Nike+ iPod Used For Surveillance 66
Thib writes "Researchers at the University of Washington have published a report detailing many easy and cheap ways the Nike+ iPod Sport Kit previously discussed on Slashdot can be used to track individuals, even when they are not carrying their iPod. They have even implemented a Google Maps application to display surveillance data in real time." From the article: "'Our research also shows that there exist simple cryptographic techniques that the Nike+iPod Sport Kit designers could have used to improve the privacy-preserving properties of the Nike+iPod kit,' the group reports. 'Our work underscores the need for a broad public discussion about and further research on the privacy-preserving properties of new wireless personal gadgets,' the group reports. 'We stress, however, that there is no evidence that Apple or Nike intended for these devices to be used in any malicious manner. Additionally, neither Apple nor Nike endorsed this study.'"
I for one... (Score:0, Troll)
Just do it! (Score:0)
how is this different? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:how is this different? (Score:5, Insightful)
Agreed.
Much ado about barely anything. I met the product manager for the Nike+iPod kits. I can assure you that tracking people without their permission wasn't in the MRD.
So, based on the FA, you have to be within 30 feet of the person the "bug" is planted on. How is this so effing different than following someone around and watching what they do?
I'm a pretty big privacy advocate. I got ticked when the company who "wanted to hire me" made me take an invasive personality test [calipercorp.com] But this is a lot of heat and noise over nothing - an attention-seeking hyper concernicus group looking for attention.
Me three (Score:2)
Re:how is this different? (Score:2)
Not saying anyone is doing that or plans to do that, but security is about preventing potential abuse. If you only care about stopping whats actually being abused you're on the wrong side of a vicious cat and mouse game and will NEVER be safe.
Re:how is this different? (Score:2)
On the other hand, I fully expect RFID scanners to be located at just about every store. Both possible *and* reasonably likely.
To ignore likelihood is to ignore a critical metric, and will ensure vigilance against threats that will never come (aka paranoia).
Re:how is this different? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:how is this different? (Score:0)
But seriously: I don't give a f*ck about my Nike+ being traceable. Even Apple recommends to turn it off after working out just to save battery life. This also limits your exposure. Those guys at the university need to get a life and move on.
Re:how is this different? (Score:0)
Stop it. This sensationalist study needs to get published for these researchers to have any hope of gaining the attention they need to get grant money from Microsoft. You aren't helping.
sensor can detect the presence of a person. wow. (Score:4, Funny)
Groundbreaking stuff, really.
Next up on YRO: Intrepid humans use eyeballs to invade privacy from distances of up to 100M!
God. Dammit! This is a stupid story (Score:4, Informative)
No, but they still have to have that particular pair of shoes on, and you have to be within 60 feet of them!
The amount of effort it would take to track someone via the transmitter in one of their (presumably many shoes) is ridiculous compared to the amount of effort involved in shall we say more traditional methods of stalking.
Sure, you could custom-hack a Linux "gumstick" computer to read the shoe tag and transmit it to a computer to see when your girlfriend is home. But really all you'd ever know for sure is when that particular shoe is at home. Maybe a better bet would be to just install a Web-enabled X10 cam with no hacking required. Or you could go really old-school-stalker and just drive by her damn house to see if the lights are on.
Sure I guess you could drive along behind some girl reading her electronic shoe tag from 60 feet away...on the other hand if you're within 60 feet you can probably SEE her with your own EYES.
I know iPods and security vulnerabilities are hot topics these days. That doesn't mean every story that crosses the two should get the breathless treatment. This is just blatant fear-mongering in an attempt to generate press. There isn't even any valuable information to be captured, like from an RFID credit card for example.
Re:God. Dammit! This is a stupid story (Score:3, Insightful)
On the other hand, this could have some good uses too! You could unlock your car if the sensor is in range, and lock it if it isn't, for instance.
