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Comments on news posted 2009-08-11 08:50:11: Back in March of 2008, Comcast's Gerard Kunkel proclaimed that Comcast was experimenting with embedding cameras in your DVR or cable box, allowing the company to know exactly who is watching what, at what time. ..

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cornelius785
join:2006-10-26
Worcester, MA

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Re: I think this is already in play?

well there is a sensor called a "motion dectector", like the ones in automated doors...

FFH5
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Tavistock NJ

FFH5

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said by cornelius785:

well there is a sensor called a "motion dectector", like the ones in automated doors...
Yes motion detectors exist. But there are NONE in any Motorola STB I ever saw the specs for.
67845017 (banned)
join:2000-12-17
Naperville, IL

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Or maybe he just accidentally sat on the remote and didn't know it.
b10010011
Whats a Posting tag?
join:2004-09-07
united state

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Re: hah

said by brianiscool:

Big brother already has this. It is called your cell phone with camera abilities.
I am sure they get a lot of lovely pictures of the inside of my pocket this way too.

anonny55
@lamrc.com

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Re: I think this is already in play?

its always spinning. Its probably just the noise of the HD head moving that you hear - which happens often.

SLD
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join:2002-04-17
San Francisco, CA

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Re: I'd Go For This If...

WOW!!!!
AVonGauss
Premium Member
join:2007-11-01
Boynton Beach, FL

AVonGauss

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An alternate view...

I'm not sure what worries me more, the fact that companies are considering this idea or that the consumers as indicated in this thread are rationalizing accepting this practice. A spy camera, infrared or not, will never be a problem in my household and no electrical tape will be needed. If you feel strongly enough to put electrical tape over the sensing device, go the extra step and simply not accept the device.
DMWCincy
join:2004-04-27
Fairfield, OH

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Re: Let them...

said by PToN:

Let them put a camera in my DVR and i would vigorously masturbate every time i am in front of my DVR...

Then i ll go out find a bunch of hookers, buy come narcotics and have a nasty orgy which consequently ends up with 1 hooker dead..

I would make 2 girls 1 cup kind of videos at home and all of this would be in front of the DVR.
That was my first thought. You and the other(girl/boyfriend, date, spouce, etc) deciding to enjoy themselves on the couch in front of the TV in the privacy of their own house to only find out days, weeks, months later that some jerk from the cable company took those images and sold them to a porn site. Or for that matter someone cracks into the system and grabs all those images and uploads them to the site.

There are so many privacy issues to this idea I dont see this ever being put into market without some large papers for the users to sign off on.
binded2
join:2009-08-11
Providence, RI

binded2

Member

i dont think so

its so sad people are stupid you know what will happen is that half of the masses will have no clue

and it will just happen
the other bunch will just not care and they will go along with it

look at that chick from what was it espn that got taped

what if you walk around your house naked

also dont think that for even one minute that the NSA CIA FBI DHS

or any other 3 or more letter uber gov sector will be be dieing to get that sorta stuff in to your house
dont think that for one minute they wont try to get even more smarter

look hey let put a mic in there too and call it voice command when it really just listen and snooping on every thing that you say

point in case this us just a bad idea

if these cable companys want to really provide a service why dont they do what they use to do in the 80 provide tv service
now adays all that you get is ads more ads
and them fuckers tryting to think of more ways to show you more ads

show one should start a new cable company accross the usa and shit if you gotta pay then it should be all comical free

rant rant im done

enjoy your privacy well you can
amungus
Premium Member
join:2004-11-26
America

amungus

Premium Member

telescreen

The "fictional" "Telescreen" is here...
Heck, laptops, cell phones, etc. already have little eyes and ears.

Cox clearly states (in the finest of fine print) that they do monitor what you watch with a DVR. Essentially a "Nielsen" system for every DVR... Many companies already scour these stats, and success/failure of shows can even rest on the numbers from them...

Now they want the all seeing eye in every room.

If people are so enthralled with their vehicles having onstar which can listen to you at any time, I don't see there being a massive opposition to this. That, and cell phones can also track your whereabouts and probably idle conversation, the occasional picture/video, and you'd never know it happened.

Sure, lots won't agree with it, but I'd bet on the "common idiot" having no worries and thinking "I've got nothing to hide" won't care one bit.

While they're at it, they'll probably sell "security" services eventually. Works for onstar, and people pay for it gladly...

Yes, there were "rumors" of Nielsen doing similar things, even way back. Only box I've ever seen couldn't have had any such technology. You had to tell it how many viewers were there, age, and sex. It looked like something out of 1987 with its little LED indicators and very square design. Installed on a Trinitron TV where the installer had to drill a hole in the set to go inline with the RF tuner (for analog cable in this case). Quite an impressive job, but I don't imagine they like having to pay for the tech to do this.

Instead, all they have to do now is force you to get a box for cable service and far more invasive technology is suddenly in your house.

People will probably eat this crap up. As much as anyone here, or elsewhere complains, it'll end up being accepted by massive amounts of people who can't think for themselves.

not quite right
I'm not cool enough to be a Mac person
join:2001-06-23
Puyallup, WA

not quite right

Member

Riiiiight!

The day I find a camera in my DVR, would be the last day I used your service ... it's that simple.

voipguy
join:2006-05-31
Forest Hills, NY

1 edit

voipguy

Member

Demo Witness

I saw the Prime Sense demonstration.

