Britain's ubiquitous CCTV video surveillance network has nothing on Japan's Orwellian nightmare in the making. One of the country's top electronics firms, NEC, has just announced a new plasma display fitted with a tiny camera that can accurately identify a person's age and sex in order to target them with specific advertisements.
Shoppers interested in what they're being peddled can simply hold their cell phones near the 50-inch display and a QR code containing a URL with more product information will be beamed to their handset. We'll spare you the over-used Minority Report references and simply suggest that someone out there get to work developing camera foiling supermasks to assist those of us still interested in a smattering of privacy.
editor@dvice.com
By dancesonsnow at 12:33 PM ON 07/22/08
I hope I never live to see they day where they can beam advertisements into our dreams. But I would bet good money that one day it will happen.
By Shifter at 10:21 PM ON 07/22/08
You dream you go to your job in your underwear which are NEW LIGHTSPEED BRIEFS! Comfortable, AND stylish!
By Nicole at 10:52 PM ON 07/22/08
Heh, it will be interesting to see how this goes with genderqueer and androgynous people. And trans people as they transition.