Big Brother - the immediate future reality

[streaky]

Ever heard of 'Gait DNA'? Well it's one of the technologies being developed in the USA to track individuals. Together with facial images and height - captured, analysed and determined in a second, a team at Maryland University is inventing the next generation of citizen surveillance.

'Gait DNA' is an individual code for the way you walk. The goal is to invent a system whereby a facial image can be matched to your gait, your height, your weight and other elements, so a computer will be able to identify instantly who you are. As you walk through a crowd, they'll be able to track you by computer. Your cooperation or compliance is not required.

Apparently, opinion polls, both in the US and UK, say that about 75% of us want more, not less, surveillance ... that's not my experience!

DARPA are developing an unmanned airplane - a UAV - with cameras on it that can stay aloft for five years, constantly being cued to look here and there. This is being done today (with more limited flying time) in Iraq.

They're even working on a gadget that can actually see inside our houses.

It turns out that the human body gives off such sensitive radio signals, that a device currently under development can even pick up breathing and heart rates.

The inventor claims that, "In ten years time, we'll scan a person with one of these things and tell what they're actually thinking."

And this is just the public tip of what's going on.

Streaky

[Dwight VanDriver]

Funny you should report that Streaky, juast read about it in one of the Plod mags. Frightening what is happening.
Expecting a letter in the near future to report to local Hospital to have RFi (personalised) implanted and brain removed.

Yes OK it has benefits but this push to ID everything sticks in my craw and I don't like it.

dvd

[Bing o]

Dwight VanDriver said:

Funny you should report that Streaky, juast read about it in one of the Plod mags. Frightening what is happening.
Expecting a letter in the near future to report to local Hospital to have RFi (personalised) implanted and brain removed.

Yes OK it has benefits but this push to ID everything sticks in my craw and I don't like it.

dvd

Luckily we have credible opposition parties waiting in the wings to take over and sort out this mess.


Oh.



Oh.



Oh deary me.

[AdeTuono]

Won't be long before some tt pipes up with the old 'if you've nothing to hide, you've nothing to fear' line again

[Bing o]

AdeTuono said:

Won't be long before some tt pipes up with the old 'if you've nothing to hide, you've nothing to fear' line again

Shortly followed by "Kick him in the face"

[Jasandjules]

AdeTuono said:

Won't be long before some tt pipes up with the old 'if you've nothing to hide, you've nothing to fear' line again

And as long as they are first in the queue to get their DNA stored......

Time and time again it seems those in power seem to forget they are here to serve us, and not the other way around.

[jwo]

i've got nothing to hide, but i'll be damned if i give up any personal info (dna etc.) without a good fight!! frickin' police state run by incompetents.

[EU_Foreigner]

Thought after the last world war that the idea of too much information on individuals was scrapped for good.

Seems like some people never learn

[TripleS]

If the stuff Streaky refers to is genuine, the situation seems to be deteriorating rapidly from the viewpoint of a normal, decent, generally law abiding, person who simply wants live his life in peace and let others do the same.

I appreciate this may sound like an over-reaction, but I do wonder if we shall at some point see a backlash against this use of technology to monitor us and interfere in our lives; but if that is to happen, it ought to happen soon, while we still have the opportunity!

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[Chrispy Porker]

Gait DNA ?

[streaky]

TripleS said:

If the stuff Streaky refers to is genuine, ...

It most assuredly is (see also DVD's post). University of Maryland, DARPA and a company in Hawaii are the respective developers.

Chrispy Porker said:

Gait DNA ?

And your point is ? It's not my name for it (invented in the USA ... of course ) - Streaky

[skymaster]

Shocking! The people develping this stuff need to examine their concience. For future generations there lies utter misery ahead.

[Deadly Dog]

Chrispy Porker said:

Gait DNA ?

?

The so-called Gait DNA recognition software is a genuine project and has been under development for sometime. Even the BBC have reported on it. Facial recognition systems have been around since the mid 1990s. American casinos use them to detect and deter cheats.

