surveillance
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KTF's surveillance canine beams snapshots via HSDPA
It just makes sense that the same Korean provider that offered up a pet translator service would attempt to give back to the owners, as KTF has launched a robotic puppy that just melts the hearts of gizmo-lovin' gals abroad. Specifically, it garners a crowd of individuals wherever it's at, and then pulls double duty as an undercover surveillance agent, snapping mobile images and channeling them straight to your cellphone via HSDPA. For the paranoid 'rents in the crowd, this here ought to be a perfect way to monitor what really goes down in the house while you're away for the weekend, and while it's no guard dog per se, the evidence this bad boy captures could indeed be quite frightening. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]
Oi, talking CCTV cameras coming to London
Despite growing concerns over the UK sleep-walking into a surveillance society, 20 more English towns (including London) have signed on for talking CCTV cameras. Already, an estimated 4.2 million CCTV cameras already installed across Britain. The new talkies are expected to cost about £500,000 (nearly $1 million) and target those who "litter our streets, vandalise our communities and damage our properties," according to Home Secretary John Reid. He goes on to state that the original trials in Middlesbrough were "hugely popular" where the local councillor says they've prevented fights, criminal damage, and cut litter levels. Is that enough? Cue the Orwellian dystopia chatter... now.[Thanks Paul, Image courtesy of Peter Marshall]
Is the UK sleep-walking into a surveillance society? Duh.
If you're a regular reader of Engadget then you don't have to live in the UK to know that they loves 'em some surveillance technology. Last year, their Information Commissioner warned that the UK was running the risk of "sleep-walking into a surveillance society." Today, Jack Straw announced that the Commons' Home Affairs committee would be launching an inquiry into the growing use of surveillance. From the kingdom which gave us George Orwell and CCTV cameras with mics, speakers, and the intelligence to detect violent behavior and see through clothes, we're wondering if the move is already a tad too late. Of course, here in the US we shoot each other for game consoles so pick your poison.
Pentagon to implement global DVR-like surveillance?
The Pentagon's Defense Science Board released a report suggesting a pervasive system to observe and record activity in urban areas and hard-to-monitor settings across the globe -- in other words, they'd like to TiVo the entire planet for playback (or at least as much of it as they can for intelligence gathering purposes). The study mentions DVR-like technology that would be used to "run recorded time backwards to help identify and locate even low-level enemy forces," referencing the types of threats U.S. forces encountered in Iraq and Afghanistan. The proposal also seeks to minimize the use of human personnel, and instead, employ various autonomous monitoring methods, from tiny environmental data-collecting sensors to unmanned aerial vehicles. So basically, the plan is to keep a hawk eye on all areas of concern -- up to tens of thousands of square kilometers with targets as specific as an individual person, object, or activity. No word on if, or when, the military might be rolling this out. [Via Slashdot] Read - ReutersRead - Wired
Judge limits New York police surveillance practices
Sure, we're all well aware that surveillance practices have been ratcheted up a notch or two since six or so years ago, but a judge in Manhattan has recently rebutted his own go-ahead from four years back to give the NYPD "greater authority to investigate political, social and religious groups." The most recent ruling states that by "videotaping people who were exercising their right to free speech and breaking no laws," the cops had ignored the milder limits he had imposed on it in 2003, seemingly squirming out from under his own misjudgments and placing the blame elsewhere. Nevertheless, he was clear that the voyeuristic limits only applied at events where people gather to exercise their rights under the First Amendment, while bridges, tunnels, airports, subways, and street traffic points could maintain their current level of surveillance -- and we thought this would mean those lamppost cameras couldn't pick us off whilst crossing the street with our iPod jamming.[Via BoingBoing]
SET CounterBomber spies hazardous humans from a distance
Here's one that's just begging for a profiling fit to be thrown over it. While the CounterBomber won't deem you guilty for creeping through a deserted street or texting your boy while waiting at a stop light, it just might inform everyone in an airport that you're the next suicide bomber waiting to blow. SET Corporation is unveiling a machine that best sport an accuracy level untouchable by mere human instincts, as it plans to sit at major public venues and sporting events to spot potential bomb-toting humans "from up to 50 yards away." The first iteration of the machine will utilize "radar-imaging technology" to somehow "analyze and reveal" concealed objects without actually peeking through folks' clothing, but future versions are slated to incorporate a "gait analysis" bit that could further substantiate if some awkward weight balance is going on underneath the hoodie. Still, we can just imagine the uproar from an innocent young lad with a stiff knee getting carted off due to this gizmo (incorrectly) deeming him suspicious, but considering the CounterBomber could be making its debut within 6 months or so, we'll be sure to find out just how inaccurate it is real soon.[Via CNET]
British mulling security cams that see through clothes?