The main purpose of the technology is to sense hand gestures and use that to take action - - think of a WII without controllers.

Imagine never needing a remote control again! A user could move their hands around to select things from a menu, change channels, raise and lower volume, etc. With more software work, you could use it to run Wii-style games.

During the demo, they showed the images the device "sees" in order to do the 3-d sensing - the resolution is so low that no one should worry about their device spying on them. It could possibly determine one user in a family from another, but only after "learning" what one person's silhouette would look like. It could also tell how many people are moving around, if the software was designed to do that.

This technology is a user-interface tool first. If you don't want it to "watch" you, some electrical tape would easily take care of it.

Here is a much better story than the one from Light Reading:
»www.lightreading.com/blo ··· site=cdn
touchtone561
join:2007-12-10
Lake Worth, FL

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Re: I think this is already in play?

Nope. Do butt dialing here.

anon66670
@sbcglobal.net

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Re: Workarounds incoming...

Screw the work arounds just don't do business with a company that spies on you.
touchtone561
join:2007-12-10
Lake Worth, FL

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Re: I think this is already in play?

Possibly, I do have very acute hearing.
I don't think it is a random act.

Why do you think a modern device like SA 8300HD set-top wouldn't have a sleep /standby mode to conserve energy?

Sidebar/ I don't see the interactive commercials recorded, you know the A B C quiz, only see them when watching a live TV program, and not fiddling with the remote prior. / Sidebar
patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

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Re: Workarounds incoming...

said by milnoc:

said by Jonbo298:

I'd rather not have a camera (or anything like a camera) watching me watch what I watch on TV. There will be easy workarounds to this if it comes to light.
It already exists. It's called electrical tape.
Your assuming the average american has any engineering knowledge.

cpsycho
join:2008-06-03
Treadeu Land

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Re: Demo Witness

main purpose.... yes.

Have you noticed something of late with the cablecos and telcos they think they are better then everyone and above human rights. They will try and get away with anything they can and keep it tied up in court for as long as possible.

Hell they could tie an account thethis biometric reader ti a single user in the home so you would have to pay for each user that would want to watch tv other then you.

If I ever found a hidden camera in any device from any company, I would take a bat to the device then walk to their place of business and go to town on the building they are in.

N3OGH
Yo Soy Col. "Bat" Guano
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join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs

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Re: sheesh

Comcast's UI really is pathetic.
N3OGH

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Re: Let them...

LOL, I can see it now:

COMPUTER IDENTIFICATION OF VIEWER: JUNK.

Then an Enzyte commercial comes on....

Koil
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join:2002-09-10
Irmo, SC

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Re: I think this is already in play?

I have the same box, and it spins up every 30 min or so, which i believe is just to check and see if anything is set to record, or update the channel guide...i think you're just walking in at the same time.

Thunderlips
Get It Up Fly A Hull
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Re: Workarounds incoming...

said by anon66670 :

Screw the work arounds just don't do business with a company that spies on you.
ding ding ding... we have a winner.
patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

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All Telco TV and Digital Cable TV boxes already spy on every remote button press/every thing you do. And they already sell anonymous data on every website link you visit.

POB
Res Firma Mitescere Nescit
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join:2003-02-13
Stepford, CA

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Re: telescreen

said by amungus:

Cox clearly states (in the finest of fine print) that they do monitor what you watch with a DVR.
Not saying I debate it, but where exactly is this clause found in the TOS. Do you have a link?
patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

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Re: Wait, what?

said by footballdude:

Do they seriously think anyone will go for this? Very, very, very few people would want a camera of any kind in their home, for any reason. Even if they get the technology to work, this is DOA.
Who would know? Say its the "remote sensor array", don't like it? don't get subscriber TV.

Nobody seems to protest that the cell phone company knows where you phone is 24/7 to a 2000 foot radius, GSM or CDMA. Latency from phone to antenna sector plus aim of the cell tower antenna sector. I'm not talking about triangulation or the AGPS chip. Just sitting on the paging channel will make you give away your position to a 4 intersection radius.
patcat88

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Re: Really?

Thats a $399 converter box fee sir.
patcat88

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Re: I'd Go For This If...

Televisions that spy on you, so 1984 right? (I never did my reading in school)
patcat88

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Re: sheesh

Windows 3.1 on a 200 mhz CPU is blazing fast. Not like the new Tru2Way java crap.
patcat88

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Re: I think this is already in play?

said by FFH5:

It is all in your mind. Or your body is giving off infrared signals that the box sees as a remote control device. See your doctor to determine if you have a disease that causes your body to transmit infrared signals.
Your giving off infrared signals aslong as the matter you are is more than 0* K.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

said by patcat88:

said by FFH5:

It is all in your mind. Or your body is giving off infrared signals that the box sees as a remote control device. See your doctor to determine if you have a disease that causes your body to transmit infrared signals.
Your giving off infrared signals as long as the matter you are is more than 0* K.
Yes. But is the body giving off the encoded signals recognized by the IR reader on the STB?
patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

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said by touchtone561:

Why do you think a modern device like SA 8300HD set-top wouldn't have a sleep /standby mode to conserve energy?
Because the power company brought a suitcase of cash to the developer of the settop box software (SARA/Passport/iGuide) developer to keep all power settings off to make more $ for the power company. A tiny bit of extra power used in 1 home, times millions, means mega tons of power:p
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