Tokyo Rail Billboards Scan Viewer's Age, Gender 235
eldavojohn writes "The AFP is reporting on digital billboards in Tokyo that scan for a viewer's age and gender to tailor the message to them. It's a Digital Signage Promotion Project that 11 railway companies are debuting. The head of the project said, 'The camera can distinguish a person's sex and approximate age, even if the person only walks by in front of the display, at least if he or she looks at the screen for a second.' Philip K. Dick's Minority Report draws closer every day."
Stop, Citizen! (Score:3, Funny)
::pause::
OK, move along.
This can't end well... (Score:4, Funny)
Automatic recognition, on a wide scale / network, of young females, in Japan? Oh my...
Additional Features (Score:3, Funny)
- Diet Services for those who appear overweight
- Viagra ads for those who appear to have undersized genitals
Finally (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Stop, Citizen! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I have been to Japan... (Score:5, Funny)
...I doubt they get much accuracy in age, and probably a large number of "indeterminate" or false positives on gender...
If some electronic add calls me a chick, I'm punching its lights out!
Re:hmmm (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Now that's just not right... (Score:2, Funny)
Giggity.
How is this like Minority Report? (Score:1, Funny)
Isn't that the one about the three muses who can see the future and predict crimes before they happen? And there are three so that if one is wrong the other two can overrule it? And the cop who gets notification to arrest himself because he's going to murder someone and runs away? And then it turns out that they disagree because they make their prediction serially, so the future changes between each prediction based on the knowledge of the future provided by the previous prediction, so essentially it's a time travel paradox story? And he ends up killing someone else in self defense for trying to arrest him even though he's innocent? I'm no Philip K. Dick fan, so maybe I'm wrong, but how is this like Minority Report at all?
Islam countries? (Score:3, Funny)
So this tech will not work against two types of foes:
Muslim women with only their eyes exposed
Those of us who will see these billboards everywhere in 30 years and start dressing lie ninjas in public.
Re:"Hello Mr. Yukkamoto (Score:2, Funny)
Because it would creep too many people out and drive them away from the store.
Re:hmmm (Score:3, Funny)
This is Japan we're talking about. Have the system identify all males as tentacle monsters.
QUIT WRITING DYSTOPIC SCIENCE FICTION... (Score:5, Funny)
... you're giving them ideas!
Cable companies ... (Score:2, Funny)
Hi Bob,
As a 47-year-old married guy with two teen-agers who is having trouble paying his bills, we don't want to make you feel worse by showing you ads for products you can't afford, like new cars. We show those ads to Dave, next door. What you need is ... Pepto-Bismol, and maybe some antidepressants, right?
Oh, hell. Maybe they are doing that and I haven't caught on yet.
Happy fun time signs! (Score:3, Funny)
"Hello [scanning] sir."
"Now that you are [scanning] in the prime of middle age, couldn't you see yourself in a brand new Generic Sport Sedan From GeneriCo?"
"Yes, sir, approach this kiosk, and I will display the many features of the Boring Oval Shaped Sedan 300Q"
"It is not necessary for you to hold a [scanning] metal pipe to view this ad."
"Neither is it necessary for you to [bzzzt] strike this kiosk with the [blargle] metal pipe."
"Please [buzz] stop [skree] hitting [roar] me, [bzzzzrrrzzzzzzzzzz] sir"
"[zzzzz] maintenance required [skttttttktktktk] please [bzzzzz] Daisy daisy [zzzzzz] rosebud"
"sssssssssss boop!"
(blessed silence)
Re:Wasn't in PKD's Minority Report (Score:2, Funny)
I don't see any indication that these cameras can predict future murders.
But if they could, they would be more likely to offer ads for weapons, ropes, shovels and lotion rather than report you to authorities.
Re:Crossdressers/transgendered? (Score:4, Funny)
Since the system is being developed in Japan, we know that crossdressing guys will be identified as evil because of the Square-Enix rules [gawker.com].
Will they screen the ads first? (Score:4, Funny)
As a 47-year-old married guy with two teen-agers who is having trouble paying his bills, we don't want to make you feel worse by showing you ads for products you can't afford, like new cars. We show those ads to Dave, next door. What you need is ... Pepto-Bismol, and maybe some antidepressants, right?
"Money problems? Did you know there are places in this world that will buy your children? Press "9" on your television remote for further details."
Re:Stop, Citizen! (Score:4, Funny)
Quick! Everyone put on Larry King masks so all the billboards turn into adult diaper ads!
No, everyone put on "interkin3tic" masks, so we can get all the billboards to turn into weird hentai ads!
Just, let's please come to a consensus, all one or the other, because if we half do Larry King and half do me, we're going to get wierd hentai ads featuring adult diapers. And there are some lines even I don't want to see crossed.
Re:Islam countries? (Score:3, Funny)
Need Ninja supplies? Why not stop off at Goemon's One Stop Ninja Shop for all your Ninja needs! ...
Hey ladies, tired of targeted advertising? C'mon down to The Burqa Boutique, we've got the latest fashions just time in summer, all in the new classic; black! ...
A new life awaits you in the Off-World colonies!
Re:Stop, Citizen! (Score:5, Funny)
Methinks he dost protest too much...
Re:Additional Features (Score:1, Funny)
- Viagra ads for those who appear to have undersized genitals
In Japan? That would be everyone.