Microsoft Gadget Keeps Record of Your Life 313
An anonymous reader writes "SenseCam, touted as a visual diary of sorts by Microsoft Corp., is designed to be worn around the neck and take up to 2,000 images a 12-hour day automatically. The prototype responds to changes such as bright lights and sudden movements and might one day even respond to other stimuli such as heart rate or skin temperature -- to track medical problems as easily as to record a Hawaiian vacation."
Strange days (Score:5, Interesting)
Get a life (Score:5, Funny)
Based on old device by Videolife (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Based on old device by Videolife (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Get a life (Score:5, Insightful)
I keep all my photos online [dasmegabyte.org] (I've got about 3200). I only take maybe 100-200 a month and am really bad about posting them.
There are people -- friends I haven't seen in forever, ex-coworkers, and even people who only know me from friggin' slashdot -- who only ever communicate with me to ask when I'm updating the site. People love it. And I lead a pretty boring life! Can you imagine if somebody interesting (like, say, a cop, a rock singer, Linus Torvalds) started posting a massive visual blog of their entire day?
Re:Get a life (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Strange days (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Strange days (Score:2, Interesting)
So it's from MS, big deal. As an experiment, try replacing every occurence of the word Microsoft with Apple, RedHat, Suse, Cuban government, or any other compant, country or person you like, and
Re:Strange days (Score:3, Flamebait)
It is a big deal to some. While I may use their OS from time to time, I would never use any of their "personal" products. Why in the world would I trust my personal information to some closed source application made by a proprietary company? What is to stop MS from having my personal data sent to their servers for "annonymous" collection for stats? It may sound paranoid, however this is ones personal information, and should not be trusted to a company that has shown such low
Re:Strange days (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Strange days (Score:4, Funny)
Oh no-not the In-Laws Hawaiian Vacation! (Score:5, Funny)
You missed- Hi dear, how was your day? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:You missed- Hi dear, how was your day? (Score:5, Insightful)
I only really see this being useful for teenagers and people whose companies don't depend on secrecy at their level.
Re:You missed- Hi dear, how was your day? (Score:3, Insightful)
I'm sure lots of minimum wage hour employers would welcome this..
Welcome Wally World Employees..
Re:You missed- Hi dear, how was your day? (Score:5, Insightful)
Yeah, like nobody ever made money from selling tech to teenage Japanese girls. Who do you think bought all those camera phones and sent all those DOCOMO messages?
I don't think there would be a problem finding a market for this. Also if you look at the pictures it would be pretty easy to hide. Looks to me like it would fit in a breast pocket fairly easily.
So I would expect there would be objections to folk taking them into movie theatres and such.
Re:This is totally Offtopic, but it's funny (Score:2)
Re:Oh no-not the In-Laws Hawaiian Vacation! (Score:5, Funny)
Difficult to understand online manual.. (Score:5, Funny)
WOW! This does sound fascinating but I hope it comes with a better manual, the info from MS' page info doesn't even explain what type of batteries it requires:
Maybe I need more coffee this fine morning...
Electronic probation tether (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Electronic probation tether (Score:5, Insightful)
Not just for crooks.
Imagine having to wear one of these things as a condition of probation.
Or as a condition of employment.
Imagine having to wear it 24x7 to prove that you're not doing anything "bad," as in "bad in the eyes of someone who holds power over you."
Imagine being accused of being "bad" because you _won't_ wear such a device 24x7.
And you were worried about having to pee in a cup.
Oh boy, I can't wait! (Score:5, Funny)
Zip through (Score:5, Insightful)
From The Artical:
"Perhaps weeks or months later, she might have zipped through them to figure out when she last saw a particular colleague or what bottle of wine she had been drinking that night."
Two THOUSAND pictures a day? ZIP through them?
This thing looks larger than my Cybershot-U (which much better pictures than what I saw on Microsoft's site from it), and seems like it would require a _lot_ of work to constantly maintain and keep organized the hundreds to thousands of photos taken everyday. Let alone time to download them on a regular basis... There are defiently some cool things on that Microsoft page though, this just isn't one of them =P
Re:Zip through (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Zip through (Score:3, Interesting)
Show of hands (Score:5, Insightful)
While I can see the interest in a gadget like SenseCam, how many of you believe that it will be turned into spyware by a large number of people almost immediately?
