Comments on: Yet another creepy Google Technology

By: Theropod

Theropod — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 19:39:40 +0000

So much for “You can make money without doing evil.”

By: jason

jason — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 14:49:32 +0000

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/09/26/cuecat_profiling_potential_described/

“The CueCat software then listens for signals encoded within the audio of television programmes”

When I mean automatically displayed, I mean when I’m done watching my TV program, I dont wnat to come to my computer and see that there are a bunch of pop ups..

By: Big Brother Is Watching Me?

Big Brother Is Watching Me? — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 14:46:14 +0000

Isn’t this a bit alarmist? A new application that would allow the less than tech-savvy to find internet content relating to their TV viewing *immediately* turns into cries that corporations are constantly trying to destroy our privacy?

From the brief paragraph description of the program given, it does not seem to suggest that Google will be forcing this technology down anyones throats. Furthermore, any reasonable person who puts any amount of thought into what the program is actually doing would realize that A) it is recording any and all sound in the room, B) it is transmitting that audio data off into the wild blue internet to who knows where in order for it to be processed in some unknown manner, and C) targeted internet content is then sent back to you.

Clearly the possibility for Google to amass some archive of what’s been going on in your living room when your computer is on exists, but apparently that is the purpose of the program in the first place, in order to return a highly personalized experience (which is impossible without giving up a corresponding amount of privacy).

I fail to see where the perceived maliciousness comes into play at all.

By: Jace

Jace — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 14:34:46 +0000

CueCat was a bit different in that it required user interaction. I like the idea of this which doesn’t seem to be solely based on ad revenue. And, like other things, there will be ways to disable it.

By: boohiss

boohiss — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 13:35:35 +0000

“when are companies going to realize we dont want to automatically have ads displayed?”

I don’t want commercials in my TV shows either…but how else are they going to pay for the content?

By: jason

jason — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 06:00:15 +0000

cuecuat tried this style of advertising years ago and failed..when are companies going to realize we dont want to automatically have ads displayed?

By: Ronald Poi

Ronald Poi — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 05:59:30 +0000

I’d never put any kind of tape over my iSight… but i’m trying to know how to turn off the little green light in order to make hidden videos ;)

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 05:25:57 +0000

What the heck? Nothing out of the ordinary, after all Google’s CEO did say they wanted to “know everything” about you.

This ought to be a BIG help…

To Google of course…

By: chadillac

chadillac — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 05:01:20 +0000

I’ll pass

By: garraeth

garraeth — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 04:37:02 +0000

And I bet 99% of the non-techies out there wouldn’t even think (or know how) about unplugging or disabling their mic…scary tech