Re:God. Dammit! This is a stupid story (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:God. Dammit! This is a stupid story (Score:2)
Sometime when I was there in the late 90s they decided to RFID tags or whatever tye were called bacl then in the library books so no one would walk out with a book without checking it out, same as everyother library I've been to. Except the tags were just placed between the pages and could be easily removed and transfered. Combine that with freshmen having class in the library computer lab and being required to leave their bags unattended in the main room. So one day someother students, never bother to find out who did it, pulled the tags out of a couple books and put the tags in some poor freshman's bag and his books and in his coat and anything else he had. I walked in while he was still being searched.
Nothing new here, move along.
Yes, there are lots of ways to track people (Score:5, Insightful)
I bet Apple didn't bother encrypting the transmission because all it does is transmit an ID and data stream. The data is totally unimportant unless you happen to care about someone's training program. And here's the crucial part--the ID is also totally unimportant because when people go jogging, they almost always go jogging in a public place. And when you're jogging in public you're already broadcasting your ID at least 60 feet, via the light that is reflected off your recognizable face.
Re:Yes, there are lots of ways to track people (Score:2)
Re:God. Dammit! This is a stupid story (Score:2)
Re:God. Dammit! This is a stupid story (Score:2)
This is the problem I always have with these fear mongering stories. They start with some unfounded fear. Then, in an attempt to defend the fear mongering, someone make an illogical leap and then bases their defense from that unfounded position.
Someone slipping a transmitter into someone's backpack and tracking them? Well, that could be a serious problem. However...you know what? That technology has been around a lot longer than lojack, and I never heard anyone raising a fuss about the dangers of this stuff back then. In terms of this "slipping it into the backpack" angle, this Nike device has added nothing to that at all.
Competition (Score:0)
AH! But you are not using ALL the info (Score:0)
So you already fail by saying you can't see if the person is wearing the shoe. This is only slightly true, you can detect if the shoe is being used.
Now this would be very usefull to a stalker/detective. Imagine the following scenario, you track somebody and they slip into a tube station, to avoid detection you don't take the same car as them but now it turns out it is very busy so it is hard to keep an eye on them, plus this might arrouse suspiscion.
So how do you know if they leave the train? Because you got your special shoe tracker! As soon as the shoe starts transmitting that is is being used you know to get off.
Ah yes, there is many a movie detective who could have used this gadget. It is simply brilliant. Offcourse now you just have to find a way to get your target to wear Nike shoes without them knowing. But hey, nobody said being a stalker/detective was easy.
Oh and for the girlfriend scenario, this is a vital tool. If she comes home and the device registers a stream of small walks in the kitchen area, then this is good, she is making diner for you.
If on the other hand there is a lot of frantic pacing, then this is bad, she is either pissed at you or is pregnant. RUN!
If on the other hand there she only walks in, and then the shoes are no longer in use, she probably kicked them off to get ready for a long night of making love. This is good.
Offcourse, she could also just have kicked them off to put on her steel nosed boots to kick your nuts, but hey, life is a gamble.
Re:God. Dammit! This is a stupid story (Score:1)
on the other hand if you're within 60 feet you can probably SEE her with your own EYES.
You, sir, are making some seriously optimistic assumptions about my visual acuity.
No where did I leave my damned glasses?
Isn't this = to any frequency emitting device? (Score:2, Insightful)
if any big brother organization wanted to track you they could triangulate your cell phone signal, use credit card records...
I honestly think it's a bit late and a bit hyppocritical to start complaining about an ipod interface.
Re:Isn't this = to any frequency emitting device? (Score:1)
Re:Isn't this = to any frequency emitting device? (Score:0)
Re:Isn't this = to any frequency emitting device? (Score:2)
Re:Isn't this = to any frequency emitting device? (Score:1)
Re:Isn't this = to any frequency emitting device? (Score:3, Interesting)
By that logic a fax machine is a web server, since somebody can call and request a page be sent to them.
Re:Isn't this = to any frequency emitting device? (Score:2)
welcome to 1984? (Score:2, Insightful)
There really don't need to be large groups of 'men in black' if most of the populace simply hands over their rights and privacy.
Those who don't know what tor is should. There are methods for remaining rather anonymous in the world at large. This story is simply the warning sign to let you (yes you, joe public) know that if big brother is not already spying, he will be soon. The patriot act and the DMCA have enabled the nefarious among us to do so.
