mobile, Unicom and Telecom carriers are building a city-wide public WiFi network across Beijing. Residents will enjoy free 2Mbps internet for up to three years, if they sign up to the "My Beijing" service. Like most things that are gratis, there's a catch: you have to submit your phone number in exchange for access. Privacy enthusiasts aren't thrilled at the idea, (you know, since it's backed by the Government), though a representative said that the numbers would only be used for "identity authentication" -- insinuating that they would only be tracing individuals whose online activity might "endanger social security." High-minded privacy concerns aside, there's the very real danger of phones being bombarded with spam, not to mention what happens when the three year trial period expires -- users of the service could get stung with exorbitant costs to feed a public WiFi addiction.
NYPD creates social networking unit to pick perps, not poke them
You've heard of the Special Victims Unit, but what about the Social Networking Unit? The time has come for criminals dumb enough to boast about their exploits on Facebook and Twitter to pay the proverbial piper. According to NY Daily News, the Big Apple's newly minted Assistant Commissioner, Kevin O'Connor, will enlist the department's juvenile justice unit to hunt down ne'er-do-wells on various social networking sites. So remember, even if your friends don't care about the Cookie Puss you just posted to your Facebook page, somewhere out there someone is watching.
500,000 surveillance cameras to oversee Chongqing, China
Whoa, Nelly -- this one's not going to sit well with a certain sect. While the Chinese city of Chongqing has been planning this initiative for some time, we're just now starting to understand the sheer magnitude of what'll be built over the next two to three years. Cisco and HP -- two names that are no doubt familiar to those reading this page -- are apparently in cahoots with the nation in a way that overshoots prior expectations by some amount. According to figures gathered by The Wall Street Journal, a whopping half-million surveillance cameras are being shipped over to keep watch across the city, with the awkwardly-named Peaceful Chongqing project giving the government unprecedented views of its citizens. Critics are wondering why Cisco and HP aren't being held responsible for whatever China ends up doing with this equipment, but the loophole here is a fairly obvious one; while it's definitely not kosher for US firms to ship fingerprinting equipment to China, shipping everyday technology like cameras isn't taboo. Yet, anyway. As you'd expect, both Cisco and HP seem confident that it's not their responsibility to pay attention to what happens to the devices they ship, and if it's something you'd like to immerse yourself in, those links below are there to help.
Copenhagen airport tracks your every move using WiFi signals
Hello, Big Brother! According to the New York Times, Copenhagen International Airport is currently testing a new program that monitors passengers based on WiFi data emitted from devices like laptops and smartphones. Airport officials observe travelers from a remote computer, and can tell, within 10 feet of accuracy, where they spend their time -- those arriving and departing are represented by different colored dots. The program, created by Geneva-based SITA, also gives visitors the option to download an iPhone app that provides location-based information, like promotions from nearby restaurants. SITA's VP said the software isn't intrusive, as it follows devices, not individuals, but we're not sure we want anyone to know how long our Android spends in the bathroom -- and you thought those naughty-bit scanners were creepy.
Galaxy Indulge microSDHC card regularly reports back to MetroPCS (but hey, you get Iron Man 2 for free!)
If you're the kind of person who buys phones based on Hollywood tie-in deals (and for your sake, we hope you're not) you'll be pleased to know that the Samsung Galaxy Indulge comes pre-loaded with Iron Man 2. That's right, a sequel to a movie you only ever saw half of, once, while it was on the TV over the bar at Armand's on Liberty Ave. (assuming that you're a certain Engadget editor, and for your sake we hope you're not) is coming pre-loaded on the world's first Android-packing, LTE smartphone. And if that wasn't enough, the SanDisk microSDHC card that the movie is stored on regularly reports back to MetroPCS with usage statistics: This intelligent SanDisk mobile memory card provides specific, real-time network data to MetroPCS to measure customer interest in digital content. Details of aggregated, anonymous consumer usage will allow MetroPCS to determine the impact of its movie offering, which in turn allows them to provide customers with more customized content and services in the future. We're sure everything is on the up-and-up here, but for some reason we don't think most consumers will be comfortable with storage that reports regularly to a carrier -- for any reason. Still, things could be much worse: you could be stuck with the pre-loaded Iron Man app on an LG Ally.
SoCal mall installs 'Find Your Car' kiosks in parking garage to help you find your car -- and others find you?
Big Brother's watching us on public streets and in our homes, and now he's fixed his gaze on shopping malls -- under the guise of helping us find our cars in a mall parking garage. Santa Monica Place has installed Park Assist's M3 Camera Vision system with "Find Your Car" kiosks that allow wayward shoppers to punch in their license plate number to receive a picture of their auto and its whereabouts. It utilizes a network of cameras to capture each car's location and read the plate, and has a central control system that can dole out firmware upgrades as more (nefarious?) needs arise. A similar system is used at Heathrow Airport, though the British version snaps a photo of your plates upon entry and tracks cars with infrared cameras -- as opposed to Park Assist's use of hi-res cameras to capture an image of your plate once you've parked. While helping people find their cars is an admirable goal, the system seems rife with opportunities for abuse because the footage is privately owned -- meaning the car location information could be sold to anyone, including that crazy ex-girlfriend of yours. As for us, we'd rather not exchange a walk-on part in the war to maintain our privacy for a lead role in another video cage. We're just fine remembering things the old-fashioned way, thanks.
The Blaze Blink Now saves you from Computer Vision Syndrome, is always watching
Big Brother is watching you, and you'd better remember. Forget for just a moment and you could find yourself committing thoughtcrime doupleplusquick. Enter the £49.99 ($78) Blink Now. It's ostensibly a device designed to save you from Computer Vision Syndrome, a modern affliction that causes headaches and blurry vision among those who spend a little too much time basking in the glow of a CRT or LCD. But, we're thinking its purposes are rather more nefarious. It's basically just a little LCD that you hang in your monitor and connect via USB. It presents an eye, always looking at you, lazily and nonchalantly blinking. In theory, if you see an eye blinking you'll blink more often yourself and cut down on eye strain. In reality, the thinkpol is always watching and this is just another reminder.
