In an age where everything is connected and location data mining is a largely an unregulated goldmine, it shouldn't be too surprising to see that London has had to shelve a program whereby street recycling bins were being used to track the cellphones of users that passed by. The large bins, which were on sidewalks and embedded with large LED displays, used location data to track users and offer custom ads to regular walkers (more specifically MAC addresses) the bins "recognized." London urged the company behind the bins to suspend the program after consumers became aware of and slightly creeped out by the semi-sentient garbage cans.
Just waiting for someone to announce the invention of public eye scanners any time now...
Sounds perfect to me. I would much prefer targeted advertising like in minority report than what they have today that targets everyone with the same thing.
I think we're nearing a breaking point. Perhaps it's just me but between the on-screen television pop-ups, web-site pop-ups, in-app advertising on mobile phones and now recycle bins, isn't it about time to say enough is enough?
I still remember visiting Cancun for the first time in the early 90s. I was shocked at how what was billed as a tropical paradise was absolutely corrupted by signs. The trip from the airport to the strip was unbelievably packed with signs. It made me appreciate how most US communities regulate signs. Normally I'm not one who supports more regulation but without them, one-upmanship seems to guarantee no limit to the size and quantity of signs cluttering business districts. Equally so, I believe technology is the new frontier. It's created some sort of advertising drug and everyone who tries it is immediately hooked regardless of how ridiculous it might prove to be.
Calgary uses the same type of technology to monitor traffic flow on our busiest road and provide travel times posted on electronic signs along the route. They say it's all anonymous and encrypted, but It's a slippery slope if they make an exception even once (for say proving a timeline in a murder trial).