Fishface said:

What about one's freedom to invent technologies

Don't worry. So long as Governments continue to plough huge sums of tax payers' money into the development of such technologies, the financial incentives to invent them will remain strong and your freedom to invent them will continue unhindered.

[vonhosen]

skymaster said:

Shocking! The people develping this stuff need to examine their concience. For future generations there lies utter misery ahead.

It's not down to technology, it's how it's used that matters.

[Deadly Dog]

skymaster said:

Shocking! The people develping this stuff need to examine their concience. For future generations there lies utter misery ahead.

Indeed. But the simple truth is that there are plenty of individuals willing to sell their souls for short term financial gain. It's all a bit too late when they ultimately realise the terrible consequences of their actions.

[Deadly Dog]

vonhosen said:

It's not down to technology, it's how it's used that matters.

A considerable amount of this technology is being built to very specific user requirements. It is therefore fair to suggest that in many cases the developers understand exactly what they are getting involved in.

[Chrispy Porker]

streaky said:

TripleS said:

If the stuff Streaky refers to is genuine, ...

It most assuredly is (see also DVD's post). University of Maryland, DARPA and a company in Hawaii are the respective developers.

Chrispy Porker said:

Gait DNA ?

And your point is ? It's not my name for it (invented in the USA ... of course ) - Streaky

I have put a stone in my shoe. Just in case.

[Peter Ward]

vonhosen said:

skymaster said:

Shocking! The people develping this stuff need to examine their concience. For future generations there lies utter misery ahead.

It's not down to technology, it's how it's used that matters.

I think that's right. Many of us believe we're being watched all the time anyway, by a Higher Power, but we know that this is for good and not bad. The problem with the surveillance now being introduced is that nobody trusts that its only purpose is good. Consider the Northern Rock situation -- the government promises to support the bank but nobody believes it and they go ahead and withdraw their money anyway. The real legacy of a decade of spin. If we trusted our government we might feel happier about them watching us.

[Bing o]

Peter Ward said:

vonhosen said:

skymaster said:

Shocking! The people develping this stuff need to examine their concience. For future generations there lies utter misery ahead.

It's not down to technology, it's how it's used that matters.

I think that's right. Many of us believe we're being watched all the time anyway, by a Higher Power, but we know that this is for good and not bad. The problem with the surveillance now being introduced is that nobody trusts that its only purpose is good. Consider the Northern Rock situation -- the government promises to support the bank but nobody believes it and they go ahead and withdraw their money anyway. The real legacy of a decade of spin. If we trusted our government we might feel happier about them watching us.

Writers have been coming up with exactly these sorts of scenarios for decades.

And as for Northern Rock, people quite rightly, are wondering where the government will get 24billion quid from if required to bail out Northern Rock.

You are right though, no-one believes anything that that badger faced gimp says.

[Peter Ward]

Bing o said:

Peter Ward said:

vonhosen said:

skymaster said:

Shocking! The people develping this stuff need to examine their concience. For future generations there lies utter misery ahead.

It's not down to technology, it's how it's used that matters.

I think that's right. Many of us believe we're being watched all the time anyway, by a Higher Power, but we know that this is for good and not bad. The problem with the surveillance now being introduced is that nobody trusts that its only purpose is good. Consider the Northern Rock situation -- the government promises to support the bank but nobody believes it and they go ahead and withdraw their money anyway. The real legacy of a decade of spin. If we trusted our government we might feel happier about them watching us.

Writers have been coming up with exactly these sorts of scenarios for decades.

And as for Northern Rock, people quite rightly, are wondering where the government will get 24billion quid from if required to bail out Northern Rock.

You are right though, no-one believes anything that that badger faced gimp says.

As I recall, the money is being lent to NR at an interest rate above base rate. This means that the government actually makes profit on bailing out NR. I don't know whether to be happy that I as a poor taxpayer am not having to stump up for this, or sad that yet another apparently altruistic government action is nothing of the sort.

It's like the handouts to flood-affected areas. The government will make more in VAT receipts on rebuilding than the cost of the grants it has provided. Spin vs. reality once again.