There's no two ways about it: the British love their security. And when it comes to employing technology for keeping the streets clean (and Segway-free!) and the terrorists squirreled away, the Brits put the rest of the world to shame, what with their four million CCTV cams (some with mic's and speakers, but no aggression detectors -- yet), head-mounted bobby cams, rolling license plate scanners, and heck, even their camera-watching cameras. So it should come as no surprise that the government's latest idea for ensuring total citizen compliance putting safety first involves the deployment of security cams that have the ability to see through people's clothing, among other high-tech surveillance devices normally confined to your favorite airport. According to a leaked memo supposedly seen by The Sun -- they of the journalistically-dubious "Page 3" -- Home Office officials presented Tony Blair's working group on Security, Crime and Justice with a proposal to install what are technically known as "perv cams" to facilitate the detection of weapons and explosives at strategic locations around the UK, along with millimeter wave imaging and THz imaging and spectroscopy systems. The Sun's George Pascoe-Watson goes on to note that proponents of the plan are aware of the likely public backlash over such a Sliver-esque scenario, which is why some officials have suggested that only females be allowed to monitor the "dirty" feeds; whew, what a relief -- women would certainly never abuse a power like this for personal gratification. Anyway, we're not putting much stock in what is little more than a rumored pitch to a bunch of bureaucrats at this point, so it's probably okay to put away those lead-lined Jockey's for the time being.[Via Yahoo]
GTX Corporation unveils GPS-equipped Xplorer shoes
It seems like Sayo Isaac Daniel has some serious competition coming at him in the GPS shoe market, as GTX Corporation is unveiling its latest geo-tracking footwear at next week's World Shoe Association trade show. The questionably styled Xplorer kicks pack an internal GPS transceiver, built-in battery that's good for "several days" before needing a recharge, and a sleek Dual GeoFencing feature that keeps your offspring on a leash gives parents peace of mind. Shoe owners (read: paranoid guardians) can utilize the firm's "internet portal" in order to pinpoint limited boundaries in which the wearer can, um, Xplore, and if the person's shoes ever leave the pre-set area, a phone alert will be immediately sent to a pre-selected individual to warn them. No pricing or release information was readily available, but if we had to guess, we doubt your kiddo will be begging for these next school year anyway. [Via NaviGadget]
CCTV cameras to watch for speed camera vandalism. Rinse, repeat.
But who's going to watch the CCTV cams? That's the irony apparently lost on the Lothian and Borders Safety Camera Partnership, which is considering installing CCTV cameras to monitor its speed cameras that are frequently the target for vandalism. "There are companies there who would provide us with CCTV coverage of the cameras themselves - the cameras looking after the cameras kind of thing," said Colin McNeil, the head of the group. We're not even making this stuff up. All we know is that as soon as they install these suckers, we're grabbing the first plane to Scotland and liveblogging the hysteria.
