Forget Security Cameras, Now We've Got Security Ears
from the they're-listening... dept
If you thought that security cameras were invading your privacy, now you've got giant computerized ears to contend with as well. The actual technology is not well described in the article, but they say it's designed to detect and pinpoint gunshots. There's no indication how this technology would be deployed. Would they just blanket cities with it? There's also no indication of how they deal with false alarms. Will that nice home theater system you bought have the police knocking down your door the next time you watch a movie with a gunfight? Even scarier, though, is that the system can be used to detect all sorts of sounds, including people walking. They say they may use it along borders to detect people sneaking across. If it can do that, I imagine it can be used to record conversations as well.
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If I'm not mistaken
1. Hollywood gun sounds are usually fake anyway
2. You can hear the dialogue from the movie
3. Stereo sound would have different characteristics from a real gun
But yeah, being able to record sound is a great idea. We already have lasers that can "read" the vibrations on windows, or bat-ear listeners used by cops. The logical next step is having street speakers that project sounds so people hear voices inside their heads telling them to stop doing something.
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Gunshots
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