Hackers Rebel Against Spy Cams

Wired is running an article looking at the little ways in which Austrian technology users are striking back against surveillance. From the article: "Members of the organization worked out a way to intercept the camera images with an inexpensive, 1-GHz satellite receiver. The signal could then be descrambled using hardware designed to enhance copy-protected video as it's transferred from DVD to VHS tape. The Quintessenz activists then began figuring out how to blind the cameras with balloons, lasers and infrared devices. And, just for fun, the group created an anonymous surveillance system that uses face-recognition software to place a black stripe over the eyes of people whose images are recorded."

Comments

Re:RTFA?

[Myopic]

i share your indignation. i've heard complaints about the editor "Zonk" who approved this story -- do you think he deserves the blame?

Re:Huge difference with speed cameras

[dangitman]

There are few things more arbitrarily illegal than "speeding" and ineffective as speed cameras.

What? What's "arbitrarily" illegal about apeeding? It is one of the most commonsense laws ever.

Secondly, they are extremely effective, if used widely. Speeding has almost been entirely eliminated since speed cameras were installed all over my city. If there's one thing you don't want to do here, it's speed. What are the ineffective cases you are speaking of?

Re:Huge difference with speed cameras

[dangitman]

Still, if they're so incompetent behind the wheel, wouldn't a better solution be to raise the requirements for a license in the first place? An idiot at 60mph is still an idiot at 35mph.

The best driver in the world is still more dangerous at 60mph than 35mph.