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Posts with tag surveillance

Bug Sized Spy-Bots Headed for the Battlefield

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Nov 24th 2008 at 12:03PM

Bug Sized Spy-Bots Headed for the Battlefield

We haven't even seen the Bat yet, the flying spy-bot from the University of Michigan, and already researchers are talking about even further miniaturization in the realm of robotic spooks. According to the Associated Press, the U.S> Army is doing research on Micro Aerial Vehicles, or MAVs, which are essentially robotic bees that could be released as a swarm and blanket a city undetected. The tiny surveillance robots could be as small as a bumble bee and hide on streets or in buildings feeding video and audio to military personnel.

The MAVs would help identify and monitor potential targets. The Army even believes that they could be equipped with tiny weapons for attacking foes. It foresees insect-sized bots strapped with chemicals or explosives.

We see the clear tactical advantage that these tiny spies provide on the battlefield. Still, we can't help but fear the possibility that they may be turned against us. It wouldn't be the first time. [From: AP/AOL News]
Engadget

Recon Scout Robot Gets New Job at Prison

by Engadget Staff, posted Oct 31st 2008 at 11:49AM



You may remember this little dumbell-looking Recon Scout drone we saw last year, when it had just been implemented in the military. If you'll recall, the robot selflessly allows itself to be thrown into wild and unpredictable situations deemed "too risky" for people, then transmits grainy video back to an Operator Control Unit.

Well, it turns out that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) was interested in this rugged bastion of self-sacrifice, too. The CDCR can apparently envision all kinds of nightmare scenarios in which prisoners have weapons and no human wants any part of it -- which is why they've agreed to a rental contract where they get ten devices and developer ReconRobotics gets feedback from the Department in exchange.

Seriously though, aren't there any jubilant tasks we could set this guy to? He's getting to be such a killjoy.
Engadget

UK Cops to Wield Mobile Fingerprint Scanners

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 29th 2008 at 10:39AM


Surely your remember Project Lantern from back in 2006, right? If you weren't too fond of that initiative, let's just say your worst nightmare is coming true. Going forward, every police force in the UK will be equipped with mobile fingerprint scanners, which will allow the fuzz to carry out identity checks right on the street.

Dubbed Project Midas, this here setup is supposed to "transform the speed of criminal investigations"while simultaneously freaking out anyone remotely concerned about personal privacy; in fairness, cops insist that fingerprints scanned via these portable devices will not be stored or added to databases, and we're told that they'll only be used " when they suspect an individual of an offense and can't establish his / her identity."

The £30 million ($47.5 million) to £40 million ($63.4 million) initial phase should hit widespread deployment within 18 months, and in case you thought it was over after this, you should probably know that facial recognition in the field is the next top priority.

[Via Pocket-lint, image courtesy of SpringCard]

Cell Phone Snooping Software Lets You Snoop on Kids, Spouses

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Oct 27th 2008 at 11:39AM


For parents and suspicious spouses who have no regard for the privacy of others, there is now TechGuard. It's a program that allows you to track the calls and read text messages sent to and from a cell phone.

After loading the program on the target cell phone (currently only compatible with Windows Mobile phones and BlackBerrys) the application can be controlled from a Web site. Snoops can then read every outgoing and incoming text message, and even block certain parties from getting through. You can also read any e-mail that comes to the phone, and view call and browsing history.

TechGuard costs about $11 a month. But, if you're really this nosy, we think that money might be better spent buying yourself some anti-anxiety drugs. [From: CBS News]

Security Cam Catches Thief, Thanks to Name and Birthdate Tattoo

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Oct 8th 2008 at 6:16PM

Thief Caught on Camera, Has Name and Birthday Tatooed on Neck

What kind of criminal gets his name and birth-date tattooed on his neck? The simple answer -- not a very bright one. Aaron Evans, a 21-year-old repeat offender with an extremely troubled background, was caught on film breaking into a vehicle setup by U.K. police in a parking lot to catch opportunistic thieves.

Evans smashed open the driver's side window of the car and stole a planted GPS device. Unfortunately, he didn't notice the closed circuit security camera (CCTV) on the passenger side of the car. The camera got a perfectly clear shot of the young man's identifying neck tattoo.

Since Evans isn't capable of reading and writing, we're wondering if he even knows what the markings on neck say. [From: Telegraph]

New Surveillance Program Finds Another Use for Military Satellites

by Evan Shamoon, posted Oct 6th 2008 at 2:59PM



Anyone who has been paying attention to the civil rights debacle that has been the Bush presidency will surely appreciate the irony of this one: A bill signed by President Bush last week allows the National Applications Office (NAO) to begin operating a limited version of a program that would turn military spy satellites towards our own soil. The images it captures will be shared with other federal, state, and local government agencies. Meanwhile, the government's own watchdog agency, the Government Accountability Office, warns (in an unpublished report) that the program, which is intended to grow in scope, does to privacy and civil liberties what Fox News does to video journalism and good taste.

