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Hewlett-Packard in Hot Water With 'Racist' Face-Tracking Webcams
After a video (after the break) that demonstrates a problem with Hewlett-Packard's (HP) webcams exploded on YouTube, the manufacturer is reexamining its software while handling a PR nightmare.In a video posted on December 10th, a black male and a white female show how an HP computer's facial-tracking software fails to recognize the black man's movements. Yeah, you know where this is headed. When the woman, Wanda, enters the frame, the camera follows her wherever she goes. But when the man, Desi, enters, the camera won't respond to any of his movements at all. His only comment? "I'm going on record, and I'm saying it," he says. "Hewlett-Packard computers are racist."
Now, he does say this with a slight grin, but still, HP is taking this problem and claim very seriously (as it should). According to a blog post, the company claims the problem resides in the camera's difficulty recognizing contrast in low lighting. In the same post, HP promises it's working to remedy it.
But that's no consolation to Desi, or his wife, this holiday season. "And the worst part is, I bought one for Christmas." [From: Voodoo Blog, via: Bloomberg]
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Comments
72
Subscribe to commentspitbull7177Dec 23rd 2009 7:32PM
man you guys gotta find some humor in your lives i am half black and half white and i was laughing through the whole thing i bet he said hp is racist just for laughs he wasnt being serious and all of you go straight to politics and taking this too far even my mother who is black was laughing too chill the f out (yo brucemitchell821, that white woman is his CO-WORKER how about you watch the video and actually read the article before you go assuming sh!t, CO_WORKER not his wife that stupidity impediment that you are talking about i think you are contributing to it)
garthdvoigtDec 23rd 2009 7:36PM
So, the effing software is racist?!?! I get so tired of the race card being played ALL the time.
admDec 23rd 2009 7:43PM
Susie..why don't you go back to your country where you come from? You don't belong here either... People are so quick to tell someone to go back to their country when America is not their ancestors birthplace either. Give me a break!... And I am black but don't think this is a racist thing. So what if the camera followed him and not her. Who cares.... They just want the attention that is all this is...They want their 15 minutes of fame...It is not a racist issue it's "I want to be famous" issue.
masteroftheaeonsDec 23rd 2009 7:53PM
I just want to make clear that since the computer cannot HATE anything it can't be racist, it can however be Prejudiced, as I see some others have mentioned. People just throw the word racist around like its an all encompassing word. Secondly, since there are no races anymore anthropologically, it doesn't really matter anyways. And I am sure that if the man was truly outraged he would be.....outraged. It said he had a grin although I haven't watched the video. I am sure he meant to make the statement that he would like it fixed because its a problem but not because he thought it was an issue about race.
ArgieDec 23rd 2009 7:55PM
Of course there is no racial profiling, this is a machine tht is working as its supposed to. Everything is normal, the HP webcam, tracks "facial movement", in other words it studies the surrondings n automatically focuses on the human face. In this situation im guessing due to the darkness of his skin, the webcam had truoble picking up on his facial details, c no racisim.
lovekistDec 23rd 2009 7:57PM
..All this tension here. This video is hilarious. Lighten up people. Its just a glitch.... Hilarious. :D
JimDec 23rd 2009 8:01PM
It's a joke, people. Can't you see the expression on his face. Two co-workers made a funny video and you morons have caught the ball and you're running with it. Get a life.
celticaDec 23rd 2009 8:04PM
Even the people in the video weren't that taken by it - they were talking tongue in cheek.
What I find interesting, is that the title "in Hot Water". Lets fan the fire here a bit, members of the press... Must be a slow news day...
darlewa7Dec 23rd 2009 8:45PM
this is a reply to Susie:
I am not racist but I had to reply to your racist remark about black people going back to Africa. According to US history white people weren't the original habitants of America. The original habitants were the Native Americans (Indians). The white people came from England on the MAYFLOWER. Eventually the white people stole this land from the Native Americans. How would you feel if someone told you to go back to England?
firemancan2Dec 23rd 2009 8:50PM
It is obviously a software problem.
ihatefanboysDec 23rd 2009 11:08PM
lets make this clear. did the webcam call the dude a "nigger" ?? if not, calling it racist is racist....someone gotta get a brain before they label any and everything racist...
goldfish420Dec 24th 2009 4:21PM
LOL! Some people are way to serious and this guy was having fun with the new software and he might be right he may be too black for the camera to work right but it was all in good fun and not to be taken seriously. I am sure HP knows about this and is going to update the software and a computer can not be racist morons!!