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GPS-Enabled Criminals In Massachusetts
Fun at LinuxWorld writes "Following on the heels of California's plan to put GPS receivers in cars, Massachusetts wants to fit criminals who violation restraining orders with GPS devices. Wearing the device would be a condition of probation (meaning you can refuse, but then you get to serve your time in jail), and fines and punishments would be imposed if the person entered "restricted zones" (under the terms of the restraining order). With all the reports of GPS being used to restrict the rights of innocent people, is this any better? Will it fix the problem?"
"...criminals who violation restraining orders..."
Hmm, the editors are great at proofreader articles.
So the collars explode when you enter a restricted zone?
Both use GPS?
:-) >When you start subjecting the entire population to the same kind of treatment you've got a MAJOR due process violation. ..And we all know that major due process violations cause major due core dumps
(geez, on Slashdot and no one thought of that one? Or no one likes my flavor of UNIX?)
I don't think that current technology makes it practical. Unfortunantly, we need at least one more generation of hardware improvements before the universal multi-purpose brian implant can become a reality.
Not only is GPS tracking needed, but also real time transmit-receive capability. It is not possible to put the entire database of copyright works into your implant. Therefore, when you see or hear something, your implant can communicate with a central RIAA/MPAA database in real time, determine who owns the copyright, and then appropriately charge your credit card for what you have just seen or heard.
It is even less technically feasible, at present, to determine whether you are thinking subversive thoughts which lie outside the scope of consuming content or doing productive work for your employer.
Also somewhat infeasible is for the implant to determine or be remotely directed that it is necessary to administer needed medications into your system. (Need being determine by the implant firmware, or by remote command.)
Improvements in processing power will be needed for various a/v decoders if we wish to convert all content to be DRM encoded almost all the way to the brain.
I'm sure others here can think of other current technical limitations that mean we will have to be patient and wait for the next generation of brain implant toys.
Even further out, more sci-fi, would be not only to monitor thoughts, but also to interact with thoughts. Your implent could make it possible for people of the right social standing to be able to have virtual conferences. For mere workers, it would be possible to put up virtual walls that one would be unable to walk through.
Think of the applications and imagine the tremendous benefits. Think of how much safer this wonderful technology could keep all of us. It would protect our corporations from the scourge of piracy. It would save all of us from the unpleasantness of people who express dissenting views.
The price of freedom is eternal litigation.
They'll put these things on file-sharers, Linux users and other communists given half a chance.
Not sure exactly how useful putting GPS on Linux or file-sharers would be. You can find them in front of their computers.
Now, if you GPS track their computers...