» News
They Can Hear You Now: Verizon Patent Could Listen In On Customers
WASHINGTON (CBS DC) – Verizon has filed a patent for targeting ads that collect information from infrared cameras and microphones that can detect the amount of people and types of conversations happening in customers’ living rooms.
The set-top box technology is not the first of its kind – Comcast patented similar monitoring technology in 2008 that recommended content to users based on people it recognized in the room. Google TV also proposed a patent that would use video and audio recorders to figure out exactly how many people in a room were watching its broadcast.
Verizon filed for the application in May 2011, but the report was published last week due to laws stating that all patent applications be published after 18 months.
FierceCable first publicized the Verizon patent that gives examples of the DVR’s acute sensitivity in customers’ living rooms: argument sounds prompt ads for marriage counseling, and sounds of “cuddling” prompt ads for contraceptives.
eternal ¼ cracker p
December 5th, 2012
When Moose is in the room does it run an ad for Planet of the Apes?
RANDO
December 5th, 2012
This kind of shit is starting to piss me off.
Stranded in Sonoma
December 5th, 2012
Remember the 1980s TV show Max Headroom? Everyone was required to have a television and there was no way to turn it off. 24 hour a day gov’t mandated TV.
The liberals always scream about “Big Brother” but they are the ones that have group orgasms at the thought of being able to use this type of technology.
Loretta in Indiana
December 5th, 2012
Great! Now they can hear when I say “Obama is a Major Piece of Muslim Dog-Shit!” 10 times a day.
I want them to hear it!
old_oaks
December 5th, 2012
Pisses me off too Rando, but the first time you hook up an X-box 360 and can walk in and out of a game by just walking into the room. You think, hey that’s cool!
I admit though, I was a little disturbed by it, so I set it up in Jr.’s room so it could watch him!
Ten Megaton
December 5th, 2012
As long as Obama has one and I can hear what the dipshit is up to.
MN Patriot
December 6th, 2012
Deja Vu?
KF
December 6th, 2012
Pfft, old news intel communitys’ Total Information Access (TIA) program has been doing much worse for many years.