Comcast Cameras to Start Watching You?

[Mugu]

Written by Chris Albrecht

If you have some tinfoil handy, now might be a good time to fashion a hat. At the Digital Living Room conference today, Gerard Kunkel, Comcast’s senior VP of user experience, told me the cable company is experimenting with different camera technologies built into devices so it can know who’s in your living room.

The idea being that if you turn on your cable box, it recognizes you and pulls up shows already in your profile or makes recommendations. If parents are watching TV with their children, for example, parental controls could appear to block certain content from appearing on the screen. Kunkel also said this type of monitoring is the “holy grail” because it could help serve up specifically tailored ads. Yikes.

Kunkel said the system wouldn’t be based on facial recognition, so there wouldn’t be a picture of you on file (we hope). Instead, it would distinguish between different members of your household by recognizing body forms. He stressed that the system is still in the experimental phase, that there hasn’t been consumer testing, and that any rollout “must add value” to the viewing experience beyond serving ads.


Read complete article at:
http://newteevee.com/2008/03/18/comcast-cameras-to-start-watching-you/

[Tempest]

1. Another reason I don't have cable, satellite or dish

It's not like I'm missing anything either. There's nothing on but crap.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

2. And that would be the day I turn off television forever. nt

[Debau2005]

3. I doubt they'll ever get it right

I left them last year, when they couldn't keep my services working. If my cable was up, my internet was down, if my internet was up, my cable was down. And it took a week each time to wait for a service call.

So in my area, I doubt they would be able to get it to work.

"Must add value"? Having a working system would have added value!

I am now on satellite and even in storms have had no loss of service.

[mirrera]

4. Apple's iSight camera! Yikes I would hate to drape that beauty...

Could you imagine every time you turn on your Mac Book they would be watching. Where is all this stuff made anyway? Uh... yeah, no problem. zzzzzzzzzz

[williesgirl]

5. If/when this happens, I'll cancel them and go to satellite.

[Mugu]

10. There is one possible solution.

Duct tape.

Regards, Mugu

[livvy]

6. Hmmm...recognizes you by your form, huh?

Guess it's time to start investing in some disguises...

   

   

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. I want the shark !!!!!

where can I get one?

[livvy]

20. It's a little pricey....

Cartoon Shark Costume
Product ID: CS107B
Sale Price: $995.00 $748.18
You Save: $246.82

Description
Cartoon Shark Costume Mascot
*This is a special custom order item. Normal delivery time is 4-6 weeks (Production of this costume will take 2-3 weeks and an additional 1-2 weeks for shipping)

Costume includes head, jumpsuit, feet, and cushion/fat padding for the belly.

Made of the highest quality soft materials, this mascot does not have any hard parts and is not rigid. You will be amazed that you can actually squeeze the head of this mascot to become the size of a basketball. This is the perfect mascot for you if safety is a concern.

You can wear your own shoes with this costume. Feet are designed like spats so they cover your own shoes.

Costumes are designed as "One Size Fits Most" for adults ranging from 5'4" to 6'2"

Vision on this mascot is through the mouth.


http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://www.costume-shop.com/index.php%3Fp%3Dproduct%26id%3D1695%26parent%3D24&h=620&w=398&sz=31&hl=en&start=3&sig2=oOLASEjzQgi-l8QZVGhLEg&tbnid=NE2cJUPtcDCatM:&tbnh=136&tbnw=87&ei=WALlR77JFYqoiAHk7vm9BQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dshark%2Bcostume%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

but it is cool!

Browse through their costumes under the mascot category. They are fantastic, but very expensive.

http://www.costume-shop.com/index.php?p=home

I have this one....



You put shoes on your hands and "kick" them about. Very fun. I bought mine on eBay years ago.

[Codedonkey]

24. wow, those are spendy...

I want an adult sized Stephanie (from that weird lazytown show) costume.... I'd look awesome in it.

[Quantess]

21. Wear those, the TV will give you reminders about shows on Animal Planet

pet food ads, Nestle Quik, and Honey Nut Cheerios commercials.

[Subdivisions]

7. Now we're too goddamned lazy to even find something

we want to watch that we need a camera to identify us so the tv can choose our programming?

Where's a gigantic asteroid when you need one?

[MadHound]

8. Gee, Orwell would be proud

Of how his book is now being taken as a blueprint for our new police state. The thing is that by privatizing all of this, having Comcast, ATT, and other corporations gather this information, they are able to get around the Constitution, since they aren't the government, they only sell this shit to the government. We get to pay twice for our own surveillance, once to the corporation, and again with out tax dollars.

[Junkdrawer]

11. Yep.

(Look Here \/ \/)

[Buzz Clik]

9. Nothing a piece of duct tape won't solve.

[go west young man]

12. For those that want to ditch cable:

1)www.joost.com From the guys that gave us Skype. Excellent cool free TV. Still in Beta test mode but great nontheless.
2) http://www.tv4all.com/ Free TV from all over the world.
3)Get a 14.95 Netflix 2 movie membership and it includes unlimited free streamed internet movies for your laptop.

[DCKit]

18. Not only is my (shared) connection too slow...

But both Verizon and Comcast throttle down the speed on really active connections. I'd rather use Netflix than wait four or five hours for a movie to download.

[Occulus]

13. Heh. Is that the stench of a 'public performance' lawsuit I smell?

Wait for it. I'm sure it'll happen eventually.

edit: Don't facial recognition and shape recognition rely upon similar software?

[Junkdrawer]

14. 6079 Smith W.! Yes, you! Bend lower, please! You can do better than that. You're not trying.

:scared:

[JackRiddler]

16. Sucks for short people who want to watch porn...

This is just so wrong on so many levels; how can it even be legal unless there is an explicit opt-IN?

[Codedonkey]

23. hahaha...

Ayes, I think I'll be passing this "awesome" idea... I doubt it would fly with the consumers if they FORCED to have it...

[rucky]

17. It's just to help us watch TV more effectively.

why so uptight?


:sarcasm:

[Mugu]

19. Kick n/t

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

22. To all the people saw to use duct tape

wont work because the size of the hidden cameras(s). You might find it/them if you take apart your cable box but it might not work after words.

My brother had the right idea all along... he puts all of his electronic "toys" in a closet and uses a remote sensor to control them. All big-brother would see is (****)!