We've already seen some of the negative effects of putting cameras into cell phones: Guys snipping pictures up skirts in bars, etc.. You also hear about pictures being taken by witnesses of license plates on cars used in crimes, but not as often. These events don't occur very often because people still have to actually take the picture, and that takes time and coordination, and also because cell phone cameras suck so bad.
But let's give people a very, very easy way to take pictures of whatever is in front of them. What happens? People go looking for interesting things to stand in front of. Other people are interesting, especially when they're doing something out of the ordinary. Or something wrong.
Because the SenseCam people don't have a BatPhone, they don't know where the interesting people are minute-to-minute. They take their cameras and just start hanging around places. The cameras take lots of pictures. Later, the pictures get reviewed. Many get deleted, some are saved, some are posted to the Internet as some kind of video blog.
Slashdot readers can take it from there.
Re:Show of hands (Score:5, Funny)
Negative ?? [taxthatass.com] ; )
Re:Show of hands (Score:3, Funny)
Funny, the first thing I thought of when I read about this was, "I wonder how much I would have to pay Ron Jeremy to wear it for a week, and what subsequent margins could I expect when I later auctioned it on e-bay?"
I suspect you and I are very different types of people...
Re:Show of hands (Score:2)
Never thought of that one...well summer's on its way. Thanks for the tip!
Wonderous progress (Score:2)
Forget the up skirt stuff...if this technology had been around long ago, we'd know for sure who shot first.
Re:Show of hands (Score:3, Insightful)
Did you get a credit card? Post the number here.
Did you go to the toilet today? Post videos. You haven't GOT any videos? You must have been doing something bad then.
Do you have a girlfriend? What's her name and address? Does she have a credit card?
(In case someone didn't notice the point of this post... privacy is rather important.)
Re:Show of hands (Score:2)
Did you go to the toilet today? Post videos. You haven't GOT any videos? You must have been doing something bad then.
Do you have a girlfriend? What's her name and address? Does she have a credit card?
In short:
I don't have a credit card.
I do use the toilet - don't have a video camera - wouldn't video myself on the toilet if I had one.
I have a wife. I don't mind if you know she's my wife. It's a matter of public record anyway.
Oh, and she does
Correction. (Score:3, Insightful)
now I am not paranoid by any means, but to think that everything about you can be public information without any dangers is utter folly!
for one: SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
what about credit card numbers, bank statements, taxes, ANYTHING
plus just because you "don't have anything to hide" doesn't affect the right to privacy that we as americans enjoy...even if someone is a criminal, the potential Big Brother risks STILL violate his civil rights...
i don't have anythi
Re:Show of hands (Score:2)
Being tracked sucks. If you, me and the rest of us being tracked helps stop 'the bad man' from 'doing bad things' it might be worth it. But guess what - its 'the bad man' that will figure out how to not be tracked. He'll just sit in his little Belgian basement or something.
Orwellian scaredyness aside - these things are pretty cool
Some things... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Some things... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Some things... (Score:3, Funny)
Oh, you run Linux too, eh?
closer ...closer (Score:2, Interesting)
If I come across anyone using this near me.. (Score:5, Funny)
They'll either go away or turn the gadget off. Freaks
Re:If I come across anyone using this near me.. (Score:2)
If I come across anyone using this near me.. I will punch them in the face.
Good move, punching someone with an automated camera. They'll have a wonderful picture of you to show the cops, the judge, and the jury. Then you won't have to worry about these cameras for 5 to 10 years with time off for good behavior.
Re:If I come across anyone using this near me.. (Score:2)
An Honorable Intention stated for sure.
I recently told my 18 year old nephew that he should never do anything by the dark of night that he would not want on a webcam... because it probably is.
I doubt it will alter his behavior but maybe he won't be so embarassed or upset if something gets out.
keep track of all my editing (Score:4, Funny)
heheh.. commence the flaming. (Score:2)
microsoft +100 flamy more.
seriously, there could be some serious privacy concerns if you fuck this up.
as a sidenote, not that hard to do with tech available from shelf(a nice small cam, perhaps with extra battery, and a 4gb flash..).