News flash! (Score:2)
I thought the sharing of information was good? Ixnay?
Heh... (Score:1)
Seriously. BFD.
Re:Heh... (Score:2)
You said that when they started tracking people by cellphones too, that it was no worse than being able to follow people around.
You'll probably say the same thing when they put tagging collars on people. "they can track you anyway through your ipod, so what's new? BFD"
Original... (Score:5, Informative)
Sensationalist Headlines at CNN (Score:5, Insightful)
I mean, really though: "iPod flaw helps stalkers track your every move", and "Tracked through your iPod - Some researchers say that your iPod could double as a tracking device."... Neither mention Nike's role in this issue, and both make it sound like an iPod is diddling your sister or something...
This also seems to imply someone wants to stalk your sweaty, running ass to begin with... I mean, seriously, if someone wanted to track you, there has to be a better way than sprinkling "Gumstix" PCs in the damn bushes to listen to your ugly ass sneakers.
Re:Sensationalist Headlines at CNN (Score:2)
Being Tracked (Score:0)
Little Brother is watching (Score:1)
Next newsflash: Cell phone cameras allow people to be easily observed in public places!
out of proportion (Score:2)
We live in a time, when every purchase at a grocery store is recorded due to "customer cards" when every credit card transaction is monitored, and cameras watch you almost constantly. Our phones are tapped, dozens of parameters recorded every time we travel. RFID's will soon be standard in all items purchased in stores. Passports will have RFIDs. Cellular phones, wireless computers and even PDA's allow tracking already now.
An observer does not get a lot of data from this jogging device. And who would build an entire tracking system with many stations just listening to Ipods? These stations would need to be hidden, batteries replaced, monitored etc. And what for? To stalk up some jogger? How many joggers have these gadgets?
It would be easier to build a network of small cameras which watch a person. Even easier is shadowing by a single person, who follows the person.
Finally, the distance in which the devices can be read is 60 feet. With a bit of shielding, the distance could be reduced to maybe 20 feet which would make an even tighter network of receivers necessary.
Grant plz thx! (Score:0)
Sounds like someone is running low on grant money
This just in from Seattle... (Score:3, Insightful)
Pretty cool, actually (Score:3, Funny)
Neither Apple nor Nike endorsed this study. (Score:3, Insightful)
Advertising potential (Score:4, Insightful)
Your 1km time today: 6:31
Last week: 6:28
You need Red Bull!
Re:Advertising potential (Score:0)
Your 1km time today: 6:31
Last week: 6:28
You need Red Bull!
Marketing have already made that message more cost-efficient and dropped the first two lines of your draft.
Re:Advertising potential (Score:2)
> Last week: 6:28
> You need Red Bull!
6:31 for a kilometer? You sure as hell need something.
Re:Advertising potential (Score:2)
No surprise. (Score:3, Insightful)
If you're that paranoid and don't want to risk being tracked it's simple. Don't buy electronic devices, particularly those that transmit any kind of signal. Even then there are ways to observe people, but at least it's significantly more difficult.
The problem becomes when people are forced to carry devices that report some organization, be it the government or some corporation. We aren't there yet, but I wont be surprised if when it comes people either don't notice it happening or they openly embrace it.
Re:No surprise. (Score:3, Insightful)
Not there yet?
Company provided cellphone or pager.
GPS schoolbus/delivery driver/trucker.
RFID cards for building access.
Company car with OnStar.
The ever present cameras.
Now your shoes. When is it too much? I think 'too much' happened a while ago. We were just too busy to notice.
Re:No surprise. (Score:3, Interesting)
The way the pager knows if it has missed any pages is because there's a rolling sequence number on the pages, and if one is missed, it knows a page has been missed.
This leads me to think that people who are paranoid of being tracked through cell phones should just go get themselves a one-way pager, and turn on their cell phone only to make a call or return a page -- or just return the call using some other phone that happens to be around.
Incidentally, I wonder how two-way pagers work. Do they keep themselves associated to a certain tower, or do they receive the same way one-way pagers do, activating a transmitter only to send pages?
