Facial Recognition Software Befuddled by LED Goggles: Big Brother Stumped

Are you the kind of person that’s worried about Big Brother and those CCTV cameras all over the place? So you don’t want your face on camera feeds? Then these specs might be for you.

privacy visor cctv blocking glasses

These glasses fitted with LEDs were created by Isao Echizen and Seiichi Goshi at the National Institute of Informatics and Kogakuin University in Tokyo, Japan. The glasses emit near IR light, which prevents current facial recognition cameras and software from figuring out who you are. The lights are powered by a small battery pack that needs to be transported in your pocket.

Granted, unless you’re going for some sort of Blade Runner look, they’re not particularly chic, but they get the job done. They’re also not exactly what you’d call inconspicuous, so security might still hunt you down, even though they don’t know who you are.

The researchers are working on making these specs a bit more fashionable. They predict that the final model will cost around $1(USD) to manufacture.

[via Slate via DVice]

Microsoft, NYPD build new policing software, NYC takes 30 percent of the profit

Sipowindows 8

Microsoft is releasing the Domain Awareness System, a software kit, designed with the NYPD, for law enforcement agencies. Pulling together data from CCTV Cameras, radiation detectors and license-plate readers, it uses a detailed database to give instant tracking when things take a turn for the worse. It's also taking some cues from the city's CompStat, using geographical patterns to help effectively deploy members of the 5-0 in areas statistically likely to suffer more crime. DAS is being marketed worldwide, with the city of New York taking a cut of 30 percent of the profit and a copy of any useful tweaks that are made in the field. We're just sad that none of the NYPD:Blue fans at Redmond decided to call the system Sipowi...ndows (geddit?).

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Microsoft, NYPD build new policing software, NYC takes 30 percent of the profit originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 10:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dropcam’s Android app is now native, improved and live at Google Play

Dropcam's Android is now native, improved and live at Google Play

Sure, Dropcam already had an app for monitoring its web-connected home monitoring cameras on Android smartphones. The thing is, it wasn't native -- it was built using Adobe Air and was therefore limited to specific phones, processors and OS versions, while tablet users didn't even get a look-in. The new app, which landed at Google Play just this moment, was built totally in-house to "better match" its iOS counterpart. In addition to broader compatibility with new and old Android devices, a bunch of other improvements come along for the ride, including two-way audio, free-of-charge motion and audio alerts and a "smoother user experience." Head to the link below to download.

Continue reading Dropcam's Android app is now native, improved and live at Google Play

Dropcam's Android app is now native, improved and live at Google Play originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 06:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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