As it exists for the time being, the NAO is restricted to monitoring activities such as "monitoring volcanic activity, environmental and geological changes, hurricanes, and floods." But as documentation has already made clear, officials at the Department of Homeland Security hope to "branch out" as well, providing assistance and information to domestic law enforcement agencies.

So, to summarize: yet another government agency is being set up to watch us. Where do we sign up!? [From: ArsTechnica]

Spy Satellites to ID You Via Your Shadow?

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Sep 4th 2008 at 4:30PM

Spy Satellites Could ID Your Shadow
It is literally becoming impossible to hide (and yet we still can't find Bin Laden). Cameras are posted everywhere. Facial and audio recognition software have made leaps and bounds. The NSA is tapping our phones, and the cops have cameras that can read your license plate. What else could our governments and law enforcement possibly need to keep tabs on us?

Why, spy satellites that can identify your shadow, of course!

Scientists are working on a system that will be able to analyze shadows from satellite video to recreate the way a person walks. Since your stride, sway, pace, and bounce combine to create a gait unique to you, gait analysis could prove to be a powerful tool for tracking criminals and terrorists (and you).

Of course, there are some caveats. Most satellites currently in orbit can't record high enough resolution images for effective gait analysis. Also, because the method is reliant on shadows, the system could be easily disrupted by rain or cloud cover and would prove completely useless at night.

Still, researchers believe this could prove to be an invaluable tool for tracking ne'er do wells. Oh, and you. [From: Daily Mail]
Engadget

Camera Drones to Monitor Future Battlefields?

by Thomas Ricker, posted Aug 12th 2008 at 1:10PM


As the military industrial complex surges forward, so do advances in technology for the public sector. At least that's how the cold-war wisdom goes. Case in point: QinetiQ is developing a lens-less, mirror-less, battlefield imaging system with some help from your DARPA's deep pockets.

The LACOSTE project (Large Area Coverage Optical Search while Track and Engage) aims to set aloft high-altitude (about 20km) drones and air-ships fitted with a special, thousand-strong microscopic sensor array (a "first of their kind," according to QinetiQ), a "mask," and image processor to decode the scene and extract an image of the quickly changing conditions on the battlefield or, you guessed it, city streets.

The resulting lightweight and highly-durable system should feature a "super resolution" mode with the ability to "detect and simultaneously track large numbers of moving vehicles in dense urban areas with a high degree of accuracy, 24-hours a day."

And here you thought CCTV was intrusive.

[Via BBC]

Three in Four Parents Spy on Their Kids With Webcams

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Aug 8th 2008 at 2:11PMBreaking News

Parents Aren't Above Online Snooping
Parents are getting desperate in the battle to stay on-top of their kid's online activities. The preferred method of combat used to be occasionally sitting down at the PC with your child and/or picking up some filtering software, but that just isn't cutting it anymore.

Kids are on social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, even if they're under the 13-year-old age limit. Even worse, many of these kids have gotten into bad habits such as befriending complete strangers, and, according to a recent study by research firm Garlik, one in five even admit to meeting these online-only friends offline. A full two thirds of kids admit to posting personal information such as what school they attend or their home phone number on their profile.

Instead of sitting down with their children and explaining to them how to be safely use such services, parents have reduced themselves to the electronic equivalent of reading their child's diary. According to the Garlik survey, a full three quarters of parents admitted to spying on their children online. Some created fake profiles to keep tabs on their kids, while others actually log in to their child's account when they aren't around.

While it's important that parents understand the potential pitfalls of social networking services, snooping isn't going to get them anywhere. Teaching a child proper behavior and what information is safe to share is the only way to make sure they're safe even when you aren't around to break into their PC. [Source: Telegraph]

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The Newest Crime Fighting Tool Is...Your Cameraphone?

by Peter Mychalcewycz, posted Aug 7th 2008 at 2:56PM

Snapshot 2

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is considering implementing a system where images taken from mobile devices could be uploaded directly to police department computers. What an idea!

Forgive us for the sarcasm, but this should have been done years ago.

According to a recent article by the Reuters news agency, NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said "It's a fact of life. Everybody has a camera in their telephones. When people can record an event taking place that helps us during an investigation."

This is a good idea for a number of reasons. Civil rights groups believe it would provide vital in proving police brutality. People could also anonymously upload video or photos of crimes without fear of retribution, especially illegal activity that takes place in a public place or around a large group of people.

Of course, there are those who would abuse the system for personal gain, or because of a personal vendetta, but having more oversight on police and more evidence for prosecutions sounds like a pretty strong case to us. [Source: BBC]



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