Lockheed Martin to build High Altitude Airship for homeland security
Although it's not exactly shocking to hear of yet another homeland security application that seems to border on Big Brother, Lockheed Martin's High Altitude Airship could keep an elevated eye on 600 miles of US countryside at any given time, and if all goes as planned, we'll have 11 of these things floating over our everyday activities by the end of the decade. The HAA prototype is a ginormous airship that measures 17-times larger than the Goodyear rendition we're all used to seeing above sporting events, and is designed to hover 12 miles above the earth in order to keep tabs on what's happening below. The airship is slated to be solar-powered and should stay in a geocentric orbit for "up to a year," and if equipped with high-resolution cameras, a single one could cover everything "between Toledo, Ohio and New York City." While Lockheed Martin is thrilled with the $40 million project they've been awarded, it's certainly understandable to get a little worried about how these blimps will actually be used, but a company spokesperson suggested then an entire fleet could actually be used for "border surveillance" -- and hey, we need a little help down there anyway, right?[Via Fark]
NCTU's Vision One domesticated servant bot knows your face, follows enemies
Hopefully sooner rather than later, all these domesticated, master-serving robots will be able to handle even the most mundane of tasks for us without botching our reputations, like holding down the 9-5 for us while we tee it up. Until then, however, we'll have to be satisfied with a household bot that not only recognizes our face, understands hand gestures, and follows us around to see if we need help, but chases foes away too. A team of researchers at Hsinchu-based National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) has developed just the companion, and this motorized fellow (or dame, whichever you prefer) sports a unique "digital vision system" that gives it the ability to "not only to remember the master, but also recognize his or her gestures and offer services accordingly." Moreover, it can reportedly judge the person's current health condition by analyzing facial expressions, and can then proceed to fetch medicine, a telephone, or another person in the home to provide aid. Clearly designed to assist the elderly, which could have difficultly caring entirely for themselves, the NCTU Vision One can reportedly distinguish between intruders and family members, and it can even be set to chase away the baddies while taking pictures of him / her for future prosecution purposes. While we've no idea if this classroom invention will ever hit the production line, this thing is a kitchen sink away from being the whole enchilada, and the whole "chasing function" simply makes this a must-have if it eventually comes to market.[Via RobotGossip]
Head and Shoulders alerts public to dandruff threat with ceiling cams
You may have seen or heard of marketing campaigns that are annoying or even offensive in their own right, but it's not very often that you'll see one that aims to notify the viewer of a personal annoyance: in this case, that they're suffering from a socially unacceptable hair-based ailment. That's not to say that Head and Shoulders' photo booth-based dandruff detecting campaign is an entirely benevolent one, but we appreciate the thought nonetheless. Saatchi & Saatchi was the agent behind the idea of placing a camera into the ceiling of British photo booths in order to deposit a photo of the recipient's hairline, with the obvious intention of selling their client more shampoo. Although the British may be used to 24/7 surveillance nearly everywhere they travel, at least in those cases they can fool themselves into believing that the only eyes on the other end are those of a bored security guard. With the dandruff detector, the suspicion is far more personal: how is an innocent Briton to know that information on their bald patch won't be surreptitiously stored and resurface years later in the form of anti-balding marketing leaflets through their door? Yes, that was a joke, but we're sure there are still going to be people that won't take lightly to being told by a photo booth that they should wash their hair more often. As they'll no doubt argue, isn't getting a photo of one's face traumatic enough? Personally, we know exactly what to bring if we ever had to visit one of these -- that tin foil hat hasn't failed us yet.[Via Core77]