This would put me in an asylum (Score:5, Funny)
Monday: go to work ass early. sit in cube. go home.
Tuesday: go to work ass early. sit in cube. go home.
Wednesday: go to work ass early. sit in cube. go home.
Thursday: go to work ass early. sit in cube. go home.
Friday: go to work ass early. sit in cube. go home.
Weekend: sit in front of computer and take recursive pictures of self.
Omigosh!! It would be hard to live in denial with one of these things =)
Re:This would put me in an asylum (Score:2)
go to movies wearing sensecam.
oh good (Score:5, Interesting)
I don't see how it can live up to expectations (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:I don't see how it can live up to expectations (Score:2)
My mobile phone (LG VX6000) takes VGA-sized (640x480) pics. I don't use it very much, but I have snapped a pic of handwritten notes and found the resulting image to be quite readable -- not on the phone screen mind you, but once the photo is uploaded to a computer.
For even better results (from longer distances and in lower light, etc.) maybe they are (or will) incorporate that new NEC technology that uses some clever softw
So when the latest virus... (Score:5, Funny)
But...they will pledge to restore it to the point before the attack.
Encryption too! (Score:2, Funny)
Security (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Security (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Security (Score:3, Insightful)
That would hardly be innovative, though -- it was predicted nearly two thousand years ago.
until they take that, too (Score:2, Insightful)
In fact, I don't think there is any way to market these things that'd make
Re:Security (Score:5, Insightful)
You mean your attacker has a record of where you've been that day, including a picture of your car and your house.
Why would an attacker let you keep the camera that just took his picture? In order to function, it must have a clear view of your surroundings. Hiding it in your pocket sort of defeats the purpose. Hiding it in your purse (with a peep hole) means it gets stolen along with the purse.Re:Security (Score:3, Interesting)
So by the time the attacker has stolen the camera, there's a mugshot of the guy waiting for you at your place when you get bac
Reminds me of Battle Royale (Score:5, Funny)
Will next version include a small explosive to keep you from doing bad things like watching DVDs in Linux?
Re:Reminds me of Battle Royale (Score:2)
No, I don't think, explosive behavioural inhibitors will be practical until Congress adds a few radical new ammendments to the constitution and the backroom crew at Microsoft comes up with a new tamper proof version that is permanently inserted into your brain at birth with a pneumatic bolt gun.
Holy shit... (Score:2)
Wearing one of those things should be grounds for an ass-whuppin'...as much as riding a Segway on the sidewalk should be. Technology seems to be following people's feelings -- "I don't care if it's the rules, it's more convenient for me!"
Like the "Heart" from Robert Baxter's... (Score:2)
Re:Like the "Heart" from Robert Baxter's... (Score:2, Informative)
And the novel is called "Manifold: Time" - part of the Manifold trilogy, the other two of which are "Manifold: Space" and "Manifold: Origin"
Trying to escape the desktop trap (Score:2, Flamebait)
But seriously, what happens when people start to wear cameras all the time? Saunas, changing rooms, neighbour's teenage daughter undressi... Oops, I did not mean to be standing in that direction. Sometimes the things we see are best kept private.
Things to Come (Score:2, Funny)
OK, now put all this news together: Microsoft life camera, the Japanese robot, the neuron/silicon chips, the powered exoskeleton, ...
Maybe the Slashdot graphic of Bill Gates as a Borg is not so far off.
"Were do you want to be assimilated today?"
wow (Score:3, Funny)
Bill will never use it! (Score:2)
Does he do that little pinky-thingy like Dr. Evil?
I think it would be more interesting... (Score:2)
Dear Diary: (Score:2, Funny)
IRQL_NOT_LESS OR EQUAL
Adress 80448BF6 base at 80400000, DateStamp
3d366b8b - ntoskrnl.exe
Beginning dump of a bunch of really unimportant crap
Meta life (Score:2, Insightful)
What is the inherent value in recording your life in such minute detail? Isn't that what our memory is supposed to be for? What happens to your life when it becomes about recording your life? Is that a meta-life? What about recording yours
About last night (Score:5, Funny)
I thought they already had this (Score:3, Funny)
I like it (Score:3, Funny)
'Solution' in search of a problem to apply to? (Score:3, Interesting)
-MT.
