Anyone who is “afraid” or not into technology will usually point out their distain for being watched, monitored, or snooped on. It’s a valid argument. Though one that I tend to look past as gadgets of all shapes, sizes, and colors yank my attention faster than –
It seems the current trend in nanny state movements is that of hidden (and sometimes not so hidden) cameras. Under the guise of security, the last several years have seen copious amounts of privacy revoked. For a few students at Northern Arizona University, I’m sure a few security cameras would gladly be exchanged for what is coming — RFID tracking ID’s.
Straight from a sci-fi/thriller book, students at NUA will find that their new ID’s are more telling than in past years, offering up those behind a screen hundreds of yards if not miles away a constant look at where they are at. At first, the excuse seems noble — they want to monitor students’ class attendance. But when you step back and look at the gross invasion of privacy these ID cards represent, you can begin to see how detrimental this is…
Ahhh yes. The iPhone 3GS and OS 3.0 have been out for almost a month now and already people are looking ahead to 2010 and what the next iPhone announcement will bring. Fresh up on today’s list-o-iPhone rumors centers around three main technologies: haptic feedback, RFID, and finger print scanning. The benefits of each or pretty straight forward. Haptic feedback would give a more “physical” response to onscreen actions sort of but not quite like RIM’s surepress “clicking” touchscreen which in theory was great, but in real life isn’t so hot. Implanted RFID readers would give the next iPhone the ability to phone aliens from outer space….scan other items with RFID tags…lets your minds wander. And finally, fingerprint scanning would bring a new, James Bond-esque coolness to Apple’s iPhone line. While most of the iPhone user base wouldn’t need and doesn’t needed fingerprint aided security, one could also argue that in the age where we are becoming increasingly dependent on our mobiles, such a feature couldn’t come a moment to soon. I tend to side with the latter. It’s better to be over prepared than under. Now again, these are strictly rumor and have absolutely no official confirmation of evidence behind them. Still…it’s fun to speculate isn’t it?
Source: Coated, Electric Pig, Image Source