UK surveillance cams may get mic'ed up to detect aggression
Pretty much every time we glance over at our friends in the UK, they seem to be implementing surveillance technology that surely wouldn't make George Orwell too thrilled. In the last two months alone we've seen those CCTV cams with accompanying loudspeakers debut in Middlesbrough, which was more recently followed by a handful of London cops getting some head-mounted cams. Sure, it's easy to invoke the spectre of Big Brother into any conversation about the expansion of the watchful eye of government, but the new discussions afoot have even us Yanks a little concerned for our British brethren. According to The Times, UK police are considering using high-powered microphones that will home in on a particular public conversation, if "aggressive tones" are detected, based on decibel level, pitch and the speed of the speaker's voice. Three hundred such microphones are already installed in cities around The Netherlands, including Groningen, Utrecht and Rotterdam, in locations such as government offices, city centers, and our favorite: "T-Mobile shops." We had no idea T-Mobile shops caused Dutch people to get so ornery -- maybe their highly-ranked customer service department didn't make it across the Atlantic yet.[Via The Inquirer]
CCTVdynamics' all-inclusive EB1304 home surveillance kit
Any lingering trick-or-treaters still hanging around and giving you the creeps? If your Magic Message Mirror isn't quite covering every nook and cranny that needs to watched over, CCTVdynamics has the all-inclusive setup for you. The four-channel home surveillance DVR system includes an AverMedia EB1304 80GB DVR, four easy-to-hide dome cameras (with matching power supplies and 50-foot runs of cable), MPEG4 video compression, 120fps display / recording resolution, NTSC and PAL compatibility, scheduled modes, password authentication, and a wireless remote to spy on your property while kicked back in your recliner. The machine timecodes all video capture and allows searches by dates, times, and "events," boasts watermarking capabilities, and supports AVI outputs to external storage devices via USB. So if paranoia is keeping you awake at night, and you'd rest easier feel better throughout the long, cold nights if you could keep a constant watch over your oh-so-targeted domicile, the eagle-eyed kit will cost you just $699 (and presumably all of your suddenly suspicious friends).[Via PVRWire]
Switched On: Creep spy for the cheap guy
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment: My mama raised me to treat everyone equally, but I have to admit that I have this thing about zombies. Now I know you shouldn't judge someone by the color of their rotting flesh or whom they eat. However, those pale-green cannibalistic undead just make my skin crawl -- not literally like theirs does, mind you, but crawl nonetheless. To set up a quick and inexpensive monitoring solution to alert me of their presence this Halloween, I needed to use my brain before they did. The first product I checked out was the $179 "Secret Security Camcorder Hidden in a Clock" from The Sharper Image, the awkward name of which may have been even scarier than the zombies themselves. Such spycams are, of course, effective only as long as they remain unrecognized, and appearing in a national store chain and catalog may defeat some of the clock's clandestine advantage. The "clockcorder" uses 64 MB of flash memory to record up to 12 minutes of motion-activated QVGA video encoded using DivX; its capacity can also be expanded using SD cards. The product can also run entirely on batteries for more placement flexibility. Without any LCD or way to preview the video, the camcorder clock relies on an adjustable base and a clever mirrored button similar to the tiny round mirrors used for taking pictures of yourself on cameras and camera phones. In fact, the device is so simple to use that the manual devotes more space to the clock functions than the camcorder ones. To play back video, you can either pop the SD card out of the clock and into your PC or connect the clock to your PC via an included USB cable. (Unfortunately, the cover for the USB port fits poorly.) Video files can be played by Windows Media Player on the PC or QuickTime on either the PC or Mac after adding the DivX component.