Snow Crash? (Score:5, Insightful)
Bavid Brin - Earth (Score:3, Interesting)
No Need to Go (Score:2, Funny)
Cheap vacations without leaving the comfort of your home!
Microsoft research (Score:2, Interesting)
Microsoft Gadget Keeps Record of Your Life (Score:5, Funny)
Ah ha ha (Score:2)
Night Life (Score:2)
"The cause and solution to all of life's problems: alcohol and a camera."
Keep my life out of your damn camera (Score:2, Interesting)
If I ever see people start carrying one of these, I'll start carrying a can of black spray paint.
Old news - Recording device. (Score:3, Interesting)
Basically a small recorder that broadcasted a RFID, and would record that of others.
This would result in a log of every RFID tag you came across, remember what books you looked at, which people you saw.
The privacy issue pointed that out too.
I needed this when I was younger (Score:2)
The second day on my summer vacation, I woke up, then I went downtown to look for a job. Then I hung out in front of the drugstore.
The third day on my summer vacation, I woke up. Then I went downtown to look for a job...
The fourth day
Microsoft Gadget Keeps Record of Your Life... (Score:2)
Cheaper Alternative (Score:2)
Collage? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Collage? (Score:3, Informative)
Tracking Device for Parolees / House Arrest? (Score:2, Interesting)
Been there, done that (Score:5, Interesting)
In 2001 I paddled the Yukon from Whitehorse (Canada) to Emmonak (Alaska, at the mouth of the river) in a 17 ft. canoe. To document the experience without too much hassle, I built a solar-powered waterproof computer out of a Virgin WebPlayer (remember those?) and some assorted electronic parts. The machine was/is equipped with a VGA webcam, which took pictures with regular intervals or when ordered to do so (whichever came first). It could also do motion tracking, snapping shots of passing animals etc. It could also record sound if needed. All of that was stored on two 20 GB notebook harddrives inside the machine. I mentioned the project on /. in this posting [slashdot.org].
Had I still had my webserver (...no broadband where I now live, in Sweden...) those pictures would be visible for all to see. The camera was attached with a velcro strip to my hat, or sometimes to the canoe. It contains a microphone as well, so it could also record sounds (a function I did not use at the time). The whole setup worked fine, right until a leak in the camera's waterproofing and a subsequent rainy week smudged the CCD sensor. Pictures were blurry after that...
Of course I'm not the only one who has done things like this. There is a lot of 'prior art' in this field.
for those who thought Blogs were not boring enough (Score:2)
Sleeping while driving? (Score:5, Funny)
Great, now I can catch some sleep on the way to work. The Sensecam will wake me up before I cause an accident
Needs lots and lots of meta-data (Score:3, Interesting)
Upload not only pictures but also meta-data to your PC at night and have software that generates a log of what you did that day. The privacy issues are a little scary, but (like video cameras today) you could just disallow them in buildings/situations you don't want to be photographed. Technology is just a tool... its how you use it... blah blah blah...
Just what everyone wants to see... (Score:4, Funny)
new microsoft patent (Score:3, Funny)
microsoft has patented all the information
about your life. If you should need
to communicate any facts abour your
existence please get microsoft approval first.
Damned Microsoft (Score:5, Funny)
Yet another example of how Microsoft refuse to interoperate - I'm a UNIX hacker and my days have 24 hours in them, as required by ISO 8601. What annoys me is that so many people use MS stuff that they'll start thinking that days are supposed to be 12 hours long, and that everyone doing it the old 24-hour way is just being belligerent.
Ob Python quote: (Score:3, Funny)
I can see the logic behind this gadget, though. MS is already like a metaphorical albatross/millstone around the neck already, so why not go the whole hog and do it for real?
Microsoft "innovation" (Score:3, Funny)
Comment removed (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Anybody else thought... (Score:2)
Re:Anybody else thought... (Score:2)
Get help.
Get help now.
Re:Alarm Clock Problem (Score:2)