If you want to get really technical, I guess it's possible to track you by checking for the stray RF from your pager's radio receiver, but it's bound to be very impractical -- even much less practical than using the emissions from a Nike+iPod device to track you -- given the very low level of emissions.
KING5 news report (Score:1)
It has an off switch. (Score:5, Insightful)
I personally only use my sensor on my running shoes, which I only wear while running. Good running shoes are too expensive to wear just walking around town, they wear out too quickly. So if anyone wants to track me while I run 5 one mile laps, in the exact same course, 4 times a week, hey, help yourself to my sensor data.
Campus surveilance (Score:0)
UW news release, inline video, and PDF of research (Score:3, Interesting)
The University of Washington's news and information office put together a release that includes an embedded video and a PDF of the research paper: [washington.edu]http://uwnews.washington.edu/ni/article.asp?articl eID=28494 [washington.edu]
The inline video, made by the researchers, is well-crafted and rather entertaining.
Disclosure: I work on behalf of the UW and the technical side of its news operations.
IFO (Score:1, Redundant)
Why are slashdotters such illiterates? (Score:0)
IPods. It should be plural. Why are slashdot people such illiterate shitheads? This is second grade grammar people.
Slashdot is like a shithead museum.
The Multi-Talented Nike (Score:3, Funny)
You can track location using cellphone signals. (Score:2, Informative)
Check out the video of the experiment... (Score:2)
(ok... I'm evil to link a 200mb file... I know...)a
To complement the headwear... (Score:1)
Re:To complement the headwear... (Score:1)
nike+ ipod user here (Score:1)
All I can say about their finding is a big outstanding "DUHHH." The whole point of the device is to "track" you. It uses a proprietary 802.11 signal.
The instruction manual clearly states that you should remove the sensor from your shoe when the sensor is not in use. This is to help on the battery life of the sensor since it can not be replaced. Doing this would prevent the "Tracking." Luckily for me, and I suspect MANY others, I have one pair of shoes dedicated for jogging ( with the sensor ). How much privacy can I expect when out jogging in a public area ?
Re:nike+ ipod user here (Score:2)
A thought just came to me (and it's offtopic but an interesting thought)...
If the device can be tracked on any 802.11 wireless network (I watched the CNN video on the story, where the device was tracked on the U. of Washington campus via the Wi-Fi network), it's logical to assume that the device uses a Wi-Fi link to talk to the transceiver on the iPod.
Does this then make the transceiver the first iPod Wi-Fi adapter? Could this be used to give your iPod W-Fi capability?
Re:nike+ ipod user here (Score:2)
A key point though is that while the CNN video title is "Tracked through your iPod", it is NOT the iPod being tracked or doing the tracking; no iPod is necessary for this to work.
Not entirely lame... (Score:2)
Think about the pervasive networking and the lack of security on those networks.
Think about being able to track anyone with any RFID tag on their clothes.
Now I've been thinking about one of the Nike+ iPod devices, but I don't wear my running shoes all the time, they're too expensive to wear out like that.
Nike+Apple didn't pay for this FUD? (Score:3, Funny)
Shoe tracking surveillance is a serious threat to runners everywhere. The spooks will know how many times your shoes hit the ground without actaully having to run around behind you counting. Clearly, this is an attempt by Apple and Nike to track perhaps thousands of individuals who are a) athletes b) unaware that Nike+ is a wireless system and c) concerned that other people will have access to the information they upload to the web.
What's next from Apple, a way to publically advertise personal details through web pages (say, iWeb)? How many people will unwittingly publish their social security number, mother's maden name, and perhaps their secret affinity for a specific type of cheese, creating clear and obvious vulnerabilities from the phishing scammers and spooks out to poison them. THE WEB IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE PEOPLE!!!
Don't say you haven't been warned. When the machines rise, the first to go will be hot chicks wearing tight Nike clothes and cheese eaters. Oh the humanity.
iPod vs Zune: Microsoft's Slippery Astroturf [roughlydrafted.com]
Bill Gates for President? No Thanks. [roughlydrafted.com]