AT&T lets you spy on your own home, remotely
AT&T has just announced a home monitoring service so that you can spy on your kids / housemates / spouse / pets while you're out and about in the wider world. For a one-time fee of $200, AT&T will sell you an "equipment package" that contains a tilt-and-pan video camera, a motion sensor for a door / window, a "central router" to connect those devices to the interweb, and "two power modules that enable device connectivity via home power outlets." (And shipping you all that to your door will cost you another Hamilton, don't forget.) Further, as you might expect, you can program various alerts or triggers (like turning on a light) if motion is detected. So for all of that (which will still cost you $10 per month to operate), how do you view pictures of people trying to do damage to your domicile? Well, the system transmits over the internet at 3-7fps or if you're viewing it on your Cingular handset, between a paltry 1fps or up to a smokin' 3fps (if you have HSDPA). However, The Associated Press provides one last caveat, though: "The system won't work if the power fails." Thanks, Sherlock.[Via The Associated Press]
Smart surveillance systems may soon detect violent behavior
If implanting employees with RFID chips violates practical HR policies, and rolling out eagle-eyed drones to monitor defensive behaviors seems a bit too intrusive, researchers at the University of Texas in Austin are hoping its smart surveillance system can lend a hand in detecting that pent-up rage. The "computer vision system" can reportedly analyze human movements as they occur, and distinguish between "friendly behaviors such as shaking hands, and aggressive actions like punching, pushing," or launching pocket rockets. The hope is that this creation will make the oh-so-platitudinal jobs of security guards even less demanding by alerting those on duty of violent fits automatically, curing the problem of sleeping through a battle royale in the east parking deck. Developers created the baseline by breaking down CCTV films and "examining the interplay of different clusters of pixels in order to classify interactions between individuals." The aptly-dubbed "semantic analysis" allows the software to assign a probability that a particular activity (like exchanging trade secrets) is being observed. While the current system has been "80 percent" accurate in testing, a computer vision guru at the University of Leeds, UK claims that it needs a bit of refinement before loosed in security bunkers, but it could probably thrive when keeping watch over those sure-to-be-tumultuous Wii demo kiosks.
DARPA to Lockheed: Build us a maple seed-shaped UAV
Perhaps worried that their bid proposal for insect cyborgs will never pan out, the wacky minds at DARPA are now looking at the humble maple tree to provide inspiration for their future fleet of tiny surveillance drones. The agency has just awarded Lockheed Martin a 10-month contract to develop maple seed-shaped UAVs known as remote-controlled nano air vehicles (or NAVs, for short) that can be deployed from a hovercraft and whirl around urban battlefields snapping pictures and confusing enemies who have never seen a maple tree. DARPA is stipulating that the single-blade NAVs be equipped with a self-stabilizing wireless camera, yet weigh only 0.07 ounces and be capable of traveling 1,100 feet with the help of an onboard chemical rocket. Seems like a lot to ask from such a minuscule device, but the $1.7 million DARPA is shelling out will probably be enough of an incentive for Lockheed to get the job done.[Via Boing Boing]
Swann's Micro DVR brings surveillance "to the masses"
Some might call it a digital camera, but Swann's Micro DVR does have certain qualities that recommend it to our inner spy. All the basics are covered: there's a color camera, LCD screen and 128MB of memory, but the Micro DVR can handle a 24 hour shift with its 24 hour Li-Ion battery and ability to use external USB memory sticks to supplement its paltry amount of included storage. You can also run the unit off of its AC adapter for seriously long-term stakeouts, and the camera's AVIs and JPEGs can be easily transported to your PC with the included software. Sadly, this Micro DVR is not for budget espionage, demanding a hefty $899, but there's a price that must be paid for fugly spy gear of questionable usefulness.
L.A. County testing unmanned surveillance drones
We knew that something like this was coming sooner or later, and now the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has officially begun testing what will likely be the first unmanned aerial surveillance vehicle to be deployed domestically in an urban environment. Called SkySeers, these three-pound, six-foot wide drones will initially be used on an as-needed basis to replace helicopters in searching for criminal suspects or lost children and hikers, according to Commander Sid Heal, as the $25,000 to $35,000 upfront cost of each plane will quickly be recouped by the $1,200 saved for every extra hour a copter can stay grounded. Since each of the foldable, GPS-guided SkySeers -- which are equipped with remote-controlled thermal and pan-tilt cams -- can only stay aloft for a maximum of sixty minutes, it's not yet feasible to use them as round-the-clock watchdogs, but privacy groups are concerned that eventually the sky could be filled with drones ripe for all kinds of abuse. Still, unless you're involved in some shady activities, a few more cameras peering down from the sky shouldn't bother you much more than the bevy of ATMs, security cams, and cameraphones already capturing your every move from the moment you step out of the house in the morning.[Via The Independent, pic courtesy of Octatron]
